By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
NJPW “Road to Destruction”
September 17, 2023 in Fukuoka, Japan at Fukuoka Island City Forum
Streamed on New Japan World
This is the first televised NJPW show in a week, and it features match #2 of the best-of-seven series of “Team Yuji Nagata” vs. “Team Minoru Suzuki.” The first match a week ago resulted in a 30-minute time-limit draw. Notably absent from this lineup is Will Ospreay, as this show feels like it has a real lack of star power.
This is a large gym and attendance is perhaps 1,000; it appears to be one of the smaller venues they use, with all fans seated on the floor. That said, it appears to be a packed room. We have Japanese-only commentary.
1. Hiromu Takahashi defeated Yuto Nakashima at 9:03. I always enjoy watching the Young Lions step up to face a top-tier talent. They immediately brawled to the floor, where Hiromu whipped Yuto into the guardrail at 2:00. In the ring, they traded chops and forearm shots, and Hiromu applied a half-crab at 4:30 but Yuto reached the ropes. Yuto applied a Boston Crab and he dragged Hiromu to the middle of the ring, but Hiromu eventually clawed his way to the ropes. Hiromu hit a Falcon Arrow for a believable nearfall at 8:00. He applied a Boston Crab, sat down on the lower back for added pressure, and Yuto eventually tapped out. Solid opener; I still think Yuto has a lot of promise just based on his size alone.
2. Tomoaki Honma and Togi Makabe defeated Boltin Oleg and Oskar Leube at 9:04. Oleg is back in action after missing time from a wrist injury that caused an infection. Leube flew over the top rope and he immediately clutched at his left knee upon landing. Togi picked him up but whipped him into a guardail. Togi stomped on him in the ring and Leube clutched at his left knee. Oleg entered and hit bodyslams on both opponents at 4:00. Honma hit a flying headbutt, then his Kokeshi falling headbutt. Togi hit a clothesline for a nearfall on Oskar at 8:30. He then nailed his top-rope kneedrop to the head to pin Leube. Meh; I just don’t see how facing Honma and Makabe help these youngsters improve.
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, and Yoh defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask, and Satoshi Kojima at 9:02. It feels like Tanahashi and Yano are suddenly teaming again just in time for World Tag League. Tanahashi and Kojima opened. Yoh and Tiger Mask entered at 2:00. Taguchi entered and hit some buttbumps on Yoh. Yoh crotched Taguchi on the top rope and shook it. Yano entered at 5:30, immediately removed a corner pad, and he whipped Taguchi into the exposed turnbuckle. Kojima entered and he hit his rapid-fire chops on each of the three opponents. Kojima hit a stunner on Yano and he tagged in Tiger Mask. TM applied a cross-armbreaker at 8:00, but Tanahashi made the save. Tiger Mask accidentally kicked Taguchi. Yano immediately hit a low blow uppercut and rolled up Tiger Mask for the cheap pin. Exactly what you’d expect here.
4. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr., Bad Dude Tito, Shane Haste, and Mikey Nicholls defeated Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, and “Bishamon” Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi at 9:38. Goto and Haste started. Ishii entered and hit some forearms on Haste. Haste hit a slingshot senton on Ishii for a nearfall at 2:30. Sabre entered and he snapped Ishii’s neck between his feet, as TMDK worked over Ishii. Okada made the hot tag at 5:00 and he hit DDTs on his opponents. Tito hit a sit-out powerbomb on Okada. Okada hit a neckbreaker over his knee on Nicholls at 7:00.
Yoshi-Hashi entered and hit his Headhunter flipping neckbreaker on Nicholls. Ishii hit a suplex on Sabre. Okada hit a dropkick on Tito. Goto hit a neckbreaker over his knee. Haste & Nicholls hit a team faceplant move, then a team suplex move to pin Yoshi-Hashi. That was really good, and far better than the first three matches. TMDK keeps picking up wins over Bishamon heading into their tag title match on Sept. 24.
