NJPW Wrestling Dontaku night one live results: Dragon Lee vs. Ishimori

After a number of Road To shows, we’re finally at the first of two Wrestling Dontaku shows that will be held this weekend in Fukuoka.

This morning’s show is headlined by a big IWGP Junior Heavyweight title match, as Dragon Lee will make his first defense against Taiji Ishimori. The challenger lost the championship last month at the G1 Supercard inside Madison Square Garden, but was never pinned.

The NEVER Openweight Championship will also be on the line as Jeff Cobb will defend the title against Taichi. A special tag team match will also take place, as Tomohiro Ishii & Kazuchika Okada will team up to take on EVIL & SANADA, a preview for Saturday morning as Ishii/EVIL and Okada/SANADA will square off in singles action.

As usual, the rest of the undercard features tag team matches. Kota Ibushi and Tetsuya Naito will be on opposite sides for a six-man tag team match as they are soon to square off in a rematch of their own.

Join us this morning starting at 5 a.m. ET. There will be English commentary.

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TOMOAKI HONMA, SHOTA UMINO & REN NARITA DEFEATED TOA HENARE, YOTA TSUJI & YUYA UEMURA (10:46)

This was the Tsuji show early on. He dispatched Narita, then called for Umino to enter. Tsuji hit a dropkick to Umino. Umino hit a back elbow and a dropkick of his own, and the tide turned. 

Umino, Honma and Narita took their time, working over Tsuji. Tsujit finally hit a backdrop, and tagged Henare. Henare ran wild, and cleared the ring. He hit a delayed vertical suplex on Umino, and got a two count. 

Umino hit a dropkick, and Narita and Uemura got tags. Uemura cleared the apron, and his team tripled up on Narita. Uemura used a Fujiwara armbar, but Narita reached the ropes. Uemura used a double underhook suplex. He made a cover, but Umino saved Narita. 

Uemura hit the ropes, but ran right into a bridging belly-to-belly from Narita for the finish. Good opener. 

MINORU SUZUKI, TAKA MICHINOKU, EL DESPERADO & YOSHINOBU KANEMARU DEFEATED JUSHIN LIGER, RYUSUKE TAGUCHI, TIGER MASK & YOSHI-HASHI (9:57)

A fun, chaotic tag here. 

Suzuki-gun attacked before the bell. They did some comedy involving Taguchi’s rugby helmet. Suzuki went after Taguchi, applying an armbar over the ropes, then using a chair on the outside. 

Taguchi hit a hip attack, then tagged Liger. Liger went after Suzuki with strikes. Suzuki targeted the right arm of Liger, using an armbar. Suzuki refused to break the hold. They teased a DQ. Liger made a comeback, hitting strikes with his left arm. 

Liger and Suzuki continued to trade strikes. Suzuki hit a knee lift, into a double down. Tiger and TAKA got tags. Suzuki-gun cut Tiger off, and hit stereo knees to the head. TAKA covered, but Taguchi and Liger made the save. 
Tiger hit a Tiger Bomb for a nearfall. TAKA hit a Michinoku Driver for the pin. 

After the bell, Suzuki went after Liger on the floor. They both grabbed chairs, and live to fight another day. Tiger was favoring his right leg in the post-match. He limped out of the ring under his own power. 

WILL OSPREAY, TOGI MAKABE & TORU YANO DEFEATED TAMA TONGA, TANGA LOA & HIKULEO (7:25)

Yano started off with Tonga and Loa, and they did some comedy. Yano exposed a turnbuckle, and promptly got sent into it. Makabe tagged in and evened the playing field. 

Ospreay and Hikuleo got tags, and Ospreay looked great here. Jado used a kendo stick shot from the floor, allowing Hikuleo to get the upper hand on Ospreay. 

Ospreay went for an Oscutter, but Hikuleo blocked it. Hikuleo hit a lariat, and got a nearfall. Ospreay made his own comeback and used a rollup for a nearfall. 

Ospreay hit an Oscutter on his second attempt, and got the pin. Ospreay made it a good match, as it was just kind of there until he tagged in. 

KOTA IBUSHI, SHO & YOH DEFEATED TETSUYA NAITO, SHINGO TAKAGI & BUSHI (11:31)

This was excellent. After the match, Ibushi asked Naito to pick the time and place for their IC title match. Naito teased doing the match tomorrow, but then walked it back. He’s going to continue to make Ibushi wait. 

