Welcome to the first of several New Japan Pro Wrestling Road to Destruction tour events that will be covered on this blog. I won't be watching every house show that NJPW does between now and next weekend's first Destruction show, but I will cover some of the more interesting shows. I will be reporting this similarly to the way that I did the G1 Climax. The undercard matches will recieve minimal coverage while the main matches will recieve most of my attention. The Golden Elite are in the main event tonight. So, I guarantee you that will recieve a great bit of attention on this post.
Let's fire up NJPW World, and let's do this!!!!
Here's the card for this show:
Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Will Ospreay**
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI**
Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado**
Hirooki Goto & Gedo vs. Taichi & Taka Michinoku**
Beretta vs. Toa Henare
Juice Robinson, Michael Elgin, David Finlay & Ayato Yoshida vs. Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Taiji Ishimori
Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi vs. Ren Narita & Shota Umino
(Credit: Voices of Wrestling: https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2018/08/20/njpw-destruction-2018-tour-schedule-analysis/)
**= Full Review Matches for Today's Show
1) Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi vs. Ren Narita & Shota Umino
- One spot in this match included all four men going out to the floor. Yujiro slammed one of the opponents (thinking it was Umino) over the rail onto the floor. It looked like he hit one of the female fans in the legs as he was coming down. Yujiro cups this woman's face asking her if she's alright. She looks a little shocked, but she gives him a nod that she's ok. He then nods his head, smiles in probably a shoot moment, and walks away. The rails in NJPW are definitely too close to the audience on these shows. The problem is with these small, intimate venues that it's hard NOT to have something like this happen more often.
- Owens and Takahashi win when Owens nails the package piledriver on Umino for the win. Decent opener. Match Grade: C-.
2) Juice Robinson, Michael Elgin, David Finlay & Ayato Yoshida vs. Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Taiji Ishimori
- Just what we need: More Tongan Shenanigans.
- I don't think Tama Tonga gets enough credit for his pace in the ring. The dude can move. Whatever you think of his actual in-ring ability, he definitely knows how to keep up a fast pace.
- More technical problems for NJPW: Juice got backdropped over the ringpost onto a camera man on the outside. Another example of the dangers of being around a wrestling ring period. Stuff happens.
- Typical multi-man match for the most part. The Bullet Club OGs win when Loa hits Ape... (Rikishi Driver) on Yoshida. Nothing on here to really go out of your way to watch. Match Grade: D+.
3) Beretta vs. Toa Henare
- Good to see Beretta back in action again in New Japan. He's been out for months. (See this week's UnWrest blog for my thoughts on his match that aired earlier this week with Chuckie T vs. Bully Ray and Silas Young.)
- An alright match overall from an in-ring perspective. But there was no heat to it whatsoever. Dude Buster ended it for Beretta to pick up the win. Match Grade: D+.
4) Hirooki Goto & Gedo vs. Taichi & Taka Michinoku
- Now this has some heat to it. Taichi and Goto will be meeting during the Destruction Tour for Goto's NEVER Openweight Championship. And I wouldn't be shocked to see a title change when that happens.
- Gedo looks about as lost without Okada as Taka looks without Sabre Jr.
- Taichi attacks Goto with the microphone stand before the bell even rings.
- Brawling ensues. Taichi whipped into the rail by Goto. Back in the ring, Goto and Gedo double team Taichi. Gedo rakes his foot over Taichi's eyes, and Goto... does a People's Elbow?! Ok. Legal tag to Gedo who does his punches to Taichi. But a distraction by Taka leads to an eye rake by Taichi. All four men are now brawling on the floor. Goto gets thrown into a couple rails. Taichi and Goto go out into one of the entrance ramps. Chair shots to Goto.
Back in the ring, Taichi goes on the attack with Taka on Gedo's face. Taka just continues to rake on the eyes once he's tagged in. Double Stomp Rake by Taka to the eyes. Taichi tags himself back in. More eye rakes by Taichi. Gedo starts fighting back, but Taichi gets him in the eyes. Gedo can't make the tag. Gedo ducks a clothesline by Taichi, and Gedo smacks him with a punch. Tag to Goto.
Goto with the misdirection clothesline. Suplex on Taka onto Taichi. Goto nails the spinning corner kick and the Saito suplex for a 2. (Was that the first pin attempt on this?!) Goto gets hit with a big enziguri in the corner. Taichi rips the pants to show the ring gear underneath. (I guess that's his "pulling the strap down.") Big clothesline by Taichi. Tag to Taka. GTR avoided as Taichi runs in to make the save. PK by Taka on Goto gets a 2 as Gedo breaks it up. Taichi goes for the powerbomb, but he gets Ushigaroshe instead. Taka gets one for his trouble too. GTR!!!! 1-2-3.
