By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “New Soul – Night 2”
June 19, 2025, in Aomori, Japan, at Hachinohe East Municipal Stadium
Streamed live on New Japan World
This show has Japanese-only commentary. The venue is a gym, and unlike Wednesday’s show, the lights were on. It’s still a fairly small building, and the attendance was maybe 400-500. Once again, there were no on-screen graphics.
1. Zane Jay vs. Tatsuya Matsumoto. These two went to a time-limit draw yesterday, and I presume more of the same today. I’ll reiterate that Zane is an American who has really impressed in shows from the LA dojo, as well as a few New Japan Strong shows. Quick mat reversals. Tatsuya is slender and smaller; Jay has a clear size and muscle mass advantage. Tatsuya hit a head-capture suplex at 4:30, and he went for a cross-armbreaker. Zane applied a leg lock, but Matsumoto reached the ropes at 6:30. Zane applied a half-crab. Tatsuya hit a dropkick at 9:30, applied a Boston Crab, but Zane held on for the final 30 seconds.
Zane Jay vs. Tatsuya Matsumoto ended in a time-limit draw at 10:00.
2. Daiki Nagai vs. Masatora Yasuda. Two more Young Lions, so we are repeating the first two matches from Wednesday’s show. Yasuda is bigger, and I like what I’ve seen, but he’s missed time with an injury. He hit a bodyslam early on. Yasuda hit a dropkick at 3:30, and he kept Nagai grounded. He applied a Boston Crab, but Daiki reached the ropes at 5:00. He dragged Nagai to the center of the ring, re-applied the Boston Crab, bent deeply back, and Nagai tapped out. Yasuda got a win after a loss a day ago.
Masatora Yasuda defeated Daiki Nagai at 6:25.
3. Yoh, Toru Yano, Master Wato, Shoma Kato, and Katsuya Murashima vs. “House of Torture” Sho, Douki, Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Douki has a belt over his shoulder; did he steal it? Sho got on the mic, then the HoT all attacked. Sho and Yoh fought in the ring while everyone else was brawling on the floor. Yano tagged in at 1:00 and pulled Sho’s hair. The heels began working over Kato. Shoma hit a dropkick on Douki at 5:00. Wato tagged in and traded blows with Douki. Katsuya got in and bodyslammed Ren. Douki got a staff and struck Katsuya with it; Ren immediately put Katsuya in a leg lock, and Murashima tapped out. Basic.
Sho, Douki, Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Yoh, Toru Yano, Master Wato, Shoma Kato, and Katsuya Murashima at 7:42.
4. Boltin Oleg, Yoshi-Hashi, Togi Makabe, and Jado vs. “House of Torture” Sanada, EVIL, Chase Owens, and Don Fale. Like the prior match, the HoT attacked. Oleg and Fale were alone in the ring as the others fought to the floor. Oleg hit a massive Stinger Splash. Fale gave Makabe the ‘Tongan Massage,’ standing on his back at 2:30. EVIL hit a suplex for a nearfall on Togi; the bell rang, but it was just HoT shenanigans. (Would anyone have really minded if the match had ended right there? Outside of Oleg and maybe Sanada, there is no one in this match I really care to see.)
Chase choked Makabe. Oleg showed off his raw strength by flipping EVIL around in his arms, then he hit a gut-wrench suplex at 6:00. Y-H hit a basement dropkick on Sanada’s knee. Jado tagged in. Sanada grabbed Jado’s leg, pulled it up into his crotch, and claimed Jado hit a low blow. The ref bought the lie and called for the bell. Lame finish to a genuinely bad match. (I rarely say a match is bad, but this was a true stinker, topped off with a bad finish.)
Sanada, EVIL, Chase Owens, and Don Fale defeated Boltin Oleg, Yoshi-Hashi, Togi Makabe, and Jado at 8:23.
5. “United Empire” Callum Newan, Great-O-Khan, and Jakob Austin Young vs. Taichi, Shota Umino, and Tiger Mask. Shota and O-Khan opened. O-Khan nailed a stiff boot to TM’s chest at 2:30, and he took control. The other four were brawling into the crowd and away from the ring. Callum whipped Taichi into the guardrail. Meanwhile, O-Khan applied a sleeper, but TM got a foot on the ropes. O-Khan hit some Mongolian Chops. Young tagged in, but TM hit a Tiger Driver at 5:30. Callum hit a Helluva Kick on Taichi; Taichi hit a clothesline, and they were both down.
