By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Destruction in Kobe”
September 29, 2024 in Hyogo, Japan at Kobe World Memorial Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
This is the first televised NJPW event in a week. This is a small arena and the lights are low, but it appears we have a crowd of maybe 3,000. Chris Charlton and Walker Stewart provided commentary.
* A reminder that the injury list now includes Jake Lee and Yuya Uemura. We haven’t heard a timeline for Lee’s return, but Yuya probably won’t be back until 2025. The injured list also includes El Desperado, Yoh, and Master Wato. Notably absent from tonight’s lineup are Tomohiro Ishii, Ren Narita, and Taiji Ishimori.
1. Shota Umino, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Dragon Dia vs. Yuji Nagata, Tiger Mask, and Tomoaki Honma. Dragon Dia’s hair is tinted red today; he competed in this year’s BoSJ but he’s really undersized. Taguchi and Nagata opened. Dia entered at 3:30 and battled Tiger Mask. TM hit a Tiger Driver. Shota entered and battled Homna. Honma hit a Kokeshi falling headbutt on Umino. Shota hit the Death Rider double-arm DDT on Honma for the pin. Basic.
Shota Umino, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Dragon Dia defeated Yuji Nagata, Tiger Mask, and Tomoaki Honma at 7:24.
2. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Bushi, Yota Tsuji, and Hiromu Takahashi vs. “United Empire” Jeff Cobb, Francesco Akira, and Callum Newman. Rivals Cobb and Tsuji opened with basic reversals; they have battled several times lately, including Yota eliminating Cobb on the final day of the G1 round-robin stage. Callum tagged in at 2:30 and fought Bushi. Hiromu entered and hit a head-scissors takedown on Newman. Akira entered and he traded chops with Hiromu at 5:00. Cobb and Tsuji re-entered and traded stiff forearm strikes. Cobb hit a uranage, a diving forearm, and his standing moonsault. Akira feigned a knee injury, and Hiromu immediately targeted it. Hiromu put him in essentially a standing Figure Four, and Akira tapped out. Really good action.
Bushi, Yota Tsuji, and Hiromu Takahashi defeated Jeff Cobb, Francesco Akira, and Callum Newman at 7:24.
3. Hirooki Goto vs. Gabe Kidd. Kidd came out first but he turned around and walked back through the curtain, and we saw Goto was on the ground. Kidd jumped on him; I started my stopwatch here. They brawled on the long, narrow ramp toward the ring. They got in the ring and the bell sounded at 1:30 to officially begin, but Kidd clotheslined them both to the floor just seconds later, and he whipped Goto into the guardrail, and they brawled into the crowd. The ref called for the bell at 3:30 for a double count-out. Kidd got on the mic and demanded the match be re-started, but as no-DQ. They continued to brawl on the floor as the announcer told the crowd this match would continue, and they got back into the ring at 5:30. (They had literally been in the ring for 10 seconds at this point.)
Kidd placed a table between the ring and the guardrail. In the ring, Goto hit a clothesline and they were both down. Goto hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 7:30, then the neckbreaker over his knee. They hit stereo clotheslines, and Kidd dropped him with a clothesline, then a back suplex. Kidd got a weapon from under the ring that looks like a metal spike. Goto hit a spinning heel kick to the jaw and he threw the spike to the floor. Kidd bit his forehead and hit another back suplex at 11:30. Kidd hit a clothesline. Goto hit a Death Valley Driver move for a nearfall. Goto hit a swinging side slam, then the GTR neckbreaker over his knee for the clean pin. Good energy and the crowd was into this brawl.
Hirooki Goto defeated Gabriel Kidd at 12:57/official time of about 11:25.
* TMDK is unveiling a new member in this next match! It is Ryohei Oiwa, a fairly recent Young Lion graduate who has been on excursion elsewhere in Japan. He is really polished and good in the ring, and this is a good place for him. He has a bit of a mullet with a splash of brown hair now.
