Goto & YOSHI-HASHI are the current IWGP Tag Team Champions. If they don’t win World Tag League, the winning team will be in line for a shot at their titles at Wrestle Kingdom 18 on January 4.
World Tag League is back in action with an A Block show this Thursday (November 23). The tournament runs through December 10.
Yuji Nagata, Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer & Alex Zayne defeated Bad Luck Fale, Jack Bonza, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
Atlantis Jr. & Soberano Jr. defeated DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku
Oskar Leube defeated Shoma Kato (Kato’s debut match)
NJPW is back at Korakuen Hall on Tuesday for World Tag League night two, which will consist of the first B Block action of the tournament.
The tournament runs through December 10. The winning team will be in line to challenge Goto & YOSHI-HASHI for the IWGP Tag Team titles at Wrestle Kingdom 18 on January 4.
Tonight’s NJPW Lonestar Shootout pay-per-view features five title matches, plus Jon Moxley in action.
Shingo Takagi defends the NEVER Openweight Championship against Trent Beretta in the main event, while in the semi-main, IWGP Women’s Champion Mayu Iwatani defends her title against Stephanie Vaquer.
Zack Sabre Jr. will defend the NJPW World TV Championship against “Speedball” Mike Bailey, NJPW Strong Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston will defend his title against Satoshi Kojima, and the NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Championships will be on the line as El Phantasmo & Hikuleo defend against Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs of the West Coast Wrecking Crew in the night’s other title match.
Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta of AEW’s Blackpool Combat Club will face Bullet Club’s David Finlay & KENTA in a tag bout.
Mistico will be in singles competition on the show against TJP of United Empire.
Joey Janela vs. Toru Yano, plus a trios match featuring CMLL legends Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero are among the evening’s other highlights.
The match opened with grappling between Atlantis and Ultimo. Hechicero and Dorada entered the match next and continued the back-and-forth. Once they finished, TM and Rocky joined the fray.
After Rocky joined the match, he began to cheat, with his partners’ help, to gain control. After an extended period on the back foot, TM landed a tiger driver, buying enough time to tag out.
Atlantis led the next sequence, taking out the heel trio with help from Dorada. Once Hechicero tagged back in, the babyface rally ended.
The match came to a close after a competitive sequence between Hechicero and Dorada. Dorada won out in the end, landing his shooting star press to bring the match to a close.
Toru Yano defeated Joey Janela
Before the match could begin, Janela jumped Yano. Janela then challenged Yano to make this a no-disqualification match. Yano accepted by spraying Janela in the face with his can of cold spray.
Once the match kicked off, Yano removed all four turnbuckle covers before slamming Janela into the exposed corners. Soon, the match worked its way to the floor, where Janela gained the advantage with the assistance of a steel chair.
Back in the ring, Janela stacked up three stairs, but Yano was the one to land a suplex across the furniture. Janela responded with a piledriver on the chairs for a nearfall. Janela’s lead ended after missing a dive on the side of the ring.
Yano annihilated Janela with a powerbomb across a pair of standing chairs for another nearfall. After Janela kicked out, Yano taped him to a chair. From the chair, Janela kicked Yano low. The referee then freed Janela from the chair, allowing him to land a DDV on another chair.
Janela tapped up Yano’s wrists before grabbing another chair. Yano avoided the attack before stunning Janela with a low headbutt and behind-the-back low blow. Yano then rolled up Janela to bring this to a close.
Chase Owens & Alex Coughlin & Clark Connors & Gabe Kidd (Bullet Club) defeated Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa & Kushida & Kevin Knight
It didn’t take long following the opening bell for the match to break down. The babyface squad gained the first lead from the chaos, working over Owens for some time.
Once Coughlin tagged into the match, the Bullet Club gained control. The heels used their normal tactics to keep Kushida isolated from his team. Kidd allowed his team’s lead to slip when he chose to spit in Tama’s face instead of focusing on the legal man. Tama then tagged in and beat down all of his opponents.
Bullet Club attempted to rush the ring, but the babyfaces fought back, leading to another chaotic scrap. Connors managed to land a spear on Knight as the rest of Bullet Club cleared the ring. Coughlin and Connors then hit Knight with a tandem DDT to win the match.
NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship: Hikuleo & El Phantasmo (c) defeated Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs (West Coast Wrecking Crew)
The match opened with all four men in the ring. The action then spilled to the floor, where the WCWC gained control. They continued their advance in the ring, isolating ELP in standard fashion.
After an extended period on the back foot, ELP tagged in Hikuleo. Hikuleo took full control of the challengers, dominating the competition.
A miscommunication leading to ELP super-kicking Hikuleo allowed the WCWC to fire back. After clearing the ring of Hikuleo, both men returned to their original strategy of isolating ELP, scoring a nearfall after a driver/elbow drop combination. To make the save, Hikuleo bumped the referee.
With the downed referee, WCWC landed a low blow and a belt shot on Hikuleo to write him off. They tried the same thing on ELP, but he avoided the attack, Nelson into Isaacs with the championship. ELP then pinned Isaacs to retain the title.
Mistico defeated TJP
TJP opened the match by trying to slow it down. Mistico gained a bit of a lead with a dive and some environmental offense on the outside, but as soon as the match was back in the ring, TJP had control.
TJP’s control lasted for the majority of this match. Mistico fired up multiple times, but TJP was quick to regain advantage every time. The match ended rather abruptly with an armbar from Mistico.
After the match, Mistico cleaned his boots with a United Empire towel.
NJPW Strong Openweight Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) defeated Satoshi Kojima
This match opened with both men trading tackles. Kojima’s tackles left him ahead of Eddie, which he used to control the pace. Eddie eventually caught Kojima in the corner, where he connected with a flurry of machine gun chops and a suplex. Eddie then attempted a suplex on the apron, but Kojima reversed into a DDT to retake the lead.
Eddie landed a pair of suplexes in the ring to reset the match. Kojima and Eddie then traded lariats in the round, with Kojima winning out. A Koji-cutter scored Kojima a nearfall.
Eddie stuffed a Kojima lariat before landing three spinning back fists. After eating three of Eddie’s signature strike, Kojima landed a lariat and a brainbuster, but Eddie found the bottom rope.
Kojima attempted another lariat, but Kingston cut him off with one of his own. A follow-up pair of northern lights bombs won Eddie the match.
After the match, Gabe Kidd hit the ring and attacked Eddie. After dropping Eddie with the STRONG belt, he grabbed the microphone and cut a promo over Eddie’s body.
This might be the most excited I’ve ever been for a STRONG title match. Eddie vs. Kidd should be nothing short of amazing.
Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta (Blackpool Combat Club) defeated Kenta & David Finlay (Bullet Club)
The match opened with a Bullet Club-led brawl. Once the brawling subsided, the Bullet Club pair had control in the ring over Yuta.
Once Moxley tagged in, he violently took control of the match with strikes and a driver. Finlay hit the ring to save KENTA. Once Finlay tagged in, he worked to isolate Moxley while establishing a significant lead.
The hot tag to Yuta launched a BCC rally. Finlay cut Yuta short with a backbreaker. KENTA tried to close with a GTS, but Yuta avoided the attack. KENTA then attempted a belt shot with a distracted referee, but Yuta avoided it, too, leading to a double tag.
Moxley and Finlay traded strikes before moving up to more substantial moves. Both men were grounded, opening the door for a KENTA double foot stomp. After eating the stomp, Moxley traded strikes with KENTA. After escaping a GTS, Moxley hit KENTA with a death rider and won the match.
NJPW World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) defeated Mike Bailey
This was a good match, if a bit predictable.
Bailey opened the match by rushing ZSJ. After sending the champion to the floor, Bailey landed a moonsault to the outside.
Bailey attempted a boot, but ZSJ avoided the strike, allowing him to establish the lead with a neck crank and some mat grappling. Bailey eventually fought to his feet before landing a dropkick to launch an extended offensive sequence.
Bailey attempted his double knee drop, but ZSJ blocked it with his own knees. This reversal acted as a reset, opening the door for a back-and-forth striking sequence. ZSJ secured control on the mat, but the back-and-forth striking continued.
With less than three minutes left on the clock, Bailey landed a double knee to the back of ZSJ for a convincing nearfall. ZSJ answered with a Zack driver for a nearfall of his own.
The pair, now desperate to secure a win, traded pin attempts. With a minute on the clock, Bailey attempted a tornado kick. ZSJ avoided the strike and caught Bailey in an armbar. When the armbar failed, ZSJ turned his attention to Bailey’s fingers, snapping Bailey’s pinky to secure the submission win.
IWGP Women’s Championship: Mayu Iwatani (c) defeated Stephanie Vaquer
This is the only match on this card I’d suggest going out of your way to see. It was totally focused, playing to both women’s strengths with absolutely no fluff. Fantastic.
This match kicked off with a grappling sequence that left both women on equal footing. A leg whip from Vaquer launched the first sequence of control for the challenger. Vaquer used selective offense that either looked devastating or humiliating.
A sudden superkick from Mayu opened the door for her comeback. A follow-up dragon suplex and tope left Mayu with a strong lead.
Mayu’s lead was cut short when Vaquer caught her in a choke following a moonsault. A nasty suplex from Vaquer stopped Mayu’s immediate attempt to rally.
A quick crucifix driver from Mayu reversed the match’s momentum. She followed up with a tombstone and a moonsault to win the match and retain her belt.
NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) defeated Trent Beretta
A collar-and-elbow opened the match, and a fairly standard opening sequence followed. Shingo established control with strikes and work on the mat.
A sudden slingshot spear from Trent bought him some time. To follow up, Trent hit a flip to the floor. Trent maintained his lead by driving Shingo through a table positioned in the corner.
Trent attempted to attack Shingo with the broken table, but Shingo blocked the attack. Shingo then used the table himself, smashing it across Trent’s face and busting him open.
Back in the ring, Trent fought back with a sequence of suplexes. Shingo held on, landing a DDT to maintain his control. Shingo dropped Trent from the top rope for a nearfall. A pumping bomber and another Last of the Dragon scored Shingo another.
Trent caught Shingo with a dude buster for a nearfall of his own, acting as a match reset. A Gotch piledriver from Trent yielded another nearfall. Ultimately, Shingo was able to win the match with Made in Japan, retaining his belt.
After the match, Tama Tonga came to the ring to challenge Shingo to a NEVER Openweight title rematch. Shingo accepted and left the building in a cowboy hat.
Will Ospreay vs. Shota Umino for the IWGP US/UK Heavyweight Championship headlines NJPW Power Struggle today in Osaka.
Ospreay will be looking for his third successful defense of the US/UK title, while Umino will aim for his first title victory in NJPW.
Two more title matches, the Super Junior Tag League Finals, plus a special Jon Moxley singles match are also set for the show.
Hiromu Takahashi will defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Taiji Ishimori in the semi-main event, and Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii will defend the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles against TMDK’s Zack Sabre Jr, Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls.
In the Super Jr. Tag League finals, TJP & Francesco Akira face SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru.
Jon Moxley takes on United Empire’s Great-O-Khan in singles competition, while Tanga Loa faces David Finlay in another special singles bout., SANADA & Yuya Uemura take on Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji in a tag team bout.
Tama Tonga, KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight face Shingo Takagi, BUSHI & Titan in trios action.
It will be El Desperado & Master Wato vs. YOH & MUSASHI vs. Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney vs. Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita in a four-way tag team bout.
