Tag: njpw road to tokyo dome results

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome results: Wrestle Kingdom 20 go-home show

Posted on by Corey Michaels

The penultimate match in Hiroshi Tanahashi’s legendary career takes place on today’s NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome, the go-home show for Wrestle Kingdom 20.

Tanahashi faces Kosei Fujita in the main event singles match today, the last step before his retirement match against Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in Tokyo Dome set for Sunday, January 4.

Today’s show in Korakuen Hall in Tokyo kicks off with an NJPW World TV title defense from El Phantasmo in an open challenge against a mystery opponent.

In between the opener and the main event, five tag bouts comprise the undercard:

  • Yota Tsuji, Yuto-Ice, and OSKAR vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson
  • Three-way tag: SHO and DOUKI vs. El Desperado and KUUKAI vs. Taiji Ishimori and Daiki Nagai
  • Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi, and Gedo vs. Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman, and Jakob Austin Young
  • Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura, Toru Yano, YOH, and Master Wato vs. EVIL, SANADA, Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, and Boltin Oleg vs. Taichi, Satoshi Kojima, and Tiger Mask

**********

Main Card

El Phantasmo defeated Ryusuke Taguchi for the NJPW World Television Championship

Phantasmo easily found himself on the winning side of the early lock-ups. He casually watched, aloof, as Taguchi ran the ropes before tripping him. They exchanged brutal, sluggishly slow chops, ending in an Atomic Drop from one man to another.

Teasing a plodding Brainbuster, Phantasmo instead found he and Taguchi speeding things up with a series of Three Amigos. A Rolling Cradle across the mat left both men dizzied; Taguchi hit an elevated dropkick on nothing.

Taguchi exposed his rear end for his Funky Weapon moves, obscured effectively, thanks to expert camerawork. Phantasmo won the match, reversing Taguchi’s roll-up for one of his own.

Post-match: Phantasmo declared that his upcoming match for the NJPW World Television Championship would be on the line in an open challenge. Santa Claus emerged, handing Phantasmo a present. In it sat a puppet that signified DDT Pro Wrestling’s Chris Brookes. Surely enough, Brookes slid into the ring, attacking Phantasmo, Santa Claus, and someone dressed as a reindeer. He accepted Phantasmo’s challenge.

(There’s nothing wrong with a little comedy to start the show. My favorite spot was Taguchi running the ropes under Phantasmo’s encouragement.)

Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) & Oleg Boltin defeated Team 100 (Satoshi Kojima & Taichi) & Tiger Mask

Goto and YOSHI-HASHI dispatched Taichi early, and they aligned with Boltin with a flurry of fists on Tiger Mask’s back. Kojima and Boltin made hot tags, soon leading to a passionate series of rapid-fire chest chops to the Kazakh wrestler. YOSHI-HASHI returned, unleashing his own chops to wear down Kojima. He replied with a Koji-Cutter.

Tiger Mask became too much for his opponents, especially with dropkicks, but was left stunned by a Boltin Shake. Bishamon held Tiger Mask horizontal in the air for a Boltin Splash in coordination with their partner for the pinfall.

Post-match: Tensions came to a boiling point between Kojima and Taichi, but Tomohiro Ishii joined them in the ring, imploring them to see reason. They obliged and shook hands.

(Fun match with some hard-hitters. The boys led an intense trio’s hoss fight. If you like big meaty men slapping meat, this is the match for you.)

House Of Torture (EVIL, Ren Narita, SANADA, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Master Wato, Shota Umino, Toru Yano, YOH & Yuya Uemura

YOH and Yano momentarily halted House of Torture’s predictable ambush after the bell, but an exposed turnbuckle via EVIL agonized YOH after an Irish Whip. Narita also took advantage of the turnbuckle by hurling YOH into it once more. SANADA lay tied up following YOH stealing his Paradise Lock.

Wato briefly dominated Narita, but the House of Torture swarmed him and struck with their Dick-to-Dick Contact, courtesy of Dick Togo. Aaron Wolfe tried coming to their aid, but EVIL annihilated him with the NEVER Openweight Championship. Narita whacked the lifeless Wato with a push-up board and stole the pinfall.

Post-match: Kaisei Takechi of DDT Pro-Wrestling came to Uemura and Umino’s aid, warding off the House of Torture.

United Empire (Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan & Jakob Austin Young) defeated Gedo, Hiromu Takahashi & Shingo Takagi

United Empire brawled with Gedo, Takahashi, and Takagi on the outside. Khan, in particular, haunted Takagi with a chair as he lay in the rubble of audience chairs. Back in the ring, Newman and Young bullied Gedo. However, Gedo fired back with a Spinning Backfist. Further isolating him from Takagi and Takahashi, United Empire took turns brutalizing him. A Pumping Bomber from Takagi gave Gedo a 2-count over Young. United Empire rebounded in a united front, with Newman maliciously devastating Gedo with David Finlay’s Overkill for the win.

Post-match: Newman kicked at Takagi and Gedo’s bodies and left with a smug grin as Takahashi charged towards him. The lights went dark as Andrade El Idolo appeared in a pre-taped video promo as the first X in the United Empire in their war against the War Dogs.

(A brief beatdown, more than anything else. I was thinking that Newman would be a fantastic leader for the United Empire as he’s grown into his role. However, if Andrade continues to be a player in NJPW, he could very well be the group’s face.)

House Of Torture (DOUKI & SHO) defeated El Desperado & Kuukai and Daiki Nagai & Taiji Ishimori

All four of House of Torture’s opponents had had enough of SHO’s pre-match smack-talking preamble, teaming up on him and DOUKI. Kuukai almost had DOUKI in a modified Bow and Arrow, but Ishimori and Nagai intercepted. Nagai and Ishimori disputed with Desperado and Kuukai when both teams learned that House of Torture was attempting to escape.

Following a skirmish outside, Kuukai and Ishimori competed with top rope moonsaults outside. Desperado hoped for a tope suicida, only for Nagai to thwart him with a Spinebuster. Ishimori tackled DOUKI in the corner before hurling him at Nagai for another Spinebuster. Outside, Ishimori played equalizer as Nagai dragged DOUKI to the middle of the ring for a Boston Crab. Panicking, DOUKI pulled the match’s referee in so he couldn’t tap. SHO struck Nagai with a sheet pan, handing the pinfall to DOUKI.

(This was the type of pulse-pounding, high-octane thriller that only the junior heavyweights of this caliber can pull off. I was on the edge of my seat.)

Knockout Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) & Yota Tsuji defeated TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.)

Yuto-Ice and Sabre threatened to compromise the match with their heated rivalry intensifying. OSKAR and Oiwa started the match in highly physical action. Elsewhere, Yuto-Ice and Sabre brawled at ringside. Tsuji whipped Jackson into the blue steel barricade. Tsuji chopped Oiwa so hard that he collapsed to the mat. Yuto-Ice rocked Oiwa with a Bomboclat and knocked Sabre off the ring apron.

Despite OSKAR’s size and strength, Sabre was ready with strikes. OSKAR failed a leg drop—to painful effect—resulting in a Penalty Kick. OSKAR caught a second Penalty Kick, which he countered into a powerslam. Jackson refused Tsuji’s advances to pick him up, instead toppling him with a lariat. A senton backfired on Jackson, as Tsuji’s raised knees took the brunt of his mack.

Oiwa and Sabre intercepted OSKAR, rotating his arms and shoulders, for naught, as the tall German clotheslined both of them. Jackson rerouted Tsuji’s Gene Blaster with a piledriver. Tsuji attempted another Gene Blaster, which proved a successful gambit. He pinned Jackson for the 3-count.

Post-match: The Knockout Brothers, unsatisfied with their win, beat up Sabre and Oiwa before kicking one of their trophies from the ring apron, breaking it.

(The vibes between ZSJ and Oiwa against the Knock-Out Brothers were so volatile that their matches led to some physical and nasty confrontations on the Road to Tokyo Dome shows. This contrasted nicely with the more focused mentalities of Tsuji and Jackson, who didn’t share the intense feelings as everyone else but had a gripping last stretch of the match.)

Main Event

Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Kosei Fujita

Fujita gained an early advantage with a dive to Tanahashi outside. He continued his dominion over The Ace by pressing his legs into him in the corner. Tanahashi slammed a comeback after a top-rope senton. Following a prolonged period of dominance from Fujita courtesy of a Springboard Dropkick and a nasty hold, Tanahashi fought back, eventually sinking in a deep Texas Cloverleaf.

Keeping his momentum, Tanahashi hurled Fujita about with a Twist and Shout and a Slingblade before missing a High-Fly Flow. Fujita drew on this for a bridging suplex. Another Slingblade from the Ace moved into a suplex attempt, to which Tanahashi had to modify into a Straightjacket Suplex. Two High-Fly Flows later, and Tanahashi secured the pinfall over Fujita.

Post-match: Tanahashi thanked Fujita for the match, who left Korakuen Hall in low spirits. The Ace proceeded to thank the crowd and instructed El Phantasmo (who was on English commentary with Chris Charlton) to lead the wave across the arena. Sending the crowd home happy with his signature air guitar spot, he noticed the litany of posters in fans’ hands that had his face and name on them and tearfully thanked the fans in attendance.

(Tanahashi’s previous three matches, including this one, were so distinct from one another. The Hiromu Takahashi match felt like a contemporary homage to the 2010s, whereas the El Desperado hearkened to the more terrifying bouts with monster heels and ruthless killers in his career. What sets Kosei Fujita apart for me was his underdog performance in tonight’s bout. While the torch wasn’t passed, Fujita came out of this with some star power in pushing Tanahashi to his limit.)

Final Thoughts

The Andrade El Idolo surprise was a shocker but a welcome one. I’d have expected him to join The Unaffiliated, but since Andrade was previously associated with AEW’s Don Callis Family, perhaps that tie with Kyle Fletcher lent itself to United Empire? There’s quite a bit to untangle there, honestly.

The Chris Brookes angle was nice, too. I’m looking forward to that one. DDT Pro Wrestling is getting some love with the representation they’re getting at Wrestle Kingdom. Other than that, the only feuds heading into Wrestle Kingdom that I’d say were capitalized well on were EVIL and Aaron Wolfe’s bout, in addition to Yuto-Ice’s ongoing war with Zack Sabre Jr.

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome results: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. El Desperado

Posted on by Corey Michaels

There are just three matches remaining in the legendary career of Hiroshi Tanahashi, one of them on today’s NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome event.

Coming off a victory over junior heavyweight Hiromu Takahashi on Friday’s Road to Tokyo Dome tour opener, Tanahashi faces El Desperado on today’s show in the main event.

Remaining on Tana’s dance card are a singles match against Kosei Fujita on tomorrow’s show, then his retirement match against career rival Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4.

