By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Road to Destruction”
September 21, 2026, in Hokkaido, Japan, at Kitami-city Sport Center
Streamed live on New Japan World
This venue is a large gym, with nearly all seating on the floor; I see just a few rows high up. The crowd was maybe 1,000. There was once again Japanese-only commentary.
1. Taisei Nakahara vs. Yushin Hatazawa. The Young Lions traded basic headlocks and reversals. I saw Yushin for the first time a few days ago; he’s recently shaved his head bald but the hair is quickly growing back in. Nakahara spent the match targeting the left arm and going for a cross-armbreaker. Yushin hit a senton for a nearfall at 5:30, but he sold the pain in his elbow. He applied a Boston Crab. Nakahara escaped and hit a dropkick, then another one. Nakahara applied a Boston Crab, and Yushin tapped out. Solid match between the rookies.
Taisei Nakhara defeated Yushin Hatazawa at 7:41.
2. Toru Yano and Togi Makabe vs. “United Empire” Zane Jay and Jakob Austin Young. Yano has dyed his hair black again! The UE attacked, and we’re underway. Zane hit dropkicks on each of the older babyfaces. All four brawled to the floor. Back in the ring, Zane and Togi traded forearm strikes. Jakob entered and hit a Facewash Kick and got a nearfall at 4:00. Yano got the hot tag, and he immediately removed a corner pad, then he playfully slapped Jakob on the top of his head.
Jakob hit an enzuigiri and a leg lariat. Togi and Zane tagged back in, and Makabe hit a series of punches in the corner. Togi hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall at 6:30. Zane hit a flying elbow out of the corner, then a clothesline for a nearfall. Zane hit an impressive fallaway slam for a nearfall. Yano and Jakob were fighting on the floor. Makabe hit another hard clothesline on Jay, then the King Kong top-rope knee drop across the forehead for the pin. Decent.
Toru Yano and Togi Makabe defeated “United Empire” Zane Jay and Jakob Austin Young at 8:22.
3. Taichi, Yuya Uemura, and Aaron Wolf vs. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa, and Kosei Fujita. Taichi and Oiwa opened with basic offense, and Oiwa dropped him with a shoulder tackle, but Taichi hit a Maifa Kick. Oiwa got two quick nearfalls! Taichi got a nearfall, too. Kosei tagged in, so Wolf also tagged in at 3:00, and those two charged at each other and immediately traded forearm strikes. Kosei hit a dropkick, and Wolf sold the pain in his chest. Hartley entered, and he bodyslammed Wolf for a nearfall at 5:00.
Oiwa jumped back in and hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip, and he tied up Wolf’s leg on the mat. Wolf hit a swinging uranage on Fujita at 6:30, and they were both down. Yuya finally entered, and he battled Hartley. Yuya hit some armdrags and a dropkick. TMDK all worked over Uemura, with Hartley hitting a massive senton for a nearfall at 8:00. Yuya got a backslide for a nearfall and a leaping clothesline, then a top-rope crossbody block on Hartley for the pin. Fun action.
Taichi, Yuya Uemura, and Aaron Wolf defeated “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa, and Kosei Fujita at 9:13.
4. “The Unbound Co.” Jeff Cobb, Oskar, and Yuto-Ice and Gedo vs. “The United Empire” Henare, Callum Newman, and Great-O-Khan and Jake Lee. Lee has his full clown makeup on today. He opened against Cobb. Lee tagged out, Callum got in, but he also tagged out — no one wanted to tie up with Cobb! Suddenly, all eight were brawling, both in and out of the ring. Henare and Yuto-Ice traded forearm strikes. Henare hit a spin kick to the spine at 2:00. They kept brawling, and Henare hit a senton at 3:30.
Meanwhile, Oskar and Great-O-Khan went past the guardrails and into the crowd. Lee entered, and he planted his foot in Yuto-Ice’s throat. O-Khan tried a cocky, one-footed cover on Yuto-Ice at 6:00. Oskar tagged in, and he dropped Callum with a shoulder tackle at 8:00. He hit a bodyslam for a nearfall. O-Khan crotched Oskar on the top rope. Oskar hit a Pump Kick to O-Khan’s chest, and they were both down at 10:00.
Cobb and Newman tagged in and traded forearm strikes. Cobb dropped him with a flying shoulder tackle, then a twisting uranage and a standing moonsault for a nearfall. Gedo entered for the first time at 12:00 and hit some jab punches on Lee. Lee danced like a goofball, not selling the punches. All eight brawled again, and six of them brawled to the floor. Lee hit a Helluva Kick on Gedo for the pin. They all continued to brawl after the bell.
“The United Empire” Henare, Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, and Jake Lee defeated “The Unbound Co.” Jeff Cobb, Oskar, Yuto-Ice, and Gedo at 13:09.