Jeff Cobb & Callum Newman vs. Yuto Nakashima & Oskar Leube kicks off the main card.
Ryusuke Taguchi, Boltin Oleg & The DKC vs. Strong Machine J, Yoshiki Kato & Mochizuki Jr. in a Frontier Zone match is the 3:30 a.m. Eastern time pre-show bout.
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Ryusuke Taguchi, Boltin Oleg & The DKC (NJPW) defeated Strong Machine J, Yoshiki Kato & Mochizuki Jr. (Dragongate)
Oleg opened the match, gaining an advantage over Machine J and the rest of the Dragongate trio. Eventually, the match broke down, giving the Dragongate trio a chance to bounce back. The breakdown ended with a Taguchi ankle lock, resulting in a New Japan win.
Jeff Cobb & Callum Newman (United Empire) defeated Oskar Leube & Yuto Nakashima
This was a simple, effective tag match, and a good way to open the show.
Newman and Nakashima opened the match with a decent exchange, allowing the U.E. pair to gain an early lead. The Young Lion team fired back by isolating Cobb, but the strength of Cobb enabled him to buck off both men. Newman landed a tope, setting Cobb up for a match-ending Tour of the Islands on Leube.
El Desperado & Master Wato defeated YOH & MUSASHI, Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles, Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors
This match had its moments, but it was far too busy for me to enjoy.
This match opened with the War Dogs rushing their opponents, gaining a brief upper hand. A match breakdown followed, but again, the War Dogs emerged from the fog with a lead. Wato avoided a hit and run, allowing YOH and MUSASHI to hit the ring, clearing out the War Dogs for the first time.
YOH and MUSASHI were interrupted by TMDK, who gained control of the ring. While Eagles was working on MUSASHI, Desperado rolled up Fujita to score a sudden win.
The match opened with an athletic exchange between Titan and Knight. The pace was maintained after KUSHIDA tagged in, leading to everyone else in the match getting involved.
Shingo wore down KUSHIDA, opening Tama up for a hot tag. Tama hit the ring, taking a solid lead over Shingo. Shingo fired back with a strike exchange and a suplex before tagging out to BUSHI.
BUSHI took on Knight and KUSHIDA before hitting Tama with a tope. Back in the ring, Tama fired back with an uppercut, prompting Shingo to interrupt. This led to a match breakdown with all six men involved. Once the ring was cleared, Tama dropped BUSHI with a gun stun to win the match.
Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji defeated SANADA & Yuya Uemura
Yuya and Tsuji started slow before SANADA tagged in. Tsuji then worked with Naito to isolate SANADA, establishing a strong lead. After prolonged LIJ control, Yuya received a hot tag, resetting the match.
Yuya and Tsuji worked a steady back-and-forth match for some time, selling the effects from the rest of the match. Yuya landed three suplexes, putting Tsuji on the backfoot. Naito answered Yuya’s advance by hitting the ring, prompting SANADA to follow. Naito was able to fight off SANADA but not Yuya, but his distraction was enough. Tsuji hit Yuya with a Gene Blast and pinned him to win the match.
David Finlay defeated Tanga Loa
Finlay opened the match by attacking Loa on the outside. This led to an extended brawl centered around environmental offense. After having a heaping pile of furniture placed on him, Loa beat the count and returned to the ring.
It didn’t take long for Loa to take the action back outside, where he utilized similar tactics to put Finlay on the backfoot. Finlay survived, leading to a back-and-forth strike exchange. Finlay held on again, this time landing a powerbomb to reset the match.
Finlay attempted to hit Loa with his shillelagh, but Loa avoided the attack. Loa followed up with a bossman slam for a nearfall, but Finlay bumped the referee to stop any further advance. Finlay then hit Loa with his shillelagh and Oblivion to win the match.
Jon Moxley defeated Great-O-Khan
This was a hoot.
As the match began, O-Khan threw Moxley to the floor and launched an attack on the outside. Moxley and O-Khan brawled outside long enough for the referee’s count to reach twenty.
After the double count out, Moxley grabbed a microphone and challenged O-Khan to a falls count anywhere match. O-Khan agreed by hitting Moxley with a barricade.
The fight immediately worked its way down the aisle, where O-Khan suplexed Moxley through a barricade. O-Khan followed up by placing Moxley on a cart and driving him through a sea of fans. O-Khan then wrapped Moxley up with a mat and slammed him with a stack of barricades.
Moxley, now pouring blood, fought back, throwing O-Khan into a section of empty chairs. Then, on the ramp, Moxley attempted a Death Rider, but O-Khan reversed into one of his own. O-Khan then locked in a choke, re-establishing his lead.
O-Khan attempted an eliminator off the ramp, but Moxley reversed, shoving him onto the floor. Moxley then revealed a pair of scissors that he used to cut off O-Khan’s signature braid. O-Khan, now enraged, leaped on Moxley, leading to a back-and-forth submission sequence on the floor.
Once both men returned to their feet, they engaged in a strike exchange that looked more like a Shoot Boxing tribute than a modern piece of puro. After connecting with a barrage of elbows, Moxley hit O-Khan with a lariat, leading to a more traditional pro wrestling back-and-forth. O-Khan won out and drove Moxley into the floor for a nearfall.
Moxley retreated to the top of the bleachers from where he shoved O-Khan, sending him toppling back to the floor. Back at the bottom, Moxley landed a Death Rider and locked in a choke, leading to the end of the match.
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, & Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste, & Mikey Nicholls (TMDK)
No surprise here; this was great.
ZSJ and Ishii started with a slick back-and-forth, with neither man gaining a lead, forcing a double tag. Nicholls and Tanahashi then entered the ring, and with Haste’s help, TMDK took control of the match.
After a long period of isolation, Tanahashi tagged out to Okada, who ran through all of TMDK, taking complete control of the match. Eventually, TMDK rushed Okada in tandem to keep him from running away further. This tactic forced Okada to tag out, leading to another Ishii/ZSJ encounter.
ZSJ hit Ishii with a suplex, but Ishii answered with a lariat. ZSJ tried taking the match to the floor over and over, but Ishii responded with stiff strikes. It didn’t take long for both men to be knocked to the mat.
Tanahashi tagged in, gaining a quick lead on ZSJ. The rest of TMDK hit the ring, leading to a chaotic period of back-and-forths. ZSJ eventually dragged Tanahashi to the floor, where he locked in a hold that forced Ishii to interfere. This caused another match breakdown, even more chaotic than the last.
After a prolonged back-and-forth, ZSJ floored Tanahashi with a penalty kick; Tanahashi kicked out. ZSJ then attempted a Zack Driver, but Tanahashi reversed into a sudden pin, resulting in another successful dream team defense.
After the match, the lights cut off for a Bryan Danielson video package. Danielson challenged Okada to a one-on-one match, January 4th, Tokyo Dome. Okada answered with a “yes”, setting up the rematch at the biggest show of the year.
Super Junior Tag Leauge Final: TJP & Francesco Akira (Catch 2/2) defeated SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (House of Torture)
Before the match could begin, HoT attacked Catch 2/2. Catch 2/2 held on, gaining a short lead as the match officially began. After the opening bell, HoT retook the lead by bringing the fight to the floor, using the barricades and concrete.
Back in the ring, HoT maintained their lead by any means necessary. After isolating TJP for some time, Akira hit the ring, leading a quick sequence to retake the lead, but it didn’t take long for HoT to steal the advantage back.
After hitting a superplex and a powerbreaker, Kanemaru locked Akira in a Boston crab. TJP made the save with a splash. TJP’s rally was shortlived as referee bump allowed the rest of HoT to hit the ring. Jeff Cobb ran to the aid of Catch 2/2, carrying HoT to the back after laying them out.
Back in the ring, Akira dropped SHO and Kanemaru with a pair of superkicks. Without the threat of interference, TJP and Akira were able to land their tandem knee, winning the match and Tag League.
After the match, the junior champions hit the ring, laid out Catch 2/2, and cut a promo over their bodies. Before the War Dogs could inflict more punishment, United Empire hit the ring, sending the champs running.
The match opened with both men attempting quick pins before spilling to the outside. On the outside, Hiromu drove Ishimori into the barricade with a dropkick. Ishimori answered by dropping Hiromu on the barricade, resulting in a near countout.
Back in the ring, Ishimori began to pick apart Hiromu. Hiromu sped the match up, using a DVD to put Ishimori on the backfoot. Hiromu followed up with a Timebomb 1.5. Hiromu attempted Victory Royal, but Ishimori reversed into a LeBell lock.
After escaping, Hiromu landed a lariat, but Ishimori responded by putting Hiromu in a bone lock. After a prolonged struggle, Hiromu reached the bottom rope. A brief back-and-forth followed, ending after Hiromu trapped Ishimori in a Hiromu roll to win the match and retain his belt.
After the match, Desperado came out to challenge Hiromu for his belt.
IWGP UK Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay (c) defeated Shota Umino
This match opened with a standard feeling-out process that favored Ospreay. The pair soon worked their way to the floor, where Ospreay set up a table. Umino avoided being driven through the table and returned to the ring.
Back in the ring, Ospreay maintained his lead. Ospreay was more than commanding, spitting on Umino before kicking him in the nose, drawing a stream of blood. The blood woke Umino up, prompting him to attack Ospreay before driving him into the apron. Umino took Ospreay to the floor himself, kicking him into a barricade before throwing him into a sea of chairs.
Umino hit Ospreay with a table before attempting a Death Rider. Ospreay avoided the DDT, saving the match. Back in the ring, Ospreay caught Umino with a powerbomb. Ospreay then attempted an OsCutter, but Umino answered with a dropkick. Umino followed up with a pair of cutters for a nearfall.
Ospreay hit a Spanish fly to reset the match. A follow-up boot and dive yielded Ospreay a nearfall. Umino tried escaping on the apron, but Ospreay pursued him. Ospreay lifted Umino on the apron, landing a Tiger Driver through two tables. Back in the ring, Ospreay hit an OsCutter; Umino kicked out. Ospreay hit a hidden blade; Umino kicked out.
Umino made his way to his feet, leading to a brief strike exchange. Ospreay dodged a punch, sending Umino to the floor. Umino stood up again, prompting Ospreay to kick him repeatedly. Once Umino fell, Ospreay hammered him with strikes on the ground. Instead of kicking out, Umino spit in his face.
With Umino on the edge of defeat, Jon Moxley came to the ring, encouraging him to hold on. Umino kicked Ospreay off and dropped him with a lariat. With Ospreay on the ground, Umino locked in an STF. Once Ospreay escaped, he attempted Storm Breaker, but Umino reversed into a DDT for a nearfall.
Another DDT kept Umino ahead of Ospreay late in the match. A spinning Death Rider scored Umino a nearfall. Umino then hoisted Ospreay to the top rope and landed a massive avalanche Death Rider; Ospreay kicked out.
Umino mounted Ospreay and clubbed him across the face. When Ospreay failed to defend himself, the referee initiated a standing ten count that Ospreay beat at nine. Umino hit him with another Death Rider, but Ospreay bounced back with an immediate hidden blade.
With both men grounded, they began trading headbutts. The pair worked their way to their feet, trading punches all the way up. Ospreay tried for a Storm Breaker, but Umino reversed into a flipping powerbomb. Ospreay hit another hidden blade, but Umino kicked out at one. Ospreay didn’t waste time, landing a death rider of his own, followed by a storm driver; Umino kicked out. To close, Ospreay landed another hidden blade and a Storm Breaker just past the 40 minute mark.