4. “They Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr., Kosei Fujia, and Ryohei Oiwa vs. “Just 5 Guys” Sanada, Taka Michinoku, and Taichi. Taichi and Oiwa opened. Oiwa hit some dropkicks. Sabre entered to face former teammate Taichi, but Taichi tagged out to Sanada at 2:00 instead of locking up. Sabre and Sanada traded good mat reversals; Sanada recently scored a surprising pin on Sabre in a multi-man match. Sanada hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip and they were both down. Kosei hit a springboard dropkick on Taka at 5:00. He hit a spin kick to Taka’s forehead. Oiwa hit a back suplex on Taka, then a discus clothesline for the pin. Short and to the point; this was about reintroducing Oiwa to the NJPW fans.
Zack Sabre Jr., Kosei Fujia, and Ryohei Oiwa defeated Sanada, Taka Michinoku, and Taichi at 6:30.
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Boltin Oleg, and Toru Yano vs. “House of Torture” EVIL, Sho, and Yujiro Takahashi (w/Dick Togo) for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Titles. The HoT attacked from behind, and they all stomped on Tanahashi. They all brawled to the floor, and EVIL whipped Yano into a guardrail. He rolled Toru into the ring and made a cocky one-footed cover for a nearfall at 2:30, and the HoT took turns working over Yano. Sho twisted Yano’s fingers. Oleg got a hot tag at 4:30 and he hit a double suplex. He hit a splash to the mat on Sho for a nearfall. He flipped Sho around in his arms and hit a gut-wrench suplex.
Hiroshi ripped off Sho’s shirt, allowing Oleg’s chops to hit Sho’s bare chest. Oleg hit a shotgun dropkick on Yujiro at 7:00. Tanahashi bodyslammed Yujiro, then hit his second-rope summersault senton for a nearfall. They all brawled some more. Tanahashi hit a knife-edge chop to Yujiro’s groin, then a Sling Blade clothesline or a nearfall, but the ref was pulled to the floor at 9:00. Tanahashi hit Dragonscrew Legwhips on each heel. Ren Narita appeared out of nowhere and hit the babyfaces with his push-up bar. El Phantasmo hit the ring and helped beat up the heels. He hit the CR2 (modified Styles Clash) on Yujiro. Tanahashi immediately hit the High Fly Flow frogsplash on Yujiro for the pin. Better action than I expected; on the high end of a HoT match.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Boltin Oleg, and Toru Yano defeated EVIL, Sho, and Yujiro Takahashi to retain the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Titles at 11:19.
6. Douki vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. Douki hit a head-scissors takedown early on and a springboard back elbow, then a baseball slide to the floor. He whipped Kanemaru into the guardrails. In the ring, Kanemaru twisted the left knee and worked it over. He tied Douki’s legs around the ring post at 4:30, and he kept Douki on the mat. Douki hit a flying elbow at 7:30 but sold the pain in his knee as he got to his feet. Douki hit a plancha to the floor. He hit a moonsault to the floor and they were both down at 9:00. In the ring, he hit a suplex for a nearfall. Douki went for Daybreak (slingshot DDT), but Kanemaru avoided it. Kanemaru slammed Douki’s knee from the ring apron onto the floor at 11:00. Douki barely got back into the ring before being counted out.
Kanemaru immediately applied a Figure Four, but Douki reached the ropes at 12:30. Douki applied the Douki Chokey Triangle Choke! Kanemaru reached the ropes. They traded rollups and he reapplied the Douki Chokey. Sho appeared and distracted the ref. Kanemaru sprayed alcohol in Douki’s eyes and hit a moonsault for a nearfall at 16:30. Kanemaru again applied a Figure Four, and Douki writhed in pain. Kanemaru hit a second-rope DDT for a nearfall at 18:00. Douki hit an enzuigiri, then a clothesline. He hit Sho, then he dove onto him. He hit Daybreak on Kanemaru in the ring for a nearfall. Douki hit a Dragon Suplex with a high bridge and pinned Kanemaru. That picked up nicely.