5. Boltin Oleg and Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. “The Unbound Co.” Drilla Moloney and Shingo Takagi. Drilla is back! Oleg and Drilla opened and traded shoulder tackles. Oleg ran him back-first into the turnbuckles at 1:30. Drilla hit a backbreaker over his knee on Matsumoto. Shingo entered and dropped Tatsuya with a shoulder tackle. Drilla and Shingo hit some team moves as they kept the Young Lion grounded. Shingo hit a suplex for a nearfall at 5:00.
Tatsuya hit a dropkick on Shingo. Oleg got the hot tag and dropped Shingo with a shoulder tackle. He flipped Shingo around in his arms and hit a gutwrench suplex, then the Vader Bomb for a nearfall at 7:00. Shingo hit a huracanrana and a decapitating clothesline, and they were both down. Drilla tagged back in, and he dropkicked Oleg. He hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor, sending Boltin flying into the guardrails. Matsumoto hit a dropkick on Moloney.
Boltin hit a splash to the mat on Drilla. Shingo and Oleg traded forearm strikes, and Boltin hit a shotgun dropkick, but Shingo hit a sliding clothesline, and they were both down. Matsumoto put Drilla in a Boston Crab at 11:00, but Drilla escaped. Drilla put him in a Torture Rack, violently shook him, and nailed the Drilla Killa (swinging piledriver) for the pin. Awesome transition to his finisher.
“The Unbound Co.” Drilla Moloney and Shingo Takagi defeated Boltin Oleg and Tatsuya Matsumoto at 11:29.
6. “House of Torture” Sho, Douki, Shun Skywalker, and Dick Togo vs. Masatora Yasuda, Shota Umino, El Desperado, and Mistico. Mistico had a belt over his shoulder and another around his waist. Sho spoke on the mic, then the HoT attacked, and all eight brawled. On the floor, Douki choked Mistico with the Mexican flag. In the ring, the HoT all took turns stomping on Umino. Shota hit a bodyslam, then a dropkick on Shun at 1:30. On the floor, Sho slammed Desperado back-first into the guardrail. The HoT worked over Shota in their corner for several minutes.
Mistico got in and hit some huracanranas at 6:00. Douki went for a Darkness Stretch (Douki chokey!) on Desperado, but Yasuda made the save. Desperado hit a high back suplex on Sho at 7:30, then a spear on Douki, and they were both down. Yasuda got a hot tag and traded chops with Togo. Yasuda hit a dropkick. Shun hit a pump kick to Yasuda’s chest for a nearfall at 9:00. Shun kicked Shota to the floor. Yasuda rolled up Shun for a nearfall! Shun hit a butterfly powerbomb on Yasuda for a believable nearfall, then a twisting neckbreaker move for the pin.
“House of Torture” Sho, Douki, Shun Skywalker, and Dick Togo defeated Masatora Yasuda, Shota Umino, El Desperado, and Mistico at 10:18.
7. Yoh and Master Wato and “Bishamon” Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto vs. “The Unbound Co.” Yota Tsuji, Taiji Ishimori, Robbie X, and Daiki Nagai. Ishimori and Yoh opened. Ishimori hit a Sabre-style neck-snap between his ankles. Nagai entered at 1:30 and hit a hard back elbow that dropped Yoh. Wato worked over Robbie’s left arm, but Robbie hit a Pele Kick at 4:30. Ishimori and Yoh brawled into the crowd. Tsuji and Goto also brawled into the crowd. In the ring, Ishimori tied Wato in a Figure Four, but Wato reached the ropes at 6:30.
Wato hit a spinning heel kick to Yota’s jaw. Goto hit a spinning heel kick into the corner, then a back suplex on Tsuji for a nearfall at 8:30. Tsuji hit a backbreaker over his knee on Goto. Those two got up and traded forearm strikes. Ishimori and Yoh got back in, and Ishimori applied the Bone Lock at 11:30, but Yoh reached the ropes. Ishimori hit a handspring-back-spin kick, and they were both down.
Nagai tagged in and hit a basement dropkick in the corner on Yoh for a nearfall, then a bodyslam at 13:30. Tsuji and Goto jumped back in and traded more strikes. Yota hit a splash on Yoh, and Nagai hit a spinebuster on Yoh at 15:00. Yoh hit a superkick on Nagai, then the Direct Drive double-arm spike brainbuster for the pin. Good action.
Yoh and Master Wato and “Bishamon” Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto defeated “The Unbound Co.” Yota Tsuji, Taiji Ishimori, Robbie X, and Daiki Nagai at 15:35.
Final Thoughts: A solid show. Nothing must-see here, but entertaining action. Good to have Mistico here, and the return of Drilla Moloney. I’ll reiterate that adding Jeff Cobb and Shun Skywalker has helped shore up the roster, too.
Oskar and Yuto-Ice got their big win over Toru Yano and Togi Makabe, and I sense that feud is now over, as the Knockout Brothers moved on and returned to focusing on Henare and Great-O-Khan.
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