After the match, Ospreay and Moxley squared off, but they were interrupted by David Finlay. After Finlay laid them out, he cut a promo saying their belts were meaningless. He then took a large mallet and destroyed both the IWGP UK and US belts.
Will Ospreay defends the IWGP United Kingdom/United States Championship against Zack Sabre Jr. today at Royal Quest III at the Copper Box Arena in London.
This will be the 16th career singles meeting between Ospreay and Sabre, and the first since the 2022 New Japan Cup when Sabre scored a win. Sabre has a 9-6 edge in the series.
Tomohiro Ishii faces Shingo Takagi in the semi-main event in their seventh career singles meeting. Shingo has a 5-1 record in their six prior matches.
Wrestle Kingdom 18 main event opponents SANADA & Tetsuya Naito will be on opposite sides of a tag team match on the undercard, with IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA & DOUKI teaming against Naito & BUSHI.
In another notable undercard bout, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles are on the line with Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney defending against Cameron Khai & Leon Slater.
Nothing fantastic, but this was a fine opener. Robbie was given a lot, and, as you would expect, he utilized his time to show off for the crowd.
The match opened with Robbie getting the better of Ishimori with athletic offense. Ishimori struck back by shoving Robbie into an exposed corner, leading to an extended period of Ishimori control. Robbie’s rally was just as acrobatic as his opening but with more back-and-forth from Ishimori. Ishimori held on long enough to catch Robbie with a UFO and Bloody Cross to win the match.
El Desperado defeated Trent Seven
This was bad. They tried to have an intense fight, but it was much closer to a mild scuffle.
Before the match could begin, Seven entered the ring with a chair. Desperado answered by getting a chair of his own. The pair went back and forth with the chairs before spilling to the floor. Desperado gained an advantage on the outside, leaving him free to attempt a dive, but Desperado cut him off with a chair shot to the head.
Seven controlled Desperado for far too long with plotting holds before tearing away at Desperado’s mask. Desperado fired back up with a suplex, but Seven quickly responded with a piledriver.
Seven attempted a dive from the top rope but missed. Desperado hit Seven with a spear, but a now desperate Seven bumped the referee. Seven then landed a low blow and an emerald flowsion for a near fall. A frustrated Seven then lifted Desperado to his feet, only for Desperado to win the match with a quick trap pin.
Yota Tsuji defeated Luke Jacobs
Both guys looked good at times, but this match never became anything more than solid.
The match opened with a strike battle that Tsuji won, leading to an extended stint of control. Jacobs bounced back after a second strike exchange, reversing a suplex to gain a footing for the first time. From here, the pair went back and forth, but Jacobs maintained a slight lead before eating a Tsuji curb stomp.
Jacobs, now desperate, dropped Tsuji with a barrage of headbutts. A massive lariat scored Jacobs a nearfall, but he failed to follow up, dropping Tsuji from a powerbomb. Tsuji took advantage, landing a suplex to retake control. Tsuji then landed a Gene Blast to win the match.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney (Bullet Club War Dogs) (c) defeated Cameron Khai & Leon Slater
This was a very good match. The War Dogs maintained a traditional tag structure, while the challengers were firey babyfaces. Great stuff.
The War Dogs opened the match with a fierce attack on the challengers. As things slowed, the War Dogs maintained their control by isolating Khai. The War Dog pair were villainous, cutting off hot tags by any means necessary.
A sudden death valley driver from Khai led to a hot tag, allowing Slater to take control for the first time. Slater took on both War Dogs long enough for Khai to recover. Khai hit the ring, leading to a hot tandem sequence.
Moloney avoided a 450, buying him enough time to drill Slater with a superkick. Connors was quick in tow, landing a stunning spear and powerslam. The War Dogs then looked to close the match but were cut off on the top rope.
Khai caught Moloney with a sudden cutter, setting Slater up for a 450. Connors cut Slater off, leaving Moloney free to hit the driller killer. The War Dogs then hit Slater with their tandem suplex/top rope spear to win the match and retain their belts.
El Phantasmo, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa (Guerrillas of Destiny) defeated Alex Coughlin, David Finlay & Gabe Kidd (Bullet Club War Dogs)
I thought this match had potential; I was wrong. The War Dog heat segments were beyond dry, and the babyface rallies weren’t much better.
This match opened with both teams meeting on the ramp and brawling. Once the match entered the ring, GoD took control. To stay in the match, the War Dogs pulled Loa to the floor, working to isolate him from the rest of his team. This lasted for quite some time.
Tama got the hot tag, wiping out all of the War Dogs with help from ELP. The pair landed dives to the floor, leaving Kidd and Coughlin on the floor. Back in the ring, GoD continued their advance, landing multiple moves on Finlay before Loa pinned Finlay after landing his reverse driver.
This match was good, but was outshined by the junior tag from earlier in the night.
UE were first to strike, working to isolate Ren early. After an extended period of heel control, Ren reached Shota for a hot tag. Shota took on both of UE, with quite a bit of success, but they eventually retook the lead and returned to their isolation tactic.
This time, Ren hit the ring to save Shota, leading to a slick tandem sequence. O-Khan was forced to hit the ring but also fell to the babyface pair. Shota took off Akira’s head with an elbow strike before landing Death Rider to win the match.
After the match, Ren and Shota shook hands to celebrate their win.
BUSHI & Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) defeated DOUKI & SANADA (Just 5 Guys)
This match was a total coast. If it got a single soul excited for the WrestleKingdom main event, I would be shocked.
J5G took control early and maintained it for quite some time. SANADA and Naito shared a lot of time in the ring, going through slow sequences of strikes and holds.
Eventually, BUSHI hit the ring and helped Naito run off SANADA. Naito was then free to hit DOUKI with Destino, winning the match.
After the match, Naito and SANADA had a stare-down. As SANADA tried to leave BUSHI sprayed him with a mouth full of mist. Naito then threw SANADA from the ring and stood tall with BUSHI.
Eddie Kingston, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Michael Oku defeated HENARE, Jeff Cobb & TJP (United Empire)
Tanahashi and TJP opened the match with a standard exchange. Once Tanahashi gained an upper hand, the rest of UE hit the ring to take control. Once the UE trio had Tanahashi on the back foot, they kept him there by isolating him from his team.
Eddie eventually tagged in, leading directly to a strike exchange with HENARE. UE tried taking their lead back by rushing Eddie again, but Oku was quick in tow, landing a flop to the floor to keep his team ahead.
Once Oku was legal, UE rushed the ring again. This led to a match breakdown with both teams trading moves. In the chaos, Oku hit Eddie with a knee strike, allowing TJP to capitalize. With only TJP and Oku in the ring, TJP attempted to close. Oku reversed into a quick pin, which won his team the match.
Shingo Takagi defeated Tomohiro Ishii
The exact match you expect from this pair–a ridiculously intense crowd-pleaser that’s worth seeking out if you’re a fan of either guy. They played the hits, but they’re hits for a reason. For a ton of people, this will be a MOTY contender.
From the opening bell, these two beat the breaks off of each other. When Shingo gained advantage, Ishii fought back with strikes. When Ishii gained advantage, Shingo fought back with strikes.
As the match escalated, both guys tried out doing each other by any means. Already late in the match, Shingo landed a superplex to a chorus of “fight forever” chants. Ishii answered with a backdrop. Shingo bounced back to his feet, leading to a sequence of suplex trading. By the end, both men were left grounded.
After returning to their feet, Ishii hit Shingo with a superplex of his own. The follow-up powerbomb left Ishii with a nearfall. Shingo held on, landing a GTR to put Ishii behind. Shingo then hit a pumping bomber and Made in Japan; Shingo kicked out.
On their last legs, these guys traded strikes again. Ishii landed a pumping bomber of his own, but Shingo kicked out at one. After eating a second lariat from Ishii, Shingo dropped him with a stiff punch.
Once both men made it back to their feet, they traded headbutts. Shingo won out and hit another pumping bomber, but Ishii kicked out again. Shingo hit Ishii with a brainbuster; Ishii kicked out at one.
Ishii floored Shingo with a nasty headbutt. Ishii tried for his brainbuster, but Shingo reversed, leading to a prolonged rally. Shingo finally closed the match with Last of the Dragon.
Even after the match, the pair continued to go at it, trading a couple more headbutts before finally calling it quits.
Once Ishii left the ring, Tama Tonga came to the ring, holding his NEVER belt. The crowd responded to Tama’s presence with chants of “F*ck him up, Shingo.” Tama then cut a promo that I couldn’t hear; thankfully, the announce team filled us in. Tama Tonga vs. Shingo Takagi is set for October 28th in Las Vegas for the NEVER title.
IWGP United Kingdom Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay (c) defeated Zack Sabre Jr.
This match opened with a prolonged feeling-out sequence, with neither guy getting a clear upper hand for some time. As the match progressed, Ospreay would gain small leads with a strike, but ZSJ would answer with a hold. In order to break through ZSJ’s defense, Ospreay approached with springboards and handsprings. ZSJ still caught Ospreay time after time, not letting him get through with more than a move or two.
After a prolonged struggle, Ospreay was able to prop ZSJ onto the top rope, where he delivered three beautifully shot kicks. Ospreay was able to capitalize, building the first substantial offensive sequence of the match. Ospreay landed a falcon arrow and twisting press from the top rope for a nearfall.
Ospreay attempted a second falcon arrow, but ZSJ reversed and turned his attention to Ospreay’s arm. ZSJ’s lead was cut short by a sudden Spanish fly, which reset the match.
A few seconds of rolling on the mat allowed ZSJ to retake his lead. ZSJ landed a tiger driver for a nearfall. Ospreay tried to answer with an OsCutter, but ZSJ caught him in an armbar. Ospreay powered through, turning the submission into a powerbomb.
Ospreay hit an OsCutter, a hidden blade, and a Stormbreaker, but ZSJ kicked out. Both men then fought to the top rope, where ZSJ used headbutts to rock Ospreay. From the top, ZSJ pulled Ospreay into an armbar, hitting a Zack driver once Ospreay wiggled free.
To follow up, ZSJ kicked Ospreay in the head. Ospreay managed to catch a kick, leading to a quick back-and-forth that ended with a hidden blade. Ospreay then hit an OsCutter from the top rope.
Ospreay ran at ZSJ, getting caught in another armbar. Again, Ospreay powered through, hitting a powerbomb to break the hold. Ospreay hit another hidden blade and a Stormbreaker to win the match and retain his title.
After the match, Ospreay cut a long promo, but production issues made it close to impossible to understand. He asked for a challenger and Shota Umino walked out from the back. Ospreay asked Shota who the best wrestler in the world is, Shota answered Jon Moxley. O-Khan stepped up to the plate; he’s scheduled to face Moxley on November 4th. Shota and Ospreay are also scheduled to wrestle on the same day for the IWGP UK Championship.
SANADA defends the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against EVIL in a lumberjack match as NJPW’s Destruction tour ends today in Ryogoku.
Formerly tag team partners and members of Los Ingobernables de Japon, SANADA is now with Just Five Guys, while EVIL is with the Bullet Club House of Torture group. SANADA has promised a surprise fifth member will join Just Five Guys today following Yoshinobu Kanemaru’s defection from the group.
Five other title matches will be part of the 10-match lineup.
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight title is on the line in the semi-main, with Hiromu Takahashi defending against YOH and “Speedball” Mike Bailey in a triple threat match.