5. “Los Ingobernobles” Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Bushi, and Tetsuya Naito defeated “United Empire” Jeff Cobb, Callum Newman, Henare, and Great-O-Khan at 13:50. As I noted above, no Will Ospreay tonight. Shingo and O-Khan started in a test of strength. Cobb beat up Naito on the floor as everyone was brawling. In the ring, Henare hit a spin kick on Bushi and UE worked Bushi over. Cobb hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall at 6:00. Bushi finally hit a huracanrana on O-Khan and he made the hot tag to Shingo. O-Khan hit a gutwrench suplex on Naito at 9:00 and he tagged in Cobb.
Cobb and Naito traded some good offense, with Naito hitting an enzuigiri, and Cobb hitting a spin cycle. Naito hit a DDT and they were both down. Newman tagged in for the first time and he faced Yota. Newman really builds up speed when he runs the ropes and it gets a pop. Newman hit a clothesline on Yota for a nearfall at 11:30. Yota hit a creative back suplex on Newman I truly haven’t seen before. Bushi dove through the ropes and barreled onto Henare. Newman hit a Dragon Suplex on Yota for a nearfall. Yota hit a spear (he didn’t get all of it), then a second spear on Newman for the pin. Good match. It feels like Newman was invited to be on this tour just to eat pinfalls for United Empire.
6. “Strong Style” Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, and Ren Narita defeated Yuji Nagata, Master Wato, and Shota Umino at 12:37. Again, this is match #2 of the best-of-seven series. Wato and Desperado started. Ren and Umino entered at 1:30 and immediately traded stiff forearm shots and the crowd loved this exchange. Ren and Nagata traded offense. Minoru tagged in at 6:00 and hit a Helluva Kick on Nagata, then a running penalty kick to the chest. Yuji stood up and they traded forearm shots. Minoru applied a sleeper and he set up for a Gotch-style Piledriver but Yuji fought free at 8:00. Suzuki applied a sleeper on the mat; Yuji reached the ropes but Suzuki didn’t let go until they were separated.
Meanwhile, Desperado and Wato were trading offense in the ring, with Desperado hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Wato applied the Vendeval headlock submission hold but Desperado reached the ropes at 10:30. Wato hit a mousetrap driver for a nearfall. Desperado hit a spinebuster for a nearfall, and he applied the Stretch Muffler. Desperado hit the Angel’s Wings faceplant and pinned Wato! Considering the last match was a time-limit draw, that was shockingly short. I would also argue they got more offense in this match than in the prior match that was twice as long. So, Strong Style is ahead 1-0-1.
* A reminder that Yoshinobu Kanemaru injured his knee a week ago and is off the shows. I haven’t heard any updates, but I’d be shocked if we see him in less than two months. Again, if he tore his ACL, that’s a nine-month recovery period.
7. “Just 5 Guys” Sanada, Taichi, Taka Michinoku, and Douki defeated “House of Torture” EVIL, Dick Togo, Sho, and Yujiro Takahashi at 15:57. All eight brawled at the bell. J5G began working over Yujiro early in the match. Suddenly all eight were brawling on the floor into different areas of the crowd. EVIL hit Sanada with a staff. Back in the ring, the HoT began working over Douki. Togo choked out Sanada with his wire at 6:00, while the rest of the HoT continued their beatdown on Douki. Taichi entered and applied a Stretch Plum on Sho at 8:00. Sho hit a spear on Taichi.
Taka tagged in at 10:30 and battled EVIL, hitting a Mafia Kick, then a basement dropick on EVIL’s knee, and he applied a Figure Four Leglock. Sho and Yujiro hit a team suplex on Taichi. Sanada tagged back in at 13:00 and he whipped EVIL into the guardrails. Yujiro hit Sanada with his staff, and the HoT stomped on Sanada. Douki hit a dive to the floor. Taka nailed the Michinoku Driver on Togo. Sanada immediately nailed a top-rope moonsault to pin Togo. Decent match. Sanada and EVIL kept brawling in the crowd immediately after the pinfall. EVIL scampered away, still holding Sanada’s title belt.
Final Thoughts: I can’t believe I was the only person underwhelmed by the 30-minute draw in the first match of the Suzuki-Nagata series, so I think NJPW wisely changed gears and had a more fast-paced, engaging second match.
Ospreay’s absence meant we had no further build to his singles match against Yota Tsuji. But NJPW continued to build towards Cobb-Naito, Sho-Taichi, EVIL-Sanada, TMDK-Bishamon, Shingo-OKhan, etc.
Be the first to comment