NJPW has booked a slate of title matches for the promotion’s next tour.
Following the G1 Climax, NJPW is set to embark on its Destruction tour next month. It will culminate with Destruction in Kobe being held on Sunday, September 29. The first two matches have now been announced for the show:
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito defends against Great-O-Khan
IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion David Finlay defends against YOSHI-HASHI
Great-O-Khan was positioned for this title shot by defeating Naito during the G1 Climax. On the undercard for the G1 Finals, YOSHI-HASHI pinned Finlay in a six-man tag match, setting himself up as Finlay’s next challenger.
This is Naito’s first title defense since regaining the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship from Jon Moxley at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door. The winner of Naito vs. Great-O-Khan will defend the belt against G1 winner Zack Sabre Jr. at NJPW King of Pro Wrestling this October.
Finlay is a two-time IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion during the title’s brief existence. He made a successful defense against SANADA this June.
In addition to these two matches, NJPW also has several title bouts set to take place on the Road to Destruction tour:
Sunday, September 8: NJPW World Television Champion Jeff Cobb defends against Yota Tsuji
Monday, September 9: NEVER Openweight Champion HENARE defends against Hiromu Takahashi
Wednesday, September 11: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI defends against Taiji Ishimori
Saturday, September 14: NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano & Oleg Boltin defend against EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo
NJPW announced that Rush will miss events in Iwate and Aomori on October 4 and 5. He will be replaced by Ryusuke Taguchi for those dates. NJPW posted the following statement on their website:
Thank you for supporting New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Due to illness, Lio Rush will be absent from live events this week in Iwate and Aomori. Rush will be replaced by Ryusuke Taguchi October 4 and 5.
We apologise to fans who were looking forward to seeing Lio wrestle and appreciate your understanding.
NJPW joins fans in wishing Lio a full and fast recovery.
On Twitter, Lio Rush shared he was suffering from a 105 degree temperature.
Rush is set to take part in a three-way match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title on October 9, challenging Hiromu Takahashi in a match that will also feature Speedball Mike Bailey.
NJPW continued their Road to Destruction tour today with their third consecutive night in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.
The show featured the continuation of the round-robin Young Lion Cup tournament, along with a collection of tag matches previewing the key bouts on the Destruction shows later in the tour.
Here are full results and match recaps:
YOUNG LION CUP MATCH: ALEX COUGHLIN DEFEATED MICHAEL RICHARDS
Coughlin scored early with some chops and stomps in the corner. He used a side headlock takeover. Richards used a headscissors to escape the hold. Coughlin bridged out of the headscissors and tried for a crab, but Richards forced a quick break.
Richards hit a lariat. Coughlin came back with a crab. Richards again forced a rope break. Coughlin used a bridging Indian deathlock, and Richards tapped out. This was the least spectacular of the Young Lion Cup matches so far. It was technically sound, but not very exciting.
YOUNG LION CUP MATCH: KARL FREDERICKS DEFEATED CLARK CONNORS
Fredericks missed with a dropkick, giving Connors an opening to try for a full crab. Fredericks fought it off. Connors hit some chops in the corner. Fredericks came back with uppercut forearms.
Connors went to work on the taped right arm of Fredericks. Fredericks hit a dropkick. Fredericks tried a body slam twice, but Connors fought it off. Connors hit a jawbreaker, but Fredericks came back with a shotgun dropkick, then a splash in the corner.
Connors hit a spear out of the corner. They exchanged chops and uppercuts. Fredericks hit a spinebuster, then used a single-leg crab. Connors tapped out.
Kojima and Tenzan traded Mongolian chops. Umino and Narita tagged in and had a striking battle. Narita did not go down after two shoulder tackle attempts, then scored a knockdown on Umino on his first shoulder tackle.
Umino hit a back elbow and a dropkick. Uemura and Tsuji tagged in. Tsuji hit a chop, and Uemura responded with a double-leg takedown. Tsuji worked a side headlock. Uemura hit a shoulder tackle and a back elbow, and his team began working over Tsuji.
Tenzan hit Tsuji with headbutts, then choked him on the mat. Umino hit a shoulder tackle, then a series of elbow strikes. Tsuji hit a body slam, then tagged Kojima. Kojima hit Umino with a DDT, then hit machine gun chops in the corner.
Kojima hit a top rope elbow for a nearfall. Umino came back with a dropkick off the middle rope, then tagged Tenzan. Tenzan hit Kojima with chops, then hit a brainbuster for a two count.
Kojima and Tenzan traded strikes. Kojima hit a Koji Cutter, into a double down. Narita and Uemura tagged in. Uemura used a slam for a one count. Uemura tried for a double underhook suplex, but Narita blocked it, then hit a backdrop.
Umino jumped in and hit Narita with a dropkick. Narita hit a belly-to-belly on Umino. The match broke down, and four guys brawled to the floor, leaving Narita and Uemura the legal men. Narita hit an overhead belly-to-belly into a bridge and got the pin.
They started off with a wild brawl, with everyone jumping in. Honma hit Yujiro with a kokeshi, but missed one on Tonga. YH hit a dropkick through the ropes to Jado. Loa jumped YH on the floor, and everyone brawled around ringside.
Back inside, Bullet Club worked YH over. Yujiro hit him with a leg drop for a nearfall, then hit some forearm strikes from the mount. Loa hit a powerslam for a nearfall. Tonga teased a brainbuster, but YH escaped, then made a tag to Ishii.
Ishii ran wild, hitting shoulder tackles, a dropkick, and a powerslam. Tonga and Loa cut him off. Tonga hit a neckbreaker for a nearfall. Tonga blocked a lariat, then hit a Tongan Twist. Loa tagged in and covered Ishii for a two count.
Loa tried for a suplex on Ishii, but Ishii reversed it into a brainbuster. Ishii tagged Honma. Honma hit Loa with strikes, a bulldog, a kokeshi, then a pair of lariats. Loa cut him off with a boot to the gut.
Jado hit Honma with a kendo stick, then Loa hit Apesh*t for the pin. This was a weak match except when Ishii was in.
EL PHANTASMO, TAIJI ISHIMORI & BAD LUCK FALE DEFEATED WILL OSPREAY, ROBBIE EAGLES & TOA HENARE
Eagles and Ishimori kicked things off. Eagles went for the Miller Special immediately, but Ishimori reached the ropes. Eagles hit a hurricanrana, then a wheel kick. Ospreay and Eagles used a series of quick tags, working over Ishimori’s left arm. Eagles hit a double stomp off the top rope while Ospreay held the arm.
