By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Road to Destruction”
September 11, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
There was Japanese-only commentary. Notable here is the return of some top stars, including Sanada and David Finlay, who weren’t on the shows earlier this week.
1. Tomoaki Honma and Tiger Mask vs. Katsuya Murashima and Shoma Kato. The Young Lions attacked at the bell, and Murashima stomped on Honma. Tiger Mask dropped Katsuya after some punches. Honma tied him in a half crab. Shota got a hot tag at 5:30 and hit some punches on Tiger Mask. Honma hit a Kokeshi falling headbutt on Shoma. Tiger Mask hit a butterfly suplex and pinned Shoma. Basic but fine.
Tomoaki Honma and Tiger Mask defeated Katsuya Murashima and Shoma Kato at 7:37.
2. Francesco Akira vs. Taka Michinoku. I have routinely called for random singles matches in the NJPW undercard. Akira hit a dropkick. Taka threw him from the top turnbuckle to the mat at 2:00. Akira hit a huracanrana and a plancha to the floor at 4:30, then a top-rope crossbody block in the ring. Taka ducked a Fireball running knees and he tied Akira on the mat and cranked back on his head. They traded rollups. Akira hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall, then he hit the Fireball for the pin. Fun match although the winner was never in doubt.
Francesco Akira defeated Taka Michinoku at 6:29.
3. “Just 5 Guys” Sanada and Taichi vs. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita. Former partners Taichi and Sabre opened and locked up. They traded Mafia Kicks. Sanada and Fujita tied up at 2:00. Sanada dropkicked him to the floor, and Taichi whipped Fujita into a guardrail, then rolled him back in, where Sanada got a nearfall at 4:00. J5G stomped on Kosei and worked him over. Kosei hit a German Suplex on Taichi, and they were both down at 6:00. Sabre and Sanada got back in, and Sabre snapped his neck between his ankles, then he hit a double-underhook suplex.
Sanada hit a dropkick on Sabre’s knee, then he hit the Magic Screw spinning neckbreaker off the ropes. Sanada hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Sabre, then a Shining Wizard at 8:00, but he couldn’t hit Deadfall. Sabre locked in an Octopus Stretch, but Taichi made the save. Sabre and Sanada traded European Uppercuts. This has been really good for an undercard match. They traded rollups, with Sabre getting a backslide for a believable nearfall. Sanada nailed the Deadfall (Jay White’s Blade Runner) and pinned Sabre! Wow! I didn’t see that coming. (I fully expected Fujita to take the loss here, based on how NJPW usually books these tag matches.)
Sanada and Taichi defeated Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita at 9:59.
* I looked at the announced lineup, and there was supposed to be a tag match of Jado and Shota Umino vs. Ren Narita and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. That match was canceled and rolled into the next one. No English commentary to say why this happened. It means that Ren Narita has a day off; hopefully he is just sick and out for a day or two. Narita is not present at ringside.
Update: I asked Chris Charlton on Twitter/X what happened to Narita. He wrote back: “Hurt his arm in Korakuen, awaiting an update.”
4. Shota Umino, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Boltin Oleg, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Toru Yano (w/Jado) vs. “House of Torture” EVIL, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and Dick Togo. EVIL and Tanahashi opened, with Hiroshi hitting a springboard crossbody block. Sho entered at 1:30 and faced Shota Umino, with Shota hitting a dropkick to Sho’s face, then a fisherman’s suplex. The HoT began beating up Yano, with Sho choking him on the mat. Kanemaru hit a basement dropkick to Yano’s face.
Oleg entered and hit a double shoulder tackle. He hit a running splash on Yujiro for a nearfall at 6:00. Oleg flipped Togo around in his arms then hit a gutwrench suplex. Taguchi entered for the first time and he missed a mid-ring buttbump, and the HoT began hitting blows in the corner on Taguchi. Togo hit his knife-edge chop to Taguchi’s groin at 8:00. The ref got bumped! Yujiro got his walking staff and hit a couple guys with it. Tanahashi jumped in and hit some Dragonscrew Legwhips. Taguchi applied an anklelock on Togo. Kanemaru sprayed whiskey in Taguchi’s eyes. EVIL and Togo immediately hit a Magic Killer team slam on Taguchi, and Togo pinned Taguchi. Togo got a pin!
“House of Torture” EVIL, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and Dick Togo defeated Shota Umino, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Boltin Oleg, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Toru Yano at 9:47.
5. Tomohiro Ishii and “Bishamon” Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, and Jake Lee (w/Gedo). Yoshi-Hashi got a pin on David Finlay in a multi-man match to close out the G1 and those two opened here. Kidd and Ishii traded chops at 2:00. Lee hit a bodyslam on Ishii, and the BCWD began working Ishii over in their corner. Finlay bit Ishii on his head, then he hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 4:00. Ishii knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. Yoshi-Hashi entered and hit a Headhunter flipping neckbreaker on Finlay. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Finlay hit an Irish Curse backbreaker over his knee on Yoshi-Hashi.