Winners: Goto and Gedo
Match Grade: C. Fun tag team match that did a little bit to get people interested in seeing Taichi challenge for the title in a few days. 2018 has been a really good year in terms of in-ring work for Goto. So, I expect some good work in this match even with someone the style of Taichi.
5) Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado
- Iizuka does his usual crazy "through the audience" entrance while Suzuki does his typical badass shoot fighter entrance. It's always funny to me how Suzuki-Gun are heels, but they get cheered whenever Suzuki is around. Speaking of heels that are over with the crowd... Here comes Los Ingoberables de Japon!
- This is to set up the future Naito vs. Suzuki match.
- As soon as Naito gets in the ring, Suzuki attacks. And the fight is on. Everyone is fighting on the outside of the ring. Suzuki thrown into the rails. Bushi and El Desperado are going at it. Kanemaru gets a hurricanrana for his troubles. Bushi and Desperado seem to be the legal men. Tag to Naito. Naito and Sanada double team Desperado. EVIL runs in with a senton splash. Cover for a 2 by Naito. Surfboard variant by Naiton with Desperado on his belly. Naito continues with the attack on Desperado.
Suzuki kicks Naito as he hits the ropes and gets the rope armbreaker in. He takes Naito out and throws him into the rail. And they go to the announce tables. Naito smacked head first on the table. Suzuki with chair shots to Naito, sending a seat cover flying into the crowd. Suzuki chokes Naito and slams a chair into another chair on Naito's arm!! The count is on. Naito runs in at 19. But it's a triple team from Kanemaru, Desperado, and Suzuki that await him. Choke hold by Suzuki. Desperado covers Naito for a 2. 5 minutes have passed.
Naito is trapped in the Suzuki corner as Kanemaru gets tagged in. Attacks from inside and out. Iizuka gets the tag and attacks. While the referee is distracted, Suzuki locks in an armbreaker with his body falling over the ring apron to add more pressure. Damn. Naito is again getting assualted as Iizuka attacks the LIJ corner and distracts the referee. Iizuka bites down on Naito as Suzuki tags himself in. Naito with chops to Suzuki who no sells the offense. Sleeper on Naito. Naito's arm almost drops three times. Suzuki transitions to the piledriver, but Naito fights out. Suzuki and Naito start fighting each other with Naito finally getting a flying forearm. Tag to Sanada.
Sanada fights off both Kanemaru and Desperado. Kanemaru gets caught in the Paradise Lock. But Desperado helps him get out. Sanada with a double dropkick to both men. Tag to EVIL! Evil clotheslines Kanemaru. But Iizuka kicks him in the back as he runs the ropes. Suzuki-Gun now with multiple attacks on Evil. Iizuka seems to be the legal man, but he only gets a 2 out of all those attacks. Iizuka gets attacked by LIJ. Bites to both Sanada and Evil by Iizuka. But Evil and Sanada nail the Magic Killer. 1-2-3.
Winners: LIJ
Match Grade: B-. Fun tag team match that was usual insanity you would expect from these two factions going at it.
Suzuki attacks Naito after the match. Naito with the corner slingshot dropkick on Suzuki followed by the Tranquilo pose. Suzuki gets a chair and tries to get in the ring. But the Young Boys at ringside stop him. You know what's coming next... Suzuki beats up some Young Boys.
6) Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI
Tanahashi comes out carrying his recently won G1 Climax 28 Briefcase which contains the contract for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom 13.
The bell rings, and we're starting with Tanahashi and Okada! Tie up. Okada does the clean break, but Tanahashi slaps him. Headlocks exchanged by both men. Tanahashi almost catches Okada with a rollup. Okada avoids a dropkick, but The Ace gets a spinning head scissors on Okada. Tag to Honma. Tag to Yoshi-Hashi by Okada.
Tie up in the ring. Yoshi-Hashi does his own clean break. Hard chops back and forth by both men. Yoshi-Hashi gets the advantage in the chop battle with several unanswered chops. But he runs into a shoulder tackle by Honma. Slam by Honma. He goes for the falling headbutt, but he misses. Action is now breaking out on the outside. Okada sends Tanahashi into the rail as Yano pulls down a corner pad. Okada takes Tanahashi into the audience and whips him against one of the walls. Hashi and Honma are back in the ring.
Honma whipped into the exposed corner (the CHAOS corner, by the way). Tag to Yano. Yano whips Honma again into the corner. Tanahashi and Makabe both try to stop it, but they both get whipped into the corner for their trouble. Honma again whipped into the corner. Tag to Okada. Okada slams Honma and nails the slingshot senton. Honma slams Okada down. He goes for the falling headbutt and misses. Okada tries one of his own and misses. A tag attempt is broken up by CHAOS. Tag to YOSHI-HASHI.