Six tag matches make up today’s undercard:

  • Yota Tsuji, Taiji Ishimori, Yuto-Ice, and OSKAR vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson, and Kosei Fujita
  • Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi, and Daiki Nagai vs. Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman, and Jakob Austin Young
  • Shota Umino, Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Yuya Uemura, and Boltin Oleg vs. EVIL, SANADA, Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Taichi, Tiger Mask, Satoshi Kojima, and Masatora Yasuda vs. Toru Yano, YOH, Master Wato, and Shoma Kato
  • Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma vs. Katsuya Murashima and Zane Jay
  • SHO and DOUKI vs. KUUKAI and Tatsuya Matsumoto

**********

Main Card

House Of Torture (DOUKI & SHO) defeated Kuukai & Tatsuya Matsumoto

DOUKI grabbed Matsumoto before the bell and assaulted him elsewhere. Meanwhile, after the bell, Kuukai withstood SHO’s offense and teamed with Matsumoto with a double-chop to the chest. SHO and DOUKI took turns bullying the Young Lion Matsumoto with one powerslam after another. Fully isolated, Kuukai could only watch as the House of Torture weakened Matsumoto’s neck and shoulders.

Miraculously, Matsumoto fought back, earning a speedy recourse from Kuukai. SHO reclaimed the momentum with a Spear. Matsumoto delivered karmic justice, delivering powerslams to Douki in immediate succession. Repeated instances of Matsumoto’s inside cradles proved fruitless. Dragging DOUKI to the corner, Matsumoto fell prey to a chair shot courtesy of SHO. An Italian Stretch #32 resulted in the Young Lion falling unconscious, gifting the House of Torture a win to start the night.

(Crisp and clean. This batch of Young Lions has continually improved every time I’ve had the pleasure to watch them. So, with DOUKI and SHO working so well together in semi-fair matches, and this youthful crop would naturally be a satisfying blend.)

Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) defeated Katsuya Murashima & Zane Jay

Jay and Murashima laid Honma flat before going to work on Makabe. Honma replied with a single-leg Sharpshooter to the American Jay. His offense continued, but a failed Kokeshi gave way to an enzuigiri. Full-speed, Marashima charged with a tackle that dazed the veteran. Honma nearly escaped the determined grip of Murashima, but still suffered a powerslam.

Makabe refused Jay’s attempt at a powerslam. An elevated dropkick did the trick for Jay, providing him with a Boston Crab to his seasoned opponent. Murashima came to his side, but the two Young Lions dropped to the cerulean mat following Makabe’s double-clothesline. Makabe finished off Jay with a King Kong Kneedrop.

(Fine match, with Jay’s recent tenure in Japan paying off in dividends as his in-ring tightens itself in quality.)

Master Wato, Shoma Kato, Toru Yano & YOH defeated Team 100 (Satoshi Kojima & Taichi), Masatora Yasuda & Tiger Mask

Yano and Kojima started the match, with the latter quickly gaining the upper hand with his trademark chops. Yasuda picked up after Kojima, powerslamming Kato. Tiger Mask followed suit with a series of kicks. Taichi took over for Yasuda, yet found himself on the mat with a Dragonscrew Legwhip from YOH.

Wato entered the fray, faceplanting Tiger Mask with a Bulldog. A series of Snap Suplexes lent Yasuda an edge over Wato. Kojima, Taichi, Yasuda, and Tiger Mask coordinated their efforts on Wato, but his teammates came for the save. Wato found a second breath with a Brainbuster, followed by a Cyclone Uppercut to secure a win over Yasuda.

(Action-packed and concise. Wato was undeniably the star of the match.)

Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI), Oleg Boltin, Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura defeated House Of Torture (EVIL, Ren Narita, SANADA, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi)

Amid the chaos of the usual House of Torture onslaught, EVIL tormented YOSHI-HASHI until Goto and Boltin came to his rescue. Bishamon and Boltin barreled their fists onto Takahashi’s back and did the same for EVIL. Dick Togo tripped up YOSHI-HASHI after repeated instances of distracting him failed; EVIL took advantage by choking him with a T-shirt. His teammates were further isolated by House of Torture members herding them violently as far away from the ring as possible.

Kanemaru baited Goto via a referee while his cohorts bore down on the still-legal YOSHI-HASHI ringside. SANADA wrapped up YOSHI-HASHI in a Paradise Lock, whereupon he swung a blue turnbuckle pad on him. Boltin emerged with a hot tag, absorbing offense from EVIL as he dizzied SANADA with a Boltin Shake. Narita goaded the Kazakh wrestler to the ropes, to which SANADA exploited a rope kick.

Umino spun a comeback for his team in the form of a Tornado-DDT on Takahashi. Uemura had the same luck with a Flying Crossbody to the same opponent. EVIL, Narita, and Kanemaru set Uemura up for Togo’s Dick-to-Dick Contact. Umino came to Uemura’s save, subverting a weapon spot to outsmart the House of Torture. Uemura and Umino had a brief misunderstanding, but came through with a Lariat + Suplex Combo to Takahashi. Uemura concluded the match with a Bridging Suplex to Takahashi for the pinfall.

(This is likely a hot take, but I think there’s great chemistry with Uemura and Umino since they aligned. Umino is far more likable. Giving this match a comeuppance finish for House of Torture increased the bout’s entertainment factor.)

United Empire (Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan & Jakob Austin Young) defeated Daiki Nagai, Hiromu Takahashi & Shingo Takagi

United Empire wasted no time in bearing down on their opponents. Newman struck Takahashi, mocking him with his GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship. Takahashi’s distress continued, with Newman and Jay tenderizing his flesh. Khan drew on the referee’s distraction by Takagi and Nagai by crushing Takahashi’s face via an Iron Claw.

Grimacing from a chairshot to the back, Takahashi was easy pickings for Khan’s oppression. Once more, Khan reached for an Iron Claw, but Takahasih’s fighting spirit forbade it, nearly escaping with a dropkick. Takagi rampaged in, his kicks softening Khan’s leg. Mongolian Chops, an Iron Claw, and a bitten forehead didn’t deter Takagi, but a lariat did the trick for Khan. Takagi countered Khan’s bodyslam with a DDT. Nagai sent Young flying with a Monkey Flip, which he punctuated with a dropkick. Newman stole Takahashi’s Time Bomb, proudly revealing a middle finger as he won the match via pinfall.

Post-match: Nagai’s teammates flooded the ring as Newman proceeded to attack him. Takagi threw a chair. Newman and Young taunted them and the fans with smug grins and profane language.

(Newman and Young are such jerks, and it’s enjoyable how hateable they’ve become.)

War Dogs (OSKAR, Taiji Ishimori & Yuto-Ice) & Yota Tsuji defeated TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.)

Yuto-Ice and Sabre’s boiling tensions simmered before the match before flooding over after the bell with rapid-fire strikes. Yuto-Ice’s Bomboclat saw him receive a united front from Sabre and Oiwa. Tsuji distracted the referee to allow Yuto-Ice and OSKAR a beatdown on Oiwa.

Displeased, Sabre brawled with Yuto-Ice in proximity to the crowd. Ishimori recovered after a prolonged dominance from Fujita with an enzuigiri. Jackson tackled Tsuji and laid him back down with a lariat. Tsuji unwisely tried a Flying Crossbody, but Jackson caught him, crushing his opponent with a Senton. Using a knee strike, Tsuji took advantage of a dazed Jackson to puncture him with a Gene Blaster for the pinfall.

(This started off being very much the Knockout Brothers’ match, with some thrilling junior heavyweight action from Ishimori and Fujita. Sabre and Yuto-Ice’s increased time together feels so believably spiteful, and I’m here for it. Moreover, the closing stretch of the match shone a light on Tsuji, heating him for his Tokyo Dome clash with Konosuke Takeshita.)

Main Event

Hiroshi Tanahashi versus El Desperado

Tanahashi gained an early advantage, holding Desperado against the ropes. The pair grappled to a standstill, which left Desperado recuperating in frustration. The Ace wore down Desperado with an unrelenting headlock. Momentarily, Desperado gained the lead, nearly securing a Numero Dos had it not been for a rope break. However, the damage was done; Tanahashi hobbled under the strain of his weak knee.

Referee Red Shoes pleaded with Desperado, who stacked a chair on Tanahashi’s knee and swung another chair on top of it. Dragging Tanahashi’s helpless corpse into the crowd, ignoring the protestations of NJPW’s Young Lions. The Tochigi crowd willed Tanahashi to his feet, and he obligingly limped to the ring despite a brief and dramatic collapse.

Unsatisfied with the injuries suffered thus far in Tanahashi’s knee, Desperado drained more life from him with a leglock. With a Flying Elbow, Tanahashi’s comeback began. Revenge was a dish best served cold as Tanahashi ensnared Desperado with a figure-four leglock of his own, which changed owners a few times during this spot. Sapping Desperado’s energy with an excruciatingly angled Texas Cloverleaf begat an anguished crawl to the ropes. Tanahashi fought for his life to prevent another Numero Dos attempt, grounding Desperado while clutching a rope break.

A Frog Splash from Desperado resulted in a nearfall that brought forth a passionate fervor from the audience. Exchanging strikes, it was by Desperado’s hand that Tanahashi staggered. However, a Slingblade from the Ace wrested control back. Making his way back to his feet, Desperado returned to the mat thanks to a High-Fly Flow. One more High-Fly Flow sealed the deal, gifting Tanahashi with one more win ahead of his January 4 retirement.

Post-match: Tanahashi and Desperado bowed in respect and shook hands. Alone in the ring, Tanahashi tearfully thanked the fans. Concluding on a happy note, he beckoned Katsuya Murashima to throw him his air guitar for a solo. He then requested it from a fan for another solo. Quietly, he addressed his December 22 opponent, Kosei Fujita, before greeting the crowd with a loving farewell.

(Desperado gave no quarter, as Tanahashi-san would have appreciated. After the past few years he’s been having, seeing Desperado work heel gave this a compelling edge. In this last stretch, Tanahashi feels like the superheroic babyface fans have adored him for throughout his tenured career.)

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for storyline beats to follow, this show has plenty of them. But this was absolutely Tanahashi’s event. More and more, it looks like the future is finally setting in for The Ace.

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome results: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hiromu Takahashi

Posted on by Corey Michaels

The final countdown to both Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement and NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 begins today with Road to Tokyo Dome in Gunma.

Tanahashi takes on Hiromu Takahashi in the main event singles match of today’s show, the first-ever singles meeting between the two. Tanahashi faces El Desperado on Sunday, then Kosei Fujita on Monday as his career winds down. He takes on Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2026 in his final match.