David Finlay is set to defend the NEVER Openweight Championship against Tama Tonga on the show.
Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii will defend the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles against Impact’s Alex Shelly, Chris Sabin & Josh Alexander in another title match.
The NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team titles will also be on the line as Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd defend against El Phantasmo & Hikuleo.
Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles against KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight.
This match opened with a Yano rollup attempt, prompting the interpromotional team to beat him down. This led to a control period over the NJPW veterans before Leube turned the match around for his team.
The Frontier team rushed the ring to break up a Taguchi pin attempt, leading to a match breakdown. After clearing the ring of the other team, Taguchi submitted Katori with an ankle lock.
Leube, a last-minute substitute for YOH, was a highlight of this match. His size was the contrast this match needed to be anything more than silly. It was still silly, but not that silly.
Before the match could begin, a video revealed that Yuya Uemura is not only back in New Japan but also Kanemaru’s replacement in Just 5 Guys.
The match was a typical HoT outing from the open. Yuya acted as a focal point in the comeback spots, helping his team stay competitive throughout the match. After a couple of breakdowns, Yuya hit Yujiro with a deadbolt suplex to secure a pinfall victory.
Tanga Loa defeated Chase Owens
I honestly have no idea why this match happened. It did nothing for either guy, furthered nothing, and was hard to watch.
Owens tried to rush Loa before the match but ate a spinebuster instead. Owens utilized an illegal choke to get back in the match before bumping the referee and dropping Loa with a knee rake. Owens continued to work the leg to maintain momentum.
Eventually, they worked their way outside the ring, where Owens hit a jewel heist, nearly ending the match with a countout. Back in the ring, they awkwardly traded momentum before Owens hit a C-Trigger. Owens attempted a package piledriver, but Loa reversed into an OJK, forcing Owens to submit.
This match was not good, not good at all. So far as I can tell, it was just here to keep these guys, mostly Naito, on the card.
After a prolonged stint of UE control, Shingo tagged out to Naito, who also struggled to gain anything substantial. The Naito tag allowed Newman to get in a bit of offense against Naito, prompting the rest of LIJ to hit the ring. After the run-in, Naito dropped Newman with Destino to win the match.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors (Bullet Club War Dogs) (c) defeated KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight (Jet Setters)
Moments after the opening bell, Knight hit the War Dogs with a nasty dive on the floor. Back in the ring, the Jet Setters worked in tandem to control the champions.
The match slowed down a bit during Kushida’s control segment. As the War Dogs fought back, their offense was as mean as always, but the pace still suffered. Once Knight tagged in, the match picked back up.
Knight’s rally ended with a tandem spear/chop block from the champions. Kushida hit the ring, resetting the match. After some more back and forth, Moloney dropped Kushida with a brutal driver. Connors then hit both of his opponents with spears to retain the belts.
While this wasn’t the best of the Strong Style multi-mans, it was still a ton of fun. It was fairly chaotic, with Narita and Umnio maintaining their spot as this feud’s soul.
Match number 7 of this best-of-7 series opened with a tense staredown.
Wato and Desperado started the match with a standard sequence before tagging out to the veterans. Suzuki and Nagata traded strikes inside the ring and out. Umino and Narita then entered the fray, picking up where they always leave off.
After spending a heap of time in the ring together, Narita and Umino traded finisher attempts, leaving both men grounded. Nagata and Suzuki hit the ring but maintained their focus on each other. Wato and Desperado then hit the ring, giving Narita and Umino more time to recover. Once Umino and Narita returned to their feet, they traded mean strikes. Umino won out, hitting Narita with deathrider before pinning him.
This result, 3-3-1, leaves the best-of-7 as a draw. After the match, each rival pair shook hands.
NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship: El Phantasmo & Hikuleo defeated Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd (c) (Bullet Club War Dogs)
This War Dog pair is really something special. Their limb work tonight was focused, their offense was intense, and their presence was palpable. This match was significantly better than it should have been—the first great match on this card.
The War Dogs opened the match with a sneak attack on the main unit pair. The champions then set their focus on the leg of Hikuleo, forcing him to seek a tag. The eventual hot tag to ELP was short-lived, as the War Dogs gained the lead and isolated him with ease.
Once recovered, Hikuleo tagged into the match, launching a rally against both Dogs. Coughlin cut the rally with a pair of suplexes and a single-leg Boston crab. ELP tagged back in, only to be choked from the top rope and dropped with a doomsday device and double muscle buster.
After ELP kicked out, Hikuleo provided a distraction, buying him enough time to duck a clothesline, dropping Coughlin. Kidd didn’t slow down though, unloading on Hikuleo with strikes and a bit of spit; Hikuleo answered with a palm strike. Hikuleo and ELP hit a synchronized superkick and chokeslam before an assisted Thunderkiss ’86 left ELP with an unchallenged pin on Coughlin, winning them the STRONG titles.
NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship: Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi, & Kazuchika Okada (c) defeated Josh Alexander, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelly
To the surprise of absolutely no one, this match was fantastic.
Shelly and Tanahashi opened with a slick sequence before tagging into Ishii and Alexander, who maintained the pace. Okada and Sabin then entered the match, leading to a substantive back and forth.
A match breakdown allowed the Impact trio to gain control over Okada, isolating him from his team. Okdada withstood the onslaught before tagging back to Ishii, who took the fight to Alexander once more. Alexander dropped Ishii with multiple suplexes before nailing him with a disgusting backbreaker.
Ishii reversed the C4 attempt and hit Alexander with a headbutt that sent his headgear flying. Sabin hit the ring with a dropkick to keep the Impact trio ahead, but Ishii answered with a suplex and a tag to Tanahashi.
Tanahashi’s withstood an MCMG attempt at coming back, allowing the rest of his team to isolate Shelly. The Impact trio fired back, but a miscommunication allowed the champions to maintain their control. Tanahashi then hit Shelly with High Fly Flow to win the match, retaining the 6-man championships while pinning the Impact Heavyweight Champion.
NEVER Openweight Championship: Tama Tonga defeated David Finlay (c)
This match had its moments, especially in its earlier stages, but by the end, I was happy it was over.
Finlay opened the match with a surprise attack on Tama, followed by a quick spear. The action then worked to the outside, where Finlay beat him with a chair and drove him through the barricade. A fired-up Tama fought back with a Tangan twist on an exposed portion of the floor before continuing his assault inside the ropes.
Finlay eventually baited Tama back to the floor, throwing him headfirst into the ring post. Back in the ring, Finlay hit the Dominator for a nearfall. Tama reversed an attempted follow-up, but his rally was cut short.
Finlay pushed Tama from the top rope to the floor. The pair struggled for control on the side of the apron for a moment before Finaly drove Tama through a table with a powerbomb. Back in the ring, Finlay hit another powerbomb, but Tama reversed Oblivion into a gun stun.
A late back-and-forth with various blocked finish attempts played out. After missing multiple gun stuns, Tama finally connected with one, but Finlay kicked out. Another struggle played out, ending when Tama hit a Styles Clash and a DSD. Tama then pinned Finlay to win the NEVER Championship.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi (c) defeated Mike Bailey, & YOH
If you’ve enjoyed the rest of Hiromu’s reign, you’ll love this, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan. While it never slowed down, it lacked the raw energy needed for a match this structureless.
Bailey opened the match by rushing both of his opponents, which, surprisingly, worked in his favor. From here on, the match functioned as a singles match, with runins switching the pair wrestling.
Bailey landed a double-knee senton on Hiromu. This prompted YOH to hit the ring, but Hiromu quickly answered by throwing YOH into Bailey. Once Bailey recovered, he established the lead by running corner-to-corner with kicks. When Bailey climbed to the top, he was interrupted by both men, leading to a YOH superplex on each of his opponents.
A lariat from YOH sent Hiromu to the floor. Bailey took this opportunity to challenge YOH, but YOH won out with a suplex resulting in a nearfall. YOH then hit Hiromu with a splash, forcing Bailey to make the save. YOH then landed Drive on Bailey, forcing Hiromu to make the save.
Late in the match, Hiromu reversed Direct Drive before landing a Timebomb, but YOH kicked out. Hiromu then hoisted YOH back up before landing a lariat and Timebomb 2 to win the match and retain his belt.
After the match, Taiji Ishimori appeared in the ring and dropped Hiromu with a pump kick. He cut a promo with Hiromu’s belt in hand, challenging him to a match for the title.
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Lumberjack Deathmatch: SANADA (c) defeated EVIL
This was an unfortunate main event. At this point, it’s just disappointing, really.
SANADA started the match strong, gaining advantage in the ring. EVIL eventually sent SANDA to the floor where the House of Torture lumberjacks took beatdown SANADA, leaving EVIL in uncontested control.
SANADA eventually retook the lead after utilizing a double paradise lock and landing multiple dives on the HoT lumberjacks. Instead of contesting this control, EVIL tried to leave the building with the IWGP belt in hand; thankfully, the rest of the 5 Guys chased EVIL down and carried him back to the ring.
Back in the ring, SANADA accidentally dropped the referee with an elbow, allowing the HoT lumberjacks to assault SANADA. After two more referees hit the ring, SANADA began to show signs of life.
EVIL escaped the skull end before locking in a scorpion deathlock. SANADA escaped by reaching the bottom rope, only to eat a Darkness Falls. SANADA held on, hitting a quick magic screw to keep himself in the match.
SANADA locked in a skull end after missing a moonsault. Before EVIL could submit, Dick Togo rang the ring bell. This led to a fight between the lumberjacks, distracting SANADA. EVIL then shoved SANADA into the 3rd referee, leading to both teams going at it in the ring. J5G won the exchange with SANADA ending it via shinning wizzard.
SANADA hit EVIL with a pair of moonsaults, but Togo pulled the referee to the floor. Yuya Uemura tried taking care of Togo but ate an EVIL low blow for trying. EVIL then killed SANADA with a chair shot and a Togo-assisted Magic Killer. The referee refused to count EVIL’s fall, flipping him and Togo off instead.
SANADA shoved EVIL into Togo but ate a lariat immediately after. SANADA reversed the Everything is Evil attempt with one of his own, followed by a pair of shining wizards and a Dead Fall to win the match.
The main event of WrestleKingdom is set—Naito vs. SANADA for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
After the match, SANADA was awarded with a one-year supply of vinegar before Keji Mutoh presented him with the IWGP World Heavyweight championship.
SANADA cut a promo acknowledging his shared past with Naito. He then welcomed Yuya to J5G and ended the show with a shower of confetti.
The IWGP United States-United Kingdom title is on the line in the main event of NJPW Destruction in Kobe.
Champion Will Ospreay will defend the US title, which he has re-christened as the UK title, against Yota Tsuji in the headline match, the first career singles meeting between the two.
In the semi-main, Tetsuya Naito faces Jeff Cobb with Naito’s Wrestle Kingdom title shot unofficially on the line.
Shingo Takagi vs. Great-O-Khan is another featured singles match on the show.
Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI will defend the IWGP Tag Team titles against TMDK’s Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste.
The provisional KOPW 2023 is on the line as Taichi defends against SHO.
The undercard:
Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Bad Dude Tito
Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Lio Rush & YOH
Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Hikuleo, El Phantasmo & Jado vs. David Finlay, Chase Owens, Alex Coughlin, Gabe Kidd & Gedo
SANADA, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo
Tiger Mask & Kevin Knight vs. Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney
Our live coverage begins at 3 a.m. Eastern time.
