By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Road to Dontaku”
April 30, 2025, in Kagoshima, Japan, at Ichikikusukino City General Gymnasium
Streamed live on New Japan World
The last NJPW show I reviewed was deeply underwhelming with a six-man tag main event that didn’t even go ten minutes. Hopefully, this one is better! This venue is a large gym, and the lights were on. The attendance was maybe 600-800. Walker Stewart was back on commentary.
1. Katsuya Murashima vs. Daiki Nagai. Basic reversals early on. Daiki hit a dropkick at 4:00. Katsuya applied a Fujiwara Armbar, and Daiki tapped out. Basic but fine.
Katsuya Murashima defeated Daiki Nagai at 6:54.
2. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Robbie Eagles, Kosei Fujita, and Hartley Jackson vs. Master Wato, Yoh, and Boltin Oleg. Robbie and Wato opened. Oleg got in and bodyslammed Eagles at 3:30. Fujita got in and hit some loud chops on Wato at 5:00, then a springboard dropkick for a nearfall. Hartley hit a massive senton on Oleg for a nearfall at 8:00, then a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall, but Yoh made the save. The big guys got up and traded clotheslines, and Oleg hit a belly-to-belly suplex, then a German Suplex, then a clothesline for the pin. This match has been a simple formula on recent shows, but it’s working — the crowd is eating up the big-man segment to conclude this match. Robbie Eagles stopped at the commentary table and told Walker he’ll join him shortly.
Master Wato, Yoh, and Boltin Oleg defeated Robbie Eagles, Kosei Fujita, and Hartley Jackson at 9:16.
3. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Ryohei Oiwa vs. Toru Yano and Hiroshi Tanahashi. Hiroshi and Sabre opened. Tanahashi hit his second-rope crossbody block. Oiwa and Yano locked up at 3:00, and Toru immediately untied a corner pad. Sabre stomped on Yano’s left elbow, then he twisted the left ankle and kept Yano grounded. Tanahashi got a hot tag and hit a flying forearm at 8:00, then a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Oiwa, then one on Sabre, who was in the ropes. Tanahashi hit his second-rope somersault senton on Oiwa for a nearfall.
Oiwa hit a bodyslam. Sabre got in and snapped Tanahashi’s neck between his ankles for a nearfall at 9:30, then a Pele Kick to the left shoulder and a stiff kick to Hiroshi’s spine. Tanahashi fired back with a Twist-and-Shout neckbreaker and they were both down. Yano got a rollup on Sabre for a nearfall. (Never count out a Yano rollup!) He got another one! However, Sabre got a backslide and pinned Yano. Fun match.
Zack Sabre Jr. and Ryohei Oiwa defeated Toru Yano and Hiroshi Tanahashi at 11:39.
* Robbie Eagles joined in on commentary.
4. “House of Torture” Sanada, Sho, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs “Bullet Club War Dogs” Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney, and Taiji Ishimori. The HoT came out first; as the BCWD walked to ringside, EVIL and others attacked, so Gabe Kidd and David Finlay made the save. So, it looks like we are turning this into a 12-man tag, as this one never really started…
4b. “House of Torture” EVIL, Sanada, Sho, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi, and Ren Narita (w/Dick Togo) vs “Bullet Club War Dogs” Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney, Taiji Ishimori, Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, and Gedo. Everyone brawled on the floor and through the crowd. Togo choked Ishimori on the floor. They finally returned to the ring at 5:00, and the HoT began taking turns working over Gedo. Gedo and Yujiro raked each other’s eyes. Everyone jumped in the ring again and brawled. Togo hit his knife-edge chop to Gedo’s groin. Finlay jumped in and hit everyone over the head with a cookie sheet, including the ref! That led to the DQ. Fairly basic; on par with past outings.
EVIL, Sanada, Sho, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi, and Ren Narita defeated Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney, Taiji Ishimori, Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, and Gedo via DQ at 8:58.
* The House of Torture tied Finlay to a corner, and they put Gedo through a table, with Finlay powerless to stop it.
5. Tomohiro Ishii and Shota Umino and “Just 4 Guys” Taka Michinoku and Yuya Uemura Taichi vs. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, Shingo Takagi, and Yota Tsuji and Hiromu Takahashi. The LIJ attacked and we’re underway, with the action immediately spilling to the floor. In the ring, Takahashi hit a huracanrana on Ishii; Ishii hit a shoulder tackle, and they traded chops. Ishii hit a back suplex. Naito and Hiromu hit a double clothesline on Taichi at 2:30. Naito hit a standing neckbreaker on Taichi for a nearfall. Shingo and Shota got in at 5:00 and traded blows, and they rolled to ringside. In the ring, Shota hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall.
Shota and Shingo got up and traded clotheslines. Shota hit an enzuigiri. Shingo hit a DDT. Yuya and Yota tagged in at 8:00 and traded chops. Yuya hit a bulldog for a nearfall. Yuya hit a dropkick but sold the pain in his previously injured arm. Taka tagged in for the first time and hit some kicks to Yota’s back at 11:00, then a superkick for a nearfall. Bushi dove through the ropes onto Yuya on the floor. In the ring, LIJ hit stereo basement dropkicks on Taka. Tsujji then hit a Gene Blaster (spear) on Taka for the pin. Good action; easily best of the night.
Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, and Hiromu Takahashi defeated Tomohiro Ishii, Shota Umino, Taka Michinoku, and Yuya Uemura Taichi at 12:24.
6. “United Empire” Callum Newman, Jakob Austin Young, Francesco Akira, and Great-O-Khan vs. Hirooki Goto, Yoshi-Hashi, El Phantasmo (w/Jado), and Ryusuke Taguchi. Goto and Newman opened, as those two have a title match this Sunday, and Callum hit some European Uppercuts. Akira got in and hit some chops on Goto. Akira hit a plancha to the floor on Taguchi at 4:00. The UE took turns working over Taguchi, with O-Khan hitting his Mongolian Chops at 7:00. ELP finally got a hot tag at 9:00 and cleared the ring. He hit a huracanrana on O-Khan and clotheslined him to the floor.
Phantasmo hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor. In the ring, ELP rolled up O-Khan for a nearfall, and he hit an enzuigiri. Callum and Goto tagged back in at 11:00; Newman couldn’t get an OsCutter. Goto hit his neckbreaker over his knee, and they were both down. Young tagged in and hit some chops on Goto. Akira hit a standing moonsault on Goto. He hit a superkick on Yoshi-Hashi. Goto hit a double clothesline. Taguchi hit a flying buttbump. Young hit an enzuigiri on Goto. Goto and Yoshi-Hashi hit the Shoto team slam, with Goto pinning Young. That was a really fast-paced last five minutes, and far better than a similar match days ago.
Hirooki Goto, Yoshi-Hashi, El Phantasmo, and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Callum Newman, Jakob Austin Young, Francesco Akira, and Great-O-Khan at 14:00 even
Final Thoughts: A much better preview show than the last one I watched. I’ll go with the LIJ 10-man for best, the Sabre tag match for second, and a good main event for third. While the HoT-Bullet Club preview tags haven’t clicked for me, I expect the cage match on Saturday will be a wild brawl.
Wow. You skipped a New Japan show. You didn’t review the show the day before. This is the first show I remember you missing
Chris has skipped other NJPW shows, but not many. Don’t take it personally if he’s not reading comments. He’s too busy reviewing shows!