By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Road to Tokyo Dome”
December 23, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
This once again appears to be a sellout. Chris Charlton provided commentary, and he opened by saying Shota Umino has insisted on wrestling tonight, even with a gimpy ankle that has given him problems recently.
* Charlton also gave updates on two other competitors who injured their knees on the same night of World Tag League. Henare just had knee surgery and “will be out for some time,” while Callum Newman’s injury did not require surgery, but isn’t expected back quickly, either.
1. Hiromu Takahashi vs. Katsuya Murashima. Hiromu immediately applied a half-crab. Katsuya hit a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall at 4:00. Takahashi applied a Boston Crab, and Murashima tapped out.
Hiromu Takahashi defeated Katsuya Murashima at 5:51.
* Tetsuya Naito, who recently had eye surgery (and thus hasn’t competed since the conclusion of World Tag League), returned and attacked his LIJ teammate Hiromu! These two are the co-main event of Wrestle Kingdom on Jan. 4. Hiromu got on the mic and said that on Jan. 4, “I will crush you!”
2. Jeff Cobb vs. Hartley Jackson. I actually think this should have been near the top of the show, as this is a first-time-ever singles match. (If I could make one easy change to NJPW in 2025, it would be to require one singles match on every show. They just don’t have enough of them.) An intense lockup to open, and the massive Hartley is bigger. They traded shoulder tackles with neither man going down. They rolled to the floor and traded forearm strikes. In the ring, Hartley suplexed Cobb at 5:30, then a Stinger Splash. Cobb hit a release suplex. Cobb hit a pump-handle back suplex, a clothesline, then a Tour of the Islands (swinging powerslam) for the pin. Very good big-man match.
Jeff Cobb defeated Hartley Jackson at 7:47.
3. “International Jet Setters” Kushida and Kevin Knight vs. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita. These teams are among the four-way tag set for Wrestle Kingdom. Knight and Kosei opened. Kushida and Eagles locked up at 2:00. Robbie Eagles hit a flip dive to the floor and landed on his feet. However, Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney hit the ring, holding steel chairs, and began striking everyone to end this match prematurely.
Kushida and Kevin Knight vs. Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita ended in a draw/no contest at 5:10.
* TJP and Francesco Akira also ran to ringside, so all four teams brawled. (TJP/Akira were supposed to face Connors/Moloney, but that also is now canceled.) Moloney and Connors set up tables on the floor. The three babyface teams teased putting Connors and Moloney through the tables, with Knight climbing a tall ladder, but the heels escaped. Kushida and Knight made a challenge that the four-way at Wrestle Kingdom now be a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match!
* Jeff Cobb joined Chris Charlton on commentary.
4. Desperado, Master Wato, and Satoshi Kojima vs. “Just 4 Guys” Douki, Taka Michinoku, and Taichi. Desperado and Douki opened, as a preview of their Wrestle Kingdom match. Kojima backed Taka and Douki into a corner and hit his rapid-fire chops on each of them at 2:30. Taka did it to Kojima but without the same effect. Funny. Taichi entered and he kicked Kojima while holding his cell phone on a stick, and he ordered the ref to hold it for him, too. Satoshi hit a Koji Cutter on Taichi at 5:00. Douki put Desperado in the Douki Chokey (triangle choke), but Desp got a foot on the ropes. Douki hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Taka nearly got a pin on Desperado! However, Desperado hit the Angel’s Wings butterfly faceplant and pinned Taka. Fun action; this was better than it had any right to be.
Desperado, Master Wato, and Satoshi Kojima defeated Douki, Taka Michinoku, and Taichi at 7:53.
5. El Phantasmo (w/Jado), Hiroshi Tanahashi, Boltin Oleg, Tomoaki Honma, and Toru Yano vs. “House of Torture” EVIL, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru (w/Dick Togo). The main storyline here is that if Hiroshi loses to EVIL at Wrestle Kingdom, he will retire now, instead of January 2026. Phantasmo made his surprise return yesterday and announced he is cancer-free. All 10 brawled at the bell. Honma missed a Kokeshi. EVIL whipped Tanahashi into the guardrail, and they fought into the short bleachers. In the ring, Yujiro kicked Tanahashi in the mouth at 4:30, and the heels worked over Hiroshi. Oleg finally got a hot tag at 6:30 and he hit multiple shoulder tackles, sending the smaller guys flying.
Sho tried a spear but he just bounced off of Oleg. Oleg hit a gut-wrench suplex on Sho, then a flying splash to the mat for a nearfall. Oleg hit a double suplex on Kanemaru and Sho. ELP entered for his first match in two months at 9:00 and squared off with Ren, trading forearm strikes. ELP hit a springboard crossbody block and a Lionsault for a nearfall. He got a jackknife cover for a believable nearfall; I thought that was it. Dick Togo jumped in and hit his knife-edge chop to ELP’s groin. Ren got his push-up bar, but ELP superkicked him. ELP hit a straight punch to Yujiro’s groin, then the Thunderkiss 86 (springboard frogsplash) to pin Yujiro. A nice win for Phantasmo in his return to action.
El Phantasmo, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Boltin Oleg, Tomoaki Honma, and Toru Yano defeated EVIL, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru at 12:36.
* EVIL had scissors and he cut a HUGE lock off Tanahashi’s head!
6. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, and Bushi vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Sanada, David Finlay, and Gedo. All six brawled at the bell and it immediately went to the floor and up into the bleachers. Bushi stood on top of the entrance corridor (halfway up the seating) and leapt onto Gedo, who was standing on the landing. (This makes sense if you have seen Korakuen Hall shows.) Meanwhile, in the ring, Finlay was stomping on Yota and they traded forearm strikes. Yota hit a backbreaker over his knee on Sanada at 5:30. Shingo got the hot tag, but Sanada immediately hit a low blow, and the heels worked over Shingo. Shingo hit a double clothesline.
Shingo hit a twisting neckbreaker on Finlay at 8:30. Bushi entered and hit a basement dropkick on David’s knee. Bushi nailed a dive through the ropes and barreled onto Finlay. In the ring, Finlay nailed the Irish Curse backbreaker over his knee on Bushi. Bushi hit a dropkick and they were both down. Bushi tried to make the hot tag, but Gedo pulled Bushi’s teammates off the ring apron! Bushi hit a Rewind Kick, but Finlay nailed the Overkill (pop-up knee strike to the sternum) and pinned Bushi. Good action. Finlay got his shillelagh and struck Yota in the head with it. Finlay then hit an Overkill on Yota.
David Finlay, Sanada, and Gedo defeated Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, and Bushi at 11:30.
7. Tomohiro Ishii and Shota Umino vs. Zack Sabre Jr. and Ryohei Oiwa. Charlton reiterated that Umino aggravated his ankle injury on Sunday. Shota and Sabre again opened with standing switches and a feeling-out process. They sped it up, avoided each other’s signature moves, and had a standoff at 3:00. Oiwa entered and twisted Shota’s arm, then he took a cheap shot on Ishii, who was on the apron, and that popped the crowd. Ishii entered and traded blows with Oiwa. Sabre got back in and went to work on twisting Shota’s wrist and fingers at 6:30. Oiwa finally tagged in (first legal action of the match) and stomped on Oiwa. Oiwa hit some forearm strikes that Ishii no-sold, and Ishii laid in some LOUD chops at 9:00.
“Keep hitting him, Ishii,” Cobb said while laughing at the loud blows. “I’ve got to wrestle him soon.” Ishii hit a vertical suplex and they were both down. Shota got in and he hit a fisherman’s suplex on Sabre at 11:30, and he applied an STF, but Sabre reached the ropes. Shota and Ishii hit a team slam for a nearfall. Sabre hit a series of kicks on Shota, but Umino fired up. Sabre hit some stiff European Uppercuts at 14:30. Shota hit some back; the 15-minute call was almost spot-on. Sabre staggered and fell to a knee! Shota laid in some more European Uppercuts. Umino nailed a Hidden Blade to the jaw, then an enzuigiri; Sabre immediately hit a running penalty kick, and they were both down at 16:30.
Ishii and Oiwa got back in and traded more stiff forearm shots, until Oiwa fell to the mat. Ishii hit a German Suplex, but Oiwa hit one back. They traded clotheslines. Sabre hit a stiff spin kick to the gut that buckled Ishii. Shota nailed an Exploder Suplex on Oiwa at 19:00, then a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall, but Sabre made the save. Ishii and Sabre traded slaps until Ishii went down. Oiwa hit a German Suplex with a high bridge for a nearfall on Shota at 21:00 and he switched to a sleeper on Shota. Shota and Ishii hit stereo German Suplexes and all four were down! Oiwa hit a dropkick on Ishii. Shota hit a swinging faceplant on Oiwa.
Shota hit a tornado DDT on Sabre, but Sabre immediately hit the Zack Driver on Shota! Once again, everyone was down. This has been insanely good. Oiwa clotheslined Shota for a nearfall at 23:30. Ishii hit a double clothesline. Sabre accidentally kicked Oiwa! Ishii hit a German Suplex on Sabre that sent Zack rolling to the floor! Ishii accidentally hit an enzuigiri on Shota! Oiwa hit a Doctor Bomb on Shota for a believable nearfall! Oiwa applied a rear-naked choke on Shota. He went for his discus clothesline. However, Shota ducked it, and he nailed the Death Rider double-arm DDT for the pin. WOW WOW WOW. “What a way to end 2024,” Cobb immediately said. Charlton said he wants a cigarette right now.
Shota Umino and Tomohiro Ishii defeated Zack Sabre Jr. and Ryohei Oiwa at 26:31.
* Snow fell from the ceiling as Sabre and Shota glared at each other, with Zack holding his belt high above his head. Shota got on the mic and vowed he will take that belt off of Sabre. He said he respects Sabre, but he wants that belt.
Final Thoughts: I considered Umino/Honma vs. Sabre/Oiwa to be among the top three matches of the entire World Tag League. This match was better. It may be better than any of the World Tag League matches. They went all out and had a memorable match to build up to Wrestle Kingdom. Oiwa showed why he is such a promising young star. There was a moment late in the match Oiwa got a believable nearfall and I bought it as a possibility — to show Shota is wounded by his ankle, and build doubt in his mind.
An entertaining show. Phantasmo getting the pin in his return match was a feel-good moment. Turning the four-way tag into a TLC raised the expectations of that match, too. Cobb-Hartley was what it needed to be. Go out of your way to watch this main event.
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