Shota got in and battled Jakob, and Young hit a Russian Leg Sweep and was fired up. Jakob hit a second-rope missile dropkick. Tiger Mask dove through the ropes onto two guys on the floor. Meanwhile, Shota hit a hard clothesline on Jakob, then a brainbuster for the pin. Decent match; miles better than the first four matches of this show.
Taichi, Shota Umino, and Tiger Mask defeated Callum Newan, Great-O-Khan, and Jakob Austin Young at 10:48.
6. “Bullet Club” Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney, and Gedo vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Tomohiro Ishii, and Hiroshi Tanahashi. Ishii and Moloney opened, and Ishii hit some chops. Kidd and Tanahashi (who have an upcoming singles match) brawled into the crowd. Kidd got in at 3:00 and chopped Ishii. Ishii hit a brainbuster on Moloney. Kidd and Tanahashi tagged in and traded forearm strikes, and Hiroshi hit a second-rope crossbody block and a flying forearm, then a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 6:30, and this crowd was hot.
Kidd hit a thudding headbutt and a dropkick; he did some air guitar and got booed. Gedo tagged in, but Hiroshi hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on him. Taguchi tagged in for the first time, but he missed a flying buttbump aimed at Gedo. (A very Samoa Joe-like scene as Gedo simply sidestepped it.) Taguchi rammed Gedo’s head into Taguchi’s butt. Taguchi applied an ankle lock, but Moloney made the save. Ishii hit a German Suplex on Moloney. Tanahashi hit a Sling Blade on Kidd. Meanwhile, Taguchi reapplied the ankle lock, and Gedo tapped out. Good match.
Ryusuke Taguchi, Tomohiro Ishii, and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney, and Gedo at 9:58.
* Moloney beat up Ishii after the bell. He dropped Ishii’s New Japan Strong belt by Ishii’s head and stormed off. Even without English commentary, it’s clear that Moloney wants a title shot.
7. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson vs. Hirooki Goto, Yuya Uemura, and Tomoaki Honma. I have never been a big fan of Goto, but he undoubtedly has delivered in his run as champion. Sabre and Goto opened with some quick mat reversals and neither getting an advantage. Yuya and Oiwa locked up at 2:00, with Uemura hitting some deep armdrags. Honma got in and traded chops with Oiwa, but he missed a Kokeshi (falling headbutt). Hartley tagged in and hit a brainbuster on Honma at 5:30. Sabre got in and tied Honma in a knot. Goto hit a snap suplex on Sabre, dropping him across Oiwa at 8:30.
Sabre snapped Goto’s left arm, and he began targeting it. Goto hit a neckbreaker over his knee, and they were both down. Yuya got in and hit a flying forearm on Oiwa. Oiwa hit a short-arm clothesline on Yuya. Hartley got in and hit a running splash in the corner and a clothesline on Yuya. Uemura hit a dropkick that only staggered Jackson. Hartley hit a running crossbody block for a nearfall at 13:30. Hartley hit his massive senton on Oiwa for a nearfall. Honma got back in and hit a double DDT. Honma hit the Kokeshi. Yuya hit the Deadbolt (double-underhook suplex with a high bridge) on Hartley for the pin. A pretty impressive finish.
Hirooki Goto, Yuya Uemura, and Tomoaki Honma defeated Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson at 15:24.
Final Thoughts: The first four matches were just sooooo skippable, but the last three were worth watching. I am still curious about the future of Los Ingobernables de Japon. Like Wednesday’s show, no sign of Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, and Yota Tsuji. While I hope they are enjoying some time off, they are sorely missed, and I hope there are plans for each of them moving forward. My ideal plan would be that those three continue as a faction and add New Blood (Oskar Leube and Yuto Nakashima), who are supposed to be returning soon from their European excursion. NJPW is also feeling the absence of David Finlay and El Desperado. I really enjoyed those last two matches.
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