By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Road to The New Beginning”
February 4, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
This is the second straight night in this venue. Walker Stewart was back on solo commentary.
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuya Murashima vs. Togi Makabe and Daiki Nagai. The veterans opened with standing switches. Nagai, the slimmer of the Young Lions, hip-tossed Murashima. Hiroshi slapped Nagai in the face at 3:00. Hiroshi and Togi traded forearm strikes, and Tanahashi hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 5:30. Murashima unloaded some forearm strikes against Togi, then a belly-to-belly suplex, then a powerslam for a nearfall at 7:00. He applied a Boston Crab on Togi. Togi hit a pair of clotheslines for a nearfall, but Hiroshi made the save. Togi nailed a King Kong Knee drop from the top rope and pinned Murashima. Basic.
Togi Makabe and Daiki Nagai defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuya Murashima at 8:30.
2. “United Empire” Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, Jakob Austin Young, and Francesco Akira vs. Shota Umino, Master Wato, El Phantasmo, and Jado. O-Khan had scissors in his hand, and he pulled Shota to the floor to seemingly want to cut his hair, and those two brawled into the crowd In the ring, Wato hit a dropkick on Young. Cobb stood on Wato’s back at 3:30, as the UE took turns working over Wato. ELP got the hot tag and traded blows with Cobb. Phantasmo hit a Lionsault for a nearfall. Cobb hit a delayed vertical suplex. Akira tagged in and hit a running back elbow on ELP, but Phantasmo hit a suplex. Jado tagged in for the first time and hit a DDT out of the ropes at 7:30.
O-Khan hit a German Suplex on Shota; Shota hit a tornado DDT on O-Khan, and those two vanished to the floor again. ELP sat down next to Walker Stewart! Akira hit a Fireball running double knees to the back of Jado’s head and pinned him. ELP was upset at himself for not being there to break up the pin. ELP left; I thought he was going to stick around and do commentary. O-Khan threw Umino back into the ring and stomped on him. He got the scissors and cut some tufts of hair off the top of Shota’s head!
Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, Jakob Austin Young, and Francesco Akira defeated Shota Umino, Master Wato, El Phantasmo, and Jado at 8:56.
3. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi vs. Tomoaki Honma and Boltin Oleg. Honma attacked Naito as Tetsuya entered the ring and we’re underway! Oleg flipped Hiromu around in his arms and hit a gut-wrench suplex at 5:00, and he bodyslammed Takahashi, tossing him across the ring. Takahashi tried a crossbody block but just bounced off of Oleg. A second one knocked Boltin down. Honma and Naito got back in at 7:00 and traded chops, and Honma missed a Kokeshi falling headbutt. Oleg hit a splash to the mat on Naito, and it allowed Honma to hit the Kokeshi on Naito. Honma hit a flying headbutt for a nearfall at 9:00. Naito hit a Destino out of nowhere on Honma, then an enzuigiri. Naito applied a submission hold around Honma’s neck, and Honma eventually tapped out. Basic but fine.
Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi defeated Tomoaki Honma and Boltin Oleg at 10:46.
* Jeff Cobb joined commentary here!
4. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Sanada and Taiji Ishimori vs. “Just 4 Guys” Taichi and Taka Michinoku. Sanada came out first, but Taichi attacked him before he got to the ring, and all four brawled on the floor. Walker Stewart said Sanada is 5-1 all-time against Taichi. The bell rang at 2:25 to officially begin as they got in the ring, and Sanada hit the Magic Screw neckbreaker on Taichi, then a moonsault! Ishimori hit a handspring-back-spin kick on Taka; Taka hit the Michinoku Driver on Ishimori. Taichi hit a clothesline on Sanada. “This is what Taichi has wanted since November!” Walker said. (And thus the problem with this feud. It should have happened months ago.) Taichi hit an intentional low blow on Sanada, in front of the ref, and got disqualified. Good action for a match this short.
Sanada and Taiji Ishimori defeated Taichi and Taka Michinoku via DQ at 4:28/official time of 2:03.
5. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Bushi, Shingo Takagi, and Yota Tsuji vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd, and Clark Connors. LIJ attacked before the bell and they all brawled. Drilla and Shingo traded shoulder blocks in the ring, and Shingo knocked him down. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Moloney hit a back suplex, so Shingo hit one. Bushi nailed a dive through the ropes on Connors. Yota and Gabe traded blows in the ring. This is at a frenetic pace. Gabe and Yota brawled to the floor and into the crowd. Shingo hit a sliding clothesline on Drilla at 5:00. Shingo and Drilla also were now fighting on the floor. Drilla nailed the Drilla Killa on Shingo on the thin mat at ringside! Meanwhile, the ref reached the 20-count! Yota and Gabe got back into the ring and kept trading chops. Gabe hit a piledriver and celebrated.
