By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Road to Destruction”
September 8, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
The NJPW show on Saturday was flat and honestly rather dull, so hopefully we have a better outing today. Chris Charlton provided commentary.
1. Daiki Nagai vs. Masatora Yasuda. These are two new Young Lions. Yasuda is taller and has a better physique. The sides of Daiki’s head are shaved. Yasuda worked the left arm; Nagai twisted the left leg. These Young Lion matches, particularly their first month, are so basic but I recognize the importance of getting out in front of a live crowd. Yasuda grapevined the leg, but Nagai reached the ropes at 7:00. Nagai hit a nice-looking dropkick. Nagai applied a Boston Crab at 9:30, and Yasuda flailed on the mat but held on until the time limit expired.
Daiki Nagai vs. Masatora Yasuda ended in a time-limit draw at 10:00.
2. “United Empire” Great-O-Khan, Jakob Austin Young, and Callum Newman vs. Tiger Mask, Shoma Kato, and Katsuya Murashima. The Young Lions attacked to begin the match, and they hit a team shoulder tackle to knock down O-Khan. O-Khan hit his Mongolian Chops and worked over Katsuya. Newman entered and hit his sprinting Mafia Kick at 3:00. Murashima hit a dropkick on Callum. Tiger Mask got the hot tag and hit some roundhouse kicks. TM hit a Tiger Driver on Newman at 5:30. Jakob got in and hit a leg lariat on Kato. Kato hit a dropkick for a nearfall; Jakob hit an enzuigiri, then a Sliced Bread out of the corner to pin Kato. Good energy; maybe being back in Korakuen Hall is going to help.
“United Empire” Great-O-Khan, Jakob Austin Young, and Callum Newman defeated Tiger Mask, Shoma Kato, and Katsuya Murashima at 7:39.
3. “House of Torture” Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Ren Narita vs. Jado and Shota Umino. Shota opened; Ren was in but tagged out before they locked up. Shota hit a senton on Kanemaru. Kanemaru hit a dropkick on Jado’s knee at 2:00 and the heels took over. Shota got the hot tag and hit a flying forearm on Ren at 6:00, then a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. He hit a dropkick but sold pain in his shoulder. Jado tagged back in. Ren applied a leglock, and Jado tapped out. Okay.
“House of Torture” Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Ren Narita defeated Jado and Shota Umino at 9:07.
4. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Jake Lee and Gabe Kidd vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Tomoaki Honma. Lee and Kidd came out second; they pulled Ishii and Honma to the floor and they began brawling at ringside. Ishii and Kidd brawled up onto the landing half-way up the seating area at Korakuen Hall. They returned to the ring and the ref called for the bell to officially begin at 2:40, as Kidd ripped off Ishii’s shirt and stomped on him. Ishii fired up and hit a series of chops and forearms on Kidd in the corner. They traded suplexes and both collapsed at 5:30. Lee and Honma both tagged in. Lee sidestepped a flying headbutt attempt. Lee hit a high back suplex for a nearfall at 8:00. Lee hit a spin kick to Honma’s head for a believable nearfall. Lee finally nailed the Helluva Kick… but he picked up Honma rather than pin him! He then hit a brainbuster for the pin!
“Bullet Club War Dogs” Jake Lee and Gabe Kidd defeated Tomohiro Ishii and Tomoaki Honma at 9:40/official time is about 7:00 even.
* Callum Newman joined commentary.
5. “House of Torture” EVIL, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi, and Dick Togo (w/Ren Narita) vs. Toru Yano, Ryusuke Taguchi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Boltin Oleg. The HoT attacked to begin the match and they stomped on Yano. Tanahashi hit some Dragonscrew Legwhips. EVIL hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Tanahashi. The HoT worked over Tanahashi extensively. Oleg got the hot tag at 5:30 and hit shoulder tackles and threw guys around the ring; Callum laughed at the sheer brutality. He flipped Togo around in his arms before hitting a gut-wrench suplex. Togo hit a double knife-edge chop to Boltin’s groin at 8:00. Taguchi got in and hit some flying buttbumps on Sho. Sho swung his wrench but Taguchi ducked it. Yujiro took his walking staff and um, jabbed it into Taguchi’s rear. Sho immediately rolled up Taguchi for the tainted pin.
“House of Torture” EVIL, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi, and Dick Togo defeated Toru Yano, Ryusuke Taguchi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Boltin Oleg at 10:17.
6. “Just 5 Guys” Taka Michinoku and Douki vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Gedo and Taiji Ishimori. Douki and Ishimori opened. Gedo and Taka traded offense, with a dose of comedy. Ishimori helped beat up Taka. Douki got back in and put the Douki Chokey on Gedo at 6:30, but Ishimori made the save. Ishimori hit a flying double knees in the corner on Douki, then a shoulder breaker over his knee. Taka re-entered and hit a superkick on Ishimori and tied him up on the mat. However, Ishimori escaped and applied a Bonelock. Ishimori hit a handspring-back-spin kick on Taka. He then reapplied the Bone Lock, and Taka tapped out. Okay match.
