New Japan continued the Road to DESTRUCTION Tour today with the second half of an opening Tokyo doubleheader.
Today’s event was held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched on demand on New Japan World. This was a Samurai! TV broadcast in Japan.
The paid attendance has not yet been announced.
There were again last-minute changes to the card because Boltin Oleg remained out due to an infection in his left arm and related fever, and also because Zack Sabre Jr. asked to defend the NJPW WORLD TV Championship against Satoshi Kojima after his defense yesterday-that last-minute change was made.
Match 1: Yoh & Ryusuke Taguchi beat TAKA Michinoku & DOUKI. Yoh pinned TAKA after Black Hole Vacation.
Match 2: Tomoaki Honma, Master Wato, Shota Umino & Yuji Nagata beat Yuto Nakashima, El Desperado, Ren Narita & Minoru Suzuki. Umino pinned Nakashima after Death Slider.
Match 3: Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto beat Bad Dude Tito, Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls. Goto pinned Tito after Shoto.
Match 4: Yujiro Takahashi, Sho & EVIL beat DOUKI, Taichi & SANADA. EVIL pinned DOUKI after EVIL. There was an absolute last-second change here because Yoshinobu Kanemaru was supposed to be in the match but he injured his knee when Just 5 Guys attempted a pre-match sneak attack on House Of Torture. DOUKI was the replacement.
Match 5: NJPW WORLD TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. beat Satoshi Kojima by submission to retain the title. V14(!) for Sabre.
Match 6: NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Champions Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada beat Tiger Mask, Togi Makabe & Hiroyoshi Tenzan to retain the titles. Ishii pinned Tenzan after a vertical drop brainbuster. V2 for the champs.
Main Event: In an elimination match, Callum Newman, HENARE, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & Will Ospreay beat BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito. Cobb was the only winner left, last eliminating Naito. This could have Tokyo Dome main event implications if this perhaps results in Naito being forced to defend his title shot contract against Cobb.
The next event is BLUE JUSTICE 13, a Yuji Nagata Produced event, tomorrow at Togane Arena in Chiba. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at midnight PT/3 AM ET.
