By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Road to the New Beginning”
January 22, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
Once again, we have Japanese-only commentary. It’s a good-sized crowd here but I can’t tell if it’s a sellout. The good news is Tomohiro Ishii is back, after competing on AEW Collision last week. The bad news is the lineup still doesn’t have David Finlay, Jeff Cobb, TJP, El Phantasmo, or the four injured guys. (OH, and no EVIL. But no one is missing EVIL.)
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shoma Kato. Tanahashi is facing each of the three current Young Lions over shows here in Korakuen Hall. (Another takes place tomorrow, with the final one next week.) I think it’s great he’s giving them each a singles match before he retires. Tanahashi tied up the left leg on the mat. Kato hit a dropkick, then some armdrags at 4:00. Tanahashi hit a basement dropkick on a knee, then applied a Boston Crab and sat down on the back for added pressure, but Kato reached the ropes at 7:00. Tanahashi hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip, applied a Texas Cloverleaf, and this time, Kato tapped out. Decent.
Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Shoma Kato at 8:31.
2. Daiki Nagai, Katsuya Murashima, Boltin Oleg, and Toru Yano vs. “House of Torture” Sho, Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and Yujiro Takahashi. Again, no sign of EVIL. All eight brawled at the bell. Sho battled the larger Murashima. Kanemaru beat up Murashima on the floor and bodyslammed him, and they tossed him back into the ring and kept him in their corner. Oleg finally got a hot tag at 4:30 and he hit some shoulder tackles, and he flipped Ren around in his arms, then he hit a double clothesline. He set up for the Kamikaze, but Ren grabbed the top rope to escape. Nagai tagged in at 7:00 and he hit a dropkick, and he bodyslammed Kanemaru. Kanemaru hit a brainbuster on Nagai, and he applied a Boston Crab. Sho kicked Nagai as he tried to get to the ropes, and Daiki tapped out. Okay action. I don’t think Yano was ever legally in the match.
Sho, Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and Yujiro Takahashi defeated Daiki Nagai, Katsuya Murashima, Boltin Oleg, and Toru Yano at 9:10.
3. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Sanada and Clark Connors vs. “Just 4 Guys” Taka Michinoku and Taichi. I’ve noted that this Sanada-Taichi feud is a month or two too late, but at least it is happening. All four brawled at the bell. Sanada and Taichi immediately brawled through the crowd. Connor and Taka traded forearm strikes in the ring, with Clark winning that exchange. The heels worked over Taka, and they did a spot where Taka and Sanada ‘accidentally’ hit low blows on each other. Taichi made the hot tag at 5:00 and he battled Sanada. Taka and Connors each got back in, and Taka cranked back on Clark’s head. Clark hit a powerslam at 9:00. Connors hit the No Chaser (spike DDT) to pin Taka. Okay match.
Sanada and Clark Connors defeated Taka Michinoku and Taichi at 10:08.
4. Shota Umino, Master Wato, and Tomohiro Ishii vs. “United Empire” Great-O-Khan, Jakob Austin Young, and Francesco Akira. Francesco and Wato opened, and Akira hit a plancha to the floor. Ishii got in and traded forearm strikes with Akira, with Ishii winning that exchange. O-Khan got in and traded blows with Ishii, and hit his Mongolian Chops. Ishii hit a delayed vertical suplex. Shota got the hot tag at 5:30 and he hit a dropkick on Akira. Shota hit an Exploder Suplex on O-Khan, and they were both down. Wato and Akira tagged back in at 8:30. Akira hit a missile dropkick. Akira hit a superkick on Ishii; Ishii hit a German Suplex on Akira, then a decapitating clothesline. Shota hit a tornado DDT. Wato mouse-trapped Jakob’s arms, got a seatbelt cover and a believable nearfall; I thought that was it. Wato hit a German Suplex with a high bridge to pin Young. That was a really good undercard match.
Shota Umino, Master Wato, and Tomohiro Ishii defeated Great-O-Khan, Jakob Austin Young, and Francesco Akira at 11:28.
5. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Robbie Eagles, Hartley Jackson, and Ryohei Oiwa vs. Tomoaki Honma, Yoshi-Hashi, and Yoh. Y-H and Oiwa opened with a feeling-out process and reversals on the mat. The massive, muscular Hartley got in and dropped Yoh with one chop at 4:30, and he hit a big senton. (I don’t need to speak Japanese to get the commentators’ reaction to that splash!) Yoshi-Hashi and Oiwa got back in, with Ryohei hitting a back suplex at 8:30. Yoh hit a jumping knee. Honma hit a Kokeshi falling headbutt on Oiwa. Oiwa hit a gutwrench suplex on Honma. Honma has a cut near his left eye. Oiwa hit a discus clothesline for the pin. Solid match.
Robbie Eagles, Hartley Jackson, and Ryohei Oiwa defeated Tomoaki Honma, Yoshi-Hashi, and Yoh at 10:21.
6. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Shingo Takagi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito, and Yota Tsuji vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Gabe Kidd, Gedo, Taiji Ishimori, and Drilla Moloney. Shingo and Gabe immediately traded overhand chops, then forearm strikes, and this was a back-and-forth exchange. Naito and Hiromu did some team moves on Ishimori. Gedo got in and choked Naito on the mat. Drilla and Shingo traded blows; they have an upcoming singles match. Yota hit a Stinger Splash on Drilla at 8:00. Shingo hit a double DDT on Gabe and Drilla. Hiromu got a hot tag and battled Gedo. Hiromu applied his standing Figure Four, then sat down on the mat, and Gedo tapped out. Okay match. Once again, Naito was in the ring for maybe 30 seconds?
Shingo Takagi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito, and Yota Tsuji defeated Gabe Kidd. Gedo, Taiji Ishimori, and Drilla Moloney at 10:45.
7. Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita vs. Hirooki Goto and El Desperado. Sabre and Goto locked up to open and traded basic standing switches. Kosei and Desperado entered at 3:00, with Kosei hitting some chops. Despe and Goto were clearly not on the same page; they don’t usually team up, and Desperado declined to help put the blows to the back. Despe and Fujita traded blows on the floor. Sabre and Goto also fought on the floor on the other side of the ring, near the deeper seating area. In the ring, TMKD both applied submission holds on Goto, and they kept Hirooki in their corner. Goto hit a decapitating clothesline on Fujita at 10:00.
Desperado got a hot tag and he hit a running back elbow on Fujita, then a suplex. Desperado applied a Stretch Muffler on Sabre. (This is where I wish we had English commentary, as I wonder how often these former Suzuki-Gun members have squared off.) Desperado hit a spinebuster. Goto hit a back suplex on Sabre. Sabre hit some European Uppercuts on Goto. Sabre hit a Pele Kick on the shoulder. Fujita got in and hit an enzuigiri on Goto; Goto hit another clothesline on Kosei, and they were both down at 15:00. Goto hit a clothesline on Sabre, then his neckbreaker over the knee for a nearfall. Sabre applied a Triangle Choke at 16:30. Kosei hit a flip dive to the floor on Desperado. In the ring, Sabre snapped Goto’s neck between his ankles. However, Goto flipped Sabre over, rolled him up, and scored the pin!
Hirooki Goto and El Desperado defeated Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita at 17:49.
Final Thoughts: A fairly standard show that focused on moving forward the singles matches to come, like Sabre-Goto and Taichi-Sanada and Drilla-Shingo. I liked the idea of Sabre taking the loss here; it shouldn’t happen often to the champ, but it further plants the seeds that just maybe Goto can beat him in their upcoming singles match (He shouldn’t! But that’s a different discussion.) So, a big win for Goto here on the road to his title shot.
If I could convince Tanahashi and Gedo of ONE simple change to make NJPW better, it’s to have at least one singles match on every show. Let it be something random. I have said that before, but I really thought about this again today while watching Ishii and Akira have an awesome exchange. Why not let those two have a random singles match? Sure, Akira is a junior, but he’s not so much smaller that it wouldn’t be competitive. I just think there are a lot of interesting matches out there that never get to happen; it would be a lot better than seeing all these six-man tag matches with slightly different lineups.
NJPW will be back here in Korakuen Hall on Thursday with Yoshi-Hashi vs. Ryohei Oiwa as the main event, plus Yoh and Hirooki Goto vs. Zack Sabre Jr. and Robbie Eagles.
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