Henare tagged in. He hit a shoulder tackle for a two count. He tried for a suplex, but Ishimori slipped out and raked Henare’s eyes. Bullet Club worked Henare over. Each member tried a back rake off the top rope. ELP and Ishimori hit theirs, but Henare crotched Fale on his attempt.
Henare managed a tag to Ospreay. Ospreay and Eagles hit some tandem offense, including stereo kicks in the corner. Ospreay hit a standing shooting star press for a nearfall. They teased a double Spanish Fly, but ELP blocked it.
ELP tried to powerbomb Ospreay off the top rope, but Ospreay landed on his feet. Ospreay tried a wall flip, but ELP hit him with an airplane spin neckbreaker.
Henare and Fale got tags. Henare teased a Samoan drop on Fale, but Ishimori made the save. Ishimori hit double knees in the corner. Fale hit a splash in the corner, then hit a splash on the mat. He made a cover, but Ospreay and Eagles saved.
Ospreay and Eagles teased stereo planchas, but Ishimori and ELP avoided them. With those four out on the floor, Henare and Fale were left the legal men.
Henare managed a shoulder tackle for a nearfall. He ran to the corner, but ELP grabbed his ankle from the floor. Fale hit a splash in the corner, then hit The Grenade to get the win.
ELP and Ishimori taunted Eagles and Ospreay after the match. Ospreay and Eagles teased getting back into the ring to attack, but Fale stood in their way as a bodyguard for ELP and Ishimori.
Shingo and Goto started off exchanging hard chops. BUSHI tried to jump in for a double team, but Goto hit him with a Saito suplex. Everyone brawled on the outside. Okada teased hitting a tombstone on SANADA on the floor, but SANADA escaped. Okada sent him into the barricade.
BUSHI and Romero ended up the legal men. They traded chops. Romero got the best of the exchange, then tagged Okada. Okada hit a slam, then used a slingshot senton for a one count. Romero and Okada traded tags, working over BUSHI.
BUSHI came back with a hurricanrana on Okada, then tagged SANADA. SANADA hit a pescado on Okada. He tried for a back suplex, but Okada blocked it. Okada tried for an air raid crash, but SANADA avoided it. Okada hit a flapjack, then tagged Goto.
SANADA hit Goto with a dropkick off the middle rope, then tagged Shingo. Shingo and Goto traded forearms. They hit simultaneous lariats. Shingo hit a jab, but Goto caught him in an ushigoroshi.
Romero tagged in and hit Shingo with forever clotheslines, then used a tornado DDT for a two count. LIJ tripled up on Romero. Shingo used a side slam for a nearfall, with Okada and Goto making the save.
Everyone jumped in. Goto hit Shingo with a lariat. SANADA hit a dropkick to Goto’s legs. Okada went for a Rainmaker on SANADA. SANADA tried Skull End. Okada missed a dropkick. SANADA hit Okada with a dropkick. Romero hit a standing sliced bread on Shingo for a nearfall.
Romero tried for sliced bread again, but Shingo blocked it, then hit a pop-up DVD. Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber, then hit Made in Japan on Romero for the pin.
TETSUYA NAITO & EVIL DEFEATED JAY WHITE & CHASE OWENS
Owens attacked EVIL before the bell, and they rolled outside. Naito attacked White with strikes, and White rolled outside, then tagged Owens. Naito tagged EVIL. EVIL hit a series of chops in the corner. He hit the ropes, but Gedo tripped him from the floor.
All four fought around ringside. Back in the ring, Owens hit a back elbow for a one count. EVIL came back with a fisherman buster, then both tagged out.
Naito choked White on the mat. He hit a neckbreaker, then used a dropkick to the back for a nearfall. Naito hit a series of forearms in the corner. White hit a DDT, then tagged Owens. Owens missed a running knee, and Naito hit him with a neckbreaker.
EVIL got a tag. Naito hit Owens with a dropkick. White jumped in to save Owens and sent Naito to the floor. White hit a Blade Buster on EVIL, and Owens followed up with a running knee for a two count.
Owens went for a package piledriver, but EVIL blocked it. Naito jumped in and hit an enzuigiri. White tried to stop Naito. He teased a Blade Runner, but Naito sent him to the floor after a flying headscissors. EVIL hit Owens with a headbutt and a lariat for a nearfall, then used the Scorpion Deathlock for the submission.
White attacked Naito on the floor after the bell. He whipped him into the barricade, then choked him before leaving with Naito’s title belt.
Suzuki attacked Liger at the commentary desk on his way to the ring. He dragged Liger inside the ring, then hit him with the Gotch-style piledriver. Tanahashi and Taguchi ran out to make the save. Taguchi hit a plancha on Suzuki, while Tana and Sabre started off the match inside.
Tana hit a dropkick to Sabre’s left leg, then hit a chop block. Taguchi tagged in and he and Tana hit tandem hip attacks on Sabre. Taguchi kept up the attack on Sabre’s left leg with stomps. Suzuki cut Taguchi off, applying an armbar over the ropes. Suzuki pulled Taguchi to the floor, then proceeded to take the fight into the crowd.
Suzuki hit Taguchi with a chair. Sabre and Tanahashi fought into the crowd, and Sabre used an armbar. After a countout tease, Sabre and Suzuki used a variety of holds to ground Taguchi in the ring. Suzuki used a crossface, while Sabre wrenched on Taguchi’s legs.
Taguchi and Suzuki ended up the legal men. Suzuki hit a hard forearm to the side of Taguchi’s neck. Sabre got a tag and used a PK on Taguchi’s butt. Suzuki applied an ankle lock. Tana came in for the save, but Suzuki got him in a rear naked choke, then tossed him outside.
Sabre and Suzuki continued working Taguchi over in their corner. Taguchi finally made a comeback, hitting Suzuki and Sabre with hip attacks. Tana got a tag. He hit Suzuki with a somersault senton. Suzuki cut him off with a rear naked choke, then tagged Sabre.
Sabre hit Tana with uppercuts. They traded cobra twists. Sabre teased a Zack Driver, but Tana hit him with Twist and Shout, then used a slingblade for a two count. Tana went up top while Suzuki and Taguchi fought to the floor.
Tana went for a High Fly Flow, but Sabre got his knees up. Suzuki and Sabre used armbars on both of Tana’s arms, and Taguchi jumped in for the save. Taguchi and Suzuki rolled outside.
Sabre went for a PK. Tana caught it, then hit a dragon screw before tagging Taguchi. Taguchi hit Sabre with four hip attacks, earning a nearfall.
Taguchi went for Dodon, but Sabre pulled him into a cross armbreaker. Taguchi rolled through into an ankle lock. Sabre reversed into his own ankle lock, but Taguchi rolled through that back to an ankle lock. Sabre rolled to the ropes for a break.