Hashi now attacks Honma. Whip into the corner by Hashi followed by a lightning quick clothesline which gets a 2 count. Both men try to suplex the other, but Honma finally gets one at the end of the struggle. Tag to Tanahashi. Tag to Okada by Hashi. Flying forearm by Tanahashi. Senton splash for a 2. Forearms by Tanahashi. Dragon Screw to Okada's leg. Flapjack by Okada. (God, I love these exchanges.) Running corner hip attack and a DDT by Okada for a 2. Okada gets caught in TWIST AND SHOUT! Okada gets the dropkick in on Tanahashi, who gets right back up and nails his classic SLING BLADE!
Tag to Makabe by The Ace. Tag to Yano by Okada. Makabe hits a series of running clotheslines on Yano and Hashi. Ten count punches in the corner by Makabe. Clothesline to a running Yano for a 2. Atomic Drop by Yano who gets clotheslined. Tag to Honma by Makabe. Triple team to Yano and Honma finally gets the headbutt in. Double clotheslines to both sides of Yano now by Honma and Makabe. Honma goes to suplex Yano who blocks it. Running flying headbutt by Honma. Honma gets thrown into the ref, LOW BLOW, and a rollup by Yano ends this.
Winners: CHAOS
Match Grade: C. This wasn't anything truly memorable or classic, but the Okada-Tanahashi exchanges are timeless. Yano does it again with the cheap win.
7) Main Event: Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Will Ospreay.
Oh this is going to be amazing!!!! I apologize in advance for not being able to convey the awesomeness of this match.
Ospreay and Ibushi start us off. Oh god! Tie up by both men. Clean break by Ibushi once he gets Ospreay to the ropes. Headlock by Ospreay. Both men knock the other down, only for the other to kip back up to his feet. Jumping Hurricanrana by Ibushi. But Ospreay catches Ibushi in the corner with a big arm drag. Double Dropkick and Kip Up by both men leads to a standoff.
Tag to Ishii by Ospreay. Tag to Omega by Ibushi. Again, Oh God! Ishii and Omega go right at it. Big boot to Ishii's head. Big suplex by Ishii who shook off the earlier kicks. Ishii with hard chops and kicks on the ropes to Omega. Ibushi comes in to fight off Ishii. Double Leapfrog by the Golden Lovers followed by a kick and a Jumping Famouser by Omega. Ospreay knocked off the corner by Ibushi. Rise of the Terminator is stopped by a running Ishii who bulldozes Omega down!
Tag to Ospreeay. Ishii and Ospreay double team Omega with a series of fast hard hitting moves. At one point, Ospreay jumps on Ishii's back and nails a corkscrew splash onto Omega which gets a 2 thanks to Ibushi's interference. (Again, folks. I'm pausing here to recap this. It's incredibly fast... and just plain incredible period.) Ibushi is sent out for his trouble. Ospreay attacks Omega with uppercuts and a chop. Ishii tags himself back in. Double shoulder tackle by Ishii/Ospreay. Omega gives a THUNDEROUS chop to Ishii! Forearms by Omega and Ishii. Another thunderous chop by Omega. Ishii and Omega are chopping the hell out of each other!!!! Omega gets a big back suplex on Ishii! Tag to Ibushi.
Ibushi attacks Ishii. Headlock on the Stone Pitbull. Ishii gets out only for Ibushi to continue striking him. Ishii asks for more, and he gets more. Tag to Omega. Omega continues the work in the Golden Lovers corner. He takes Ishii to another corner. Boots to the head of Ishii in a taunting fashion. Sliding CHOP to Ishii in the corner. Ishii spits up at Omega!!! Omega continues the attack. Ishii gets up and tells Omega to bring it. Omega attacks, but Ishii throws him back into the corner and unloads with attacks on Omega. Omega whips Ishii into the opposite corner and attacks. THUNDEROUS CHOPs in the center of the ring by Omega, but Ishii catches him running with a big snap slam. Tag to Ospreay. (Dear God, this is insane!)
Ospreay, with a fast flurry of offense here, takes down Ibushi in the corner, knocks Omega into the corner with a kick, and nails an over the top rope 619 variant to Omega's head. Ospreay then floats over the top rope and nails a rolling neckbreaker to Omega. STANDING SHOOTING STAR PRESS for a 2. Aerial Assassin indeed. Big Chop by Omega. Omega blocks an offensive attempt by Ospreay and hits the Snap Dragon. Ishii runs in and gets nailed with a SPRINGBOARD DROPKICK BY IBUSHI! The Golden Lovers are alone in the ring. They run to the corners, jump over them, and nail THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE (MOONSAULT DIVES) ONTO IBUSHI AND OSPREAY!!!! Ten minutes have passed! Just 10 minutes, folks!