“Bullet Club War Dogs” Gedo and Taiji Ishimori defeated “Just 5 Guys” Taka Michinoku and Douki at 9:13.
7. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Bushi and Tetsuya Naito vs. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita. This is a preview tag match that makes sense, as Sabre is coming for Naito’s title, and they opened against each other. Fujita entered and hit some loud chops on Naito. Callum said Fujita has the hardest chops of anyone in New Japan; I wouldn’t have expected that response. Naito tied Fujita in a Figure Four Leglock at 4:00. Fujita hit a spin kick to Naito’s face and they were both down. Sabre got the hot tag and he tied Naito in an Octopus.
Sabre snapped Naito’s neck between his ankles and hit a basement dropkick on Naito’s head. Naito hit a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 7:00. Naito hit a springboard tornado DDT and they were both down. Bushi tagged in and hit a basement dropkick on Sabre’s knee. He dove through the ropes and barreled into Zack’s chest. In the ring, Sabre applied a front guillotine choke, but Naito made the save. Bushi went for a Figure Four Leglock, but Sabre reversed it, tied him in a bow and arrow, locked up an arm, and Bushi tapped out. Sabre keeps coming up with unique ways to make an opponent tap out. I enjoyed this.
“The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita defeated “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Bushi and Tetsuya Naito at 9:51.
8. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Shingo Takagi and Hiromu Takahashi vs. “United Empire” Henare and Francesco Akira. Henare and Hiromu opened; they will be competing soon for the NEVER Openweight Title, and Charlton talked about how few juniors have competed for it. Those two immediately traded overhand chops and forearm strikes. Hiromu hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 2:30, and he tagged in Shingo, who hit some chops and a snap suplex on Henare. Akira finally entered and he hit a basement dropkick to the face as Hiromu was tied in the Tree of Woe at 5:00.
Henare hit a Samoan Drop on Hiromu for a nearfall. Akira hit some running back elbows in the corner on Shingo then a huracanrana, then a plancha onto Shingo. Akira hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 8:00. Shingo hit a DDT and a clothesline for a nearfall, but Henare made the save. Akira hit a doublestomp on Shingo’s stomach, then a modified Code Red for a nearfall. This match has been particular good. Shingo hit a Death Valley Driver and a Pumping Bomber for a believable nearfall. Shingo then nailed the Made In Japan (pumphandle powerbomb) for the pin. That was really good. Henare and Hiromu continued to jaw after the bell.
“Los Ingobernables de Japon” Shingo Takagi and Hiromu Takahashi vs. “United Empire” Henare and Francesco Akira at 10:59.
9. Jeff Cobb vs. Yota Tsuji for the NJPW TV Title. Tsuji beat Cobb on the final day of the G1 round-robin to claim the final playoff spot. A reminder this match has a 15-minute time limit. Tsuji hit a head-scissors takedown in the first minute, sending Cobb to the floor to regroup. So, Yota dove through the ropes onto him. In the ring, Yota hit a shoulder tackle and got a nearfall at 3:00. Cobb went for a Spin Cycle back suplex but Tsuji escaped. Cobb kipped to his feet and hit a dropkick, sending Yota to the floor at 6:00. In the ring, Cobb was in charge. Cobb hit an impressive second-rope gutwrench suplex at 8:00.
Cobb kept Tsuji grounded, and hit a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall. Tsuji hit a basement dropkick and they were both down at 11:00. “Time is not on Yota Tsuji’s side!” Charlton said. Yota hit a suplex for a nearfall. Tsuji hit a Frankensteiner, a running knee, and a sit-out powerbomb move for a nearfall and the crowd was fired up. Yota leapt off the top rope but Cobb caught him and hit a Spin Cycle back suplex. Cobb leapt off the top rope and hit a Stomp on Yota’s head for a nearfall at 13:30. Cobb hit a spear on Yota! He took his time making a cover and only got a nearfall. Tsuji got a rollup for a nearfall. Cobb hit a clothesline for a nearfall. He sidestepped Yota’s spear attempt. Cobb put Yota on his shoulders and spun him to the mat for a nearfall, and the time limit expired. Good match.
Jeff Cobb vs. Yota Tsuji ended in a time limit draw at 15:00; Jeff Cobb retained the title.
* Ren Narita jumped in the ring and attacked both men.
Final Thoughts: A much better show than a day ago. Cobb-Tsuji is best, and the LIJ/UE tag earns second. Just more energy than from a day ago. Callum was okay on commentary; I enjoyed him just flat-out laughing when a vicious move took place. NJPW is right back in action on Monday with the Henare vs. Hiromu Takahashi match for the NEVER Openweight Title.
Be the first to comment