Taguchi went for a hip attack. Sabre caught him with a crucifix. Tana saved. Suzuki jumped in and put Taguchi in a sleeper while Sabre and Tana fought. Sabre hit Tana with a Zack Driver, then hit Taguchi with a Zack Driver for the pin.
After the bell, Sabre used a wristlock on Tanahashi. Uemura and Tsuji tried to make the save, but Suzuki fought them off. Sabre then stomped on Tana’s arms.
Sabre cut a promo on Tanahashi and Boris Johnson after the match. He said Tanahashi is a joke, the Ace is dead, and long live the new Prime Minister of the UK, Zack Sabre Jr.
Suzuki grabbed the mic and said Suzuki-gun is ichiban, then attacked Uemura with a chair for good measure.
NJPW kicked off their Road to Destruction tour today in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall, the first of three consecutive nights in the building.
The show featured the start of the Young Lion Cup tournament, along with a collection of tag matches previewing the key matches on the Destruction shows later in the tour.
Here are full results and match recaps:
YOUNG LION CUP MATCH: ALEX COUGHLIN DEFEATED YOTA TSUJI
They started out with some chain wrestling, with neither man gaining the clear advantage. They had a chop battle, which Coughlin got the better of. Coughlin chops really hard.
Tsuji got a knockdown off a shoulder tackle. He used a Camel Clutch, but gave up the hold. He hit the ropes, but ran right into a chop from Coughlin, who then used a series of stomps.
Coughlin tried for a single-leg crab, but Tsuji kicked him away. Coughlin hit a Russian leg sweep. Tsuji pulled guard and dragged Coughlin to the ropes for a break.
Coughlin hit a chop, but Tsuji answered with a scoop slam. Tsuji hit a dropkick for a two count, then used a full crab. Coughlin fought his way to the ropes, forcing a break.
Coughlin applied a single-leg crab. Tsuji tried to fight his way to the ropes, but Coughlin pulled him back to the center of the ring — and Tsuji tapped out. A solid opener.
Coughlin is still green, but he reminds me of a young Davey Richards. His work was solid, but his facial expressions are still lacking.
YOUNG LION CUP MATCH: CLARK CONNORS DEFEATED SHOTA UMINO
They had an intense striking battle at the opening bell. Umino took a bump off a chop, but answered with a shoulder tackle and a low dropkick. Connors countered with a beautiful dropkick.
Connors hit a hip toss and got a nearfall. He then used a chinlock. Umino fought to the ropes, forcing a break. Connors slapped Umino in the face, and Umino tried to fire up. Connors hit a chop, then used a lateral press for a one count.
Connors hit some big overhand chops in the corner. Umino charged out of the corner and hit a dropkick, then hit his own series of overhand chops. Umino hit a vertical suplex for a two count.
Umino hit a spinebuster, but he missed on a missile dropkick. Connors applied a full crab. Umino teased tapping out, but powered his way to the ropes.
Connors tried to go back to the crab, but Umino fought it off. Umino hit the ropes, but ran right into a spear. Connors got the crab applied again, and in an upset, Umino tapped out.
SATOSHI KOJIMA, MICHAEL RICHARDS & KARL FREDERICKS DEFEATED HIROYOSHI TENZAN, REN NARITA & YUYA UEMURA
Kojima and Tenzan exchanged some Mongolian chops before tagging out. Uemura and Richards squared off. Uemura hit a dropkick, then both tagged out.
Fredericks and Narita traded chops. Narita went for an overhead belly-to-belly, but Fredericks fought out of it, then hit a spinebuster. Richards got a tag and used a chinlock. Fredericks came back in and continued to work over Narita.
Fredericks hit the ropes, but bounced right into an overhead belly-to-belly from Narita. Tenzan and Richards tagged in. Tenzan hit a brainbuster on Richards for a nearfall.
Richards came back with a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall, then tagged Kojima. Tenzan hit a sloppy mountain bomb, then tagged Uemura.
Kojima lit Uemura up with machine gun chops. He went for a top rope elbow, but Tenzan and Narita cut him off, then jumped in for the illegal triple-team.
The match broke down, leaving Uemura and Kojima the legal men while the other four brawled outside. Kojima hit a Koji Cutter for a two count, then hit a lariat for the pin.
Not much to this one. Richards has good facial expressions, but his work is the weakest of the LA Dojo trainees.
TAIJI ISHIMORI, EL PHANTASMO, YUJIRO TAKAHASHI & CHASE OWENS DEFEATED WILL OSPREAY, ROBBIE EAGLES, TOMOAKI HONMA & TOA HENARE
Bullet Club tried for a jumpstart, but it backfired. Ospreay and Eagles hit some tandem offense and went to work on Ishimori. The CHAOS team used a series of quick tags, working over Ishimori’s left arm.
Honma got a tag. He hit a bulldog. He then missed a kokeshi, with Bullet Club gaining the advantage. They worked over Honma in their corner. ELP used a chinlock. Honma elbowed out, then tagged Ospreay.
Ospreay ran wild with a top rope 619, then Pip Pip Cheerio on ELP. Eagles hit a monkey flip on ELP into a hook kick from Ospreay. Ospreay and Eagles used stereo enzuigiris on Ishimori. ELP came back with an enzuigiri on Eagles, into a double down.
Owens and Henare got tags. Henare hit a shoulder block, a corner clothesline, then a delayed vertical suplex for a two count. Yujiro jumped in and hit a fisherman buster, allowing Owens to hit a knee strike for a two count.
Things got chaotic from here. ELP hit Ospreay with a superkick. Ishimori hit a handspring kick on Eagles. Owens hit a Jewel Heist on Henare, then hit him with the package piledriver for the pin. This was a fun match with a lot of action.
This was okay. It established YOSHI-HASHI and Ishii as worthy challengers for Tonga and Loa’s titles. Jado has significant balance issues and has no business being in the ring at this stage of his life.
CHAOS used some Bullet Club tactics here, attacking before the bell. They brawled around ringside. Romero and Tonga ended up back inside as the legal men.
Romero tried for a hurricanrana on Tonga, but Tonga blocked it, then hit a powerbomb. Bullet Club cut the ring in half, working Romero over. Jado used an abdominal stretch and hit some chops.
Tonga tagged in. He nailed Ishii with a dropkick while Ishii was on the apron. YH jumped in, and Tonga hit him with a dropkick too. Tonga used a snap suplex for a two count. Loa got a tag and hit a slingshot senton for a nearfall.
Loa missed a leg drop, allowing Romero to hit a rewind kick, then tag Ishii. Ishii got whipped into the buckle, but charged out with a shoulder tackle. Loa ducked under a lariat and hit a spear. Ishii hit a powerslam, then tagged YH.