Douki defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru to retain the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title at 20:12.
* Douki and Sho jawed at each other on the mic, and Sho is now the No. 1 contender. Sho hit Douki with his wrench and took off running.
7. Henare vs. Shingo Takagi for the NEVER Openweight Title. These two also are familiar foes; they charged at each other at the bell and immediately traded forearm strikes. They brawled to the floor and traded more blows. In the ring, Henare hit a shoulder tackle at 2:00. He tied up Shingo on the mat and cranked on his head. He hit some stiff kicks to Shingo’s spine. Shingo hit a senton at 4:00. He knocked Henare down with a shoulder tackle, then hit a suplex. Henare hit a Berzerker Bomb for a nearfall at 6:00. Shingo hit a DDT and they were both down. Shingo hit a sliding clothesline. They were on their hands and knees and traded headbutts at 8:30.
Henare hit some roundhouse kicks to the chest; Shingo hit some knife-edge chops to the neck and shoulders. Henare hit a Samoan Drop and they were both down at 10:00. Henare tied him in a Full Nelson. Shingo hit the Made In Japan pump-handle powerbomb, then some Moxley-style elbow strikes to the side of the head at 12:30. Henare hit a springboard spin kick. He hit a headbutt that dropped them both. He hit a jumping knee and a running penalty kick, but Shingo kicked out at one at 14:30! Henare hit a uranage for a nearfall. He again went for a Full Nelson but Shingo powered free. Shingo hit a suplex and they were both down at 16:30.
They traded clotheslines and headbutts. They started trading open-hand slaps to the face. Shingo hit a headbutt and a knee to the collarbone, then a Pumping Bomber clothesline but Henare kicked out at one. A second Pumping Bomber got a nearfall. Shingo hit a Last of the Dragon modified Air Raid Crash, dropping Henare on the top of his head, for the pin. “That was a scary, scary landing,” Charlton said. Shingo is now NEVER champion for the fifth time. These two absolutely click together in the ring.
Shingo Takagi defeated Henare to win the NEVER Openweight Title at 19:24.
8. David Finlay vs. Yoshi-Hashi for the IWGP Global Title. Yoshi-Hashi didn’t qualify for this year’s G1, but he pinned Finlay in a multi-man match at the conclusion of the tournament to earn this title shot. He dropped Finlay early on with a shoulder tackle. Finlay dropped him throat-first on the top rope at 2:00 and took control. He hit some European Uppercuts and he whipped Yoshi-Hashi into the corner, with Y-H selling the pain in his lower back. They brawled to the floor with Finlay still in charge. Yoshi-Hashi suplexed him onto the entrance ramp at 5:30 and they were both down. He whipped Finlay head-first into the ring frame, then a flip dive onto him on the floor. He hit a second-rope flipping neckbreaker at 7:30, and Finlay rolled to the floor to regroup.
Finlay hit a shoulder block that sent Yoshi-Hashi flying into a guardrail, then he powerbombed Yoshi-Hashi against a ring post at 9:30. Back in the ring, he tossed Yoshi-Hashi across the ring and remained in charge. Yoshi-Hashi whipped Finlay shoulder-first into the corner at 12:00, and David sold pain in his left arm. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees, then while standing. Finlay nailed the Irish Curse backbreaker over his knees at 14:00, then a Dominator swinging face plant for a nearfall. Yoshi-Hashi hit a DDT. Finlay nailed another Irish Curse. Yoshi-Hashi got a Crucifix Drive for a nearfall, and he applied a modified Stretch Plum submission hold around the neck and shoulders.