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Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney defeated Tiger Mask & Kevin Knight
This was a good open.
This match opened fast, with Knight rushing the War Dogs, but without TM’s help, the younger pair took little time to gain the upper hand. Once TM tagged in, the babyfaces retook the lead for some time. In the end, TM couldn’t hold onto the lead, falling to a jumping spear/suplex combination.
SANADA, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku defeated EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo
The match opened with a brawl and an extended Yujiro/DOUKI sequence. As the match continued, HoT used all of their normal tactics to gain and maintain a lead. This lead fell apart in a skirmish, leading to TAKA hitting Togo with the Michinoku driver and winning the match.
EVIL still has possession of the IWGP World Title.
Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Hikuleo, El Phantasmo & Jado defeated David Finlay, Chase Owens, Alex Coughlin, Gabe Kidd & Gedo
This match could have been better, but Kidd and Coughlin looked great throughout.
This match opened with a brawl before transitioning into a Bullet Club control sequence. The eventual hot tag to Tama led to a babyface rally. Tama was able to win the match for his team by hitting Gedo with a gun stun.
After the match, another short brawl happened, ending with the babyfaces standing tall.
Lio Rush & YOH defeated Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
This was an action-packed, hyper-athletic match.
Rush and YOH scored an early lead with tandem offense. As Hiromu bounced back, Rush kept up the pace, leading to multiple athletic back-and-forth sequences. BUSHI then entered the fray, leading to more chaotic exchanges. Ultimately, Rush would win the match for his team with a long-distance splash on BUSHI.
Zack Sabre Jr. & Bad Dude Tito defeated Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii
This was a fantastic match.
Tito and Okada opened the match, where Tito held his own before Ishii tagged in. Tito knocked Ishii to the floor and tagged in ZSJ, who worked to maintain this lead.
Eventually, Ishii tagged out to Okada, who then unloaded on Tito. This intense exchange forced a double tag, leading to a just as wild back-and-forth between Ishii and ZSJ. The match then broke down with all four men in the ring, with multiple major momentum shifts. ZSJ won the match with a trap pin on Ishii in the center of the ring.
KOPW Championship: SHO defeated Taichi (c)
Before the match could begin, Dick Togo and TAKA Michinoku, Yujiro Takahashi and DOUKI, and EVIL and SANADA were handcuffed to each other.
Immediately after the opening bell, SHO ran to the outside in an attempt to free his faction mates. Taichi met him on the floor, whipped him into the barricade, and carried him back to the ring, establishing control early.
Handcuffed or not, the HoT squad continued interfering, allowing SHO to work his way into the match. Taichi held on through most of the chicanery, but a ref bump, a face full of powder from Togo, and a low blow, all in quick succession, left SHO far ahead. SHO attempted a wrench shot, but Yoshinobu Kanemaru hit the ring to make the save. Instead of helping Taichi, Kanemaru betrayed him, spitting his whiskey in Taichi’s eyes, dropping him with a bottle, and revealing a House of Torture shirt. SHO then hit Taichi with Shock Arrow and won the KOPW belt.
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI (c) defeated Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste
This match was built around tandem control/isolation segments from both teams. TMDK worked a nasty match, being mean when the opportunity was presented.
After being isolated for some time, Goto hit a double bulldog and secured the hot tag to YH. YH took out both of his opponents before scoring a nearfall.
Haste avoided the finish and hit YH with a superplex/powerbomb combination with Nicholls. The pair then isolated YH, scoring a couple of nearfalls before Goto hit the ring. TMDK attempted a tank buster, but YH reversed into a crucifix bomb to win the match and retain the belts for Bishamon.
Shingo Takagi defeated Great-O-Khan
This was the best O-Khan performance in ages.
O-Khan opened the match with a double-leg takedown, some grounded strikes, and a shirt-assisted choke. O-Khan then threw Shingo to the floor, where the intensity continued. O-Khan beat Shingo with a chair before taking him back to the mat.
Shingo eventually started to rally, landing multiple strikes to put O-Khan on the back foot. Just as Shingo seemed to be advancing, O-Khan landed a suplex and a cutter for a nearfall; a massive lariat and Eliminator scored O-Khan another.
A late strike exchange allowed Shingo to stay in the match, and a sudden lariat put him ahead. To close, Shingo landed Last of the Dragon and won the match.
Tetsuya Naito defeated Jeff Cobb
Naito put Cobb on the backfoot early, forcing him to the floor and landing some light offense. Once the action returned to the ropes, Cobb hit a belly-to-belly, gaining an upper hand. Similar shifts played out several times, establishing the match’s pace.
Cobb launched Naito with an F5000 for a nearfall. Naito blocked the Tour of the Islands before landing a perfect poison rana. Cobb reversed Destino but failed to follow up immediately. After surviving multiple rollups, Cobb landed a suplex and a lariat, but again, Naito escaped Tour of the Islands. Naito then hit Destino and won the match to retain his spot at Tokyo Dome.
IWGP United States Championship: Will Ospreay (c) defeated Yota Tsuji
The match opened with a standard feeling-out grappling sequence that escalated into a more athletic affair. Tsuji hit a tope to gain the upper hand early, but Ospreay responded with a plancha to equal things out. After a brief exchange in the ring, Tsuji landed a Fosbury flop, regaining the lead.
Ospreay ate a brutal stomp before hitting a stunner to keep himself in the match. Tsuji was quick to answer with a powerbomb for a nearfall. Ospreay reset the match by cutting off Tsuji’s strikes.
Tsuji and Ospreay traded strikes in the center of the ring, where Ospreay won out. The pair then worked their way to the apron, where Ospreay attempted an OsCutter, but Tsuji reversed. Tsuji attempted a stomp but missed, opening the door for an OsCutter from the top rope to the floor.
Back in the ring, Ospreay landed a long-distance dropkick but was stuffed on the follow-up. Tsuji dropped Ospreay before landing a fantastic stomp. Tsuji then pulled Ospreay to the top rope but ate a Spanish fly. After Tsuji kicked out, Ospreay hit a powerbomb and an OsCutter, but again, Tsuji held on.
Ospreay attempted Storm Breaker, but Tsuji reversed into a cutter. Tsuji immediately followed up with a picture-perfect spear, but Ospreay found the bottom rope at the last possible second. Tsuji hit another stomp and Storm Breaker, but Ospreay kicked out. Tsuji tried for another spear but was knocked silly with a hidden blade instead. Ospreay then hit a spear of his own and the Storm Driver 93 for another nearfall. Tsuji stood tall, staring down Ospreay, only for Ospreay to take off his head with another hidden blade and a storm breaker to win the match.
After the match, Zack Sabre Jr. walked to the ring and challenged Ospreay to a title match at Royal Quest 3. Ospreay accepted. After shaking hands, Ospreay tried for a hidden blade, but ZSJ avoided the attack. ZSJ then walked to the back.
Ospreay cut a short show-ending promo, calling himself the best in the world.
Two titles are on the line today at Korakuen Hall on night two of the NJPW Road to Destruction tour.
Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tomohiro Ishii will try for their second defense of the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship as they defend against Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe, and Tiger Mask.
The second title bout is newly added to the lineup, as Zack Sabre Jr. will defend the NJPW World TV Championship for a second consecutive night. After last night’s bout was changed from Sabre vs. Boltin Oleg to Sabre vs. Ryohei Oiwa due to an injury to Oleg, Sabre challenged Satoshi Kojima for today’s event.
The show’s main event is an elimination match between Los Ingobernables De Japon and United Empire.
The card:
Elimination match: Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) vs. United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, HENARE & Callum Newman)
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii defend vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe & Tiger Mask
NJPW World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. defends vs. Satoshi Kojima
Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs Bad Dude Tito, Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls
Tomoaki Honma, Shota Umino, Master Wato & Yuji Nagata vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Ren Narita & Yuto Nakashima
YOH & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku
Our live coverage begins at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.
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YOH & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku
This was a by-the-book opening tag, nothing worth seeking out. After a few back-and-forths, YOH and Taguchi hit TAKA with a tandem double-knee facebreaker.
This match was all about individual rivals; Suzuki and Nagata spent as much time as possible brawling, Ren and Shota took shots at each other as soon as there was an opportunity, Wato and Desperado were the in-ring focus, and Honma bullied Nakashima because he didn’t have anything better to do.
In the end, young lion Nakashima ate the Shota’s death rider, leaving Shota with a win. Even after the closing bell, the fighting continued, setting up the best-of-seven series starting tomorrow.
Due to Boltin Oleg’s wrist infection, he and ZSJ were pulled from this match.
TMDK worked a standard heel match here before Yano involved himself. After the Yano silliness, Tito and Goto traded momentum. Ultimately, Goto would win out, hitting Tito with Shoto to secure victory.
This opened with a brawl initiated by Just 5 Guys, not allowing H.o.T. to strike. While entering the ring, Kanemaru blew out his knee. After carting off Kanemaru, H.O.T. continued the attack, forcing DOUKI to make the save. The match would then restart with DOUKI taking Kanemaru’s place.
This match, even with its unfortunate start, was fun for a H.o.T affair.
DOUKI matched the early energy set by J5G and then some. DOUKI scored a nearfall on EVIL with a DOUKI-chokie, but his follow-up was stopped by a Dick Togo chair shot. EVIL then landed Everything is Evil to win the match.
NJPW World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) defeated Satoshi Kojima
This fill-in match, unsurprisingly, was terrific.
Both men worked a fantastically focused match here, with Kojima’s offense being immediately impactful and ZSJ’s being as slick as ever. The back-and-forth sequence in the last stretch of the match was phenomenal, with Kojima nailing ZSJ with everything in his tank before being caught in a ZSJ triangle. ZSJ won with the hold to retain his belt.
Was this a crisp masterpiece? No. Was it a sloppy hoot that’s totally worth seeking out? Absolutely.
2023 has been the year of hateful Okada, and this match was no exception. Okada’s confidence actually allowed the veteran squad in the door after TM IV landed a massive arm drag from the top rope. A veteran-led exchange followed. Tenzan, whose ability was a focal point throughout this match, allowed the veterans’ control to slip, eventually leading to an extended offensive sequence at his expense.
A late veteran rally helped Tenzan regain footing. With Ishii alone in the ring, TM landed a Tiger Driver, Makabe a King Kong Knee, and Tenzan a headbutt. This scored Tenzan a nearfall. Tenzan then climbed to the top rope, but Okada pulled him down and landed a German suplex to a chorus of boos, re-asserting control for the champions. In the end, Ishii dropped Tenzan with a brainbuster to win the match and retain the belts.
Callum Newman, HENARE, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, Will Ospreay defeated BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takahi, & Tetsuya Naito
This was an elimination match, with eliminations occurring by pin, submission, or over-the-top rope falls.
This match was filled to the brim with action, with a bunch of neat moments spread throughout. It filled the main event role exceptionally well. A great match.
The early portion of this match was focused around Ospreay. After interacting with all of the other LIJ members in the match, Ospreay dropped Hiromu with a boot, signaling for the rest of UE to clear the ring. From here on, UE worked to isolate Hiromu, gaining a significant advantage.
Eventually, Naito tagged in, leading to a showcase for the Naito/Cobb match to come. After that interaction ended, an influx of wrestlers tagged in and out, leading to multiple shifts in momentum.