Ishii stayed in and hit a brainbuster on Loa. Tonga tried to hit Ishii with a Gun Stun, but YH saved and hit a lariat. Jado cut YH off with a kendo stick shot from the floor. Bullet Club triple-teamed YH. Loa hit a back suplex, and Jado covered for a two count.
Jado teased a draping DDT, but Romero saved. Romero hit ranas on Tonga and Loa, then hit a suicide dive. Jado tried to use a kendo stick on YH, but YH blocked it. YH hit a lariat for a nearfall, then used the Butterfly Lock for the submission.
After the match, Tonga and Loa laid out Ishii on the floor. They went for a Magic Killer on YH, but Ishii saved, and Ishii and YH cleaned house. Ishii and YH posed with the IWGP Tag Team titles.
Taguchi got the clothesline train rolling early when his team hit a series of them in the corner on Kanemaru. Taguchi went for an elevated hip attack, but Suzuki cut him off. Suzuki-gun turned the match into a crowd brawl.
Suzuki used a crab on Taguchi in the crowd. Sabre stomped on Tanahashi’s arm on the floor. In the ring, Kanemaru and DOUKI worked over SHO.
Sabre continued the attack on SHO. SHO came back with a vertical suplex, then tagged Tana. Tana ran wild with dragon screws. Sabre attacked Tana’s left arm. Tana hit Twist and Shout, into a double down.
Suzuki and Taguchi got tags. Suzuki side-stepped a hip attack and used a rear naked choke. Suzuki-gun went four-on-one against Taguchi. DOUKI got a tag, then hit a double stomp for a nearfall.
DOUKI hit a springboard DDT for a nearfall. SHO and YOH jumped in for the save, then brawled outside with Suzuki and Kanemaru.
DOUKI tried for a Suplex de la Luna on Taguchi, but SHO and YOH made the save with stereo knees. YOH and Tanahashi hit stereo planchas to Suzuki and Sabre.
Taguchi and DOUKI traded cradles for nearfalls. Taguchi rolled DOUKI up. DOUKI had his foot on the ropes, but the referee didn’t see it and counted the pin.
TETSUYA NAITO, EVIL & BUSHI DEFEATED JAY WHITE, BAD LUCK FALE & GEDO
Fale and BUSHI started off. Fale no-sold a dropkick, and Bullet Club jumped in for the triple-team. They cleared the apron, then went to work on BUSHI. BUSHI got a brief hope spot against Gedo, but White tagged in and cut him off.
BUSHI hit White with an enzuigiri, then a DDT. He tagged Naito, who hit an arm drag, then a low dropkick. Naito knocked Fale off the apron with a dropkick to the legs. Naito hit a neckbreaker. He went for a combinacion cabron in the corner, but White blocked it.
White hit a DDT for a two count. They appeared to have some miscommunication, and they botched a spot. Naito hit a swinging DDT into a double down.
EVIL and Jado got tags. EVIL hit a fisherman buster for a nearfall. The match broke down as everyone jumped in. Naito hit a flying forearm. BUSHI hit a suicide dive. EVIL hit Gedo with a lariat for a nearfall while the other four brawled outside.
EVIL used the Scorpion Deathlock on Gedo, who tapped out immediately. White attacked Yota Tsuji with a chair after the match, taking his frustration out on the Young Lion.
SANADA & SHINGO TAKAGI DEFEATED KAZUCHIKA OKADA & HIROOKI GOTO
This was a wild main event. Not a blow-away match, but very good.
Okada and SANADA started off with a brief grappling battle, ending in a stalemate. Both tagged out. Goto scored a knockdown with a shoulder tackle. Shingo rebounded with one of his own. The action spilled to the floor, where Shingo whipped Goto into the barricade. SANADA did the same to Okada.
Back inside, SANADA got a tag. He hit a back elbow. He landed on his feet on a standing moonsault after Goto moved, and hit a dropkick instead. Shingo tagged in for a vertical suplex, then immediately tagged SANADA back in.
SANADA and Goto traded palm strikes to the chest, with SANADA getting the best of the exchange. Goto went for a vertical suplex, but Shingo jumped in to save SANADA. Goto hit Shingo with a lariat, then suplexed SANADA on top of him.
Okada got a tag. He hit SANADA with a back elbow, then hit a DDT for a two count. Okada tried for a flapjack and an Alabama slam, but SANADA avoided both, then hit a dropkick to the left leg.
Shingo tagged in. He ducked a Rainmaker attempt, but ran into a flapjack. Okada tagged Goto, who hit Shingo with a mid kick, a spinning wheel kick, and used a Saito suplex for a nearfall.
Goto teased an ushigoroshi, but Shingo blocked it. Goto applied a sleeper hold, but Shingo powered out and hit a sliding lariat. He made a cover, but Okada made the save before even a one count.
Okada and SANADA brawled to the floor. Goto and Shingo exchanged lariats. Goto hit an ushigoroshi. Shingo managed a tag first. Okada jumped in illegally, and SANADA hit him with a leapfrog dropkick.
SANADA went for a TKO, but Goto blocked. Goto went for a GTR, but SANADA reversed into Skull End. Okada made the save for Goto as Shingo jumped in to even the odds. Okada hit a shotgun dropkick on Shingo, then a dropkick on SANADA.
Goto hit an ushigoroshi on SANADA for a nearfall. Goto hit a mid kick, then went for GTR. SANADA blocked it. Goto went for an ushigoroshi, but SANADA blocked it. SANADA used an O’Connor Roll into a bridge and pinned Goto.
SANADA teased leaving without cutting a promo, but the crowd demanded one. SANADA closed the show with a promo.
NJPW announced this morning that the Young Lion’s Cup tournament will be held throughout the Destruction tour set to take place next month.
The tournament will consist of eight young lions, mostly from NJPW’s two dojos. Clark Connors, Karl Fredericks and Alex Coughlin will represent the LA Dojo, while Shota Umino, Ren Narita, Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura will represent the Japan dojo.
Michael Richards, from Bad Luck Fale’s dojo in New Zealand, will round out the tournament. He made his debut for NJPW back at Southern Showdown, when he lost a six-man tag team match with other Fale Dojo members.
Katsuya Kitamura won the last Young Lion’s Cup, which took place back in September of 2017. Umino and Narita also competed in this tournament.
The round-robin tournament will start on September 4, with the final matches taking place at the Destruction in Kobe event on September 22.
Satoshi Kojima’s return to the ring highlights this morning’s Road to Destruction main event at Korakuen Hall.
In what is being billed as a Blue Justice event, Kojima will be teaming with Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Yuji Nagata to take on Togi Makabe, Juice Robinson, Tomoaki Honma and David Finlay. This is Kojima’s first match back since January, where he tore his ACL in a match against Rush during the FantasticaMania tour.
