Zack Sabre Jr. makes his first defense of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the Royal Quest main event.
After defeating Tetsuya Naito for the title last Monday at King of Pro-Wrestling, Sabre puts the gold on the line against SANADA in the main event of today’s Royal Quest IV at the Crystal Palace in London.
NJPW stalwarts Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii challenge TMDK’s Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls for the Strong Openweight Tag Team titles in the semi-main event.
Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi, and Titan battle Robbie Eagles, Ryohei Oiwa, and Mascara Dorada second from the top.
The remainder of today’s undercard:
- David Finlay vs. TAKA Michinoku
- Shota Umino vs. Callum Newman
- Yota Tsuji vs. Drilla Moloney
- Kosei Fujita vs. Michael Oku
- Mina Shirakawa & Kanji vs. Dani Luna & AZM
- Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X vs. Joe Lando & Danny Black
- Kickoff show: Yuto Nakashima & Oskar Leube vs. Brendan White & Danny Jones
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Kickoff:
Young Blood (Yuto Nakashima & Oskar Leube) defeated Greedy Souls (Brendan White & Danny Jones)
Leube and Jones locked horns upon the bell, and Nakashima and White did the same upon the first tag. Jones wrenched control of the match to Greedy Souls’s corner with a hold on Leube as White battered him after another tag. Leube powered out of it with a spirited offense, seeing a resounding slam on White to the mat give him a reprieve. Nakashima got a hot tag, capitalizing by inflicting further damage on White, which a Backbreaker ultimately countered. A team-up from Greedy Souls nearly won them the match but Nakashima kicked out as Leube tried to break it up.
Young Blood finally made a fiery comeback as Leube landed a booming Running Powerslam but failed to get the pin. Ensnaring White, Leube watched as Nakashima planted a Brainbuster on Jones to even the playing field. Leube held White in a Fireman’s Carry as Nakashima flew with a knee to the head. Leube followed it up milliseconds later with a toss across the ring, giving Young Blood the victory with a 3-count.
There’s promise with Young Blood and while Greedy Souls have great chemistry as a tag team, this pre-show match only provided a bit of excitement when Nakashima and Leube made their comeback.
Main card
Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X defeated CPF (Joe Lando & Danny Black)
Before the match started, Ishimori revealed his mystery partner for today was Britain’s own Robbie X, who would then be declared a member of Bullet Club. They teamed up on Lando as soon as the bell rang. Ishimori continued bullying Lando, with X keeping Black out of the action. Black later made the save, turning the tide with a Tiger Drive Suplex, but Ishimori kept this hope diminished, leading X to gain some momentum. CPF then combined their efforts to make a comeback (with Black landing a sliding cutter to Ishimori on the outside), thwarted yet again by a Spinning Moonsault by X to earn the Bullet Club a win. They celebrated with a “Too Sweet” gesture and left with their heads held high.
Now this is what I’m talking about. The surprise of Robbie X joining Bullet Club and CPF putting on an excellent performance (seriously, that sliding cutter by Black was awesome). This match is a nice primer to excite fans for the rest of Royal Quest IV’s main card.
AZM & Dani Luna defeated Mina Shirakawa & Kanji
AZM and Kanji locked up, leading to a thrilling chase between the two for the upper hand but were evenly matched. Kanji tricked AZM into a handshake, only to kick her, leading for Luna to make the tag. The Brits grappled for a bit, leading their Japanese partners to intervene. Shirakawa made her tag, facing off against AZM. Luna fired back in with a clothesline to Shirakawa and kicked out of an attempted leg hold. After some more back-and-forth, Shirakawa finally landed a Figure-Four Leglock on Luna, but it was broken up by AZM and Kanji toppling onto them.
A Spinning Backfist by Shirakawa sent AZM out of the ring, providing Shirakawa just enough space for another Figure-Four Leglock. AZM broke it up from the top rope, but Kanji incapacitated her with a plancha back to the outside. Luna survived a Spinning Backkick and won the match with a Fireman’s Carry-to-Powerbomb for the 3-count.
The Stardom level of talent on display is always special, but Luna and Kanji are incredible in their own right. I found myself rooting for Dani Luna the whole way through.
