Three of the five championships on the line changed hands on night one of NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo.
In the show’s main event, Nic Nemeth (the former Dolph Ziggler) defeated David Finlay in his NJPW debut match to win the IWGP Global Championship.
Nemeth used The Danger Zone (the renamed Zig Zag) to score a pinfall victory over Finlay in his first NJPW outing, ending Finlay’s title reign with his first defense.
In the show’s semi-main, Matt Riddle pinned Hiroshi Tanahashi after hitting a Bro Derek to win the NJPW World TV Championship.
The match was Riddle’s first NJPW match on Japanese soil after joining the company earlier this year. He did wrestle a tag at Battle in the Valley in San Jose last month, and also worked two matches on joint RevPro/NJPW shows in London in 2017.
Tanahashi successfully defended the NJPW World TV title once in his 50-day reign at New Year Dash against Ryusuke Taguchi.
A new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion was also crowned on Friday, as SHO defeated El Desperado to win the title in a countout finish. Desperado also managed one successful title defense in his 50-day reign.
SHO’s Bullet Club House of Torture stablemate EVIL retained the NEVER Openweight Championship on Friday with a victory over Shota Umino to extend his title reign.
In the night’s other title bout, Mayu Iwatani retained the IWGP Women’s Championship with a win over Mina Shirakawa.
Night two of The New Beginning in Sapporo starts Friday night at 11:30 p.m. Eastern time. The show will feature Kazuchika Okada’s NJPW farewell match, a Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura hair vs. hair battle, as well as Tetsuya Naito defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against SANADA in the main event.
Two titles are on the line today at Korakuen Hall on night two of the NJPW Road to Destruction tour.
Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tomohiro Ishii will try for their second defense of the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship as they defend against Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe, and Tiger Mask.
The second title bout is newly added to the lineup, as Zack Sabre Jr. will defend the NJPW World TV Championship for a second consecutive night. After last night’s bout was changed from Sabre vs. Boltin Oleg to Sabre vs. Ryohei Oiwa due to an injury to Oleg, Sabre challenged Satoshi Kojima for today’s event.
The show’s main event is an elimination match between Los Ingobernables De Japon and United Empire.
The card:
Elimination match: Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) vs. United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, HENARE & Callum Newman)
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii defend vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe & Tiger Mask
NJPW World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. defends vs. Satoshi Kojima
Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs Bad Dude Tito, Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls
Tomoaki Honma, Shota Umino, Master Wato & Yuji Nagata vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Ren Narita & Yuto Nakashima
YOH & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku
Our live coverage begins at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.
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YOH & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku
This was a by-the-book opening tag, nothing worth seeking out. After a few back-and-forths, YOH and Taguchi hit TAKA with a tandem double-knee facebreaker.
This match was all about individual rivals; Suzuki and Nagata spent as much time as possible brawling, Ren and Shota took shots at each other as soon as there was an opportunity, Wato and Desperado were the in-ring focus, and Honma bullied Nakashima because he didn’t have anything better to do.
In the end, young lion Nakashima ate the Shota’s death rider, leaving Shota with a win. Even after the closing bell, the fighting continued, setting up the best-of-seven series starting tomorrow.
Due to Boltin Oleg’s wrist infection, he and ZSJ were pulled from this match.
TMDK worked a standard heel match here before Yano involved himself. After the Yano silliness, Tito and Goto traded momentum. Ultimately, Goto would win out, hitting Tito with Shoto to secure victory.
This opened with a brawl initiated by Just 5 Guys, not allowing H.o.T. to strike. While entering the ring, Kanemaru blew out his knee. After carting off Kanemaru, H.O.T. continued the attack, forcing DOUKI to make the save. The match would then restart with DOUKI taking Kanemaru’s place.
This match, even with its unfortunate start, was fun for a H.o.T affair.
DOUKI matched the early energy set by J5G and then some. DOUKI scored a nearfall on EVIL with a DOUKI-chokie, but his follow-up was stopped by a Dick Togo chair shot. EVIL then landed Everything is Evil to win the match.
NJPW World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) defeated Satoshi Kojima
This fill-in match, unsurprisingly, was terrific.
Both men worked a fantastically focused match here, with Kojima’s offense being immediately impactful and ZSJ’s being as slick as ever. The back-and-forth sequence in the last stretch of the match was phenomenal, with Kojima nailing ZSJ with everything in his tank before being caught in a ZSJ triangle. ZSJ won with the hold to retain his belt.