We’ll also see a number of tag matches ahead of the three bigger shows that are taking place later this month. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Kenny Omega, Tetsuya Naito, Minoru Suzuki, Hirooki Goto and Taichi will all be on opposite corners as they team with their stablemates.
Join us for live coverage this morning starting at 4:00 a.m. EDT. There won’t be any English commentary; that will resume on September 15 for the first Destruction event in Hiroshima.
**********
They had a ceremony before the first match, proclaiming this Blue Justice VIII, where Yuji Nagata was presented with a gigantic champagne bottle.
YOTA TSUJI DREW WITH YUYA UEMURA (10:00)
This wasn’t particularly good, and there was no heat whatsoever. The acoustics in the building were strange, which might have had something to do with that perception.
They traded holds for the first four minutes. Tsuji hit a shoulder tackle, and Uemura used an armdrag. They exchanged forearms to the chest, until Uemura established the first advantage of the match, landing a back elbow in the corner. He earned a nearfall with a scoop slam.
Tsuji came back with a jumping elbow into the corner, and a hip toss. He used a body slam, and applied a crab, but Uemura reached the bottom rope. After the break, they exchanged palm strikes to the chest. Tsuji hit a dropkick, Uemura hit a dropkick, and time expired.
TAMA TONGA, TANGA LOA, BAD LUCK FALE & TAIJI ISHIMORI DEFEATED MICHAEL ELGIN, REN NARITA, SHOTA UMINO & AYATO YOSHIDA (9:03)
A fine tag match. Yoshida worked most of the way for his team, and the Bullet Club OG guys were explosive in executing their offense.
The Young Lions briefly got osme offense, sending Ishimori to the floor, taking down Tonga and Loa, and taking Fale off his feet with a dropkick. Their good fortune was short-lived, as Tonga went to work on Yoshida in the ring, while Fale did damage on the floor.
Ishimori hit double knees in the corner on Yoshida for a two count. Fale and Loa continued to work over Yoshida. Tonga tagged in, cleared the apron, and hit a stinger splash. Yoshida hit a jumping neckbreaker, and was able to tag Elgin, who ran wild. He knocked Loa and Fale off the apron, caught Ishimori off a handspring and turned it into a german, and hit a falcon arrow on Tonga for a nearfall.
Ishimori tagged in and went for a seated senton, but Elgin caught him. The match broke down, and everyone hit a big move. Umino hit a top rope dropkick. Yoshida used a cradle for a nearfall.
The finish saw Ishimori apply a crossface to Narita, who tapped out.
TAICHI & EL DESPERADO DEFEATED GEDO & HIROOKI GOTO (10:36)
Goto and Gedo attacked before the opening bell, and took the early advantage. Taichi gouged the eyes of both Gedo and Goto, and Suzuki-gun took over. They turned it into a crowd brawl, and used a chair and the ring bell hammer on Gedo’s left knee.
Desperado continued to work on the knee in the ring, and picked up a nearfall. He used a single-leg crab, but Goto jumped in for the save. Taichi cut him off, and sent Goto to the floor. Gedo ducked a weak charge into the corner, and hit a big right hand, leading to a hot tag to Goto.
Goto missed a charge into the corner, and Taichi hit an enziguri, then removed his pants. Taichi hit a dropkick. After blocking it once before, he then fell victim to an ushigoroshi, and both men made tags.
Gedo used a jawbreaker and a superkick for a nearfall. He went for the Gedo clutch, but Desperado slipped out, and hit a spear. Taichi jumped in and hit Goto and Gedo with axe bombers, and a kick to the back of Gedo’s head. Desperado hit the Pinche Loco for the pin.
TETSUYA NAITO, EVIL, BUSHI & SANADA DEFEATED MINORU SUZUKI, TAKASHI IIZUKA, YOSHINOBU KANEMARU & TAKA MICHINOKU (11:37)
Naito and Suzuki got the first star reactions on the show. This was not as good as the brawl these two teams had yesterday, but it was fine.
Suzuki-gun tried to attack before the opening bell, but their plan backfired, and LIJ took control early. Iizuka used a chair to SANADA’s back from the floor, and that turned the tide in Suzuki-gun’s favor, and they turned the match into an arena brawl. Suzuki hit a con-chair-to on Naito.
SANADA beat the twenty count back inside, but his teammates were left laying in the crowd. Kanemaru removed Iizuka’s muzzle, and the four-on-one continued. Suzuki tagged in and went after SANADA’s right leg. He stomped on the ankle, and applied a heel hook. He transitioned to a kneebar, but SANADA reached the ropes.
SANADA hit a second rope dropkick on Suzuki, and wiped out TAKA and Kanemaru with a dropkick, before tagging Naito. Naito ran wild and cleared the ring of everyone but Suzuki. He hit Suzuki with a dropkick. He went for the slingshot dropkick in the corner, but Suzuki caught him, and used a heel hook, and grapevined the other leg. Naito reached the bottom rope, forcing a break.
Suzuki went for the Gotch piledriver, but gave it up after Naito blocked it repeatedly. Naito hit a forearm strike, but missed the flying forearm. Iizuka tried to use the iron fist, but SANADA dropkicked it away. BUSHI got a tag. Naito cleared out Kanemaru, and held Suzuki at bay, allowing BUSHI to hit TAKA with the MX, followed by a pinfall.
Suzuki went after Naito after the bell, but the Young Lions held him back, and LIJ posed triumphantly.
Okada and Tanahashi got nice reactions coming out, and an even bigger reaction when they started off the match together.
Okada teased a rainmaker, but Tanahashi blocked. He went for a straightjacket suplex, but Okada slipped out. Tana used an armdrag, then both tagged out. Henare hit a tackle, dropped YOSHI-HASHI with a chop, and got a nearfall.
Henare and Tana hit YH with some double team moves and posed, but Okada broke it up, pulled Tanahashi to the floor, and threw him into the crowd. YH took over on Henare, sending him into the security fence, and continuing the attack in the ring.
Okada got a tag, and deliberately worked over Henare. He whipped him into the buckle, but missed a back elbow, and ate a samoan drop. Tanahashi got a tag and hit a flying forearm, a standing senton, and a somersault drop. Okada went for a big boot, but Tana turned it into a dragon screw. He applied a cloverleaf, but YH broke it up.
Okada came back with a DDT on Tanahashi, and hit him with a flapjack. He went for a tombstone, but Tana slipped out. Okada hit a dropkick. He went for the rainmaker, but Tana turned it into a slingblade, and they did a double down.