Yoshi-Hashi hit a basement dropkick on Kidd’s knee at 7:00. Goto hit a Saito Suplex on Kidd for a nearfall. Goto hit a brainbuster and pinned Kidd! Kidd seemed momentarily stunned; the referee waved in a doctor to come and check on Kidd. It is unclear if this was the planned finish or if Kidd was hurt by that move and didn’t kick out. Goto certainly sold that he was surprised he won with that move. Yoshi-Hashi and Finlay continued to jaw at each other after the bell.
Tomohiro Ishii and “Bishamon” Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto defeated “Bullet Club War Dogs” David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, and Jake Lee at 8:27.
6. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, and Hiromu Takahashi vs. “United Empire” Henare, Jakob Austin Young, Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb. Tsuji and Cobb opened; Tsuji wore a lucha mask, and he hit a huracanrana to open. Cobb hit one as well. Everyone started brawling as the ref had lost control. Hiromu tied Callum in a Figure Four at 4:00. Shingo and Newman traded more forearm strikes, and Newman hit an enzuigiri. Henare got a hot tag and knocked Shingo down with a shoulder tackle, then a running Samoan Drop for a nearfall at 6:00. They traded forearm strikes and chops. They traded clotheslines and both collapsed at 7:30.
O-Khan tagged in and faced Naito, and O-Khan applied a leglock. He hit his Mongolian Chops. Naito hit a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker at 9:00. O-Khan hit a belly-to-belly suplex on Naito. Jakob entered and hit a dropkick on Naito, then a standing neckbreaker on Naito at 11:00. Cobb hit a Spin Cycle on Naito for a nearfall. Everyone started fighting again. Henare and Shingo traded blows on the floor. Naito and Jakob were alone in the ring. Jakob set up for a Sliced Bread, but Naito blocked it. Bushi dove through the ropes on O-Khan. Naito hit a springboard tornado DDT on Jakob. Naito applied a leglock around Jakob’s neck, and he tapped out. Unique finish.
“Los Ingobernables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi defeated “United Empire” Henare, Jakob Austin Young, Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb at 12:49.
7. Douki (w/Just 5 Guys) vs. Taichi Ishimori for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. Standing switches to open and they twisted each other’s left arm. Ishimori hit a handspring-back-spin kick that sent Douki to the floor. Ishimori immediately hit a moonsault to the floor at 1:30, and he worked on Douki’s left arm, and Douki was down on the floor and selling the pain. He rolled back in at 3:30, and Ishimori immediately focused on tying up the arm. Douki got up and hit some chops with his right hand while protecting his left arm. Ishimori tied him up on the mat; Douki got a foot on the ropes at 6:00. Ishimori hit a Lungblower move on the damaged elbow. Douki hit a huracanrana, then a dive through the ropes at 7:30, and they were both down on the floor.
Douki hit a tornado DDT on the floor, and Ishimori sold the pain in his neck. In the ring, Douki got a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall at 9:00. Douki went for Daybreak (slingshot DDT), but Ishimori blocked it. Ishimori hit a Lungblower to the chest for a nearfall. He hit a neckbreaker over his knee, but he missed a top-rope 450 Splash. Douki tied Ishimori around his back and dropped him stomach-first, then he tied Ishimori in the Douki Chokey at 11:00. Ishimori escaped, but Douki re-applied it. Ishimori eventually reached the ropes. Douki nailed the Daybreak for a believable nearfall at 13:30. They traded rollups on the mat.
Ishimori hit a jumping knee to the chin and they were both down. Ishimori threw Douki shoulder-first into the corner, then he hit a shoulder breaker over his knee at 15:30. The ref got bumped; Ishimori immediately hit a pop-up mule kick to the groin. Ishimori hit his Crucifix Driver and he applied the Bone Lock on the mat! Douki got close to the ropes, but Ishimori rolled back to the center of the ring. Douki eventually reached the ropes at 17:30. Douki hit a German Suplex but Ishimori rotated and landed on his feet. Ishimori hit a German Suplex and they were both down. They got up and hit simultaneous clotheslines. Douki hit a clothesline and was fired up. Ishimori reapplied the Bone Lock at 20:00. Douki hit an Impaler DDT for a believable nearfall. He hit an enzuigiri, and he swung Ishimori to the mat for a nearfall. Douki hit a Dragon Suplex with a high bridge and scored the pin! A superb match.
Douki defeated Taichi Ishimori to retain the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title at 22:16.
* Douki spoke on the mic and the confetti cannons went off, and I presumed the show was over. However, Yoshinobu Kanemaru jumped in the ring and beat up Douki and hit him with the title belt before leaving. Looks like Douki’s next challenger has just stepped forward.
Final Thoughts: A stellar main event, and maybe the best singles match I’ve seen from Douki. Ishimori is always great, and he made sure Douki came through this looking like a star. This was a big win for him. The Sanada-Sabre exchange was good as expected, but I certainly didn’t expect Sanada to pin Zack; that match earns second-best. LIJ-UE was good for third, but I want to reiterate that I love having that random Akira-Taka singles match, so that gets honorable mention.
Thank you so much for putting who wins at the end of the match now instead of the beginning. I had asked you about this and can only assume you changed it because of what I said so thank you. Keep up the non stop and awesome reviews