Shingo scored the first elimination in this match by dropping Newman with a pumping bomber. The next eliminations followed soon after, as O-Khan eliminated Shingo and himself with an eliminator to the apron, which sent both men to the floor. BUSHI was next to score an elimination by throwing HENARE over the top. The fun for BUSHI ended once Ospreay entered the ropes, as a quick hidden blade resulted in a pin.
Ospreay and Tsuji came to blows for an extended period. The pair soon found themselves on the apron, where Tsuji scored an elimination with a curb stomp. This curb stomp also eliminated Tsuji in what was nothing short of a great sequence.
With the rest of his team eliminated, Cobb was left alone with Naito and Hiromu. Cobb was quick to even the score by catching Hiromu and powerbombing him to the floor. Cobb then went to war with Naito, eventually fighting onto the apron. On the edge of the ring, the pair went back and forth before a sudden dropkick sent Naito crashing to the ground. Cobb has won the match for his team heading into Destruction.
NJPW’s Road to Destruction tour kicks off today with an NJPW World TV Championship match.
In the show’s co-main event, Zack Sabre Jr. will defend the NJPW World TV title against Boltin Oleg. As with all TV title bouts, the match will have a 15 minute time limit.
In the other half of the main event, SANADA & Taichi of Just Five Guys will team against EVIL & SHO of Bullet Club’s House of Torture.
The full card:
SANADA & Taichi vs. EVIL & SHO
NJPW World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Boltin Oleg
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, HENARE & Callum Newman
Taguchi paid tribute to Funk by attempting a spinning toe hold, but Kanemaru reversed into a pin. Taguchi kicked out, but followed up with another cross-leg pin to snag the win.
Minoru Suzuki, Ren Narita, El Desperado, Tomoaki Honma defeated Shota Umino, Master Wato, Oskar Leube, & Yugi Nagata
This fantastic tag excited me for the rest of the tour. Nagata and Suzuki together will never get old, and Ren and Umino are one of my favorite pairings in the company.
After an intense staredown before the opening bell, Nagata and Suzuki traded blows; even after tagging out, the pair continued to brawl. Ren and Umnio also engaged in passionate attacks when the opportunity was presented.
Leube locking in a Boston crab initiated both teams hitting the ring, clearing the stage for the finish. After missing a leg drop, Leube ate a suplex from Ren before submitting to the cobra twist.
There was quite a bit of unimpactful action, with a couple of Yano segments intermixed. The match finished when Haste and Nicholls hit Yano with an assisted fireman’s carry into a double suplex.
This match, given its lineup, over-delivered. The veteran quartet played their role exceptionally well, while the dream team (plus Nakashima) were great as always. It’s not a great match, but a fun one.
It opened with a brawl, leaving Tenzan and Ishii alone to trade strikes. Okada and Kojima also exchanged licks in the ring before giving Nakashima a chance to shine. There were some sloppy exchanges, especially after the late match breakdown, but everyone, even TM IV, looked good in this match at some point.
The match ended as the late brawl failed to resolve, even with the referee’s interference, resulting in a no-contest. The fight continued after the ruling, with Tenzan and Ishii as the main focal points.
This was a by-the-book early tour showcase tag, but Newman was given the opportunity to shine.
It didn’t take long for the match to spill outside of the ring, with the teams fighting in the crowd. Back in the ropes, newcomer Newman showed off his speed against Hiromu. The match eventually broke down again, with both teams hitting the ring until only Newman and Tsuji were left alone. Tsuji caught Newman with one of the prettiest spears I’ve ever seen to win the match.
NJPW World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) defeated Ryohei Oiwa
Oleg Boltin was pulled from this match due to an infection. Oiwa, with Kaito Kiyomiya in his corner, was his replacement.
Oiwa opened the match by whipping ZSJ into the barricades, gaining an early lead. ZSJ gained advantage by securing the arm and whipping it into the barricade himself. From here on, ZSJ maintained this game plan, focusing the arm. After minutes of ZSJ control, Oiwa attempted a rally, only for ZSJ to catch his arm and force a submission.
After the match, Kaito and ZSJ had a brief staredown.
This win leaves ZSJ as the winningest champion in modern history, with 13 defences.
EVIL & SHO defeated SANADA & Taichi
This was an awful main event.
EVIL and SHO came to the ring with the IWGP World and KOPW belts, which they stole from Taichi and SANADA. EVIL also has new merch celebrating his reign as the 8th IWGP World champion, ignoring the statement’s falsehood.
The match opened with SHO fleeing to the floor. On the outside, Taichi whipped SHO into the barricade before returning to the ring. From here, the typical H.o.T.isms filled the match. Padless turnbuckles, eye rakes, and environmental offense were the focus.
With a downed referee, EVIL dropped Taichi with a low blow. SHO followed up with a wrench shot. EVIL then hit SANADA with the IWGP belt and Everything is Evil to win the match.
After the match, the attack continued. DOUKI and Kanemaru made the save. EVIL and SHO left with their stolen belts.
Two NJPW stalwarts will battle for the right to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 18 in today’s G1 finals.
Kazuchika Okada, a four-time tournament winner, faces Tetsuya Naito, a two-time winner and one-time runner-up, to determine the winner of the 33rd annual G1 Climax tournament.
This marks a third consecutive finals appearance for Okada, the winner of the 2022, 2021, 2014, and 2012 G1s. A fifth victory would tie him with Masahiro Chono for the most in the three-plus decades of the event.
Naito returns to the G1 finals for the first time since 2017, when he won his second career G1 by defeating Kenny Omega in the finals. Naito’s first G1 finals win came over Hiroshi Tanahashi in 2013’s tournament, while he lost the 2011 G1 finals to Shinsuke Nakamura.
Today’s winner will earn the right to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship currently held by SANADA at Wrestle Kingdom 18 in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2024.
Our live coverage of today’s finals begins at 2 a.m. Eastern time.
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Recommended Matches
Master Wato, Shota Umino, Tomoaki Honma & Yuji Nagata vs. El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki, Ren Narita, & Yuto Nakashima – This was another fantastic showcase of the Ren and Umino rivalry.
Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Oleg Boltin & Ryusuke Taguchi – This was a great example of TMDK’s potential as a unit and Oleg’s potential as a single.
BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, & Yota Tsuji vs. Great-O-Khan, HENARE, Jeff Cobb & Will Ospreay – This was a solid match with a shocking finish that is sure to have effects on NJPW for some time.
Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada – There are some Okada/Naito matches that outshine this, in my opinion, but they still had a match that meets the expectations of the G1 final. It’s hard to see this as anything less than the defining rivalry of New Japan’s current era.
This was a fun opener. The Young Lion bits of this match were delightful. Kaito tried working in his typical style despite Yano, which almost worked. Kaito won the match for his team with a shining wizard on Leube.
I hope that this isn’t the end of Kaito in NJPW, and I don’t think it is. He has been a real highlight of this G1.
This was a great multi-man. I can’t get enough of Ren and Shota; the more I see from them, the more I’m sure this will be the rivalry that defines the 20s. Suzuki and Nagata also worked an excellent sequence. The match ended with a death rider on Nakashima.
After the match, Ren and Shota started a brawl which eventually involved the whole of both teams.
This was a fine old guy tag with Eddie Kingston and YOH. There were a couple of interesting exchanges before YOH closed the match with a superkick on Tiger Mask.
After the match, Ishii and Tenzan traded a few headbutts.
This TMDK quartet is excellent in the 8-man tag setting. That said, Oleg was a real star of this match; he’s an absolute mega-star in the making. Nicholls and Haste won the match for TMDK with a tank buster on Goto.
This win leaves TMDK in a solid position to challenge Bishamon for the IWGP tag belts.
El Phantasmo, Hikuleo, Jado., Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa defeated Alex Coughlin, Chase Owens, David Finlay, Gabe Kidd & KENTA
This match focused a lot on continuing Bullet Club vs. ex-Bullet Club feud, with particular focus paid to the Tama/Finlay rivalry. Loa won the match with a quick rollup on Owens.
After the match, Bullet Club attacked the winners, but the managed to Tongans stand tall.
BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, & Yota Tsuji defeated Great-O-Khan, HENARE, Jeff Cobb & Will Ospreay
Despite Ospreay’s new UK-themed belt, he was introduced as the US champion, at least the first time.
This was a chaotic match, with both factions violently struggling for control. After multiple extensive back-and-forth sequences, including false finishes, Tsuji hit Ospreay with a pair of spears and pinned the UK champion.
After the match, Eddie Kingston hit the ring, attacking HENARE, and fighting into the back.
This massive upset surely sets up a Tsuji/Ospreay singles match at some point in the future.
This match took a little longer than usual to devolve into a HoT slog, but it still happened. Taichi tried to answer HoT’s antics with weapons of his own, but SHO countered, hitting him with a staff and the Shock Arrow to win the match.
After the match SHO posed with the KOPW belt, and EVIL attacked SANADA.
This win seemingly sets up a SHO KOPW title match at some point soon.
Tetsuya Naito defeated Kazuchika Okada
This match started with their typical warmup exchange. Okada gained the upper hand with a DDT on the apron, followed by a whip into the barricade. Back in the ring, Naito responded with a neckbreaker to gain footing. Naito then utilized simple offense to establish a lead.
Naito returned Okada’s malice, slamming Okada into the barricade; a violent neckbreaker against the barrier nearly resulted in an Okada count out. Back in the ring, Naito maintained his attack.
Okada landed a dropkick that sent Naito crashing to the floor. On the outside, Naito was able to hang on, whipping Okada back into the barricade. After a moment of hesitation, Okada caught Naito with a tombstone on the concrete floor of Ryogoku.
Okada returned to the ring, landing a suplex and a spinning rainmaker. Naito dodged the primary rainmaker, but Okada answered with a dropkick that crumbled Naito.
Once Naito returned to his feet, he spat in Okada’s face. Naito then landed the rope-assisted DDT that finished Tanahashi earlier in the tournament; neck work followed. A massive poison rana scored Naito a nearfall. Okada’s rally attempt was stuffed with a DDT and a Valencia for another nearfall.
When Naito attempted the stardust press, Okada rolled out of the way. A devastating dropkick set Okada up for another rainmaker attempt, but Naito avoided the finish. Naito secured a snug pin for another nearfall before leaping into Okada to reset the match.
Naito dodged another rainmaker and transitioned into a Destino attempt. Okada reversed the Destino into a short-arm lariat, but Okada failed to follow up again. Naito then hit Destino, but Okada kicked out.
A desperate Naito attempted a second Destino, but Okada slammed him to the mat to reverse. Okada tried again for rainmaker, but, again, Naito transitioned into Destino. Instead of going for the pin, Naito hit another Destino to cement his win. Naito then pinned Okada in the middle of the ring to close the tournament.
Kaito Kiyomiya & HAYATA vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato
Our live coverage begins at 4 a.m. Eastern time.
**********
Recommended Matches
Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. Minoru Suzuki & Ren Narita – These two teams absolutely demolished each other in one of the best tag matches of the year.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, Eddie Kingston & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Kosei Fujita – This was an incredible, well-structured tag that outshined a lot of the actual tournament.
Tetsuya Naito vs. Will Ospreay – If you enjoy big match Ospreay, you’ll love this. Not to say Naito didn’t put in work; this was absolutely a tournament-defining performance. No doubt, this is the type of G1 semi-final you would expect from Ospreay and Naito.