Both tagged out, and Henare hit YH with a flying tackle and a spear. Tana held YH, and Henare hit a diving shoulder tackle off the top. He covered, but Okada broke up the pin. Okada rolled to the outside, and Tana hit him with a plancha. YH hit Henare with a lariat for a two count. YH then used the butterfly lock, and got the tapout.
TOMOHIRO ISHII, WILL OSPREAY, TORU YANO & BERETTA DEFEATED KENNY OMEGA, KOTA IBUSHI, YUJIRO TAKAHASHI & CHASE OWENS (11:20)
This was a fun match. They did a lot of comedy.
Yano and Yujiro started out, and they did some comedy. Yano begged off and tagged Ospreay, who demanded Ibushi. They did the same sequence they did yesterday, ending with Ospreay teasing the Sasuke special, but posing instead of delivering the move. Ibushi hit a missile dropkick, and the Bullet Club went to work on Ospreay.
They did some comedy working over Ospreay’s legs, and Yujiro hit him in the groin with his pimp cane. They did a comedy rowboat spot, with Ibushi and Ospreay standing in the center of the circle, trading strikes. Ospreay broke it up, and hit Omega and Ibushi with a handspring kick.
Omega and Ishii got tags, and had a nice exchange. Omega took a bump on his head, and Ishii hit him with a powerslam. Owens helped Omega hit a kotaro krusher. He went for a V-trigger, but Ospreay cut him off, and Ishii hit a suplex.
Owens and Beretta tagged in, and Beretta hit a tornado DDT. Owens hit a superman punch, Beretta took a Ray Stevens corner flip, and everyone on the Bullet Club team hit him with a big move. The teams brawled to the floor, leaving Owens and Beretta in the ring.
Owens went for the package driver, but Beretta reversed, hit the dudebuster, and got the pin.
SATOSHI KOJIMA, MANABU NAKANISHI, HIROYOSHI TENZAN & YUJI NAGATA DEFEATED TOGI MAKABE, TOMOAKI HONMA, JUICE ROBINSON & DAVID FINLAY (16:50)
The pre-match saw a group of children in wrestling singlets present everyone with flowers. Everyone in the crowd had blue Nagata posters, and then displayed Orange Kojima posters, welcoming him back.
This was hardly a blow away match, but a fun gathering of some New Japan legends, and a perfectly acceptable house show main event.
Kojima demanded Makabe, and those two started off. Makabe hit a tackle, but Kojima hit some strikes, then a tackle of his own. Makabe hit a second tackle, and both tagged out.
Nakanishi and Juice got tags, and traded short forearm strikes. They traded chops, and Juice hit his jabs. Juice hit a dropkick, and dropped Nakanishi in the corner. He hit a cannonball, then sat Manabu on the top rope. He called for a brainbuster, but Nakanishi dropped him with a headbutt, then hit a crossbody off the top for a two count.
Finlay jumped in, and Nakanishi suplexed them. Nagata tagged in, and called for Honma. They traded strikes, and Honma missed a kokeshi. Tenzan and Finlay got tags. Tenzan tagged Kojima, and the two worked over Finlay. Finlay hit a back suplex, and his team cleared the apron on Kojima’s side.
Juice tagged in and hit a delayed brainbuster for a nearfall. Honma got a tag and worked over Kojima’s left leg. Makabe got a tag and hit a vertical suplex. Nagata broke up a pinfall, and shouted encouragement to Kojima, who responded with a cutter on Makabe.
Tenzan tagged in and chopped away at Makabe. He hit a corner clothesline, and a brainbuster, picking up a nearfall. Makabe hit a corner lariat and ten punches. Tenzan made a brief comeback, but Makabe hit a lariat for a nearfall.
After a double down, Nagata and Juice got tags. Nagata ran wild on Juice, hitting a boot in the corner and an exploder for a two count. Juice hit a crucifix drop and a spinebuster for a two count, as Nakanishi broke up the pinfall. Nakanishi and Nagata hit a boot lariat combo. Nagata used a Nagata lock on Juice, while Manabu racked Honma. Makabe broke up the submission.
Kojima tagged in, and hit a series of chops on Finlay and Juice in the corner. Kojima went up top, but Finlay pressed him off. Makabe cleared the apron, and they went four-on-one against Kojima. Finlay hit a wheel kick, and Honma hit a kokeshi. Finlay went for a lariat, Kojima blocked, but Finlay hit a backbreaker. Tenzan broke up the pinfall.
Kojima hit a Koji cutter, the hit a lariat, and pinned Finlay. The New Japan Dads are victorious.
NJPW returns to Korakuen Hall this morning as the build to the three Destruction shows taking place later this month continues.
In the main event, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada will square off again, this time in a tag team match. Tanahashi and Juice will team together to take on the returning Beretta and Kazuchika Okada.
Meanwhile, Tomohiro Ishii and Kenny Omega will face each other, but this time it will be in a trios match. Ishii will team up with Toru Yano and Will Ospreay to challenge Omega, Kota Ibushi and Yujiro Takahashi.
Ayato Yoshida, a Kaientai Dojo regular, continues his New Japan main roster run by taking on Chase Owens. We’ll also see a young lion tag team match, with Shota Umino and Yuya Uemura facing Ren Narita and Yota Tsuji.
Join us for live coverage starting at 5:30 a.m. eastern time. There will be no English commentary.
A nice little opener here. Everyone’s selling was top notch.
Tsuji and Narita worked over Uemura’s lower back with strikes and stomps. Uemura hit a back bodydrop out of desperation, and made a hot tag to Umino. Umino and Tsuji traded palm strikes, and both hit dropkicks.
Umino hit a spinebuster, then used a crab. After a long struggle, Tsuji made the ropes. Umino hit a top rope woo dropkick, then went back to the crab, and got the submission.
CHASE OWENS DEFEATED AYATO YOSHIDA (8:33)
Yoshida is a K-Dojo product. I’ve seen him on at least one Lion’s Gate Project show, and I really like him. He got some good offense in early.
Lots of mat work early. Yoshida hit a hip toss and went for an armbar, but Owens made the ropes immediately. Yoshida targeted Owens’ left arm, hoping to work back to that armbar.
Owens used an abdominal stretch. Owens got a nearfall off a roll-up, but Yoshida finally got the armbar. Owens made the ropes, then hit a backbreaker and a running knee, getting another two count.
Yoshida was able to slap on a kimura, but Owens raked his eyes, and made the ropes. Owens hit the package driver, and got the pin.
TAMA TONGA, TANGA LOA, BAD LUCK FALE & TAIJI ISHIMORI DEFEATED TOGI MAKABE, MICHAEL ELGIN, DAVID FINLAY & TOA HENARE (9:11)
Good stuff here. All action.
