By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Road to Dontaku”
April 27, 2025, in Yamaguchi, Japan, at KDDI Ishin Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
This appears to be an arena; the lights are low so I can’t really see the crowd, but the ring is well-lit. We have Japanese-only commentary today, as Walker Stewart was apparently calling a Stardom show instead.
1. Ryusuke Taguchi and Masatora Yasuda vs. Daiki Nagai and Katsuya Murashima. Yasuda and Nagai opened, then the bigger Murashima battled Taguchi. Taguchi hit a mid-ring buttbump at 2:30. Nagai entered and traded forearm strikes with Taguchi. Nagai got some rollups. Taguchi applied an ankle lock, and Nagai tapped out. Basic.
Ryusuke Taguchi and Masatora Yasuda defeated Daiki Nagai and Katsuya Murashima at 6:03.
2. El Phantasmo and Jado vs. “United Empire” Francesco Akira and Great-O-Khan. O-Khan wore his tag title belt, and he opened against ELP with some quick reversals on the mat and a standoff. They switched to trading forearm strikes. ELP twisted O-Khan’s nipples, which drew quite the crowd reaction. Akira hit a basement dropkick on Jado, and O-Khan got a nearfall on Jado at 3:00. Akira hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall, and the UE worked over Jado. Phantasmo got a hot tag at 6:00 and hit a huracanrana on O-Khan, then a plancha to the floor.
ELP hit a moonsault to the floor on both UE. In the ring, ELP and O-Khan traded kicks, and O-Khan hit a clothesline, and they were both down. Jado and Akira got back in at 8:00. Jado hit a DDT out of the ropes for a nearfall. O-Khan accidentally hit a Mongolian Chop on Akira! Jado rolled up Akira for a nearfall! Akira hit a superkick on Jado for a nearfall, then his Fireball running knees to the back of the head for the pin. Solid.
Francesco Akira and Great-O-Khan defeated El Phantasmo and Jado at 9:55.
3. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, and Hiromu Takahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Shota Umino, and “Just 4 Guys” Taichi, Yuya Uemura, and Taka Michinoku. Ishii and Hiromu glared at each other before the bell. All 10 brawled at the bell. Yuya and Yota brawled on the floor, while Shingo punched Shota in the ring. This was a hot start to this match! Shingo and Umino also brawled to the floor, with Shingo whipping him into the guardrail at 1:30. Back in the ring, Shota and Taka battled Shingo, but Shingo bodyslammed Taka.
Hiromu and Ishii traded chops at ringside. These guys are going hard and fast. Shingo hit a snap suplex on Umino on the thin mat on the floor at 3:00. In the ring, LIJ began working over Taka. Yuya got in and hit a dropkick on Shingo at 4:30, then a back suplex on Yota for a nearfall. Yota hit a backbreaker over his knee on Uemura, and he began to work over Yuya’s previously injured right arm. Yuya hit a dropkick at 6:00 but sold the pain in his elbow. Ishii got in and traded chops with Hiromu, and I’ll reiterate how hot this match has been. (Probably because Naito hasn’t been in yet.) Hiromu hit a huracanrana on Ishii at 7:30.
Ishii popped right back up and continued to battle Hiromu. Naito tagged in, still wearing his T-shirt, but Ishii hit a back suplex on Naito. Taichi entered and hit a Helluva Kick on Naito and those two traded blows. Naito hit a standing neckbreaker at 9:30. Bushi got in and hit a basement dropkick on Shota’s knee. Bushi hit a Rewind Kick on Taichi. Taichi locked in his Stretch Plum submission hold, and Bushi tapped out. Good energy; LIJ is determined to drag Naito into good matches in his stretch run.
Tomohiro Ishii, Shota Umino, Taichi, Yuya Uemura, and Taka Michinoku defeated Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, and Hiromu Takahashi at 11:05.
4. “House of Torture” Sanada, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Sho, and Ren Narita vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, and Taiji Ishimori. HoT came out first; just like a day ago, the BCWD got in, and they all started brawling. Clark and Drilla hit front-and-back spears on Yoshinobu. Suddenly, EVIL and other members of the HoT ran in and attacked the Bullet Club, and the ref threw the match out.
Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, and Taiji Ishimori defeated Sanada, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Sho, and Ren Narita via DQ at 1:21.
* They are restarting as a 12-man tag.
5. “House of Torture” EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Sanada, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Sho, and Ren Narita (w/Dick Togo) vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” David Finlay, Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, Taiji Ishimori, and Gedo. They brawled all around the building, and I can see the crowd much better here, and yes, this venue is packed. In the ring, the HoT worked over Gedo. Gedo and Yujiro bit each other’s fingers at 5:00. Finlay hit a suplex on Yujiro. The BCWD all clotheslined the HoT guys to the floor. In the ring, Gedo hit some jab punches on Yujiro. Dick Togo choked Gedo with his wire. EVIL hit Gedo in the head with a shillelagh, and Yujiro covered the knocked-out Gedo for the pin. Okay brawl.
EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Sanada, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Sho, and Ren Narita defeated David Finlay, Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, Taiji Ishimori, and Gedo at 7:51.
6. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr., Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, and Ryohei Oiwa vs. Boltin Oleg, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, Master Wato, and Yoh. Sabre and Tanahashi opened, and Zack tied him in an Octopus Stretch early on. Oiwa entered at 2:30, so Yano tagged in, too. Tanahashi traded forearm strikes with Oiwa, and he hit his second-rope somersault senton for a nearfall. Yoh crashed shoulder-first into the corner, and Oiwa hit a back suplex on him at 5:30. Fujita got in and cleared the ring. Wato and Yoh hit a team suplex on Fujita at 7:00.
Eagles got in; he and Fujita hit some team offense on Wato. Finally, the massive bulls, Oleg and Hartley, got in and traded shoulder tackles, then chops. Oleg hit a suplex at 9:30. Oleg hit a splash to the mat for a nearfall. Sabre and Oiwa worked together to knock down Oleg. Hartley hit a flying crossbody block on Oleg, then a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 11:30. Oleg hit a dropkick, then a gut-wrench suplex, then a belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall. Oleg then hit the Kamikaze (forward Finlay Roll) on Hartley for the pin. Yes, this match had the same formula as a day ago, but Oleg vs. Hartley is a fun big-man battle.
Boltin Oleg, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, Master Wato, and Yoh defeated Zack Sabre Jr., Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, and Ryohei Oiwa at 13:22.
7. El Desperado and “Bishamon” Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi vs. “United Empire” Callum Newman, Jakob Austin Young, and Templario. Templario and Despe opened and traded quick reversals, and Templario dove through the ropes at 1:30, and they brawled past the guardrails and fought in front of the crowd. Back in the ring, Jakob hit a basement dropkick and beat up Desperado. Goto entered and hit a clothesline on Callum at 4:30. Callum hit a Helluva Kick and a running Penalty Kick, but Goto popped up and hit another clothesline, and they were both down.
Yoshi-Hashi and Young tagged in at 6:30 and traded chops. Desperado and Templario got back in and traded overhand chops, and Templario hit a Lumbar Check at 8:00 that popped the Japanese commentators. Goto hit a neckbreaker over his knee on Templario. Bishamon hit the Shoto team slam on Jakob for the pin. Pretty basic.
El Desperado, Hirooki Goto, and Yoshi-Hashi defeated Callum Newman, Jakob Austin Young, and Templario at 9:06.
Final Thoughts: I wonder when is the last time an NJPW main event went under 10 minutes. Just an underwhelming show, top-to-bottom, with a main event that would normally be nothing more than mid-card filler. I know all the key matches for the upcoming Dontaku show (Callum-Goto, Yoh and Wato vs. Eagles and Fujita, etc.), but I can’t say that any storylines were really advanced here, either. Just a skippable show with no must-see matches. The LIJ 10-man was inspired, particularly the work of Shingo, Shota, Yota, Ishii, Hiromu, and Yuya — the other four guys were just kind of there. Second place goes to the TMDK tag, even though it was almost identical to a day ago. I’ve said before that NJPW should always have at least one singles match that would be intriguing, and that was really missing today.
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