By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Road to King of Pro Wrestling”
October 4, 2025, in Kangawa, Japan, at Tokkei Security Gymnasium Hiratsuka
Streamed live on New Japan World
This host venue is a large gym, and the crowd was maybe 800. They turned the lights down, but the ring was well-lit. Both Chris Charlton and Walker Stewart provided commentary. For no apparent reason, there were no on-screen graphics.
1. Zane Jay and Masatora Yasuda vs. Tatsuya Matsumoto and Katsuya Murashima. Jay and Matsumoto opened. Murashima got in and hit some overhand chops on Zane. Zane hit a dropkick. Yasuda worked over Matsumoto (who is the newest of this Young Lion class). He applied a Boston Crab at 5:00, but Murashima made the save. Zane got a hot tag and hip-tossed Murashima, and he put Katsuya in a Boston Crab, but Murashima reached the ropes. Murashima then put Zane in a Boston Crab until Zane tapped out.
Katsuya Murashima and Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated Zane Jay and Masatora Yasuda at 7:57.
2. Shota Umino vs. Daiki Nagai. Again, we have no on-screen graphics; I wasn’t initially sure who Shota was facing. Shota hit some European Uppercuts. Nagai hit a dropkick at 4:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Daiki hit a Spinebuster for a nearfall at 7:00, and he applied a Boston Crab. Shota hit a running knee for a nearfall at 9:00, then a dropkick. He hit a hard clothesline for the pin. Okay match with a flat finish.
Shota Umino defeated Daiki Nagai at 9:41.
3. “House of Torture” Sanada and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors. HoT came out first; Drilla and Clark charged into the ring, and they all started brawling. They rolled to the floor, and the ref had lost control. Drilla shoved Sanada’s head into the far wall, far from ringside, then they returned to the ringside area. Connors pulled out his car tire and struck Kanemaru with it at 1:30. In the ring, Connors choked Kanemaru and kept him grounded.
Sanada whipped Moloney into a guardrail on the floor; Kanemaru did the same to Connors. They all kept brawling at ringside. In the ring, the HoT worked over Clark. Kanemaru hit an inverted DDT for a nearfall at 5:00. Connors hit a powerslam. Moloney got a hot tag and battled Sanada. Those two went back to the floor and again past the guardrails and into the crowd. The ref called for the bell! The four of them continued to fight, even as security tried to separate them. Nothing was decided here.
Sanada and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney went to a double count-out at 7:10.
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shoma Kato vs. El Phantasmo and Jado. ELP and Tanahashi opened. Hiroshi hit a second-rope crossbody block. Shoma and Jado got in at 2:30. ELP got back in and hit some chops on Shoma. Hiroshi entered at 6:00 and hit a flying forearm on ELP, then a second-rope somersault senton for a nearfall. ELP went for a piledriver, but Tanahashi blocked it. ELP hit a Lionsault for a nearfall at 7:30. Tanahashi hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip. Shoma and Jado got back in, with Kato hitting a flying forearm. ELP and Gedo hit some quick team moves as they worked over Kato. ELP hit a superkick, then a frogsplash for the pin on Kato. Okay action.
El Phantasmo and Jado defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shoma Kato at 9:58.
5. “House of Torture” EVIL, Douki, Sho, Don Fale, and Dick Togo vs. Boltin Oleg, Toru Yano, Tiger Mask, El Desperado, and Kuukai. My first time seeing Kuukai, who wore white pants with red splashes. Despe and Douki opened, but the HoT quickly began stomping on Desperado. Yano got in and had his back to the heels; he didn’t realize Fale had tagged in. Of course, once he realized, he ran to his corner to tag in Tiger Mask. (No one does less in the ring than Yano!) The HoT began working over Tiger Mask, and Togo pulled on TM’s mask.
Oleg finally got in at 5:30, and he flipped Douki around in his arms before hitting a gut-wrench suplex, then he bodyslammed EVIL and hit a splash to the mat for a nearfall. He hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Togo. Kuukai got in for the first time and battled Togo. He has a great physique and his cagematch.net bio says he’s 31. Togo hit his knife-edge chop to the groin for a nearfall at 9:00. Kuukai hit a springboard splash onto Togo, then a swinging bodyslam for the pin. NJPW needs some fresh faces, so hopefully Kuukai is sticking around.