Elgin and Loa started out. Elgin lit Loa up with chops. Ishimori tried to attack from the apron, but missed on a seated senton, and hit Loa. Finlay tagged in for some spots with Ishimori, and they worked incredibly fast.
Tonga and Fale cleared the babyfaces from the apron, and the OG’s went to work on Finlay in their corner. Ishimori hit a standing shooting star press. Fale missed a charge into the corner, and Finlay was able to tag Makabe.
Makabe ran wild, and took Fale off his feet with a lariat. Tonga and Henare tagged in, and Tonga hit a sweet dropkick. The OG’s hit a series of moves on Henare in the corner, before the match broke down into chaos.
Tonga went for the gun stun on Henare, but Henare blocked, then hit a samoan drop for a two count. Tonga popped up, then hit the gun stun on his second attempt, and got the pinfall victory.
This was all about establishing Taichi as Goto’s next challenger for the NEVER title. It had its moments, but was the weakest match on the show to this point.
Taichi attacked Goto with his mic stand before the bell. Goto made a comeback, and sent Taichi into the security fence. YH and Kanemaru did a couple of spots in the ring, but the action then went into the crowd, where Suzuki-gun took over.
Back inside, Kanemaru worked over YH with stomps and elbows. Taichi tagged in and raked and gouged YH’s eyes. After Taichi taunted Goto and threw his title belt from the ring to the floor earlier, Goto finally got a hot tag, and the two faced off.
Goto and Taichi traded kicks and right hands. Taichi tagged out after hitting an enziguri, and Kanemaru worked over Goto’s left leg. Taichi did his pants spot. Kanemaru went for the whiskey mist, but YH ducked it, and hit a superkick.
Goto hit the ushigoroshi on Kanemaru, and Taichi jumped in with the mic stand for the DQ.
Taichi hit a last ride on Goto after the match, and got a visual pinfall.
TETSUYA NAITO, EVIL, SANADA & BUSHI DEFEATED MINORU SUZUKI, TAKASHI IIZUKA, EL DESPERADO & TAKA MICHINOKU (12:37)
This was a wild brawl, and served its purpose quite well.
Suzuki brutalized Naito, as Suzuki-gun attacked LIJ before the opening bell. He then turned his attention to EVIL, and used a series of chair shots on him, then took the referee, allowing his teammates to attack three on one in the ring.
Suzuki used a heel hook on EVIL, but EVIL was able to make the ropes. Desperado took Iizuka’s muzzle off, and Iizuka bit EVIL’s head and foot. SANADA made the save, and tied up TAKA with the paradise lock. SANADA hit the Flair flip into the corner into a springboard dropkick on Iizuka, before Naito and Suzuki got tags.
Naito hit a swinging neckbreaker and a dropkick to a seated Suzuki. Suzuki missed a yakuza kick, but was able to slide into a rear naked choke. He went for the Gotch piledriver, but EVIL broke it up.
Naito hit his swinging dropkick in the corner, and tagged in BUSHI. BUSHI hit a missile dropkick, and a BUSHI-rooni, but fell victim to a four-on-one assault. LIJ made the save. BUSHI hit a codebreaker for a nearfall on TAKA, then hit the MX, and got the pinfall.
Naito attacked Suzuki after the match, and choked him with a banner. Suzuki went after Naito with a chair, but the Young Lions held him back.
TOMOHIRO ISHII, TORU YANO & WILL OSPREAY DEFEATED KENNY OMEGA, KOTA IBUSHI & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI (9:15)
A fun sprint. They teased a lot that the people wanted to see with Omega/Ishii and Ibushi/Ospreay, but they saved a lot for their singles matches down the road.
Pieter accompanied Yujiro to the ring, and got her own introduction from the ring announcer. As she should.
Omega and Ishii started things off. Ospreay got a tag and hit an Ishii-assisted standing moonsault on Omega, but then demanded that Ibushi tag in.
Ospreay and Ibushi went razy. Ospreay teased a Sasuke special, but Yujiro cut him off, and the Bullet Club went to work on him. Yano jumped in and tried to untie a couple of turnbuckle pads, but Omega and Ibushi stopped him, and Yujiro continued the assault on Ospreay.
Ibushi tagged back in, and Ospreay hit him with a handspring kick. Omega tagged in and ate a cutter. Ospreay tagged Ishii, and Ishii and Omega teased their upcoming IWGP title match. Ishii blocked a V-trigger, stopped an interfering Ibushi, and hit a powerslam.
Omega came back with a kotaro krusher, and tagged Yujiro. Yano got a tag from Ishii, and untied a turnbuckle pad. They did a comedy spot where everyone pulled the hair of the guy next to him. Omega went to do it to Ishii, but Ishii is bald, of course. That was awesome.
Ibushi, Ospreay, and Omega all hit planchas, leaving Yujiro and Yano the legal men. Yano used a schoolboy on Yujiro for the pin.
Omega and Ishii had a brief staredown after the match, but there was no physicality in the angle.
This was a good main event. Not a mind-blowing match by any means, but it was a lot of fun.
Beretta and Juice started off exchanging holds, with neither man gaining a clear edge. Tana and Okada tagged in. Tana did not break cleanly after an early grappling exchange. Okada teased a dropkick, but Tanahashi went low and took out his leg with a dropkick.
Juice tagged in. He went up top, but Okada hit the ropes, and Juice crashed to the mat. Beretta made a tag and sent both Juice and Tanahashi over the top rope. Both teased skinning the cat, but Beretta dropkicked them to the floor.
Back in the ring, Okada worked over Juice. Okada kicked Juice low. Okada claimed the kick hit the inside of the thigh, but Red Shoes was not so sure. Okada tagged out, and Beretta sent Juice to the floor, and hit a plancha.
Juice was able to make a tag, and Tanahashi ran wild with dropkicks. He sent Okada to the floor with a dropkick, and hit another on Beretta. He hit the second rope senton, but Beretta popped right up, and took Tana down with a lariat.
Okada tagged in, and hit Tana with a back elbow in the corner. He teased a DDT, but Tanahashi blocked it. Okada hit a shotgun dropkick. He went for a tombstone, but Tana slipped out and hit a dragon screw. Okada went for a rainmaker, but Tanahashi hit a palm strike, leading to a double down.
Juice got a tag. He went for his series of jabs, but Okada cut him off after just one. Juice hit a sit-out lariat, and followed with a pair of clotheslines in the corner. He went for another, but Okada hit a flapjack, and tagged Beretta. Beretta hit a high cross for a nearfall.
Beretta went for a tornado DDT, but Juice cut him off, and hit a series of jabs. Okada jumped in for the save, knocked Tana off the apron, and hit Juice with a neckbreaker. Beretta covered for a nearfall, while Okada and Tanahashi fought on the floor.