YOH and BUSHI started off. YOH and SHO used some tandem offense. Shingo jumped in, but SHO sent him to the floor. YOH tagged Ibushi. Ibushi went for a standing moonsault, but BUSHI got his knees up. Naito jumped in and hit a one-legged dropkick. Naito then got a tag, and used a wacky double-legged submission hold to wear down Ibushi. 

Shingo tagged in, and continued working on Ibushi. He got a shot in on SHO on the apron, then hit Ibushi with a senton. Naito tagged back in and hit the combinacion cabron. Naito caught a kick and spit on Ibushi, who countered with a double stomp to the chest. 

SHO and Shingo got tags, and exchanged stiff strikes to the chest. SHO ducked a lariat and hit a spear. Shingo fired back with clotheslines. SHO hit a vertical suplex for a two count. They continued to exchange hard clotheslines. 

YOH tagged in. He hit an enziguri and a falcon arrow for a nearfall. He teased a dragon suplex, but Shingo avoided it. SHO jumped in and 3K hit stereo knees. They called for the 3K, but Shingo blocked it, and hit a double suplex. 

Shingo was able to tag BUSHI. BUSHI hit a missile dropkick and a DDT. YOH hit a dragon screw, and both looked to tag out. YOH reached his corner first, and Ibushi ran wild. He hit a powerslam and a moonsault. He got in a shot on Naito as well. 

The match broke down. SHO took out Shingo on the floor with a knee strike. YOH hit a pescado to Naito. In the ring, Ibushi hit a Bomaye, followed by a Kamigoye for the pin.

JUICE ROBINSON, HIROOKI GOTO & MIKEY NICHOLLS DEFEATED JAY WHITE, CHASE OWENS & BAD LUCK FALE (11:23)

Goto, Nicholls and Juice took an early advantage, but they were thwarted when attempting stereo planchas. Bullet Club took over. Each took a turn working over Nicholls, who finally made a tag to Goto. 

Goto hit a wheel kick in the corner, and used a Thesz press. White hit a Saito suplex, allowing him to tag Owens. Owens hit a series of strikes, but Goto cut him off with a vertical suplex. 

Juice tagged in and ran wild on Owens. He hit a senton, and a series of punches and chops in the corner. Juice hit a spinebuster, then used a crab. Fale and White jumped in for the save, then the illegal triple team. 

Owens used a backbreaker for a nearfall. The match broke down, and everyone jumped in. The ring cleared, leaving Juice and Owens. Juice went for Pulp Friction, but White saved. White went for Blade Runner, but Nicholls saved. 

Owens went for a package piledriver, but Juice turned it into a bridge for a nearfall. Juice hit the Left Hand of God, then hit Pulp Friction for the pin. 

A video played after the match. Someone is targeting Juice. The video said Juice’s time is up on June 5, the Best of the Super Jrs. final. 

EVIL & SANADA DEFEATED KAZUCHIKA OKADA & TOMOHIRO ISHII (16:52)

I think this was the best match on the tour so far. I loved this match. Please go out of your way to see it. 

Okada and SANADA started off with an intricate series of counters and reversals based off their signature spots. Awesome stuff. 

EVIL and Ishii tagged in. They traded chops and shoulder blocks. Ishii got the first knockdown, but EVIL got the upper hand. SANADA jumped in and raked Ishii’s eyes, allowing EVIL and SANADA to maintain their advantage. 
SANADA hit a dropkick to Ishii’s knee, but Ishii countered with a powerslam. Ishii fought to make a tag, but EVIL tagged in first. Ishii fought him off with a suplex, then tagged Okada. Okada hit a back elbow, and a pescado. 

Okada hit a DDT. EVIL hit a kick to the abdomen, then tagged SANADA. Okada twice fought off the paradise lock, then hit a flapjack. He used a scoop slam. He teased a top rope elbow, but SANADA hit a leapfrog dropkick, followed by a back suplex for a two count. 

They did another intricate series of counters, ending with Okada hitting an air raid crash. Ishii tagged in. SANADA hit him with a springboard dropkick, then tagged EVIL. EVIL hit Darkness Falls for a two count. 

Ishii blocked Everything is EVIL, and hit a backdrop suplex. SANADA came in for a double team, allowing EVIL to hit a clothesline for a nearfall. Ishii fought off a Magic Killer. Ishii hit a suplex on EVIL, and Okada jumped in for a dropkick on SANADA. Ishii hit a clothesline for a two count. 

