The penultimate show of NJPW’s King of Pro Wrestling tour takes places today in Saitama with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on the line in the main event.
SHO and DOUKI put the IWGP Jr. Tag titles up against El Desperado and KUUKAI in the show-closing bout. DOUKI took the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship from Desperado in an upset earlier in the tour, now Despy has a chance to take the Tag titles from DOUKI.
A series of tag bouts previewing Monday’s King of Pro Wrestling event primarily fill out today’s undercard.
Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, Titan, and Daiki Nagai face Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, Taiji Ishimori, and Gedo in the semi-main event spot.
The lone singles contest on the show features Shota Umino vs. Katsuya Murashima in the second match on the card.
The event begins with a Young Lions tag team bout at 3 a.m. Eastern time.
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- Shoma Kato and Tatuya Matsumoto defeated Masatora Yasuda and Zane Jay
- Shota Umino defeated Katsuya Murashima
- War Dogs defeated House of Torture
- House of Torture defeated Oleg Boltin, Tiger Mask, and Toru Yano
- Knockout Brothers defeated Tomoaki Honma and Yuya Uemura
- War Dogs defeated Shingo Takagi, Titan, Daiki Nagai, and Yota Tsuji
- House of Torture (c) defeated El Desperado and Kuukai for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Main card
Shoma Kato & Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated Masatora Yasuda & Zane Jay
(Yasuda and Jay sold their opponents quite well. Kato and Matsumoto were particularly easy to dislike.)
Kato and Jay teed off with no haste; Matsumoto tagged in for a series of slams and an attempted armbar. Isolating the American Young Lion further from Yasuda, Matsumoto and Kato bullied him in their corner, broken soon by Jay sneaking a dropkick.
Yasuda fired back, an elbow drop dazing Matsumoto momentarily. Kato interrupted Yasuda’s Boston Crab locked on Matsumoto. Jay returned, with Kato soon sinking in a Boston Crab. Yasuda made the save, but Matsumoto dragged him away. Jay, once more caught in a Boston Crab crawled towards the ropes, yet tapped when Kato dragged him deep into the center.
Shota Umino defeated Katsuya Murashima
(Murashima’s character development is notably informed. He’s emotional, he’s passionate, he has a fire that demands he get his lick in. There’s a hot babyface in him, and I can’t wait to see how that manifests in his NJPW career.)
Umino remained calm during the initial lock-up phase of this bout, adrenaline etched on the face of his opponent. Murashima vied for control with chops, but Uminio grounded him, especially with a Neckbreaker. Absorbing as much of Umino’s offense as he could, Murashima at last retaliated with a pounce to swing a comeback. Stubbornly, Murashima repeatedly tried for a scoop slam, suffering instead that same move courtesy of Umino.
Umino ran the ropes, confidently, until he found himself caught in a scoop slam. Breaking his control, Murashima cinched in a Boston Crab, pulling it deep as he could. Umino regained control with a lariat, and it was enough to put Murashima down. Uminio gained the pinfall victory in this singles match.
War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney) defeated House Of Torture (SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
(This was my favorite bit in the October 6 and 11 Road To shows, SANADA being cheeky and letting the 20-count lapse. The usage of Walker Stewart was particularly funny.)
The War Dogs had no patience nor tolerance for SANADA and Kanemaru, dragging them deeper into Tokorozawa Municipal Gymnasium for an up-close beatdown near the fans. SANADA and Kanemaru collaborated on Connor’s legs, ruthlessly targeting any opening they’d find. Moloney’s power over SANADA left the latter with the opportunity for a low-blow. He hoped for a guitar shot, but Moloney returned the favor with his low-blow.
Refusing to let Moloney get the better of him with the guitar, SANADA instead baited him outside. Moloney refused to oblige, thus reaching a stalemate. Referee Kenta Sato even restarted his 20-count and just when it seemed SANADA would jump back in, he stalled. He forfeited by count-out, giving the War Dogs the a win.
Post-match: Moloney and Connors assaulted Kanemaru, threatening a guitar shot if SANADA wouldn’t agree to a No-Rules Match at King of Pro Wrestling. SANADA tried to negotiate without indulging in Moloney’s offer, bringing in English Commentator Walker Stewart to explain the guitar’s expensive cost. Eventually he agreed to Moloney’s stipulation in the hopes to save the inanimate object over his partner. Pleased, Moloney hit Kanemaru with the guitar anyways.
House Of Torture (Dick Togo, Don Fale & EVIL) defeated Oleg Boltin, Tiger Mask & Toru Yano
(The only purpose this match served was to cement the importance of October 13’s match between Boltin and EVIL while also driving home the fact that Tiger Mask will hang up the boots in Summer 2026.
House of Torture got the usual jump on their opponents. Yano withstood Fale’s towering offense, exposing the turnbuckle. Naturally, he attempted to slam the larger man, only to drop himself. EVIL drove Boltin’s skull into the ring post. Distracting the referee with a bag, EVIL used the tag rope to choke Yano. Togo stomped and kneed at the comic relief. The persevering Yano at last managed a scoop slam to Togo.
Full speed ahead, Boltin dropped himself on Togo to devastating effect. Going to the well a second time, Boltin screeched to a halt the moment Togo wielded the referee as a shield. Boltin Shake rattled Togo. Tiger Mask stacked EVIL on Togo and dodged an incoming train that was Fale, who crashed into his teammates in the corner. Yano rescued Tiger Mask from Togo after the veteran held EVIL in a leg hold. However, Fale broke it up, so that EVIL could lock in Darkness Falls. Tiger Mask exhaustedly tapped out.
Post-match: Hosue of Torture ganged up on Tiger Mask, leaving him lifeless on the cerulean mat. Boltin charged in for retribution, but met the same fate. Everything is Evil by the titular wrestler sealed Boltin’s fate. House of Torture departed after removing Tiger Mask’s, well, mask.