**********
Kaito Kiyomiya & HAYATA defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato
This NOAH vs. NJPW match was just fine. For most of the match, the juniors focused on each other and the heavyweights on each other. In the end, Kiyomiya won for his team by hitting Tenzan with the shining wizard.
This was fantastic. Shota and Ren beat the brakes off of each other here. Honma and Suzuki were solid throughout. In the end, Ren won the match for Strong Style by submitting Honma with a cobra twist.
David Finlay, KENTA, Chase Owens, Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd defeated Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & YOH
This was a goofy match with the pace set by Owens and Yano. The match continued with Finlay and Makabe trading strikes. Finlay won out, dropping Makabe with Oblivion to win the match.
UE worked as heels throughout this match, attempting to isolate the LIJ members to maintain control. After multiple back-and-forth sequences, UE secured two submissions in the middle of the ring to win the match.
This was another outstanding tag. The TMDK squad came out strong in this match, working to isolate Tanahashi for a significant portion. The babyface team swung back with some excellent offense, which led to some compelling sequences. The match ended after Kingston unloaded on Fujita before closing with a spinning back fist.
After the match, HENARE hit the ring and attacked Kingston, setting up a NJPW STRONG title match.
Hikuleo, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, El Phantasmo & Jado defeated SANADA, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
This was a reasonably by-the-book 10-man with a couple of athletic sequences and a bit of tomfoolery. The match ended when Hikuleo landed a chokeslam on TAKA; ELP then dragged Jado on top of TAKA to secure the pin.
After the match, the War Dogs surrounded the ring but failed to strike.
Okada defeated Evil
This was not good.
Evil opened the match by jumping Okada and brutalizing him outside the ring. Dick Togo hit Okada with a chair for a nearfall.
Okada powered through Evil’s advance with some strikes of his own to establish some footing. Okada then took the action to the outside himself, whipping Evil into the barricade and driving him to the floor.
After a referee bump, SHO and Yujiro hit the ring and attacked Okada. Okada barely survived the first attack, but many more followed, including a Togo wire choke. Evil dropped Okada with a lariat for a nearfall.
Okada reversed Evil’s finish into a suplex, which he followed with some of his signature offenses. Evil avoided Okada’s attempt to finish and hit Everything is Evil; Okada kicked out. Okada hit an Everything is Evil of his own, followed by a cobra flowsion and a rainmaker to win the match.
Okada is one step closer to his third G1 in a row with this win.
Tetsuya Naito defeated Will Ospreay
This match opened with an extended feeling out sequence. As the match picked up, Ospreay chopped Naito to the floor before landing a plancha.
Back in the ring, the pair jockeyed for control. Naito tried his best to keep Ospreay on the mat, but Ospreay sprung back and knocked Naito to the floor. Naito met Ospreay on the apron and drove him into the ring’s canvas and the floor with a pair of neckbreakers.
Naito returned to the ropes, hit Ospreay with Gloria, and returned to mat work. Ospreay avoided the poison-rana and landed an insane dive from the top and a Liger bomb in response.
Naito reversed the hidden blade with a dropkick and avoided the OsCutter. When Ospreay attempted another powerbomb, Naito reversed into a snug DDT. A second DDT and Valencia scored Naito a nearfall.
Naito attempted stardust press, missed, and ate a hidden blade for even trying, but Ospreay was unable to make the cover.
Ospreay pummeled Naito with kicks before attempting ground and pound, but the referee pulled him off, forcing a standing count. Naito beat the count and ate another hidden blade; Naito kicked out. Ospreay landed OsCutter; Naito kicked out again. Ospreay hit stardust press; Naito kicked out once more. Ospreay attempted Storm Breaker; Naito reversed into a quick pin, nearly stealing a win.
Naito dodged another hidden blade but immediately collapsed. Naito avoided more offense by falling before reversing a Storm Breaker into Destino; Ospreay kicked out, and Naito hit a second Destino and pinned Ospreay to win the match.
The finals are set. Naito and Okada clash tomorrow for the G1 Climax 33.
NJPW’s G1 Climax 33 field will be whittled down to four following today’s quarterfinals show in Chiba.
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and A Block winner SANADA (7-0, 14 points) will face former tag team partner and C Block second place finisher EVIL (5-2, 10 points) on today’s show in a quarterfinals matchup.
B Block winner Kazuchika Okada (6-1, 12 points), a four-time G1 winner, will take on D Block second place finisher Zack Sabre Jr. (5-2, 10 points) today in another quarterfinals bout.
C Block winner David Finlay (5-2, 10 points) will face B Block second place finisher Will Ospreay (5-2, 10 points) in today’s quarterfinals.
D Block winner Tetsuya Naito (5-2, 10 points) will take on A Block second place finisher Hikuleo (4-3, 8 points) in the other quarterfinals bout today.
Today’s winners will advance to Saturday’s semifinals round.
Our live coverage begins at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.
**********
Recommended Matches
Will Ospreay vs. David Finlay – The best match in either man’s tournament.
Kazuchika Okada vs. Zack Sabre Jr. –This was main event Okada with all of the normal fixings.
This was a decent opening tag that allowed Fujita to shine. In the end, all three LIJ members focused Fujita before Hiromu closed with timebomb.
Shota Umino, El Phantasmo, Tanga Loa, & Tama Tonga defeated Minoru Suzuki, Ren Narita, El Desperado, & HiroyoshiTenzan
This match bounced between greatness and something significantly lesser. Ren and Shota have insane chemistry, and the stories being told by both men are engrossing; everything else in the match was not good. In the end, ELP won with his superkick and a pin on Tenzan.
Chase Owens, KENTA, Alex Coughlin, & Gabe Kidd defeated Taichi, DOUKI, TAKA Michinoku, &Yoshinobu Kanemaru
This was a silly faction battle. Both teams played dirty, with the more serious War Dogs being downright nasty at times. In the end, Kidd won by distracting the referee and dropping TAKA with a right hand.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Eddie Kingston, and Tomohiro Ishii defeated Great-O-Khan, HENARE, & Jeff Cobb
This was a high-impact six-man. After a bunch of competitive exchanges, HENARE attempted to hit Kingston with Streets of Rage; Kingston escaped, hit the spinning back fist, and pinned HENARE.
Tetsuya Naito defeated Hikuleo
This was a fairly nothing match. It wasn’t horrible, just awfully uninteresting.
Early on, Naito started working Hikleo’s leg. A grounded Hikuleo struggled to get much going before reversing a DDT into a last ride. Naito escaped the chokeslam multiple times, each time gaining more than he did the time before. After dodging a fourth finish attempt from Hikuleo, Naito hit Destino and won the match to advance.
Will Ospreay defeated David Finlay
This was a fantastic match. The action all built to the finish wonderfully, and in a rare case, the interference added to the match.
Before the match could begin, Coughlin and Kidd met Ospreay on the ramp. Cobb and O-Khan met the War Dogs, evening the sides. The War Dogs returned to the ring, saving the violence for later.
The match itself opened slowly, with both men looking for anything resembling an opening. Ospreay struck first with a boot and a short offensive sequence.
Finlay took the lead for the first time by taking the fight to the floor. Finlay drove Ospreay into the barricade before setting up a table. Cobb took away Finlay’s table, prompting Finlay to spit in Cobb’s face. Cobb pushed Finlay to the floor, which forced the referee to eject him. While the referee was busy with Cobb, Coughlin and Kidd beat down Ospreay before serving him to Finlay in the ring. Finlay maintained this lead for some time, withstanding multiple Ospreay comebacks.
Finlay tried setting up his table again, but Ospreay hit him with an OsCutter on the apron. Ospreay set Finlay on the table, but Kidd made the save and ate a superkick for his troubles. Once Ospreay cleared his distraction, he drove Finlay through the table with a powerbomb.
Back in the ring, Finlay ate an OsCutter for a nearfall. Ospreay then climbed to the top rope and went for Leap of Fate, but Finlay pulled the referee on top of himself. The referee was out for some time, prompting the War Dogs to beat down Ospreay. The previously ejected United Empire returned from the back and made the save.
Once the fog cleared, Ospreay attempted Hidden Blade, but Finlay was ready with his shillelagh. After dropping Ospreay with his weapon, a second referee entered the match for a nearfall. Finlay attempted to close with Oblivion, but Ospreay reversed into a cutter. Ospreay then tried for Hidden Blade twice, hitting on his second attempt before closing with Storm Breaker.
Ospreay and Naito are now set to collide in the semi-finals.
EVIL defeated SANADA
This was bad—one of the worst matches in the tournament, even.
Before the match could begin, Dick Togo went to the back, leaving the two competitors to fight alone.
The match opened slow, with the former faction mates feeling each other out. As soon as SANADA gained an advantage, EVIL waved to the back, and Togo returned to ringside—he was gone for 90 seconds.
EVIL then attacked SANADA on the floor, driving him into the barricade and attacking him with chairs. Meanwhile, Togo was removing a turnbuckle pad from the ring. Once the match returned to the ring, SANADA whipped him into the exposed corner.
SANADA eventually sprung back, working a hold before shoving EVIL into Togo. EVIL and SANADA traded low blows before Togo pulled the referee from the ring and began to choke SANADA with his wire.
SANADA reversed the Magic Killer, dropped EVIL with a swinging neckbreaker, and Togo with a shining wizard. SANADA hit a moonsault and attempted deadfall, but EVIL raked his eyes. After another back and forth, EVIL reversed deadfall again and hit Everything is Evil to win the match and advance to the semi-finals.
Even if EVIL doesn’t win the tournament, the win all but guarantees an EVIL/SANADA IWGP Championship match. Have mercy on our souls.
Kazuchika Okada defeated Zack Sabre Jr.
The early game saw ZSJ upsetting Okada with a few kicks. Okada followed up by taking ZSJ to the floor and slamming him into the barricades. A draping DDT from the barrier established a strong lead for Okada, which he maintained in the ring.
ZSJ caught Okada in a hold to gain some footing. ZSJ worked Okada on the ground, but Okada powered to his feet and dropped ZSJ with an air raid crash.
Once standing, the pair traded strikes. Okada hit a landslide, and ZSJ answered with a Zack Driver. They then traded strikes from the ground before fighting to their feet.
ZSJ reversed a rainmaker into a lariat of his own. Okada knocked ZSJ with a dropkick but ZSJ rolled through and leveled Okada with a penalty kick; Okada kicked out at one. Okada hit ZSJ with another dropkick, and ZSJ sprung back to his feet, triggering a slap off. Okada won out with a lariat.
Okada attempted another rainmaker, but ZSJ caught him in a stretch. Okada powered out and dropped ZSJ with the rainmaker to win the match.
Five wrestlers remain mathematically alive for the final two quarterfinals spots in NJPW’s G1 Climax 33 tournament heading into today’s show.
The most likely scenarios will see the winners of today’s main event and semi-main event advancing to Thursday’s quarterfinals. In the main event, Tetsuya Naito faces Hiroshi Tanahashi in a match where Naito advances with a win, while Tana needs a win and help. In the semi-main, Zack Sabre Jr. faces Hirooki Goto in a bout where both need a win and help to advance. Jeff Cobb is in a straightforward win-and-in scenario against Shane Haste.
The full card:
D Block: Tetsuya Naito (4-2, 8 points) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (3-3, 6 points)
D Block: Zack Sabre Jr. (4-2, 8 points) vs. Hirooki Goto (3-3, 6 points)
D Block: Jeff Cobb (4-2, 8 points) vs. Shane Haste (2-4, 4 points)
D Block: Toru Yano (2-4, 4 points) vs. Alex Coughlin (2-4, 4 points)
Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Ren Narita vs. Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & BUSHI
Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma vs. Great-O-Khan & HENARE
Hikuleo, Shota Umino & Master Wato vs. David Finlay, Gabe Kidd & Gedo
Our live coverage begins at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.