Bushi, Shingo Takagi, and Yota Tsuji vs. Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd, and Clark Connors ended in a no contest via double count-out at 6:48.
6. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson and Robbie Eagles vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Yoh, and “Bishamon” Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi. Sabre opened against No. 1 contender Goto. (This is the same match as a day ago, except two guys were removed and are in the main event.) Zack snapped Goto’s neck between his ankles. Oiwa tried some chops on Ishii that Ishii no-sold, and they traded forearm strikes. Ishii hit a suplex at 3:00. Yoh hit some blows on Robbie’s back; Eagles tied him in the Ron Miller Special leg lock at 6:00, but Yoh eventually reached the ropes. Yoh hit a superkick and they were both down.
Hartley got in and battled Yoshi-Hashi, hitting a running body block in the corner and a clothesline. Oiwa hit a back suplex on Ishii at 9:00. Hartley hit a massive senton on Yoshi-Hashi. This match also is at a frenetic pace. Hartley hit a Death Valley Driver on Y-H for a nearfall. Goto and Sabre traded punches, and Zack hit a Pele Kick to the shoulder. Goto hit a hard clothesline. Bishamon hit some team offense on Hartley, with Yoshi-Hashi hitting his Headhunter flipping neckbreaker. Bishamon hit the Shoto team slam, with Yoshi-Hashi pinning Hartley. Matches have been fast and crisp tonight.
Tomohiro Ishii, Yoh, Hirooki Goto, and Yoshi-Hashi defeated Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson, and Robbie Eagles at 11:21.
7. El Desperado vs. Kosei Fujita for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title. With so many matches being shorter-than-expected tonight, will we have a long main event? A feeling-out process early and they traded chops. (If you weren’t aware, Cobb is a goofball on commentary, saying he is Jesse, and Walker is Monsoon. I’m amused.) The chop exchange kept going and going. Desperado dove for a Stretch Muffler at 4:00, with Kosei quickly getting to the ropes to break it. Kosei tied up the legs and cranked back on Despe’s head. Fujita went for an Asai Moonsault, but Desperado caught him and slammed Fujita’s damaged shoulder into the ring post at 6:30. Despe whipped Kosei into the guardrail and was in charge.
They got in the ring, as Cobb and Walker talked about Desperado winning the title via forfeit when Douki got injured at Wrestle Kingdom. They traded more chops. Despe set up for a dive but Kosei cut him off. Fujita hit a moonsault off the apron to the floor at 11:30. In the ring, Kosei hit a springboard dropkick for a nearfall and a stiff kick to the spine, then a spin kick to the head. Desperado hit a back suplex and a powerbomb move for a nearfall at 15:00. Fujita tied up both arms in a modified Rings of Saturn, and he grabbed a leg, too! “Zack Sabre taught him well!” Cobb shouted. Kosei let go of the hold and hit a running Penalty Kick for a nearfall.
Kosei hit a German Suplex with a high bridge for a believable nearfall at 18:00. Desperado hit a modified stunner and they were both down. They got up and traded more chops. Kosei hit a spin kick to the head. Desperado cranked back on the damaged left arm on the mat, and he hit an Angel’s Wings at 22:30. He went for a second one, but Kosei blocked it and got a rollup. Desperado nailed the second Angel’s Wings and scored the pin. An excellent match. The only drawback is I never thought Fujita was going to win, but this was a great match.
El Desperado defeated Kosei Fujita to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title at 23:03.
* Desperado spoke in Japanese, with Cobb interpreting what he presumed Desperado said (and of course some of it was rather hilarious). Streamers were shot off and it appeared the show was over, but Francesco Akira came to the ring, indicating he wants a title shot, and he challenged Desperado to a match next month. They shoved each other.
Final Thoughts: I’ve said it before, but there is just something special about being in Korakuen Hall, as everyone seems to step it up. I noted a couple of times that matches moved at a frenetic pace today. An excellent main event easily takes first place, and a very good eight-man tag is well worth checking out.
A bit of a surprise to have two straight matches that ended so quickly without a clear winner, as that’s just not common in NJPW. But the action in both of those matches was intense and the crowd was into it. Gabe Kidd is so insanely over right now; it feels like heel Steve Austin about to turn into white-hot babyface. We’re on the precipice of that.
This is the last televised event before the Feb. 11 show, which features Sabre vs. Goto, Kidd vs. Tsuji, Naito and Hiromu vs. The Young Bucks, Oleg vs. Konosuke Takeshita, Taichi vs. Sanada and Umino vs. O-Khan.
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