By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “New Soul – Night 3”
June 21, 2025, in Yamagata, Japan, at Yamagata Big Wing
Streamed live on New Japan World
This show has Japanese-only commentary. The venue is a large gym with a really high ceiling. The attendance was maybe 600-700; all seating on the floor and it may have technically been a sellout. Hey, they had on-screen graphics today! (There were none on Wednesday or Thursday.)
* El Phantasmo injured his knee in his win Wednesday, so he skipped Thursday’s show, and I think he’s out for a week or two.
1. Zane Jay vs. Tatsuya Matsumoto. These two Young Lions went to time-limit draws on Wednesday and Thursday, and I’m assuming more of the same today. Again, Zane is an American who has really impressed me with a handful of matches in the LA dojo and at some NJ Strong shows. They traded fast reversals on the mat. Tatsuya applied a cross-armbreaker, but Zane got a foot on the ropes at 5:00. Tatsuya switched to an ankle lock, and Zane again reached the ropes at 7:30. Tatsuya has dominated this one; this has been all about Zane selling the pain. Zane hit a dropkick at 9:30 and was fired up. He applied a Boston Crab, but Tatsuya held on for the draw.
Zane Jay vs. Tatsuya Matsumoto went to a time-limit draw at 10:00.
2. Toru Yano, Master Wato, Daiki Nagai, and Yoh vs. “House of Torture” Yujiro Takahashi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Douki, and Ren Narita (w/Sho). The HoT attacked, and all eight brawled. Yujiro and Yano fought in the ring, and the heels stomped on Yano on the floor. Yoh threw Sho into the ring and tried to rip off a ski mask that Sho was wearing. Wato hit a leg lariat on Sho. Yoh hit a twisting neckbreaker on Douki. Daiki hit a dropkick on Douki. Douki put Daiki in a half-crab, but Daiki reached the ropes at 7:30. Douki hit a dropkick on the knee, then he applied a Figure Four, and Nagai tapped out.
Yujiro Takahashi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Douki, and Ren Narita defeated Toru Yano, Master Wato, Daiki Nagai, and Yoh at 8:15.
3. “House of Torture” Don Fale, Chase Owens, Sanada, and EVIL vs. Jado, Yoshi-Hashi, Shoma Kato, and Katsuya Murashima. Sadly, Katsuya is the only one of these eight who is “over” with me right now. (I really hope Sanada gets back there, but he’s been ice cold.) Like the prior match, all eight brawled at the bell. Chase and Y-H brawled past the guardrail and into the crowd, while EVIL and Murashima fought in the ring. The HoT began working over Murashima, with Fale giving him the Tongan Massage, standing on his back, at 3:30.
Murashima finally hit a dropkick on Chase. Y-H got a hot tag at 7:00 and battled Owens, hitting a Headhunter (running Blockbuster) for a nearfall. Shoma and Sanada battled, with Kato hitting a suplex at 10:00, and he applied a Boston Crab. Dick Togo jumped in the ring and choked Kato with a wire. Sanada hit a Shining Wizard, then he applied the Skull End (dragon sleeper), and Kato tapped out. Basic.
Don Fale, Chase Owens, Sanada, and EVIL defeated Jado & Yoshi-Hashi, Shoma Kato, and Katsuya Murashima at 10:39.
4. “Bullet Club” Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney, and Gedo vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Tiger Mask, and Togi Makabe. Again, Moloney and Ishii will be squaring off for one of the final G1 slots. (I want Ishii to lose if it means we have him back in AEW for that month!) Those two pushed each other before the bell. Kidd and Togi charged at each other at the bell and immediately traded forearm strikes. TM dove onto Gedo. In the ring, the heels worked over Makabe.
Ishii finally got a hot tag at 5:00, and he battled Moloney, and they traded forearm strikes. Moloney hit a dropkick. Ishii hit a back suplex, and they were both down. Tiger Mask got in at 6:30 and he battled both Moloney and Gedo. He hit a Tiger Driver on Moloney for a nearfall. Moloney nailed the Drilla Killa (swinging piledriver) to pin Tiger Mask. Decent. Ishii and Moloney brawled some more after the bell and had to be separated.
Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney, and Gedo defeated Tomohiro Ishii, Tiger Mask, and Togi Makabe at 8:17.
5. Taichi, Yuya Uemura, and Ryusuke Taguchi vs. “United Empire” Callum Newman, Jakob Austin Young, and Great-O-Khan. Again, Taichi and Newman will also square off for a G1 spot. Like many other matches today, they all brawled to the floor and into the crowd. Taichi and Callum fought and hit each other with chairs. Taichi shoved him head-first into the ring post at 2:00. In the ring, Taichi’s team extensively worked over Callum in their corner. O-Khan tagged in and bodyslammed Taguchi at 5:00.
The UE now worked over Taguchi. Yuya got in at 7:00 and chopped O-Khan. Taguchi hit some buttbumps on O-Khan. Yuya went for the Deadbolt suplex, but Young blocked it, so Yuya hit a dropkick instead at 11:00. Yuya hit a suplex, then a top-rope crossbody block on Young for the pin. Solid. Taichi and Callum fought after the bell; their singles match is set for Monday!
Taichi, Yuya Uemura, and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Callum Newman, Jakob Austin Young, and Great-O-Khan at 11:27.
6. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomoaki Honma. I appreciate how Tanahashi is racking up singles matches with everyone on the roster in his final year in the ring. Standing switches to open. Tanahashi hit a second-rope crossbody block at 2:30, and he stomped on Honma’s knee, and he tied both legs in knots. Honma hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip, and they were both down at 7:00. Tanahashi hit a second-rope somersault senton at 9:30.
Honma hit a running headbutt for a nearfall. Honma held onto both wrists and hit another thudding headbutt for a nearfall. Honma hit a leaping clothesline and a Kokeshi falling headbutt for a nearfall at 13:30. Hiroshi hit a twisting neckbreaker and a Sling Blade clothesline for a nearfall. Tanahashi finally hit the High Fly Flow (frogsplash) for the pin. Decent match, but there was no mystery about who was winning. (Tanahashi beat Yuya Uemura last week; he isn’t going to turn around and lose to Honma after beating Yuya.)
Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Tomoaki Honma at 14:38.
7. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson vs. Hirooki Goto, Boltin Oleg, and Shota Umino. This should be good! Oleg and Oiwa opened and traded standing switches. Goto entered at 3:00 and twisted Oiwa’s arm. Shota hit a Northern Lights Suplex on Oiwa for a nearfall. Oiwa hit a butterfly suplex on Shota. Sabre entered for the first time at 6:00 and hit some European Uppercuts on Shota. Hartley tagged in, and TMDK worked over Umino in their corner.
Shota hit a tornado DDT on Oiwa at 9:30, and they were both down. Goto suplexed Hartley onto Oiwa. Goto hit a back suplex on Oiwa for a nearfall. Sabre tagged back in and hit a running Penalty Kick to Goto’s chest at 11:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes, with Sabre hitting some European Uppercuts. Sabre went for a cross-armbreaker, but Goto reached the ropes. Goto nailed a decapitating clothesline, and they were both down at 13:30.
Hartley and Oleg tagged in and brawled. Oleg hit a Stinger Splash. Hartley hit a massive suplex, but he missed a senton. Hartley hit a Vader Bomb for a nearfall. Oleg hit his gut-wrench suplex. Oiwa hit a back suplex on Oleg, and Hartley hit his senton on Oleg for a nearfall at 16:00. Goto hit his neckbreaker over his knee on Sabre. Oleg put the massive Hartley on his shoulders and hit the Kamikaze (forward Finlay Roll) for the pin. A really good match.
Hirooki Goto, Boltin Oleg, and Shota Umino defeated Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson at 16:59.
Final Thoughts: That was a really good main event; it’s really the only match that felt above-average on the show. If you feel you have to watch every Tanahashi singles match, check that one out too. The only other good thing you can say about the first five matches of the show is they have set the states for Ishii-Moloney and Taichi-Newman, as those matches are for G1 slots.
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