Three trios matches and three eight-man tags make up today’s undercard:

  • Yuto-Ice, OSKAR, Taiji Ishimori, and Daiki Nagai vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson, and Kosei Fujita
  • Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, and Gedo vs. Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman, and Jakob Austin Young
  • Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura, Taichi, and Satoshi Kojima vs. EVIL, Ren Narita, SANADA, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • El Desperado, KUUKAI, and Katsuya Murashima vs. DOUKI, SHO, and Yujiro Takahashi
  • Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Boltin Oleg, and Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Toru Yano, YOH, Master Wato, and Shoma Kato
  • Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, and Masatora Yasuda vs. Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Zane Jay

**********

Main Card

Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask & Zane Jay defeated Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) & Masatora Yasuda

After dancing around each other in headlocks, Jay maintained control over Yasuda’s shoulder, slamming him to the mat. Honma missed a Kokeshi on Taguchi, who landed it successfully. Jay stomped a mudhole in Honma in the corner, capitalizing with a bodyslam. Makabe punished the Young Lion with elbows, but ate a dropkick for his troubles.

Tiger Mask delivered a series of kicks to Makabe’s midsection. He responded in kind with a lariat. Yasuda tortured Tiger Mask with two Snap Suplexes and a Boston Crab before dropkicking an intervening Taguchi. Tiger Mask took the opportunity to engage in a Boston Crab. Honma and Makabe coordinated their efforts on Jay, but were equalized by a dropkick. Tiger Mask submitted Yasuda with a Crossface Chickenwing for the victory.

(Yasuda and Jay had a lot of fun with the limelight here. However, with Tiger Mask’s impending retirement on the horizon, his time tonight made him look like a superhero.)

Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI), Oleg Boltin & Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated Master Wato, Shoma Kato, Toru Yano & YOH

YOSHI-HASHI had no time for Yano’s turnbuckle shenanigans, and fortunately for him, Wato would tag himself in. YOH and Yano fell victim to a flurry of fists to their back from Bishamon, Boltin, and Matsumoto. Kato torqued the left shoulder of Matusmoto. YOSHI-HASHI made the save for Goto, who was suffering from the onslaught of YOH and Wato. A rejuvenated Goto soundly fell YOH with a lariat.

Boltin dizzied the already worn YOH with a Boltin Shake, but snuck in a counter DDT. Kato ducked from the powerhouse Boltin’s tackles to sneak in a hurricanrana. Boltin tapped Kato out with a Boston Crab for the win.

Post-match: Boltin and BIshamon seemed to challenge Yano, YOH, and Wato for a NEVER Openweight 6-Man Championship defense at a later date.

(YOH was an absolute sponge here. That lariat from Goto was my favorite part of his selling. Also, my Boltin stocks are still way up.)

House Of Torture (DOUKI, SHO & Yujiro Takahashi) defeated El Desperado, Katsuya Murashima & Kuukai

Desperado, mildly irritated by a pre-match smack-talk from SHO, lost focus as DOUKI and Takahashi tripped him, pulling by the legs to damage his nether region. Takahashi distracted the referee while DOUKI and SHO assaulted Desperado with a chair. Kuukai swung a comeback for his team via a Spinning Face Crusher on SHO.

Murashima energetically charged in, laying in a couple of sentons on DOUKI. DOUKI retaliated with an Italian Stretch #32, but was met by Kuukai and Desperado. Screaming in agony, Murashima ultimately succumbed to DOUKI’s second Italian Stretch #32 attempt, submitting to the hold.

(Isolated from the rest of House of Torture with a clean win like this proves the interference schtick isn’t necessary. This trio’s match had a compelling story of Desperado fighting for his life and his partners giving their all to help him. DOUKI was in great form here.)

Team 100 (Satoshi Kojima & Taichi), Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura versus House Of Torture (EVIL, Ren Narita, SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) ended in disqualification

House of Torture immediately went to work on their opposition, clobbering all but Taichi on the outside. Taichi, still in his entrance gear, laid out Kanemaru with a Big Boot. Uemura, spry as ever, overwhelmed the still-legal Kanemaru. The House of Torture came to Kanemaru’s aid, exposing the turnbuckle’s steel while the referee was distracted. EVIL choked Uemura with a T-shirt while Kanemaru kept the referee’s attention.

Much to EVIL’s annoyance, multiple pin attempts on Uemura were unsuccessful. An arm drag and elevated dropkick gave the weary Uemura momentary respite against Narita’s onslaught. Umino entered the fray, tenderizing Narita’s chest with chops and a Fisherman’s Suplex. He then toppled SANADA with a Tornado-DDT and Narita with a dropkick. Kojima chopped the chests of Kanemaru and SANADA to painful effect. Taichi rattled SANADA with an Axe Bomber. Kojima followed suit with a cutter. Emulating Eddie Guerrero’s chair spot with his guitar, SANADA smoothly fooled the referee, disqualifying Taichi and his teammates.

Post-match: House of Torture assaulted their defeated opponents and an interrupting Aaron Wolfe. Taichi seemingly helped Kojima to his feet, but the two veterans shoved each other. Uemura and Umino separated them as they bickered.

(This was rife with House of Torture shenanigans. The babyfaces did well, but my favorite part was Taichi beginning the match wrestling in his entrance gear.)

Gedo, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji versus United Empire (Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan & Jakob Austin Young) ended in disqualification.

The bell had yet to ring as United Empire brawled with their opponents into the crowd. Khan plunged Takagi deep into the wreckage of chairs. Tsuji flung Newman into the barricade and back into the ring, superceding his speed with a hurricanrana. Gedo and Tsuji took turns with right-hand strikes on Newman.

Newman recovered enough to abuse Gedo in the corner. Young took advantage of Gedo’s agonized state by bending his fingers in uncomfortable directions. Khan pressed his full weight on Gedo on the top rope and attached his Iron Claw to Gedo’s face. Gedo powered out of this with a prolonged eye poke. Takagi devastated Khan with a Brainbuster, but not enough to secure a pinfall.

Despite the referee’s protests, Khan bit Takagi’s skull. Takagi rebounded with a Pumping Bomber to Young. Tsuji prevented a rescue from Khan courtesy of a tope suicida. Newman returned to the ring, flinging a steel chair at Takagi’s face, ending the match in disqualification.

Post-match: Newman continued his assault on Takagi with satisfaction etched on his face. Gedo, Tsuji, and a band of young lions came to Takagi’s defense.

(This mean streak from United Empire’s added an interesting wrinkle to Newman and Young. I almost felt bad for all the punishment Gedo took. However, two DQ finishes in one night doesn’t sit right with me.)

TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated War Dogs (OSKAR, Taiji Ishimori & Yuto-Ice) & Daiki Nagai

Both members of each time watched as Yuto-Ice and Sabre shoved each other around. Ishimori and Fujita started the match, wrestling to near-standstills until the latter poked the Bone Soldier’s eyes and chopped him flat. At ringside and in the crowd, the War Dogs and Nagai brawled with TMDK while Jackson threw his weight against Ishimori in a senton. Sabre stomped on Ishimori’s shoulder, baiting Yuto-Ice in for another brawl, this time in the ring.

Oiwa ragdolled Ishimori around, unrelenting on his left arm. OSKAR endured Oiwa’s offense, recovering with a slam. Yuto-Ice’s now-legal brawl with Sabre was interrupted by assists from Fujita and OSKAR, respectively. Thanks to a kick from Ishimori, Nagai miraculously crushed Jackson with a Spinebuster. Jackson mockingly absorbed Nagai’s offense before rebounding with a lariat. Jackson finished off Nagai with a Death Valley Driver.

Post-match: TMDK and the War Dogs + Nagai brawled en route to backstage.

(Sabre and Yuto-Ice’s beef made this bout entertaining, coupled with the buildup to the ultimate in-ring clash in this match. Nagai’s spinebuster on Jackson popped me.)

Main Event

Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Hiromu Takahashi

Tanahashi and Takahashi battled to a standstill repeatedly in the main event’s waking moments. Overcoming Takahashi’s flashes of dominance, Tanahashi’s comeback came at a Flying Crossbody. The Ace and the Time Bomb exchanged chest chops and elbows. Takahashi teased Tanahashi with a Rainmaker attempt. Tanahashi sank in a deep Texas Cloverleaf, broken by Takahashi’s desperate rope break.

Finally, Takahashi succeeded with Kazuchika Okada’s Rainmaker and his own Time Bomb. After nearly putting Takahashi to sleep with a headlock, Tanahashi dropped him with two successive Slinge Blades. Combining the Rainmaker with his Sling Blade, Tanahashi finished off Takahashi with a High-Fly Flow.

Post-match: Tanahashi thanked the fans in attendance, performed an air guitar solo, and led a wave.

(Classic Tanahashi match without the flourishes from his younger days. In this, The Ace reminded fans just who he was with a great dance partner. An emotional and satisfactory match weeks away from the legend’s looming retirement.)

Final Thoughts

Things certainly ramped up on the road to Wrestle Kingdom 20. Perhaps my least favorite match tonight was House of Torture versus Taichi, Satoshi Kojima, Shota Umino, and Yuya Uemura, which ended in a predictable DQ finish. In being the second match to feature a DQ, United Empire versus War Dogs almost reaches that quality. As I expect most will simply tune in for Hiroshi Tanahashi and Hiromu Takahashi, they’ll get their money’s worth. I expect Tanahashi’s next few matches against El Desperado and Kosei Fujita to have the same level of quality, or close, before reuniting with The Rainmaker, Kazuchika Okada.

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome live results: Wrestle Kingdom go-home show

Posted on by Corey Michaels

NJPW hits the last stop on the Road to Tokyo Dome today in its final event of 2024 at Korakuen Hall.

In the main event, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. teams with Ryohei Oiwa against Shota Umino and Tomohiro Ishii in a final tag preview of the Wrestle Kingdom 19 main event set for January 4 where Sabre will defend his title against Umino.

In the semi-main, IWGP Global Champion David Finlay teams with SANADA and Gedo against Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, and BUSHI of Los Ingobernables de Japon in a carbon copy of a match from yesterday’s card. Finlay will defend his Global title against Tsuji at Wrestle Kingdom 19 in the Tokyo Dome.

A unique singles match kicks off the main card with United Empire’s Jeff Cobb against TMDK’s Hartley Jackson for the first time. A series of tag bouts fills out today’s undercard at Korakuen.

**********

Pre-show

Hiromu Takahashi defeated Katsuya Murashima

Takahashi commanded this match with unrelenting force; sinking in nicely for a half Boston Crab. Repeatedly going for pins, Takahashi’s attempts to end the match early resulted in Murashima’s recovery. Though Murashima fought back with a spirited comeback, Takahashi brought him back to reality with a Boston Crab that forced the Young Lion to submit. Murashima lost, and in less time than Shuma Kato the night before (12/22).

— Post-match: Takahashi had no time to celebrate, as Tetsuya Naito ambushed him after the match, providing a glimpse into their match at the Tokyo Dome on January 4.