Knockout Brothers (Yuto-Ice & OSKAR) defeated Tomoaki Honma & Yuya Uemura
(Knockout Brothers are hot right now as a tag team. They feel unstoppable, with a presentation that, as commentary pointed out, hearkens back to early Bullet Club days. A fine boost to the tag team division since their return.)
Knockout Brothers wasted no time once the bell rang; Yuto-Ice left Uemura crumpled in the debris of chairs in the crowd. Honma was as good as dead, considering the divide Knockout Brothers provided him and his partner. Uemura jumped in, withstanding a Big Boot by OSKAR after wearing down the giant. Yuto-Ice unleashed a torrent of kicks and then played to the crowd, wagging his finger and head all about, providing Uemura with ample time to land a Back Suplex.
Catching Yuto-Ice’s kick mid-strike, Uemura fell him with an elevated dropkick. Honma chopped the tree that was OSKAR with a DDT. Following multiple failed attempts, Honma landed a Rocket Kokeshi and then a normal Kokeshi on OSKAR. Uemura paid the price for rescuing his partner as OSKAR locked his arms to allow chops from the palms of Yuto-Ice. OSKAR swing around Honma in a neck hold until left unsconscious.
Post-match: Knockout Brothers stomped and clobbered Uemura, parting the sea of Young Lions that came to diffuse the situation. Shota Umino charged to Uemura and Honma’s aid, but also lay defenseless after a K.O.B.
War Dogs (David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, Gedo & Taiji Ishimori) defeated Daiki Nagai, Shingo Takagi, Titan & Yota Tsuji
(A mouth-watering teaser for Tsuji and Kidd on October 13, it also provided the right amout of heat for Clark Connors, Finlay, and Ishimori against Titan, Takagi, and Hiromu Takahashi that same night in Ryōgoku Kokugikan)
Gedo incurred the wrath of Titan, who used his high-flying acrobatics to overwhelm him and knock Ishimori from the apron. Nagai tormented the veteran, who meekly cast him out so the War Dogs could pick apart the Young Lion. Ishimori in particular drove a chair into him. Kidd rent Tsuji useless in a crater of chairs outside. Finlay gave Nagai a wedgie, allowing Kidd to do the same in a bear hold.
Nagai got his revenge, dropkicking Ishimori on the mat. Tsuji levelled the playing field by incapacitating everyone before demolishing Kidd with a Backbreaker. Kidd leapt with an up-and-over suplex. Takagi mounted a comeback by wrecking Finlay and Gedo. Titan assisted with a tope suicida. Nagai bravely took on the onslaught wrought by Finlay, preventing a Sunset Flip. The Young Lion went so far as to deliver a Spinebuster to Finlay. Northern Irish Curse nearly quelled the opposition’s momentum, but an Oblivion sealed the deal on Nagai. War Dogs walked away with the pinfall.
Main Event
House of Torture (Douki & Sho) (c) defeated El Desperado & Kuukai for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
(While not a clean victory, this was devoid of House of Torture interference. It’s almost as though Douki’s being protected by this type of booking, which benefits him greatly. Overall, these types of matches so far are a welcome treat.)
House of Torture got the jump on the challengers, leaving Desperado prone on the outside. However, Desperado gained the upper hand by overwhelming Sho. An elbow via Desperado rocked Sho. Douki ambushed Desperado on the outside, as he and Sho choked their opponents with cloth. Back in the ring, Shoe scrambled Kuukai’s cranium courtesy of a chair shot.
Sho and Douki targeted Desperado’s a arm and drove his pelvis into the ring post. Sho took advantage of the arm damage, torqueing it behind his back while Douki handled Kuukai. Tilt-a-whirl Backbreaker lent Desperado a second of reprieve, despite Sho’s best efforts. Kuukai hit House of Torture with a Double Flying Crossbody, and punctuated a series of singlehanded offense with a Tornado Suicida. Douki took Kuukai in for a Darkness Stretch, halted by a rope break. Kuukai suffered at the hands of Douki, but he persevered with a Tornado DDT.
Desperado, though still dealing with his ruined arm, fought his way out of Sho’s armbreaker. He almost countered with a Numero Dos, but had to improvise with a different leg hold. His midsection recoiled after a nasty spear from Sho. Delivering a Spinebuster to Douki, Desperado tossed him to Kuukai for an inverted Slingblade. The freelancer added torment to the champion with a Surfboard Stretch. Grounded by Desperado, Sho saved his teammate by launching the former Junior Heavyweight Champion to the referee.
Kuukai evaded Douki’s swinging pipe, nearly securing a pin from a moonsault. Douki took advantage of a distracted Referee Red Shoes, sending Kuukai into the ropes where Sho blasted him with his black mirror. A roll-up secured a title retention by House of Torture.
Final thoughts
Most of the matches have the heat needed for King of Pro Wrestling. However, on the shows where titles were on the line, such as tonight, hype for TMDK versus Bishamon and Yoh could’ve added extra. Same with Hiroshi Tanahashi and El Phantasmo or Zack Sabre Jr and Konosuke Takeshita (optional, as he’s been embroiled in tag matches with Kazuchika Okada ahead of AEW’s WrestleDream.). In an ideal world, Sareee and/or Syuri could’ve featured on these shows to add some heat ahead of their IWGP Women’s Championship, but culture and Sareee’s brief stint in Ring of Honor prevented that.
That said, House of Torture versus El Desperado and Kuukai was fun. For further entertainment purposes, Knockout Brothers versus Tomoaki Honma and Yuya Uemura is recommended, with War Dogs versus Takagi, Titan, Nagai, and Tsuji being optional.