Boltin Oleg, Toru Yano, Tiger Mask, El Desperado, and Kuukai defeated EVIL, Douki, Sho, Don Fale, and Dick Togo at 9:32.
6. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Yuto-Ice and Oskar vs. Tomoaki Honma and Yuya Uemura. Yuya and Shota Umino will be facing these new tag champions soon; the belts aren’t on the line today. Yuya and Yuto-Ice opened and pushed their foreheads together before trading forearm strikes. Honma got in at 2:30, so Oskar tagged in. Oskar is seriously 6’7″ or so, and he easily shoved Honma to the mat. Yuto-Ice whipped Yuya into the guardrail, while Oskar kept Honma grounded. Yuto-Ice tagged in and hit a series of roundhouse kicks on Honma at 5:00, then a running knee to his face.
Uemura got a hot tag at 6:30 and battled Yuto-Ice. Yuto hit more spin kicks; Uemura hit some chops; this has been a really good exchange. Yuya hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 8:00 on Yuto. He hit a crossbody block on Oskar. Honma tagged back in, but he couldn’t hit a bulldog on Oskar, and he missed a Kokeshi falling headbutt. Honma and Yuya couldn’t suplex Oskar. Honma hit a flying headbutt on Oskar, then he hit the Kokeshi for a nearfall at 12:30. Oskar hit a back suplex for a nearfall. Oskar applied a standing sleeper; the ref checked Honma and called for the bell.
Oskar and Yuto-Ice defeated Tomoaki Honma and Yuya Uemura at 14:07.
7. Shingo Takagi, Titan, Yota Tsuji, and Hiromu Takahashi vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Gabe Kidd, Taiji Ishimori, David Finlay, and Gedo. I’ll reiterate that Shingo’s squad is no longer called Los Ingobernables de Japon, but they have stuck together, including today with Titan rejoining them. Titan and Gedo opened, with Titan hitting a springboard dropkick, and he tugged on Gedo’s beard. Yota entered and also tugged on the beard, so Shingo and Hiromu did the same. “He’s going to be clean-shaven by December!” Charlton quipped. Everyone started brawling into the crowd and down the rows of fans.
Finlay battled Shingo, while Yota battled Kidd. In the ring, Ishimori kept Hiromu grounded. Kidd mockingly did a Naito laid-back pose on the mat, and Charlton said, “That guy isn’t around here anymore” (interesting, he didn’t use Naito’s name). The BCWD continued to take turns working over Hiromu in their corner. Hiromu hit a huracanrana on Ishimori at 7:00. Ishimori fired back with a handspring-back-spin kick to the forehead. HIromu hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over his knee. Finlay jumped in, but HIromu hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip. Shingo tagged in and battled Finlay.
Shingo clotheslined Finlay to the floor. Titan dove through the ropes onto Finlay at 9:00. In the ring, Shingo hit a suplex on Finlay for a nearfall. Finlay nailed the Northern Irish Curse backbreaker over his knee on Shingo. Yota and Kidd tagged in and brawled. Yota hit a splash to the mat, and he was fired up. Kidd got up and hit some slaps to the face, then some punches in the corner. Hiromu hit a superkick on Kidd. Titan hit a spin kick to Hiromu’s jaw. Kidd hit a Pounce on Shingo. Yota and Kidd traded more blows, with Kidd hitting a Rebound Lariat at 12:30. Yota hit a Falcon Arrow on Kidd, and they were both down. Tsuji hit a spear to pin Gedo. That was some inspired action.
Shingo Takagi, Titan, Yota Tsuji, and Hiromu Takahashi defeated Gabe Kidd, Taiji Ishimori, David Finlay, and Gedo at 13:22.
* Daiki Nagai joined his ‘unaffiliated’ group in the ring. Yota got on the mic and spoke to Kidd and challenged him to a match next Monday.
Final Thoughts: Some entertaining matches, but nothing must-see here, either. The Kidd and Finlay vs. Shingo and Kidd dynamic has really stood out lately. Hiromu and Ishimori are also always good opponents, too. Yes, once they got past the silliness of everyone tugging on Gedo’s beard, that turned into a really good brawl.
Also notable is the long-overdue return of Oskar and Yuto-Ice from an excursion. I noted it last week, but it just felt so important to have this duo come back and immediately win the tag titles. It’s clear that the match they’ll have against Yuya and Shota Umino will be some pretty top-notch action.
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