Finlay grabbed his shillelagh, but Yoshi-Hashi took it and tossed it to the floor. Finlay eventually got a foot on the ropes and they were both down at 17:30. Yoshi-Hashi hit a Dragon Suplex. They hit stereo clotheslines. Yoshi-Hashi hit a suplex for a nearfall. He hit a top-rope Swanton Bomb for a nearfall at 19:00! Finlay hit a stunner, then the Oblivion neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall. He nailed a Buckle Bomb and a discus forearm, then a standing powerbomb for a nearfall at 21:00. Yoshi-Hashi blocked the Overkill pop-up knee strike to the sternum and got a rollup for a nearfall. Seconds later, Finlay nailed Overkill for the pin. A really good match; I never quite bought the possibility of Yoshi-Hashi winning, but it was really good. Hirooki Goto rolled into the ring and glared at Finlay; with his win earlier in the show, I presume Goto will be the next challenger.
David Finlay defeated Yoshi-Hashi to retain the IWGP Global Title at 21:37.
9. Tetsuya Naito vs. Great-O-Khan for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. O-Khan defeated Naito on the final day of the G1 Climax round-robin stage to reach the playoffs (and keep Naito out of the playoffs), so this is a rematch. A feeling-out process early on, and O-Khan tied him up on the mat. He wrapped Naito’s leg around the bottom rope at 6:30; this has been slow-going so far. O-Khan hit his Mongolian Chops at 9:00; if you tuned in now I would say you have missed nothing. O-Khan hit a gut-wrench suplex for a nearfall. Naito hit a deep armdrag at 12:00, then a standing neckbreaker. He hit another one for a nearfall at 14:00. O-Khan hit a double-underhook suplex at 16:00 and applied a modified Figure Four.
O-Khan kicked out Naito’s knee. Naito hit his springboard tornado DDT at 18:00, and O-Khan rolled to the floor. Naito hit a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker on the entrance ramp at 20:00. Back in the ring, Naito now tied a submission hold around O-Khan’s neck; this match has remained slow and mat-based. O-Khan went back to work on the left leg and grapevined the limb; Naito reached the ropes at 25:30. O-Khan hit a Mafia Kick. Naito hit an enzuigiri. They fought on the top rope, and Naito hit a Frankensteiner at 29:00. O-Khan hit a backbreaker over his knee. Naito hit a Destino. A second one was blocked, and O-Khan hit a Flatliner. Naito hit second Destino for a nearfall. He hit a third Destino for the pin. Oof… that was a slow match and could have easily been half that length.
Tetsuya Naito defeated Great-O-Khan to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at 30:44.
* O-Khan left, and Zack Sabre Jr. strolled to ringside, carrying his G1 Climax trophy. He got in the ring to confront Naito. He spoke in Japanese, congratulating Naito on the win. Shingo Takagi rolled in the ring, and he also wants a title shot! Ryohei Oiwa got in the ring, took the mic, and he challenged Takagi. Shingo accepted.
Final Thoughts: Zack Sabre Jr. can’t win the IWGP World Title soon enough. Watching Naito’s 2024 title matches is often a chore, and it definitely was here. Also, with everyone knowing that G1 Climax winner Sabre is waiting in the wings for his title shot against Naito, there was absolutely zero mystery over who was winning the Naito vs. O-Khan bout. Sure, Shingo-Henare has played out several times now, but that easily takes best match. I really enjoyed Finlay vs. Yoshi-Hashi and that takes second. Goto-Kidd had really good energy for third.
The undercard was okay. Shota Umino needs to get out of these opening tags and teaming with Taguchi. I should have guessed Oiwa as the mystery TMDK member, as everyone knew he was set to return to NJPW. (I had guessed on Twitter/X it would be Ishii, but this works, too.) Oleg continues to completely carry Yano and Tanahashi in their six-man tag matches, and it’s always good news that HoT didn’t win title belts. Oiwa is really good, and really polished, for a kid just out of his Young Lion days. I’m a huge fan of Shingo Takagi, and it will be interesting to see if NJPW pulls the trigger and puts the NEVER Openweight title on Oiwa this quickly.
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