Was this a crisp masterpiece? No. Was it a sloppy hoot that’s totally worth seeking out? Absolutely.
2023 has been the year of hateful Okada, and this match was no exception. Okada’s confidence actually allowed the veteran squad in the door after TM IV landed a massive arm drag from the top rope. A veteran-led exchange followed. Tenzan, whose ability was a focal point throughout this match, allowed the veterans’ control to slip, eventually leading to an extended offensive sequence at his expense.
A late veteran rally helped Tenzan regain footing. With Ishii alone in the ring, TM landed a Tiger Driver, Makabe a King Kong Knee, and Tenzan a headbutt. This scored Tenzan a nearfall. Tenzan then climbed to the top rope, but Okada pulled him down and landed a German suplex to a chorus of boos, re-asserting control for the champions. In the end, Ishii dropped Tenzan with a brainbuster to win the match and retain the belts.
Callum Newman, HENARE, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, Will Ospreay defeated BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takahi, & Tetsuya Naito
This was an elimination match, with eliminations occurring by pin, submission, or over-the-top rope falls.
This match was filled to the brim with action, with a bunch of neat moments spread throughout. It filled the main event role exceptionally well. A great match.
The early portion of this match was focused around Ospreay. After interacting with all of the other LIJ members in the match, Ospreay dropped Hiromu with a boot, signaling for the rest of UE to clear the ring. From here on, UE worked to isolate Hiromu, gaining a significant advantage.
Eventually, Naito tagged in, leading to a showcase for the Naito/Cobb match to come. After that interaction ended, an influx of wrestlers tagged in and out, leading to multiple shifts in momentum.
Shingo scored the first elimination in this match by dropping Newman with a pumping bomber. The next eliminations followed soon after, as O-Khan eliminated Shingo and himself with an eliminator to the apron, which sent both men to the floor. BUSHI was next to score an elimination by throwing HENARE over the top. The fun for BUSHI ended once Ospreay entered the ropes, as a quick hidden blade resulted in a pin.
Ospreay and Tsuji came to blows for an extended period. The pair soon found themselves on the apron, where Tsuji scored an elimination with a curb stomp. This curb stomp also eliminated Tsuji in what was nothing short of a great sequence.
With the rest of his team eliminated, Cobb was left alone with Naito and Hiromu. Cobb was quick to even the score by catching Hiromu and powerbombing him to the floor. Cobb then went to war with Naito, eventually fighting onto the apron. On the edge of the ring, the pair went back and forth before a sudden dropkick sent Naito crashing to the ground. Cobb has won the match for his team heading into Destruction.
NJPW’s Road to Destruction tour kicks off today with an NJPW World TV Championship match.
In the show’s co-main event, Zack Sabre Jr. will defend the NJPW World TV title against Boltin Oleg. As with all TV title bouts, the match will have a 15 minute time limit.
In the other half of the main event, SANADA & Taichi of Just Five Guys will team against EVIL & SHO of Bullet Club’s House of Torture.
The full card:
SANADA & Taichi vs. EVIL & SHO
NJPW World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Boltin Oleg
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, HENARE & Callum Newman
Taguchi paid tribute to Funk by attempting a spinning toe hold, but Kanemaru reversed into a pin. Taguchi kicked out, but followed up with another cross-leg pin to snag the win.
Minoru Suzuki, Ren Narita, El Desperado, Tomoaki Honma defeated Shota Umino, Master Wato, Oskar Leube, & Yugi Nagata
This fantastic tag excited me for the rest of the tour. Nagata and Suzuki together will never get old, and Ren and Umino are one of my favorite pairings in the company.
After an intense staredown before the opening bell, Nagata and Suzuki traded blows; even after tagging out, the pair continued to brawl. Ren and Umnio also engaged in passionate attacks when the opportunity was presented.
Leube locking in a Boston crab initiated both teams hitting the ring, clearing the stage for the finish. After missing a leg drop, Leube ate a suplex from Ren before submitting to the cobra twist.
There was quite a bit of unimpactful action, with a couple of Yano segments intermixed. The match finished when Haste and Nicholls hit Yano with an assisted fireman’s carry into a double suplex.
This match, given its lineup, over-delivered. The veteran quartet played their role exceptionally well, while the dream team (plus Nakashima) were great as always. It’s not a great match, but a fun one.