Poetically starting and ending with Boston Crab holds, this sold the urgency Takahashi had as a serious competitor against Tetsuya Naito at Wrestle Kingdom while settling who is better among two separate Young Lions.

Main card

Jeff Cobb defeated Hartley Jackson

These two titans clashed, charging at each other like bulls. Their exchange broke out into the outside, where Cobb sent Jackson into the guardrail, to which the latter landed on his back courtesy Jackson’s lariat. The TMDK member maintained his dominance, even surviving Cobb’s Release Verticle Suplex.

Cobb fired back, fighting from underneath with some well-executed maneuvers. Quickly diminishing Jackson’s breadth of action, Cobb capitalized with a Tour of the Islands. One slam later, and Cobb gained the pinfall victory.

Jackson was so overwhelming for Cobb that it made for such an intriguing underdog situation for the normally intimidating Cobb. Forced to think through strategy than through raw power, Cobb proved to be more than just the muscle in this exhilarating hoss fight.

Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight & KUSHIDA) versus Ichiban Sweet Boys (Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles) ended in a NO-CONTEST

Knight and Fujita began the competition feeling each other out until they reached a standoff. Eagles, though prepared, had his limbs worked by the combination of Kushida and Knight through various holds. Karma bit Knight, as TMDK worked in tandem with fast, high-precision strikes.

The match ended in a No-Contest when Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors entered the fray, disrupting the proceedings. Francesco Akira & TJP also emerged, offsetting the interrupting War Dogs. Connors & Moloney stood tall after savagely attacking all other six men (plus some nearby Young Lions). That is, until those six men joined forces to set up for a devastating dive from a ladder to the War Dogs onto tables. Luckily for them, they escaped and fled.

— Post-match: The Intergalactic Jet Setters, joined by their temporary comrades, declared the for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.

Deflating yet somehow at the same time exciting, this setup gives me what I love from NJPW and the rose-tinted vision I see the Attitude Era from. The action from TMDK and the Jet Setters complimented their distinct styles perfectly. With everyone’s unique flourishes, I’m looking forward to being seated on January 4 to see what these men have in store for one of NJPW’s biggest shows of the year.

El Desperado, Master Wato & Satoshi Kojima defeated Just 4 Guys (DOUKI, Taichi & TAKA Michinoku)

Desperado and DOUKI’s history drove much of this match, but Wato maintained a solid performance in the early goings. Kojima followed suit with his might until Taichi equalized the situation. Michinoku held Kojima on the ropes while Taichi grabbed a random person’s phone attached to a selfie stick to document his offense on the vulnerable Kojima.

A brawl among the teams unfurled, with many fast-moving parts. Kojima’s efforts to aid his team were stunted by Taichi holding him back, while Wato kept DOUKI sidelined. This resulted in Desperado dropping Michinoku with a Pinche Loco for a pinfall.

DOUKI and Desperado’s chemistry is evergreen, but I enjoyed the interactions between Kojima and Taichi. Especially the selfie stick spot. I did want to see more from Wato, however. Disappointed in that. However, I’m a sucker for the chaos sequences in tags and multi-men matches and this delivered.

Hiroshi Tanahashi, El Phantasmo, Oleg Boltin, Tomoaki Honma & Toru Yano defeated House Of Torture (EVIL, Ren Narita, SHO, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi)

House of Torture started this match in typical House of Torture fare, yet Tanahashi made a heroic comeback. However, EVIL dragged The Ace around Korakuen Hall, leaving SHO to pick at his remains in the ring. Kanemaru continued to work on Tanahashi’s knee alongside EVIL, while SHO exposed the turnbuckle for more damage.

Boltin took on the House of Torture next, clobbering SHO in particular with his force and girth. While not outright destroyed, Boltin sustained heavy damage by SHO and Kanemaru’s teamwork. Phantasmo endured House of Torture’s…well, torture, and after an assist from Tanahashi, won with a low blow to Takahashi, followed by a superkick and a final Thunderkiss ’86.

— Post-match: EVIL and Tanahashi brawled, with the former aided by Dick Togo. With The Ace incapacitated, EVIL cut a lock out of his hair.

Standard House of Torture affair, but with Tanahashi’s impending in-ring retirement and El Phantasmo’s return, their comebacks feel all the sweeter because of these circumstances. That said, I’m left unexcited for this setup to Tanahashi ringing in his final year with EVIL.

BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay, Gedo & SANADA) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji)

Finlay immediately thrust Tsuji across the arena while BUSHI attempted an epic dive onto Gedo but missed. With Takagi also dispatched thanks to SANADA, all three members of the involved War Dogs picked at Tsuji like vultures. The ever-formidable Takagi withstood the ranks of the opposing team, leaving a weakened Finlay for BUSHI to take advantage of.

Thanks to Gedo, BUSHI’s momentum stalled heavily. With heavy interference on the outside, Finlay’s underhanded tactics proved fruitful with every torment inflicted upon BUSHI. Seemingly finished toying with his food, Finlay ended the match with an Overkill for the pinfall.

Finlay’s changed my mind about him over the past few months, as I’m progressively more invested in him. SANADA’s involvement in the Bullet Club leaves me curious how he will fare. However, this somehow ranks on the matches I’m not as looking forward to come January. That said, I’m sure Tsuji will pull out something that will leave me pumped for the show’s IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship Match.

Main event

Shota Umino & Tomohiro Ishii defeated TMDK (Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.)

Fresh off his ankle injury the night preceding, Umino bravely locked up with Sabre, going so far as to frustrate the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion into striking. Oiwa, now the fresh man, toppled Umino before unwisely provoking Ishii. As if his ankle wasn’t bad enough, Oiwa targeted the arm of Umino with no mercy. Ishii, the legal man, went on a rampage. His chops to Oiwa’s chest echoed loudly through Korakuen Hall.

Umino and Sabre returned to war against one another, with the former seemingly getting better of the latter. Just when it appeared that Umino had the upper hand, Sabre’s possum-playing paid dividends as his limb-work wore on his upcoming Wrestle Kingdom opponent. Ishii came in for the assist for Umino, softening up Oiwa until Sabre wore him down. Bedlam ensued, with Oiwa landing an impressive Doctor Bomb as Sabre wrenched Ishii’s leg on the outside. Umino landed a snap comeback on an unsuspecting Oiwa; he executed a Death Rider for the pinfall victory.

I love how Ishii had no skin in this game. He just joined for the love of the game. Regarding my previous thoughts with Umino feeling like a formality, I feel there’s just enough in him and a lot in Sabre to pull off a compelling story in the Tokyo Dome main event. Lastly, I’m so, so satisfied with Oiwa getting main event moments like tonight. Aside from Gabe Kidd and the Reiwa Three Musketeers, I believe he’s one of many young talents that can be built to bring NJPW to glory once more.

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome live results: Wrestle Kingdom 18 go-home show

Posted on by Chick Fritts

NJPW holds their final show of 2023 today at Korakuen Hall. 

Today’s Road to Tokyo Dome event will feature previews of the main Wrestle Kingdom 18 bouts. 

In the main event, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA and his Wrestle Kingdom challenger Tetsuya Naito will be on opposite sides of a trios bout, with SANADA, Taichi, & Yuya Uemura facing Naito, Shingo Takagi, & Yota Tsuji. 

Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi will team against Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita in the semi-main. Okada faces Bryan Danielson at Wrestle Kingdom, while Tanahashi will challenge Sabre for the NJPW World TV Championship at the Tokyo Dome. 

NJPW’s first-ever coffin match will be held on today’s show, as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney face TJP & Francesco Akira. The titles will not be on the line today, but the teams will meet again in a championship match at Wrestle Kingdom. 

Today’s show airs free on NJPW World.

Shoma Kato & Togi Makabe defeated Katsuya Murashima & Satoshi Kojima

I’m such a sucker for these simple Young Lion tags. Both of the new guys looked good, given their limited experience.

This match opened with some Young Lion grappling. Murashima tagged out first, giving Kojima time to work over Kato. After being on the back foot for some time, Kato dropped Kojima with a drop kick, leading to a Makabe hot tag.

Makabe forced Kojima to tag out, setting up Murashima for defeat. Makabe beat down Murashima and locked in the Boston crab. Kojima tried breaking up the crab, but Kato hit the ring, occupying Kojima long enough for Makabe to secure the win.

CHAOS (Toru Yano & YOH) defeated Masked Horse (Ryusuke Taguchi) & Masked Boltin (Oleg Boltin)

The masked men tried opening the match with silliness, but we were out-maneuvered. Horse and Boltin took control back as CHAOS tried removing their masks, but Yano’s use of a whip allowed him to stay ahead.

Boltin interrupted YOH on the top rope, slamming him to the mat before using the whip himself and dropping his singlet straps. Boltin the suplexed YOH after rocking him like a baby. Horse tagged in to close, only for YOH to catch Horse in the Kido clutch, winning the match.

Tomohiro Ishii defeated Callum Newman

While a bit overindulgent for my liking, this very ambitious match aimed to establish Newman. At multiple points, I thought he was winning this one.

This match opened with a collar-and-elbow tie-up that turned into Ishii-favored striking. Newman attempted to match Ishii’s strikes, but Ishii repeatedly flattened him for trying. Over and over, as Newman would gain footing, Ishii would drop him with a stiffer strike, a slam, or a suplex.

Newman eventually landed a kick that sent Ishii to the floor. Newman capitalized with a moonsault to the floor. Back in the ring, Newman hit a forearm from the top rope, followed by a penalty kick for a nearfall.

Ishii fired back with a backdrop, resetting the match. A high German suplex and a lariat scored Ishii a nearfall. This led to a back-and-forth of tackles and kicks before Newman scored a nearfall with a Spanish fly. Another convincing nearfall for Newman followed an OsCutter.

Trying to close, Newman flipped from the top rope. Ishii avoided the dive, leading into a brief strike exchange. Ishii won out, leading to another big lariat from Ishii. After Newman kicked out, Ishii attempted a brainbuster, but Newman wiggled free. Another quick back-and-forth followed. Ultimately, Ishii won the match with another sliding lariat and brainbuster. 

Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) defeated Young Blood (Oskar Leube & Yuto Nakashima)

This was great. Leube has a fantastic energy about him, and Nakashima was on tonight. It was simple structurally, but the expected dynamic was flipped on its head, making for a very exciting match.

Young Blood opened the match by cornering Bishamon with strikes. Bishamon tried fighting back, but Youg Blood were able to win out early, establishing a solid lead while isolating Goto. Once the tag to YH came, Bishamon turned things around momentarily, but Young Blood didn’t take long to retake control. Young Blood’s lead survived multiple double-team attempts and tags. Nakashima eventually locked in a deep Boston crab, forcing a desperate rope break from YH.

After multiple attempts, Bishamon were finally able to rush the ring together, isolating Nakashima. Goto took out Leube on the floor, leaving Nakashima with no backup. Bishamon then hit Shoto, winning the match, but only after a prolonged struggle. 