Beretta took a Ray Stevens flip into the corner, and Juice and Tana hit him with a combination Hart Attack/slingblade. Juice missed a cannonball. Tana hit a slingblade on Beretta. Okada hit a tombstone on Tanahashi, and all four men went down.
Juice recovered and hit a cannonball on Beretta. He went to the top while Okada and Tana fought on the floor, but Beretta cut him off, and hit a top rope belly-to-belly. Juice hit a powerbomb for a two and a half count.
Juice went for pulp friction, but Beretta reversed it, and hit a piledriver. He covered, but Tanahashi made the save for Juice. Juice went for pulp friction twice, and Beretta twice escaped with enziguris.
Juice finally hit pulp friction, covered, and got the victory.
After spending most of 2018 on the shelf, Satoshi Kojima will make his return to New Japan next month.
New Japan’s Instagram page announced this afternoon that Kojima will be making his return to the ring on September 9 during the Road to Destruction tour. It wasn’t said who he would be facing, though most Road to shows usually rely heavily on tag team matches.
Kojima had been out of action since late January when he suffered an ACL rupture in his left knee during the Fantastica Mania tour. It’s believed that Kojima suffered the injury on January 22 where he faced Rush in a losing effort. Recent videos on his Instagram account have shown him hitting and running the ropes in preperation for a return.
His normal tag team partner, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, has mostly worked six man tag team matches since Kojima’s injury. He hasn’t been used since the Kizuna Road tour back in June.
After a few weeks off, New Japan returns with a busy month ahead, as we not only have three big shows this month, but a few smaller shows in between. Tonight’s Road to Destruction show in Korakuen Hall would fall into the latter category, headlined by a big elimination match. Here are the results:
Shota Umino and Tetsuhiro Yagi went to a time limit draw
This was a solid opener, but not a lot of heat. It was a basic match they just did mat wrestling, with Umino dominating for most of the match. You can tell Umino added some size in between tours as he looked much bigger than Yagi. Yagi started to make a comeback towards the end of the match, but Umino cut him off. He had him in the Boston crab, but Yagi managed to gut it out until the bell rang.
Mainly a battle between the two elder NJPW wrestlers and the young lions. Everyone looked pretty decent, though it is clear Kitamura has a lot of charisma and will go far once he gets the push. Nagata picked up the win with a backdrop driver on Oka in a solid match.
Killer Elite Squad, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi & Taka Michinoku defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Ricochet, Togi Makabe, David Finlay & Hirai Kawato
A lot of the start was KES dominating, looking good in their return match. Ricochet came in for a hot tag and looked great. Kawato came in for the hot tag, but was eventually singled out by Taichi and Yoshinobu Kanemaru, who sprayed Taguchi with the whiskey. Kanemaru pinned Kawato with the deep impact DDT.
Heels worked on YOSHI-HASHI for a lot of the match. Fale threw him into some chairs on the outside. Goto came in for the hot tag but Fale blocked a lariat. Everyone came in at one point, with it eventually coming down to Baretta and Yujiro Takahashi. Baretta went for the strong zero but Takahashi countered and planted the pimp juice DDT on Baretta for the win.
Yujiro told Baretta not to mess with the NJPW heavyweights after the match.
After intermission, the vignette that aired at the G1 finals aired once again.
Juice Robinson & War Machine defeated Guerrillas of Destiny & Leo Tonga
Leo Tonga was protected well, never staying in long and did big power spots when in. Heels worked on Hanson until Rowe came in to clear house. GoD and Leo focused on Juice towards the end. Leo hit a big suplex but War Machine came in to help Juice, chopping down the big guy. Robinson took out Tama Tonga, then pinned Leo Tonga with the pulp friction for the win.
Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Takashi Iizuka defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Michael Elgin & KUSHIDA
For those wondering, yes, Tanahashi still has the weird short hair for his movie role. Between this and Go Ace still a thing, I’m pretty conflicted.
Elgin and Suzuki wasted no time in zeroing in on one another, brawling around the ring. Suzuki took an umbrella and choked Elgin with it. Meanwhile, Desperado took out KUSHIDA and brawled around the area. KUSHIDA was the one worked on for a bit before the hot tag to Tanahashi.
It went back between Elgin and Suzuki. With the ref conveniently taken out, Suzuki continued to pelt Elgin with steel chair shots. Elgin started to no sell, then grabbed the steel chair and wrecked havoc upon anyone that came his way, taking out everyone in the match and even the other members of Suzuki-gun on the outside. The ref came back into the match and told Elgin to drop the weapon, and after shoving him twice the referee called for the DQ. Weak finish to a solid brawl.
Suzuki suggested to Elgin after the match that they have a lumberjack death match on 9/10. Elgin said it was fine, because it doesn’t matter who you bring in because the NEVER title will be his. Suzuki said a few more words before leaving, destroying a young lion with the chair on the way out.
EVIL, Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi, BUSHI & SANADA defeated Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Rocky Romero, Toru Yano & Will Ospreay in a ten-man elimination tag match
Everyone’s rival squared off with one another to kick things off- Ishii/Naito, Okada/EVIL, Ospreay/Takahashi, SANADA/Yano and BUSHI/Romero. Ishii and Naito wrestled each other a lot; this made the match pretty heated since Naito was by far the most over wrestler on the show. Naito took Ishii to the apron and hit a running dropkick, but Ishii held on. Naito then eliminated himself by hitting a neckbreaker and landing with his feet on the floor, but also eliminated Ishii in the process.
Yano took apart the turnbuckle as comedy ensued. He managed to low blow both SANADA and BUSHI, then rolled up SANADA for the win. BUSHI misted Yano in response and with his shirt threw Yano to the floor to eliminate him. After a short back and forth, Ospreay picked up another win for his team, pinning BUSHI after an Ozcutter.
Takahashi replaced BUSHI as he went on defensive. Ospreay cut him off, but Takahashi stunned him regardless and eliminated Ospreay with the sunset flip bomb off the middle rope, thus saving himself but not Ospreay.
Okada came in and managed to thwart off both remaining members of LIJ, hitting both with dropkicks and eventually pinning Takahashi with the rainmaker, leaving it between him. Rocky Romero and EVIL. They went to the apron where Okada went for the tombstone, but EVIL cut him off and hit a roaring elbow, eliminating him in a shock.
Romero immediately tried to roll up EVIL, but no dice. After some nice back and forth, EVIL picks up the win with the STO on Romero. This was a pretty fun main event, though I kind of wish most of the finishes didn’t all happen under what felt like a two minute period.
EVIL ended the show with a promo, saying “Welcome to the darkness world” and finishing with his “Everything is evil” catchphrase.