It opened with a brawl, leaving Tenzan and Ishii alone to trade strikes. Okada and Kojima also exchanged licks in the ring before giving Nakashima a chance to shine. There were some sloppy exchanges, especially after the late match breakdown, but everyone, even TM IV, looked good in this match at some point.
The match ended as the late brawl failed to resolve, even with the referee’s interference, resulting in a no-contest. The fight continued after the ruling, with Tenzan and Ishii as the main focal points.
This was a by-the-book early tour showcase tag, but Newman was given the opportunity to shine.
It didn’t take long for the match to spill outside of the ring, with the teams fighting in the crowd. Back in the ropes, newcomer Newman showed off his speed against Hiromu. The match eventually broke down again, with both teams hitting the ring until only Newman and Tsuji were left alone. Tsuji caught Newman with one of the prettiest spears I’ve ever seen to win the match.
NJPW World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) defeated Ryohei Oiwa
Oleg Boltin was pulled from this match due to an infection. Oiwa, with Kaito Kiyomiya in his corner, was his replacement.
Oiwa opened the match by whipping ZSJ into the barricades, gaining an early lead. ZSJ gained advantage by securing the arm and whipping it into the barricade himself. From here on, ZSJ maintained this game plan, focusing the arm. After minutes of ZSJ control, Oiwa attempted a rally, only for ZSJ to catch his arm and force a submission.
After the match, Kaito and ZSJ had a brief staredown.
This win leaves ZSJ as the winningest champion in modern history, with 13 defences.
EVIL & SHO defeated SANADA & Taichi
This was an awful main event.
EVIL and SHO came to the ring with the IWGP World and KOPW belts, which they stole from Taichi and SANADA. EVIL also has new merch celebrating his reign as the 8th IWGP World champion, ignoring the statement’s falsehood.
The match opened with SHO fleeing to the floor. On the outside, Taichi whipped SHO into the barricade before returning to the ring. From here, the typical H.o.T.isms filled the match. Padless turnbuckles, eye rakes, and environmental offense were the focus.
With a downed referee, EVIL dropped Taichi with a low blow. SHO followed up with a wrench shot. EVIL then hit SANADA with the IWGP belt and Everything is Evil to win the match.
After the match, the attack continued. DOUKI and Kanemaru made the save. EVIL and SHO left with their stolen belts.
Two title matches have been announced for this week’s Ring of Honor show on HonorClub.
Zack Sabre Jr. will look to defend his NJPW World TV Championship against Metalik on the show.
This will be just the second time the two have wrestled each other. Their first match saw Metalik defeat ZSJ in the semifinals of WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic in 2016.
The ROH Six Man Tag Team Championships will also be on the line this week. The Mogul Embassy’s Brian Cage, Tiona Liona, and Bishop Kaun will defend against Lee Johnson, Darius Martin, and Action Andretti.
Other matches scheduled for the show include The Outrunners vs. Angelico & Serpentico, Marina Shafir vs. Angelica Risk, and Josh Woods vs. John Walters. Emi Sakura, Cole Karter, The Workhorsemen, and Lee Moriarty have also been announced for the show.
This week’s episode was filmed on Saturday, August 19 from the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
ROH TV on HonorClub August 31, 2023 lineup:
NJPW World TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Metalik
ROH World Six Man Tag Team Champions The Embassy (Brian Cage, Toa Liona, & Bishop Kaun) w/Prince Nana vs. Lee Johnson, Darius Martin, & Action Andretti
Angelico & Serpentico vs. The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd)
Josh Woods vs. John Walters
Marina Shafir vs. Angelica Risk
The Workhorsemen (JD Drake & Anthony Henry)& Lee Moriarty in action
A pair of title bouts have been announced for the Thursday, August 31 edition of Ring of Honor TV.
As announced during this week’s episode, The Mogul Embassy’s Brian Cage & Gates of Agony (Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun) will defend the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship on next week’s show against the trio of Darius Martin, Lee Johnson & Action Andretti. The bout was announced during a backstage promo on this week’s show.
Also set for next week, Zack Sabre Jr. will defend the NJPW World TV Championship against Metalik. Sabre defended the NJPW World TV title on this week’s show against Christopher Daniels in the episode’s main event.
Metalik is coming off a victory over Tony Nese on last week’s Ring of Honor TV.
The announced lineup for the August 31 episode of Ring of Honor TV:
Ring of Honor World Six-Man Tag Team Championship: The Mogul Embassy (Brian Cage, Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun) defend against Darius Martin, Lee Johnson & Action Andretti
NJPW World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Metalik