– Grizzled Young Veterans promo challenging the winner of tonight’s Strong Openweight Championship match at Fighting Spirit Unleashed
Kosei Fujita defeated Michael Oku (with Amira)
Grappling across the mat, Fujita and Oku felt each other out. Oku at last got an early advantage with a dropkick sending Fujita off the ring apron to the barricade. The TMDK member eventually got a chance to gain control following a couple of chops to Oku’s chest, which he continued to feel even after a Missle Dropkick from the top rope made its mark.
Following Fujita driving the match with a defiant fire, Oku endured a dropkick but failed to land one of his own. Fujita’s luck and strategy seemed threatened once Oku locked in his signature Half-Crab, but he managed to escape. Oku tried for an Inside Cradle but instead had to rely on successive kicks. Victory seemed within grasp for Oku, but Fujita won the match through a surprise roll-up.
Oku and Fujita worked so well together, like butter on toast. Fujita selling his shoulder and Oku’s battered chest played decently into the match. TMDK is having a banner year, and Fujita is benefitting greatly. Oku is incredible, and I’m glad I’ve been on this ride since 2023’s Royal Quest.
Yota Tsuji defeated Drilla Moloney
After a few minutes featuring grappling and tests of strength, Tsuji secured a headlock on Moloney and withstood a tackle twice, tripping him a second time. Following a Dropkick with a Basement Dropkick, Moloney sent Tsuji outside. Increasing the hurt on Tsuji, Moloney arrogantly gestured inappropriately to a disapproving audience before weakening his opponent more. It didn’t matter if Tsuji found the fire to fight back, Moloney was the fresher man—at least, until Tsuji’s adrenaline took over, granting a Backbreaker.
Fully in control, the grinning, distracted Tsuji was toppled by Moloney’s superkick but kicked out of a pin. Moloney drove Tsuji down with a Tilt-a-Whirl Brainbuster, yet couldn’t gain a pinfall. Thanks to his own overconfidence, Moloney ultimately suffered a loss as Tsuji’s next Gene Blaster attempt was his last. Tsuji won via pinfall.
Not as exciting as it could have been, but it told the story as needed; Moloney was a victim of his own hubris, costing him a win and Tsuji is bold enough to take advantage of it. I also adored the audience singing for Tsuji, parodying The Human League’s 1981 hit, “Don’t You Want Me” and his grin made it all the more heartwarming.
Shota Umino defeated Callum Newman
Unleashing an elbow after a fast-paced spot of athleticism, Umino taunted Newman with Mercedes Mone’s dance, only to fall victim to Newman’s dropkick. The United Empire member maintained his callous offense, but karma repaid him with Umino’s own dropkick. Umino gained a 2-count kickout from Newman following a Fisherman’s Suplex.
Testing their mettle, Newman’s kicks were cracking Umino, whose wicked elbow strikes staggered his opponent greatly. After much back and forth, Newman dropped Umino with a thunderous Powerbomb, yet the Roughneck refused to yield. The same was to be said for Umino who opted for an Oscutter and later an Ignition. Victory stopped speeding away for Umino once he summoned mentor Jon Moxley’s Death Rider for the win.
I didn’t expect Umino to be drowned in boos after his victory (though some fans high-five’d him on the way out. I just hope both he and Newman find themselves soon. They’re sensational performers, but once they find their singular identities, they’ll be set. Once they gain their missing pieces, they’ll be golden. Solid match.
David Finlay (with Gedo) defeated Taka Michinoku
Bemoaning the British for their troubled history with Ireland on the microphone, Finlay turned his ire to Michinoku and let Gedo do the heavy lifting and deliver the pain. With Michonoku distracted, Finlay took to the ring, officially starting the match. Hoping for the early damage to give him an easy win, Finlay instead found an angry Michinoku to be too much to handle. Yet, Michinoku suffered enough injury from Gedo that Finlay patiently capitalized via an Overkill for the pinfall.
Quite frankly, I don’t think this match needed to be on the card. Finlay’s belt wasn’t on the line, there was no story advanced other than Finlay being mean and gaining heat. It wasn’t outright horrible, but it served no purpose.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi, & Titan) defeated TMDK (Ryohei Oiwa & Robbie Eagles) and Mascara Dorada
Starting with Naito’s usual shenanigans, Oiwa joined him in the early goings, withstanding his veteran offense, so much so that an excitable Takahashi tagged in only to be disappointed that Eagles tagged himself in. Taunting Eagles for refusing to take off his shirt, he eluded his agility, but only for so long. Titan, after dispatching Dorada on the outside, put Eagles in his paces, punctuated by a dropkick.