Omega gets Ishii up. You Can't Escape. Rolling Samoan Drop followed by an Ibushi running Shooting Star Press followed by Asai Moonsaults from both Ibushi and Omega in flawless continuous 5 second execution! Damn! Ospreay tries to interfere. Omega tries to powerbomb Ospreay into an Ibushi German Suplex, but OSPREAY FLOATS OVER AND LANDS ON HIS FEET! Ospreay catches both men with a double Pele Kick off the ropes! They're outside. Ospreay nails the cartwheel into the moonsault dive over the top rope on both men!!!!! (Sasuke Special, the Japanese Commentators call it. Yes, folks. I understood that part.)
Ospreay rolls Omega back in. Ishii powerbombs Omega WHILE OSPREAY NAILS A SPRINGBOARD CLOTHESLINE!!!!! Omega kicks out at 2.75! Ishii with a thunderous clothesline in the corner and a back suplex to Omega. Ibushi stops Ishii from powerbombing Omega with a kick to the head. Ishii and Ibushi are fighting back and forth. Ishii runs into a combination kick/V-Trigger from the Golden Lovers! Ishii crumbles to the mat. They call for the Golden Trigger, but Ospreay Springboard Dives onto Omega and Ibushi. OMEGA CATCHES HIM AND THROWS HIM OVER HIS HEAD TO THE OUTSIDE!
Ibushi and Omega go to the top rope. Golden Shower escaped by Ibushi who knocks both men off the top rope. Ishii climbs up and pulls up Omega with him. BIG SUPLEX BY ISHII WHICH IS FOLLOWED UP WITH A BIG SPLASH BY OSPREAY WHO LITERALLY DIVES INTO THE CAMERA SHOT ONCE OMEGA HITS THE MAT!!!! SLIDING CLOTHESLINE! 1-2 IBUSHI BEATS OSPREAY TO BREAK THE COUNT! Ospreay kicks Ibushi out. Ishii RUNS INTO V-TRIGGER! BUT OMEGA RUNS INTO AN ISHII HARD CLOTHESLINE! 1-2- OMEGA KICKS OUT AT 2.9!!!!
Ishii gets Omega up for the brainbuster, but Omega knees him in the face while in vertical position and gets Ishii with a Snap Dragon. 15 minutes! Omega NAILS V-TRIGGER!!!! Ishii escapes One Winged Angel!!! Kicks to the head of a standing Ishii who responds with a headbutt! V-Trigger again to a running Ishii!!! THIS IS AWESOME! Both men are down and exhausted. Ishii and Omega tag their partners in. Big kick to Ibushi's head. Both men exchange forearms. It's a standoff! BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH! FAST STRIKES BY IBUSHI followed by an roundhouse kick to Ospreay's head! Ospreay gets Ibushi with an enziguri and NAILS A HUGE SPINNING SITDOWN POWERBOMB FOR A 2!
Ospreay hits his spinning low kick on a kneeling Ibushi. Omega tries to stop Ospreay, but Ospreay catches him with a cutter. Ibushi catches Ospreay while going for the Oscutter and nails a Straight Jacket German Suplex. 2 count only! Kamigoye escaped. Ospreay with a big kick to the back of Ibushi's head. Ospreay goes for Oscutter, but Omega catches him while he's about to bounce off the ropes with V-Trigger! Ibushi goes on the middle rope and NAILS A DEADLIFT GERMAN OVER THE TOP ROPE BACK INTO THE RING! 1-2-ISHII BREAKS IT UP! Omega and Ishii fight each other. Snap Rana by Omega! GOLDEN TRIGGER TO OSPREAY!!!!! 1-2-3!!!! OH MY GOD! That was amazing.
Winners: The Golden Lovers
Match Grade: A+. That was insane and one of the best tag team matches of the year for sure. While it didn't reach the level of emotion that The Young Bucks vs. The Golden Lovers did earlier this year, it was an electric, fast-paced, hard-hitting, back-and-forth, enter all the cliches in the damn book, and entertaining match that should be remembered for years to come as among the best tag matches in any company this year.
Omega greets the crowd in Japanese and cuts his promo to them. (This is one of the things that in my mind makes me think Omega might not defect to WWE. He truly loves Japan and thinks of it as his home.) Goodbye and Good Night.
Backstage, Omega says he and Ibushi spread love. He puts over Ishii for caring about his matches and wanting to get respect. Omega and Ibushi talk in Japanese. Then, Omega fluently goes between Japanese and English! Seriously, that does take some skill to talk both languages at the drop of a hat.
Show Grade: B. That's generous considering only one match lifted this entire show to that level. Still at 2 hours and 20 minutes, this show does go by really quick. Watch the LIJ/Suzuki-Gun match for the violence, but DO NOT MISS The Golden Lovers vs. Ishii and Ospreay. Ospreay showed that he belongs in the main event scene on any show he's on. That was a great performance by all four men that I highly recommend you go out of your way to find if you don't have NJPW World.
That's it for this show. I will be back later with another Road to Destruction review likely before the first main show.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
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