El Desperado & Master Wato defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi)

Heading into WrestleKingdom, this division feels ice-cold.

Hiromu and Desperado opened the match with some standard back and forth, and Wato continued this after he tagged in. To turn things around, BUSHI rushed the ring, leading to the first stint of LIJ control.

After a while on the back foot, Wato reached Desperado for a tag. Desperado turned things around for his team, gaining a substantial lead over the champion.

Eventually, Hiromu forced a double tag with a superkick, leading to an athletic struggle for control. BUSHI won out by utilizing a dive to the floor. Wato fired back with a couple of quick pin attempts. BUSHI tried to hold on, but a sudden jackknife pin from Wato secured the win.

Coffin Match: BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney) defeated Catch 22 (Francesco Akira & TJP)

There were some ideas in this match that I really enjoyed, but at times, the stipulation got in the way. Some of the violence was exhilarating, but it was interrupted by the awkward “place a guy in a box” win condition.

This was the first coffin match in NJPW history. To win, you only needed to place one opponent into the coffin and close the lid.

Before the match could begin, the War Dogs rushed Catch 22 from behind. The match spilled to the floor, where Catch 22 was actually able to gain the lead. They attempted to close Moloney in the coffin, but Connors cut them off with a pounce, allowing the War Dogs to take control.

A pair of spears from the War Dogs left them in a strong position. With their newfound lead, they attached a pair of dog collars to Catch 22. The War Dogs then beat down Catch 22 while strangling them with the collars at every opportunity.

Catch 22 used the chain from their collars to clothesline the War Dogs, gaining the upper hand for the first time in a while. TJP hit Moloney with a splash before calling for the coffin to be opened. After placing Moloney in the coffin, TJP tried closing the lid, but Connors used his body to block the door.

Connors hit TJP with a spear, sending him crashing into the coffin. Akira barely made the save before dropping Moloney with a cutter. Catch 22 followed up with an alley-oop and a pair of knees before rolling Moloney into the coffin. Connors saved Moloney again by attacking the referee before hanging Akira with the collar still attached to his neck.

Connors tied Akira to the post with his collar, freeing the War Dogs to focus on TJP. The Dogs landed Hit and Run and their tandem spear, incapacitating TJP long enough to place him in the coffin and close the door.

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada defeated TMDK (Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.)

This match was awesome. Everything about it was on point. Okada’s motivation to punish the kids on the roster will never get old, and his Danielson prep with ZSJ here added a compelling layer. ZSJ and Tanahashi had incredible chemistry, as always. A great match in a vacuum, and even better considering the implecations for WrestleKingdom. 

Tanahashi and ZSJ opened the match with focused grappling that spilled to the floor. Once they returned to the ring, they tagged out. Frustrated with his young challenger, Okada beat him in and out of the ring. Fujita eventually landed a dropkick that sent Okada to the mat, buying him enough time to tag out to ZSJ.

ZSJ out-grappled Tanahashi and Okada, gaining a lead in the center of the ring. Okada tried firing back with an air raid crash, but ZSJ reversed into another hold. Tanahashi tagged in and was able to turn things around for a moment, but ZSJ caught him on hold as well.

Okada tagged back in, giving his team the upper hand. ZSJ was forced to escape to Fujita, who tried unloading on Okada. Okada ate a ton of firey Fujita offense before turning the match back around with a flapjack. An air raid crash forced ZSJ to hit the ring. Tanahashi hit the ring to even the odds, leaving Okada alone with Fujita once more.

Okada floored Fujita with dropkicks before attempting the rainmaker. Fujita ducked the finish attempt and landed a German in response, scoring a nearfall. Another dropkick left Okada free to grab Fujita’s wrist, but instead of hitting the rainmaker, he pulled Fujita into a snug trap pin to win the match.

Just 5 Guys (SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji)

The other points of focus were less than compelling, but Uemura and Tsuji were great throughout this match. I expect their match on the 4th to be something special.

The match opened with SANADA and Naito feeling each other out for a good minute. SANADA tried taking Naito to the mat, but Naito escaped to the floor and tagged out after returning to the ring.

Tsuji and Uemura were next to face off. Shingo hit the ring to help Tsuji establish the lead. LIJ then traded tags to isolate Uemura from the rest of J5G. Eventually, a fired-up Uemura knocked LIJ to the floor, buying time to tag out to Taichi. Taichi turned the match around for his team, challenging Shingo with heavy strikes and forcing a double tag.

With Naito and SANADA legal again, Naito gained control by taking the match to the mat. Once standing, SANADA landed a dropkick to take control, but Naito avoided the moonsault attempt. Naito tried for Destino but slipped. SANADA failed to follow up, leaving Naito free to hit a tornado DDT before another double tag.

Tsuji and Uemura entered the match again, with Uemura taking the lead. Again, Shingo hit the ring, leaving Uemura outnumbered. Shingo dropped Uemura with a pumping bomber, setting Tsuji up for a Boston crab in the middle of the ring. Taichi saved Uemura, but the rest of LIJ were quick to clear the ring again.

Tsuji crushed Uemura with a curb stomp, drawing blood. Tsuji attempted the Gene Blast, but Uemura reversed into an arm drag/crucifix pin combination that won the match, stealing the win right from under Tsuji.

After the match, Uemura grabbed the microphone to challenge Tsuji. Tsuji accepted the challenge. Tsuji asked where, and Uemura answered with “Tokyo Dome”.

Taichi followed Uemura with a year-end promo of his own. He plugged his YouTube and the success of his new faction in 2023.

SANADA closed the show with his promo. He announced an upcoming vinegar advertisement with J5G. He then told the crowd that DOUKI’s birthday was on the 24th, forcing him into the ring. The crowd sang Happy Birthday. SANADA closed by handing the microphone to TAKA, who promised 2024 would end the same way, with J5G on top.

On their way out of Korakuen, J5G went through the crowd and snow fell from the ceiling. 

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome live results: NEVER Six-Man title match

Posted on by Chick Fritts

NJPW’s final title matches of 2023 will be held on today’s Road to Tokyo Dome event at Korakuen Hall. 

In the main event, Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, & Tomohiro Ishii will defend the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship against United Empire’s Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, & HENARE. 

The KOPW 2023 Champion will also be crowned on today’s show in a whiskey bottle ladder match, as provisional title holder Taichi defends against Yoshinobu Kanemaru in a match where a whiskey bottle will be suspended above the ring and can be used as a weapon. 

Second from the top, a preview of the Wrestle Kingdom 18 main event will take place in a six-man tag, with IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA teaming with Yuya Uemura & DOUKI against SANADA’s Wrestle Kingdom challenger Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji, & BUSHI.

Holiday favorite Masked Horse will return on the show in the opening contest, teaming with Masked Boltin against Tiger Mask & Toru Yano.

Before the show began, Tanahashi stood in the ring, surrounded by the rest of the roster on the outside, for a tribute and 10-bell salute to Osamu Kido.

Masked Horse (Ryusuke Taguchi) & Masked Boltin (Oleg Boltin) defeated Tiger Mask & Toru Yano

This opener was a fun time.

After the opening bell, Yano’s masked opponents rushed him, prompting Yano to remove the corner pads. Boltin ignored this antic, picking Yano up, rag dolling him before hitting a suplex. After TMIV tagged in, the beatdown continued for a while. TMIV attempted to rally, but Hourse caught him in the Kido clutch, winning the match for his team.

TMDK (Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated Young Blood (Oskar Leube & Yuto Nakashima) 

This match was excellent. Leube looked terrific in the final stretch. Young Blood seems to be the team to watch going forward.

Fujita and Nakashima opened the match with a strike-off that turned into a grappling battle. Nakashima then tagged out, allowing the Young Blood pair to double-team Fujita and ZSJ, establishing a solid lead. Unfortunately for the lion pair, their focus on ZSJ would open the door to being out-grappled, which they were as soon as the opportunity arose.

ZSJ, with help from Fujita, took control of the ring. Fujita let the lead slip eventually, opening the door to a hot tag into Leube. Leube and Nakashima then took out Fujita, forcing ZSJ to hit the ring, who they also beat down.

A sudden suplex from Fujita led to a double tag. What was an expected comeback from ZSJ ended up being a solid advance from Leube, who used his size to dominate while standing. After eating a PK, Leube dropped ZSJ with a strike but was caught in a choke when he attempted to follow up. The choke ended Leube’s control and the match, leaving TMDK with a win.

BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney & Gedo) defeated United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira & TJP)

Before the match could begin, Connors and Moloney came to the ring, escorting a casket. Moloney then cut a short promo on UE, prompting a brawl on the outside.

Once the match began, Moloney and Newman traded strikes in the middle of the ring. The War Dogs gained control by pulling Newman to the floor, using weapons on the outside to put him on the back foot. An isolation segment followed.

A hot tag to Akira and a follow-up tag to TJP led to a UE rally. Gedo eventually ended up legal, leaving him open to a prolonged beatdown from UE. Catch 22 then hit Gedo with their double knee and won the match.

Once the match was over, the War Dogs beat down the winners, hitting Akira with their finish before leaving the rings. After recovering, TJP cut a promo on the War Dogs, hyping their match for WrestleKingdom. Catch 22 then challenged the junior champions to a coffin match tomorrow, which is now official.

House of Torture (EVIL, Ren Narita & SHO) defeated Master Wato, Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma

Ren wore a hooded cape to the ring, confirming his embrace of evil.

HoT started the match by rushing their opponents, leading to a prolonged, disorderly beatdown. In the ring, Wato was on the receiving end of HoT’s wrath until he tagged out to Shota. Shota unloaded on the traitorous Ren with loud forearms and other snappy offense, forcing the rest of HoT to hit the ring. Shota also overwhelmed the rest of HoT, but this gave Ren enough time to sneak into the match.

EVIL tagged in, leading to a match reset. The babyface trio rallied, forcing the rest of HoT to get involved. Honma scored a nearfall with Kokeshi but became distracted by HoT antics. Ren struck Honma with a wooden pushup bar before EVIL won the match with Everything is Evil.

After the match, HoT attempted a beatdown, but Kaito Kiyomiya and Ryohei Oiwa made the save. Last night, HoT attacked Kaito and Oiwa on NOAH’s Star Navigation show. Once they ran off HoT, Kaito offered a handshake to Shota, who accepted after a moment of hesitation. 

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & Shingo Takagi) defeated El Desperado & Satoshi Kojima

Desperado and Hiromu opened their match with a lot of what they always do—some back-and-forth wrestling and some back-and-forth striking in the middle of the ring. Hiromu eventually hit a spinebuster, leading to a double tag.