**********
Recommended Matches
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hirooki Goto – This match was a fantastic culmination of story threads established through the tournament.
Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – This was one of the tournament’s best matches. Tanahashi remains incredible, in case there was any doubt.
EVIL & SHO defeated Eddie Kingston & Yuto Nakashima
This was a typical, tired House of Torture match. Towards the end of the babyface rally, Nakashima was left alone in the ring; SHO took this opportunity to drop him with a wrench strike and a Shock Arrow to win the match.
This match was a hoot. The Young Lions were ambitious throughout the match, leading into the final stretch. Ultimately, Nicholls won the bout for TMDK by hitting Oiwa with a sliding lariat.
Hikuleo, Shota Umino & Master Wato defeated David Finlay, Gabe Kidd & Gedo
This was a by-the-book six-man. Wato won the match for his team by forcing Gedo to submit to Vendaval. After the match, Bullet Club beat down the winners and stood tall with their belts.
This was an entertaining match built around United Empire’s desire to kill Ishii. In the end, HENARE won the match by dropping Honma with Streets of Rage.
After the match, O-Khan gave MMA fighter/Pro Wrestler Hideki Sekine a ribbon.
This was a solid LIJ/Strong Style match. There were some fun exchanges between Suzuki/Shingo and Ren/BUSHI. In the end, Ren won the match for Strong Style with a cobra twist on BUSHI.
Alex Coughlin defeated Toru Yano
While not horrible, this felt more like a House of Torture match than a War Dogs match. Before the match could begin, Gabe Kidd and Coughlin attacked Yano with chairs and barricades. Yano fought back, driving Kidd through a table. Yano tried stabbing Coughlin with scissors, distracting the referee long enough for Coughlin to hit Yano with a belt and the jackhammer to win the match.
Coughlin ends his tournament with 6 points, Yano 4.
Double Count Out: Jeff Cobb vs. Shane Haste
Haste, essentially playing spoiler on behalf of TMDK, worked a very aggressive match here. Cobb, with his tournament on the line, matched Haste’s energy. The fight worked its way to the floor, where Haste’s strategy began to play out; Haste kept Cobb on the floor as the count climbed, eventually holding him down to force the count out.
This result leaves Cobb with 9 points, which is still leading the block but makes him much more vulnerable to the results from later tonight.
Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Hirooki Goto
ZSJ focused on wearing down an already worn down Goto. Goto fired back with well-timed bombs, forcing ZSJ on the backfoot multiple times. ZSJ won out in the end by submitting Goto on the mat.
This win puts ZSJ at 10 points, which secures his spot in the playoffs.
Tetsuya Naito defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi
This was a simple, rock-solid Tanahashi masterclass. Tanahashi’s slow build to Ace’s High and High Fly Flow was incredible. Naito won the match in the end with a tornado DDT which echoed through the building.
This win secures Naito’s spot in the playoffs. He stands atop the block with 10 points.
Quarter-FinalPlayoff Matches
Tonight marks the end of block action and finalizes the lineup for the playoffs.
C Block’s representatives in the NJPW G1 Climax 33 quarterfinals will be decided tonight on the final night of C Block bouts.
Five wrestlers remain mathematically alive for the two playoff spots heading into the final night. The most likely scenarios involve the winners of the semi-main event and main event advancing.
Shingo Takagi faces EVIL in the main event, with EVIL advancing with a draw or a victory. Shingo needs a win to advance. In the semi-main, the winner of Eddie Kingston vs. David Finlay will advance to the quarterfinals. Tama Tonga must defeat HENARE and have an unlikely double DQ finish in Finlay vs. Kingston to advance.
The full card:
C Block: EVIL (4-2, 8 points) vs. Shingo Takagi (3-2-1, 7 points)
C Block: Eddie Kingston (4-2, 8 points) vs. David Finlay (4-2, 8 points)
C Block: Tama Tonga (3-2-1, 7 points) vs. HENARE (2-4, 4 points)
C Block: Mikey Nicholls (2-4, 4 points) vs. Tomohiro Ishii (1-5, 2 points)
Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita vs. Hirooki Goto, YOH & Oskar Leube
Hikuleo, Shota Umino & Jado vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Ren Narita
Toru Yano & Tomoaki Honma vs. Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd
Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan
Our live coverage begins at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.
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Recommended Matches
Eddie Kingston vs. David Finlay – Finlay had a score to settle, Eddie had a dream to fulfill, and the winner advanced to the playoffs. With sky-high stakes, this was the most emotional Eddie match in the tournament.
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Mikey Nicholls –This was a hard-hitting Ishii match with a strong performance from Nicholls.
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Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan defeated Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa
This was a solid tag. Most of the match was built on UE controlling Oiwa, leading to a Kaito hot tag. After tagging back in, UE continued their focus on Oiwa, allowing Cobb to close with Eliminator.
Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd defeated Toru Yano & Tomoaki Honma
If you can somehow imagine, this War Dogs match was violent. It was amusing to see the focused War Dogs clash with the goofy personalities of Honma and Yano. To close, Kidd bumped the ref and dropped Honma with a closed fist to win the match.
After the match, the War Dogs beat down Yano ahead of Coughlin’s G1 match tomorrow. While walking to the back, Coughlin threatened Yano with death.
This was a reasonably by-the-numbers tag with some firey sequences between Ren and Shota; every time they’re in the ring together, it feels like we’re on the verge of a generational rivalry. Ren was able to win the match for his team by submitting Jado with a cobra twist.
After the match, Shota and Ren traded a couple of slaps.
This was another absolutely solid tag. The exchanges between YOH and Fujita were fantastic. In the end, Haste won with a massive powerbomb, pinning Oskar Leube.
After the match, YOH and Fujita traded licks, prompting Goto and ZSJ to break it up. A tense staredown between ZSJ and Goto followed.
This was a bit of a slog compared to the other tags on this card. The most compelling part of this match, the Makabe and Tsuji section, was clumsy at best. This awkward sequence was the end, with Tsuji hitting a stomp, falcon arrow, and a spear to win the match.
After the match, Naito attacked Tanahahsi, focusing on his leg, which he had spent a lot of time working on during the match.
Tomohiro Ishii defeated Mikey Nicholls
Unsurprisingly, this was an intense encounter. Nicholls dropped Ishii on his head repeatedly, scoring a couple of nearfalls. Ishii fired back with a fierce rally, leading to a brainbuster that won Ishii the match.
This result leaves both men with 4 points to finish the tournament.
Tama Tonga defeated HENARE
This did little-to-nothing for me. HENARE worked heelishly throughout, opening the door for a Tama comeback. After surviving a rampage, Tama caught HENARE with a fist and a double under-hook driver to win the match.
This win put Tama at 9 points, ahead of everyone else in C block for the time being. HENARE’s tournament is over with 4 points.
David Finlay defeated Eddie Kingston
This was one of my favorite matches of the tournament. Eddie’s energy was palpable in this match. Finlay was forced to wrestle downright hateful in response to Eddie’s grit. The finish saw Finlay avoiding a back fist before landing a spear and Oblivion to win the match.
After the match, Finlay stomped on Eddie’s NJPW STRONG title while holding the NEVER belt high.
This win eliminated Eddie from the tournament and secured Finlay’s spot in the elite 8 with 10 points. Finlay is set to face Will Ospreay on Thursday in the quarter-finals.
EVIL defeated Shingo Takagi
EVIL worked dirty from the opening bell. As Shingo fired back, House of Torture made their presence felt. After a referee bump, HoT attacked Shingo, forcing LIJ to make the save. A prolonged, chaotic faction war ended with a low blow, and Everything is Evil.
This win secured EVIL’s spot in the playoffs with 10 points.
B Block’s representatives in the NJPW G1 Climax 33 quarterfinals will be decided tonight on the final night of B Block bouts.
The winner of tonight’s Will Ospreay vs. El Phantasmo main event will join Kazuchika Okada in representing B Block in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Ospreay can advance with a win or a draw, while ELP must beat Ospreay to advance.
Tonight’s card:
B Block: Will Ospreay (4-2, 8 points) vs. El Phantasmo (3-3, 6 points)
B Block: Kazuchika Okada (5-1, 10 points) vs. Tanga Loa (3-3, 6 points)
B Block: Taichi (3-3, 6 points) vs. Great-O-Khan (2-4, 4 points)
B Block: YOSHI-HASHI (2-4, 4 points) vs. KENTA (2-4, 4 points)
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & BUSHI vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo
Eddie Kingston & Togi Makabe vs. David Finlay & Chase Owens
Tama Tonga & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Jeff Cobb & HENARE
SANADA & DOUKI defeated Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa
With Kaito’s tournament being over, this match lacked any real urgency, but this was an entertaining open. Oiwa showed up strong, challenging SANADA in the closing sequence before submitting to Skull End.
This was another fun tag. In more ways than one, this was a tale of two matches with some particularly intense sequences between Nicholls and Ishii while Tanahashi focused Fujita. Tanahashi’s attention paid off as he forced Fujita to submit with the cloverleaf.
After the match, Ishii and Nicholls came to blows again, forcing the ring crew to break them up.
Jeff Cobb & HENARE defeated Tama Tonga & Hiroyoshi Tenzan
This was a totally average match. The closing stretch was Cobb beating down Tenzan before dropping him with Tour of the Islands to win.
David Finlay & Chase Owens defeated Eddie Kingston & Togi Makabe
While not very exciting, this was at least a competitive match, especially when Kingston and Finlay squared off. Finlay won the match for Bullet Club after ending a Makabe rally with Oblivion.
After the match, Kingston and Finlay had a brief staredown ahead of their G1 encounter in Yokohama.
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & BUSHI vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo
It didn’t take long for this to devolve into a archetypal House of Torture match. LIJ tried their best to keep up, with Naito eventually landing Destino on Togo for the pinfall win.
After the match, EVIL attacked Shingo and tried to shave his head, but LIJ made the save.
KENTA defeated YOSHI-HASHI
This was just KENTA beating the brakes off of YH. KENTA’s attack backfired when he hit himself in the face with a metal staff, opening the door for a YH rally. KENTA cut off YH’s rally with a quick cradle to win the match and earn two more points.
Both of these guys were already eliminated from playoff contention, so this match didn’t change anything in the outcome of the tournament.
Great-O-Khan defeated Taichi
O-Khan wrestled an aggressive match here, maintaining control for quite some time. This turned the match into a ground war, lasting for most of the remaining runtime. After working a head an arm choke for minutes, O-Khan forced Taichi to submit.
This loss eliminated Taichi from playoff contention. O-Khan was already ineligible.
Kazuchika Okada defeated Tanga Loa
Okada was coasting through the early portion of this match, which opened the door for Loa. Loa’s attempts at offense weren’t enough, as a rainmaker marked the end of Loa’s G1.
This win secures Okada first place in B block with 12 points.
Will Ospreay defeated El Phantasmo
This, unsurprisingly, was a highly athletic match filled with dives, speed sequences, and false finishes; if that sounds enticing, this match is for you. The crowd absolutely ate this up, especially as the time limit grew closer. ELP survived an OsCutter and a hidden blade, forcing Ospreay to close with the tiger driver.