Dorada, finally tagged in officially, countered Titan’s Headscissors with one of his own and followed it up with a tope. Akin to vultures, TMDK picked at Titan with Dorada capitalizing it with a Crucifix Brainbuster. All three members of LIJ entered the ring to quell the alliance of TMDK and Dorada, but Dorada lost the match for his time with Titan gaining the pinfall after a double stomp from the top rope.
Good spot for people like Oiwa, to find their way after an excursion. That said, Eagles, Titan, and Dorada were the standouts. The Eagles T-shirt bit lasted longer than I’d have liked, but otherwise, this was a fun match. Also, it’s nice to see Naito bounce back with a victory after losing the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in Destruction.
TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) (c) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii for the Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship
Tanahashi got an early advantage on Haste, and Ishii followed it up through sheer resilience, but the challengers’ strategy surceased when Nicholls, now the legal man, tripped Ishii. Punting the Stone Pitbull in the back, each successive strike only served to fuel the rampage welling within Ishii’s burning soul. Spent, he tagged Tanahashi in, and The Ace fired away with a Slingblade and a Moonsault.
Nicholls began to start a hearty offense to Tanahashi, but a Boston Crab cracked those foundations. Ishii locked in his own Boston Crab, but TMDK did not in fact kneel. The hopeful Ace tried a High-Fly Flow, but the mat-based Nicholls had the higher ground, using his knees to block it. Tanahashi and Ishii combined forces for a High-Fly Flow and Tiger Driver combination on Haste. The latter followed this with a Sliding Lariat, but Nicholls broke up the subsequent pin. Frustrated, Ishii threw all his might into a lariat onto Haste, who survived. The ever-rebellious and defiant Ishii at last fell to a Tankbuster with Haste making the pin, retaining TMDK’s gold.
Tanahashi’s starting this retirement tour with high quality, it seems. Of course, this match benefitted from Ishii’s involvement, as he’s the perfect human being, let alone a perfect wrestler. My attention was firmly locked on this bout. TMDK is one of NJPW’s best tag teams right now.
Main Event
Zack Sabre Jr (c) defeated SANADA for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
It was Sabre’s house certainly, with Sanada struggling to gain an upper hand on the champion. Heading for a few Paradise Locks, Sanada had a hard time tying Sabre into the pretzel-like move and on the second try, Sabre swung for an Inside Cradle, resulting in both men rolling around on the mat. Twisting and bending Sanada’s fingers, Sabre stomped on his opponent. Dancing around his arm, Sabre’s next hold failed enaction due to the challenger’s basement dropkick on his knees.
Opting to contort the champion through the barricades, Sanada softened him. Dragging Sabre to the ring and positioning his foot on the bottom rope, he put his weight on the ankle and applied various holds to weaken the leg. Undeterred, Sabre bated his breath to drop Sanada with a DDT. After a vicious armbar, Sanada dropkicked Sabre’s knee and followed it up with a plancha. However, he spent too much time riling up an enraged English crowd that the champion recovered and began a rocky comeback. Sanada halted this, applying a hold on Sabre that dramatically drained him, his face gasping bluely on the black mat. A rope break saved him.
Trading uppercuts and elbows, Sabre surprised Sanada and the arena with a quick Zack Driver that proved unsuccessful. A pair of Dragon Screw Legwhips hinted at a weakened champion, but the champion still had more fuel to burn. Trapping Sanada in a Clarky Cat, the challenger had no option but to submit. Sabre retained the title.
– Post-match – TMDK celebrated with their leader and champion, as Sabre gave a heartfelt and charming speech to those attending in the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.
The match was intense, with both Sabre and Sanada doing their best to make the match seem like a believable ordeal. Still, it was clear that Sabre was going to remain champion after the match. Sanada ate up all the heat wonderfully and Sabre proved a charismatic hometown hero.
Aside from Finlay vs Michinoku and the kick-off match, Royal Quest IV was an exciting card. Robbie X joining Bullet Club made for a nice surprise and Michael Oku put on an amazing effort against Kozei Fujita. Though predictable, Zack Sabre Jr.’s title defense made for a compelling performance due to the crowd’s love of him.