Kojima and Shingo went at each other to a raucous crowd. Kojima landed early, but a sliding lariat from Shingo left him far ahead. The follow-up pumping bomber scored Shingo a nearfall. Shingo attempted another, but Kojima ate it, forcing Shingo to try again. Finally, Shingo hit a pumping bomber while Hiromu and Desperado fought on the floor, scoring him a pinfall victory.

Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA & Yuya Uemura) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji) 

Uemura and Tsuji opened the match fast. Uemura landed a few arm drags before focusing the arm on the mat. Once Uemura established a lead, he tagged out to DOUKI. DOUKI could not maintain control in the ring, leading to a LIJ-favored fight on the floor.

Back in the ring, LIJ worked to isolate DOUKI. SANADA tried to interrupt the isolation, prompting Naito to spit in his face before sending him to the floor. An awkward back spring elbow busted Naito’s brow and freed DOUKI to make the tag, leading to a SANADA rally. A quick neckbreaker allowed Naito to escape SANADA’s offense.

Tsuji and Uemura tagged in, leading to a desperate struggle for control in the closing moments. Both men traded momentum before a curb stomp left Uemura flattened. BUSHI and Naito then hit the ring, gaining an even more significant advantage before the other J5Gs made the save.

With help from the rest of J5G, Uemura regained his footing. SANADA then locked BUSHI in the Skull End before passing him to Uemura for the finishing suplex. 

NJPW King Of Pro-Wrestling Championship Whiskey Bottle Ladder Match: Taichi (c) defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru

Ugh. From needless interference, inconsistent selling, and pointless overindulgence, this match was a total slog. Oh, and it went 30 minutes. If it wasn’t actively infuriating, it was horrifically boring.

A whiskey bottle ladder match is a ladder match with a bottle of whiskey hanging above the ring. The first person to climb a ladder and claim the bottle is allowed to use it. You win the match with a pinfall or submission. It’s basically a neutered coal miner’s glove match.

Once the match began, Kanemaru rushed Taichi before grabbing a ladder and attempting to grab the bottle. Of course, Taichi threw him off, but Kanemaru tried again seconds later. Once Kanemaru realized it wouldn’t be that easy, he removed the turnbuckle pad and whipped Taichi into the exposed corner and the ladder placed in the other.

Kanemaru tried driving Taichi into the corner with a ladder, but Taichi reversed; this, unfortunately, sent both men to the floor because ladders have two ends. Kanemaru then hit Taichi in the leg with the ladder, leaving him free to climb the ladder and retrieve the whiskey.

After taking a swig of the whiskey, Kanemaru spat a mouthful into Taichi’s face. Taichi got ahold of the bottle, but he was not allowed to use it due to the stipulation. Once the referee took the bottle from Taichi, Kanemaru poured it all over him and continued attacking the leg.

Eventually, Taichi landed an enziguri, giving him time to rip off his pants. The post-pants pause gave Kanemaru enough time to drop Taichi again. Kanemaru locked in the figure four and spat another mouthful of whiskey at Taichi, but Taichi survived by reaching the bottom rope.

A backfire from Kanemaru allowed Taichi to land a head kick, gaining a lead for the first time in a while. Taichi grabbed the whiskey bottle again, ignoring the referee’s warning. Even with all the theatre, Taichi decided not to use the bottle.

Taichi set up to win the match, only for the lights to go out. Once the lights came on, SHO, EVIL, and Dick Togo were in the ring. They took out the referee and beat down Taichi. Ren Narita and Yujiro Takahashi hit the ring with more whiskey, which they used to fill a bucket. After HoT tried to drown Taichi in the bottle of whiskey, the rest of J5G hit the ring to make the save. J5G ran off HoT, leaving Kanemaru and Taichi alone once more.

Even after the extended beatdown and surviving a murder attempt, Taichi was able to make it to his feet. He dropped Kanemaru with a lariat for a nearfall. Kanemaru responded with Touch Out, but Taichi kicked out. Kanemaru followed up with a moonsault onto a ladder; Taichi kicked out. Kanemaru, now desperate, climbed to the top of the ladder for Deep Impact, but Taichi interrupted him with a low blow on the descent.

After failing to close with three finisher attempts, Kanemaru needed help. Togo hit the ring to pass Kanemaru the bucket of whiskey, but Taichi interrupted him, violently spilling the whiskey into Kanemaru’s face. Taichi then hit a superkick and Black Mafisto to win the match.

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship: Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, & Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated United Empire (Great-O-Khan, HENARE & Jeff Cobb)

Okada and Cobb opened the match with collar-and-elbow work. Once both men proved to be on equal footing, Cobb taunted Okada with Bryan Danielson’s old “Yes!” chants. Cobb then tossed Okada across the ring and stretched him. Okada’s team hit the ring, saving him from Cobb’s advance.

The champions traded tags, slowly working over Cobb with the preferred offense. Cobb held on, tagging out to O-Khan, who managed to retake the lead. UE then began to work together to isolate Ishii. The eventual tag to Tanahashi gave the champions a second wind, but a throw put UE right back in the driver’s seat.

UE took their time picking apart each of their opponents. UE went uncontested for minutes at a time. Even after tags and momentary momentum shifts, UE managed to hold on to control.

In a full-fledged match breakdown, both teams began to swing for the fences. Ishii crushed HENARE with a powerbomb and a lariat. UE responded with a triple powerbomb that forced Okada to break up the pin.

A pair of miscommunications from both teams left Ishii and HENARE alone again. HENARE hit a knee in the corner and a slam for a neafall. Streets of Rage was interrupted, leading to another breakdown. Tanahashi hit Cobb with a sling blade as Okada hit HENARE with a tombstone. Ishii landed a lariat, but Henare was able to kick out.

HENARE and Ishii began to trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Ishii tried running at HENARE, but HENARE caught him with a spine buster for a near fall. A headbutt and a kick led to another Streets of Rage attempt, but Ishii answered with a headbutt of his own. After HENARE kicked out of a sliding lariat, Ishii hit him with his brainbuster to win the match and retain his team’s belts.

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome live results: Wrestle Kingdom go-home show

Posted on by Chick Fritts

NJPW holds their final event of the year today, Road to Tokyo Dome. 

The show is also the last event before January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom 17, so any last-minute angles or build will take place today as well. 

In the show’s main event, Suzuki-gun will have their final match as a stable before disbanding, with Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, El Desperado, and TAKA Michinoku facing off with Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and DOUKI in an intragroup battle. 

A change to the card has been announced, as Oskar Leube will miss his second consecutive event after coming down with a fever. Jado will substitute for Leube in the opener. 

The full card: 

  • Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, El Desperado & TAKA Michinoku vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI 
  • Kazuchika Okada, YOH & Master Wato vs. El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shota Umino & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI
  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI
  • Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi vs. EVIL & Dick Togo
  • Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, Tiger Mask & Ren Narita vs. Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, Aaron Henare & Francesco Akira
  • Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita
  • Jado & Yuto Nakashima vs. Yujiro Takahashi & SHO

Our live coverage begins at 4:30 a.m. Eastern time. 

**********

Yujiro Takahashi & SHO defeated Jado & Yuto Nakashima

Yujiro won this rather uneventful match for his team after hitting Nakashima with Pimp Juice.

Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita

This was a ton of fun and a very good match. Ishii managed to end the match with a Boston crab, only after surviving a handful of believable near falls from the young lion pair.

Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, Aaron Henare & Francesco Akira defeated Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, Tiger Mask & Ren Narita

After everyone got their stuff in, Akira pinned TMIV with a running knee to the back of the head. 

After the match, Narita and O-Khan had a brief staredown.

Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi defeated EVIL & Dick Togo

This was an HoT match, that’s for sure. After withstanding a match full of rule-breaking, Shingo hit Togo with a pumping bomber to score an LIJ victory.

Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima

They worked hard in this one, that’s for sure. After a bomb-heavy match, Goto and YH hit Tenzan with shoto to bring home the win ahead of their 1.4 title challenge.

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shota Umino & Ryusuke Taguchi

This was a match packed full of action, especially in the closing act. Shota had a fantastic showing.

Naito won the match for LIJ with a Destino to Taguchi. After winning, Naito had a brief staredown with Shota. BUSHI and Naito then dropped the referee with a dropkick.

Kazuchika Okada, YOH & Master Wato defeated El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo

This was a fairly standard affair — a lot of babyface isolation, leading to hot tags and shine segments.

YOH won the match for his team with a Direct Drive to Gedo.

After the match, Fransico Akira hit the ring and dropped YOH with a suplex.

Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI defeated Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, El Desperado & TAKA Michinoku

This was a fantastic sendoff for the best faction in New Japan. The match’s story mirrored the faction’s breakdown in more ways than one. An emotional, riveting, and beautiful affair—this was the best New Japan match in a long time.

The match came to an end as every faction mate attacked their leader, Minoru Suzuki. ZSJ delivered the final blow, a Zack driver, before pinning Suzuki to mark the faction’s end.

Once the match was over, there wasn’t a dry eye in the ring. In case this wasn’t emotional enough, everyone said a short, individual farewell. Takashi Iizuka fought his way through the crowd like a rabid animal to make his presence felt. In a closing demonstration of sorts, everyone hoisted the Suzuki-gun banner and shouted “Suzuki-gun Ichiban” one last time while being showered in confetti. The closing shot left Suzuki alone in the ring, where he folded the Suzuki-gun flag to his music.

Beautiful.

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome live results: Final build to Wrestle Kingdom

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Night one of NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome takes place today at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.

The build to January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom show is set to intensify today on the first of two consecutive nights at Korakuen. 

In the main event, Suzuki-gun will team on their next-to-last night as a stable, with Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, and DOUKI facing Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and YOH in a trios bout. 

Thursday’s full card: 

  • Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer & DOUKI vs. Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & YOH
  • Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Taiji Ishimori & Gedo vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi
  • Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi vs. Tomoaki Honma & Ren Narita
  • Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & SANADA vs. Togi Makabe, Satoshi Kojima & Shota Umino
  • Jeff Cobb vs. Oskar Leube
  • Great-O-Khan vs. Ryohei Oiwa
  • Aaron Henare vs. Yuto Nakashima
  • Francesco Akira vs. Kosei Fujita

Our live coverage begins at 4:30 a.m. Eastern time. 

**********

Francesco Akira defeated Kosei Fujita

This was a typical match for this type of pairing. After trying to gain substantial control for most of the match, Fujita led a handful of fiery sequences to no avail. Akira ended the match with Speedfire, his corkscrew cutter variation.

Aaron Henare defeated Yuto Nakashima

The story of this match was Nakashima stepping up to Henare and challenging his strength. After fighting through all of Nakashima’s attacks, Henare locked in his full nelson, dubbed Ultima, to close the match.

Great-O-Khan defeated Ryohei Oiwa

This was a wrestling match. The majority of this was built on grappling sequences that eventually led to a sprinkling of more impactful moves. O-Khan closed the wrestling-heavy affair with a choke.

