Normally this is about the time of year New Japan holds their traditional Wrestling Satsuma No Kuni event. It’s not being held this year, instead today was the first of 2 special standalone events elsewhere, WRESTLING REDZONE in HIROSHIMA.
Today’s event was held at Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall in Hiroshima and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.
The announced paid attendance was 3018.
Match 1: Katsuya Murashima beat Daiki Nagai.
Match 2: Master Wato, Yoh, Boltin Oleg, Toru Yano & Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, Hartley Jackson (Independent/Freelancer), Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. Oleg pinned Jackson after Kamikaze.
Match 3: Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Sho beat Taiji Ishimori & Clark Connors. Kanemaru pinned Connors with Samson Clutch.
Match 4; Ryusuke Taguchi, El Phantasmo & El Desperado beat Jacob Austin Young, Francesco Akira & Templario. Phantasmo pinned Young after a spinning neckbreaker.
Match 5: Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji beat Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura. Takagi pinned Umino after Pumping Bomber.
Match 6: SANADA, Ren Narita & EVIL beat Drilla Moloney, Gabriel Kidd & David Finlay. EVIL pinned Finlay after EVIL.
Match 7: Taichi & Tomohiro Ishii beat Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito. Taichi pinned Naito after Black Mephisto.
Main Event: Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan beat Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI to win the vacant IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. Newman & Khan become the 109th IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Newman pinned YOSHI-HASHI after Prince’s Curse. Next up: Taichi & Ishii. That match may happen at WRESTLING DONTAKU Day 2 on 5/4 at Fukuoka International Center based on what Khan said. However, that almost certainly will not happen because Newman is already set to face Goto for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship that day. More likely on 5/3 which would still necessitate changing at least 2 matches. (Also a quick TV note for 5/3 & 5/4-both will be live & on demand on New Japan World, 5/4 will be OUTSIDE JAPAN ONLY due to being a live TV Asahi broadcast in Japan)
The next event is tomorrow at KDDI Ishin Hall in Yamaguchi to continue the Road To WRESTLING DONTAKU Tour. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1 AM PT/4 AM ET.