Jeff Cobb defeated Tomoaki Honma

To my knowledge, this was the first singles match between the pair. This looked exactly like you would expect a match between these two — a bunch of power moves culminating in Tour of the Islands and a Jeff Cobb win.

KOPW Championship

A video package played announcing the KOPW 2022 championship trophy would be replaced with a belt in the coming year. The winner of the Jan 4 ranbo will be the first holder. Whoopee.

Sanada, Shingo Takagi, and Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) defeated Togi Makabe, Satoshi Kojima, and Shota Umino

This was a pretty by-the-numbers multi-man. Umino was definitely the match stand-out, making what would otherwise be totally forgettable slightly interesting. Shingo won the match for LIJ by hitting Makabe with Last of the Dragon.

Sanada, Shingo Takagi, and Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) defeated Togi Makabe, Satoshi Kojima, and Shota Umino

This was a pretty by-the-numbers multi-man. Umino was definitely the match stand-out, making what would otherwise be totally forgettable slightly interesting. Shingo won the match for LIJ by hitting Makabe with Last of the Dragon.

Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi defeated Ren Narita and Jado

Ren and ZSJ are an electric pairing. Everything they did, inside and out of the ring, left me wanting more. Of course, you couldn’t have the finish of the Jan 4 match here, so Taichi hit Jado with the Yokozuna elbow to win the match.

After the match, the Suzuki-gun pair shared a moment in the ring, as the end of the faction looms near.

El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo, Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi

This was a messy, uninteresting four-way tag that I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to see. Desperado won the match for his team with a Pinche Loco.

YOH cut the show-ending promo to wrap things up for the night.

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome results: LIJ vs. Suzuki-gun

Posted on by Chick Fritts

NJPW held their penultimate show of the year today in Korakuen Hall, the third of four consecutive nights in the building. 

Below is a report and today’s results. 

Report —

Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Yuto Nakashima & Ryohei Oiwa

This was a fun little opener. 

Early chain wrestling from Wato and Oiwa turned to striking as Nakashima and Taguchi entered the match. As the match developed, Taguchi and Wato worked to isolate Nakashima, resulting in a hot tag. Oiwa’s sequence of offense left the teams on equal footing before a double tag. After a prolonged struggle, Nakashima submitted to Wato’s Boston crab. 

TAKA Michinoku, Zack Sabre Jr, & Taichi (Suzuki-Gun) defeated Kosei Fujita, YOSHI-HASHI, & Hirooki Goto    

This match was an excellent tease for what is to come. Good stuff.

This match opened with a brawl that focused ZSJ and Taichi against YH and Goto. The four had an extended sequence, leaving all of them lying. As a result, TAKA and Fujita were the only viable wrestlers for some time after. 

Fujita was generally in control of TAKA but slipped into a crossface. ZSJ and Taichi hit the ring to guard the submission, leading to a Suzuki-Gun victory via tap out. 

Yuji Nagata & Toru Yano defeated Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (Suzuki-Gun) 

The Nagata/Suzuki stuff was good; the Yano/Kanemaru stuff was typical KOPW silliness. 

Suzuki-Gun jumped Yano and Nagata before the match. As the action entered the ring, Suzuki found significant ground control over Yano. Yano was forced to escape by tagging in Nagata. Suzuki and Nagata had an excellent, intensive sequence leading to a double tag.

With the two KOPW contenders in ring, things became a little silly. Yano immediately slammed Kanemaru into an exposed corner. Yano grabbed a bottle, only for Kanemaru to spit a mouth full of liquor into Yano’s eyes. Kanemaru then beat Yano over the head with the bottle, leading to a disqualification favoring the Yano/Nagata pairing. 

EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo, & SHO (House of Torture) defeated Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, & YOH

This match wasn’t great, but it certainly added to the Dome shows to come. 

This match opened with a brawl. Things took a while to settle down, as Wrestle Kingdom opponents singled one another out. Eventually, HoT gained control of the match, allowing them to single out Ishii.

Ishii finally tagged out to YOH, leading to a passionate exchange with SHO. Tenzan and Togo traded for a while before some Togo cheating incited another brawl. In the chaos, EVIL hit Tenzan with a 6-man belt, leaving Togo with a pin and HoT with a win.

After the match, the teams fought again, and HoT was defeated in the scuffle. This led to a dramatic locking of eyes between YOH and SHO. 

KENTA, Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, Taiji Ishimori, & El Phantasmo (Bullet Club) defeated Tiger Mask, Robbie Eagles, Tomoaki Honma, Kazuchika Okada, & Hiroshi Tanahashi 

This was busy, but that’s to be expected with a 10-man tag, especially one that features Bullet Club. The most compelling work came after the bell. 

The opening visual between the ten men sharing the ring was quite cool. In perhaps the biggest shock of the night, this match did not open with a brawl. Instead, the babyface squad gained control early, prompting the entire BC team to hit the ring to steal momentum. BC singled out Tanahashi, and this led to a brawl. 

Tanahashi and KENTA had a sequence with a kendo stick before the junior tag champions, Eagles and TM, traded moves with the soon-to-be challengers, Ishimori and ELP. BC took control of the ring, leading to another brawl. Owens and Honma shared the ring for an extended period, even during the brawls, eventually leading to the finish after Owens hit Honma with a package piledriver. 

After the match, KENTA beat Tanahashi with a chair; staff tried to keep the two teams apart, but this only aided KENTA in destroying Tanahashi. As things settled, Owens and KENTA shared some tense words, presumably about the US title. 

Shingo Takagi, SANADA, & Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) defeated Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, & Aaron Henare (United Empire) 

This match opened with a brawl. Cobb soon found himself alone in the ring, leaving SANADA and Shingo free to single out his leg; when Naito tried, Cobb sparked up, leading to another brawl. As things settled down, Naito found himself in a similar position to Cobb. UE took turns beating down Naito, and again, things picked up when Naito and Cobb shared the ring. 

SANADA and O-Khan traded moves for a while. O-Khan eventually took ground control, where he spanked his opponent; soon after, SANADA tagged Shingo into the match. 

Shingo and Henare reset the match flow before another brawl. Naito and Cobb both tried landing their finishers, with Naito eventually connecting with Destino. Cobb hit Henare with a pumping bomber and Made in Japan before pinning him. 

Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI (Los Ingobernables de Japon) vs. El Desperado & DOUKI (Suzuki-Gun) went to a time limit draw

This was very bloated, I guess in an attempt to fill out a main event caliber match or something to that effect. It fell flat.

Desperado and Hiromu opened the match with chain wrestling that turned to striking as things picked up. DOUKI tried tagging again, only for Hiromu and Desperado to fight outside the ring. Once the action in ring developed, BUSHI and Hiromu took turns choking DOUKI with his own hair. 

Things spilt to the outside again, where Suzuki-Gun gained control that continued in the ring. This eventually led to a Hiromu hot tag, where he took out both of his opponents. A triangle from Hiromu forced DOUKI into the ropes. 

BUSHI and DOUKI had an extended sequence that ended when the other pair hit the ring. By the end of this four-way exchange, all four were left lying. Then the Suzuki-Gun pairing locked the LIJ pairing into submissions, but both escaped. 

Another tag to Hiromu led to another exchange between him and Desperado. After lariat, Hiromu had a pin on Desperado, but it was broken up. This led to the pair trying for quick pins; then, the bell rang. The teams fought to a draw. 

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome results: Tanahashi & KENTA face off

Posted on by Chick Fritts

NJPW continued their year-end tour today with the second of four consecutive nights in Korakuen Hall. 

Report —

Jado, Chase Owens, and Bad Luck Fale (Bullet Club) defeated Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa, and Yuto Nakashima 

Was the referee’s lack of general awareness infuriating? Sure, but I can’t lie—I seldom dislike a young lion match, and this was no exception. Something about the absolute focus on the fundamentals speaks to me.  

Fujita opted to start the match and held his own against Owens in early chain wrestling. The success continued after Nakashima tagged into the match, landing heavy strikes on the Texas Heavyweight champion. Unfortunately for Nakashima, Jado involved himself, beating the young lion across the back with his cane. Fale continued the onslaught with a barrage of strikes while Owens and Jado piled their bodyweight on Nakashima.

Nakashima finally got the tag, allowing Oiwa to lock Owens in a Boston crab. The young lions then coordinated in clearing the ring of Bullet Club, scoring a near fall following a gut wrench suplex. A brawl ensued after the pin attempt. The chaos allowed Owens to land a C-trigger and package piledriver and secure the pin over Oiwa. 

DOUKI, Minoru Suzuki, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru (Suzuki-Gun) defeated Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and Toru Yano

This was far from great. 

This match opened with a brawl. Almost immediately, Yano and Kanemaru were alone in the ring allowing Yano to cold spray Kanemaru without consequence. Kanemaru returned the favor by pouring his liquor into Yano’s eyes shortly after. 

Eventually, the antics slowed down. Suzuki and Tenzan had a nice back and forth sequence before Kojima entered the fray. Kojima fought off DOUKI and Kanemaru before another brawl developed. From the fog, Suzuki and Kojima emerged, trading strikes. A cutter sent Suzuki to the outside, allowing Kojima to focus in on Kanemaru; before he could act, Kojima was spayed by a mouth full of liquor. Kanemaru kicked Yano below the belt and poured additional booze across the face of Kojima before pinning him. 

SHO, Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi, and EVIL (House of Torture) defeated YOH, Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe, and Tomohiro Ishii 

This was better than the HoT/CHAOS match from last night, but I’m still left hoping for a clean-cut SHO/YOH match come the 4th. 

This match opened with a brawl. SHO focused YOH and EVIL focused Ishii on the outside while Makabe and Honma struggled with Yujiro and Togo inside the ring. This structure didn’t last long, as House of Torture gained complete control. YOH was isolated in the ring, leaving him subject to the mercy of HoT; in other words, he was whipped into an exposed corner, choked with a shirt, and assaulted with a chair. After a prolonged struggle, YOH tagged out. 

Ishii, now legal, ran through his opponents with particular attention paid to EVIL. Ishii forced EVIL to the outside, where EVIL slammed Ishii into the barricade; this allowed HoT to retake control until Honma tagged in. Honma landed everything for some time before being thrown into an exposed corner. Yujiro distracted the referee, allowing SHO to hit Honma with a pipe. Yujiro landed pimp juice and pinned Honma to close the match. 

After the match, HoT beat down YOH and Ishii.

Master Wato, YOSHI-HASHI, and Hirooki Goto defeated Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr, and TAKA Michinoku (Suzuki-Gun)

This was fine, but nothing worth going out of your way to see. 

This match opened with a brawl. Eventually, Suzuki-Gun was able to isolate Wato. After being contorted for a while, Wato escaped, and YH stepped up to the plate. YH had a short rally before being worked on the mat himself. Goto tagged in and also fell to ZSJ grappling. TAKA and Taichi continued the beatdown forcing Wato to make the save. 

Goto, with help from YH, led the first significant offensive rally for his team. The pair cleared the ring, and Wato hit a dive to make sure it saved that way. Goto and Wato hit TAKA with Naraku and pinned him to bring this match to an end. 

Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb (United Empire) defeated BUSHI, SANADA, and Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) 

Cobb and Naito weren’t quite as electric in their interaction as compared to last night, but they still were the highlights of this match. 

This match opened with a brawl. Naito immediately engaged Cobb tonight, with particular attention paid to his leg. UE hit the ring to save Cobb while securing match control; this allowed Cobb to deal some damage to Naito before SANADA tagged in. 

SANADA and O-Khan had an exchange, generally favoring the latter. SANADA managed to turn things around, however, delivering a top rope dropkick before a double tag out. UE tried rushing down BUSHI but failed. In retort, LIJ triple-teamed Henare. 

Cobb caught Naito, slamming him into the corner to create separation. Now, UE singled out BUSHI. Henare landed Toa Bottom and pinned BUSHI to score a UE victory. 

Hiromu Takahashi and Shingo Takagi (Los Ingobernables de Japon) defeated Kazuchika Okada and Ryusuke Taguchi
This match wasn’t standout contents wise, but it wasn’t bad either. It existed to serve a purpose, and it did just that—build for the dome. 

Okada and Shingo opened the match with change wrestling. Much like last night, the pair were equals initially; after this was proved, they tagged out. 

Taguchi nearly got the better of Hiromu in their first interaction, causing him to retreat to the outside. Back in the ring, Hiromu teased Taguchi before dodging a hip attack to gain offensive footing. This played out again after Shingo re-entered the match. It wasn’t long before Taguchi was desperate for a tag. 

After taking out Shingo and Hiromu simultaneously with a hip attack, Taguchi was able to tag out. Okada gained the upper hand on Hiromu but failed in maintaining it. Hiromu left Okada prone for Shingo, but Shingo fell short in follow-up. Okada landed an air raid crash neckbreaker and facebuster before tagging Taguchi back in. 

Taguchi had a quite successful stint of offense against Shingo, all things considered, but could not close out the champion. Shingo landed a top rope elbow, prompting Okada to hit the ring. Hiromu followed in short order, helping Shingo clear the ring. Shingo then hit Taguchi with the last of the dragon and pinned him while staring down Okada — a powerful closing shot. 

Tiger Mask, Robbie Eagles, and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated El Phantasmo, Taji Ishimori, and KENTA (Bullet Club)

A lot of this was a bore. I’m not sure how much this match would be improved with an audible crowd, but the prolonged isolation segments were definitely hurt due to that absence. Regardless of the match contents, the final visual was powerful and ads to the upcoming US title match. 

KENTA started the match by bringing a chair into the ring; unsurprisingly, the referee took the chair immediately. KENTA then tagged out. Eagles and ELP then had a fairly typical exchange high in athleticism before TM tagged into the match. TM was immediately isolated and triple-teamed by Bullet Club. 

Following the hot tag to Eagles, the match began to fall into disarray. Eagles was pulled to the outside and beat down. Bullet Club then cornered Eagles, trading tags to keep control. Eventually, Tanahashi tagged in for a short offensive sequence. A scoop slam from KENTA ended the rally early. TM had a slightly longer rally, but a GTS ended TM’s offense and the match.

After the match, Bullet Club beat down TM before powerbombing Tanahashi onto a pile of chairs. KENTA then cut a promo over Tanahashi’s broken body to close the show. 

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome results: Okada & Eagles vs. LIJ

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Chase Owens and Bad Luck Fale defeated Yuji Nagata and Yuto Nakashima

This was fine enough for what it was, I suppose — about what one would expect from this match on paper. 

Nagata and Nakashima started the match by isolating Fale, Owens entered the fray, creating enough separation for Fale to get the upper hand on Nakashima. Fale and Chase then traded tags, slowly picking apart Nakashima far from his corner. Owens and Fale crushed Nakashima, forcing Nagata to save his desperate partner. Eventually, Nakashima escaped a corner splash, allowing Nagata to tag in finally. 

Nagata had a short rally but soon fell to Fale’s power; Nagata continued to slip after Owens tagged back into the match. Nakashima tagged back into the match after recovering on the apron. He gained a quick lead over Owens, locking in a Boston crab that Fale broke up. Fale’s distraction allowed Owens to land a lariat for a near fall and a C Trigger for the actual fall to bring this match to a close. 

DOUKI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Toru Yano and Kosei Fujita

This was not great. 

Kanemaru and DOUKI started the match by jumping their opponents. Kanemaru doused Yano with his alcohol before launching an innovative offensive sequence outside the ring. The match returned to the mat but soon devolved into an outside scrap once more. 

After the outside fighting, Kanemaru and DOUKI isolated Fujita. Eventually, Fujita scored the hot tag, prompting Yano to remove the turnbuckle pad; this immediately backfired as Yano flew back first into the turnbuckles, but this really didn’t matter. Kanemaru tried to hit Yano with his bottle, but Yano ducked. Yano teased hitting Kanemaru with his own bottle, but instead, the match went back outside the ring. Yano then fetched a bottle of alcohol of his own that he used to drench Kanemaru. Kanemaru lay on the outside for some time. Once he returned to the ring, he sprayed Yano with a mouth full of liquor. Both men then tagged out.

Fujita forced DOUKI into the ropes with a deep Boston crab. After surviving the hold, DOUKI immediately took advantage, scoring a near fall. Fujita was not done fighting, however; he tried for two quick roll-ups, both of which DOUKI escaped. DOUKI then caught Fujita with the Italian Stretch No.32, leading to the submission victory. 

Yujiro Takahashi, SHO, and EVIL defeated Ryohei Oiwa, YOH, and Tomohiro Ishii

I can’t imagine this match succeeded in any of its goals. If the EVIL vs Ishii, SHO vs YOH, or NEVER 6-Man matches look anything like this come the 4th, that would be a disappointment. 

House of Torture jumped their opponents as the match started. In the chaos, SHO and YOH were left alone in the ring. SHO tried working the fingers of YOH, but YOH fought through, delivering a dropkick before tagging out of the match; after the tag, the match fell into chaos again. 

After the dust settled, EVIL and Ishii were alone in the ring. The pair took turns throwing one another into an exposed corner. Oiwa tagged in, having moderate success before succumbing to the numbers. House of Torture isolated Oiwa, leaving him desperate for a tag. The tag never came. After an extended period of domination, Takahashi had a pin on Oiwa, but instead of taking it, he pulled Oiwa from the mat. EVIL then hit Oiwa with the singles NEVER belt, then Takahashi pinned Oiwa. 

Tiger Mask, YOSHI-HASHI, and Hirooki Goto defeated TAKA Michinoku, Zack Sabre Jr, and Taichi

Anything with Tiger Mask or YH will be fun, so this had its moments.

YH and ZSJ opened the match with a wonderful sequence that soon involved every other competitor. ZSJ and Tiger Mask were soon alone in the ring, and after some ZSJ targeting, Tiger Mask was in deep trouble. As Taichi entered the match, things only grew direr for Tiger Mask. 

A tiger driver allowed Goto to tag into the match and take momentum for his team; YH tagged back into the match, and Suzuki-Gun regained control. TAKA locked in a deep choke that forced YH into the ropes. Moments later, the match broke down into a 6-way brawl. YH and Goto hit TAKA with Shoto, leading to the pin. 

Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori, and Gedo 

For a match structured on Taguchi’s hindquarters, this was decent. 

ELP and Taguchi started the match by playing chicken; this evolved into a silly sequence that ended with Wato being slammed into Taguchi’s rear. The distraction this caused allowed Bullet Club to gain control by isolating Taguchi. After raking his back for minutes, ELP slapped Taguchi’s buttocks that Gedo and Taji exposed; Taguchi seemed ashamed. 

Taguchi, with his pants around his thighs, finally landed a hip attack before tagging Wato into the match. Wato had a short sequence before tagging in Tanahashi. Tanahashi, unfortunately, fell victim to a referee distraction and kick from ELP’s loaded boot. Before Bullet Club could put away Tanahashi, Taguchi hit the ring, his butt still out. After Taguchi landed a hip attack to clear the ring, Tanahashi locked in the cloverleaf and tapped out Gedo. 

Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb defeated BUSHI, SANADA, and Tetsuya Naito 

This match was a little bloated, but it was the first match of the night that actually made me more excited for a Tokyo Dome match; every Cobb/Naito interaction left me wanting more. 

Cobb wanted Naito from the opening bell, but Naito denied him; instead, O-Khan and SANADA opened the match. O-Khan was sure to show off his wrestling that earned him a technique award early in his exchange. SANADA, on the other hand, grabbed O-Khan’s braid, pulling him across the ring by his lone lock. 

SANADA tied O-Khan up in the paradise lock, causing The United Empire to hit the ring. O-Khan gained control over SANADA on the inside, and on the outside, Cobb flattened Naito. The United Empire then picked apart SANADA as Naito watched on. 

SANADA eventually tagged out, allowing Naito and Cobb to interact in the ring. Naito led the first sequence inside the ropes by targeting Cobb’s leg. Cobb was only slightly phased, however, as his power soon overwhelmed Naito. What followed was a fantastic back and forth exchange that left both men laid out. 

The match broke down, and everyone traded moves for some time. Eventually, O-Khan hit BUSHI with an Eliminator to close the match.

Hiromu Takahashi and Shingo Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada and Robbie Eagles

This is precisely what you would expect from a preview tag with these guys—tons of interaction without over-delivering before the Dome show. 

Okada and Shingo opened the match with some chain wrestling to establish equality between the two. Then Eagles and Hiromu tagged in, having a lightning-quick sequence that broke down into a brawl on the outside. Eagles emerged with advantage before Okada tagged back in and cemented his teams lead. Eagles and Okada then took turns keeping Hiromu from tagging out. 

Hiromu eventually got the hot tag, allowing for a significant Shingo offensive sequence. Though, Shingo’s offense was cut short as Okada caught him in the money clip, forcing a rope break and a momentum reversal. After an air-raid crash neckbreaker, Okada tried for the money clip once more, but Shingo escaped, landing a lariat to reset the match. 

The juniors tagged back in, and Eagles immediately tied up the legs of Hiromu. Hiromu barely escaped but managed to find the ropes. The pair then struggled for control, with Hiromu eventually driving Eagles into the turnbuckle pad. Eagles answered some light offense but was thrown back into the corner with even more intention. 

Shingo tagged in to keep Eagles from Okada. Okada saved Eagles from a pin following the pumping bomber, but he could not make the save following last of the dragon. Shingo pinned Eagles to close the match. 

Shingo closed the show with a promo.