SANADA sent Okada into the barricade on the floor, then jumped in to help EVIL hit the Magic Killer on Ishii. EVIL used a Scorpion Deathlock. Okada tried to break it up, but SANADA put him in Skull End. Ishii fought the hold forever, and the referee called for the stoppage. 

NEVER OPENWEIGHT TITLE MATCH: TAICHI DEFEATED JEFF COBB TO WIN THE TITLE (17:50)

This was better than I expected it would be. 

They teased locking up, but Taichi kept stalling. He had Miho Abe check his hair. He took a stroll around the ring. Abe distracted Cobb while Taichi hit him from behind. Cobb no-sold it, then hit a dropkick. Cobb teased a dive, but Taichi used Abe as a human shield. 

Kanemaru and TAKA accompanied Taichi as well, and provided a distraction, allowing Taichi to use his microphone stand to choke Cobb. Back inside, Taichi hit some kicks. Cobb went for a bearhug, but Taichi raked the eyes. Cobb put Taichi on the top rope, and hit a delayed vertical suplex from the second turnbuckle. 

Cobb hit a running uppercut in the corner, followed by a Samoan drop. Cobb missed with a standing moonsault, and Taichi hit an enziguri in the corner. Taichi tried for a powerbomb, but Cobb powered out. Taichi hit a hook kick, then a buzzsaw kick for a nearfall. 

Taichi removed his trousers. Cobb no-sold some kicks, and fired back with strikes. Cobb hit an overhead throw. They traded strikes, into a double down. 

Taichi was up first, and went for a stretch plum. Cobb avoided it and went for Tour of the Islands, but Taichi blocked it, and hit a suplex. Taichi then applied a stretch plum. Taichi gave up the hold and went for a pinfall, but Cobb kicked out. 

Cobb hit a gutwrench suplex, but maintained waist control. He hit another gutwrench, then hit a piledriver. Cobb hit a blue thunder bomb. He went for Tour of the Islands, but Taichi blocked it, and hit an enziguri. 

Cobb caught a kick, hit a lariat, and followed with a standing moonsault. Cobb went for his finish again, but Taichi turned it into a rollup for a two count. Taichi hit a low blow, then used a Gedo Clutch for a nearfall. 

Taichi hit a buzzsaw kick, then hit Black Mephisto for the pin, winning the title. 

IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH: DRAGON LEE DEFEATED TAIJI ISHIMORI TO RETAIN THE TITLE 

This was everything you want in a wrestling match. Is Dragon Lee one of the ten best wrestlers in the world? One of the five best? 

They started off with some mat wrestling, followed by a series of leg sweeps into a kip up. Ishimori used a flying headscissors and twisted Lee’s neck with his legs. Ishimori teased his sliding German, but Lee sent him to the floor, then hit a tope con hilo. 

Back inside, Lee hit a dropkick in the corner. Lee started targeting the left leg of Ishimori, using a kneebreaker. Ishimori hit a handspring kick. He placed Lee on the top rope, and teased unmasking him. Ishimori tied Lee to the tree of woe, and hit a dropkick. 

As the pace slowed, Ishimori used a chinlock. He followed up by hitting a sliding German. Lee rolled to the floor, and Ishimori hit a springboard moonsault off the post. Ishimori rolled Lee back inside for a two count. 

Lee used a quick cradle for a nearfall. Ishimori hit a Woo dropkick, then double knees in the corner for a two count. Ishimori came off the ropes, but ran right into an STO for a two count. Lee hit a straightjacket suplex for a two count. 

Ishimori blocked Desnucadora, and hit a crucifix bomb for a nearfall. Lee used a schoolboy for a two count, a one-armed powerbomb for another nearfall, then hit a flying rana from the apron to the floor. 

Lee sent Ishimori into the barricade. Lee tried to toss Ishimori back inside, but Ishimori reversed it, and sent Lee into the barricade with an armdrag. They teased a double countout, and both made it back inside at 19. 

From their knees, they exchanged forearm strikes. They traded on their feet, and Lee dropped Ishimori with a forearm. Ishimori got back to his feet, but Lee sent him back down with a kick. Lee hit a snap German, but Ishimori popped right up and hit a Canadian Destroyer. Lee no-sold it, and hit a falcon arrow, into a double down. 

Lee placed Ishimori on the top rope, then hit a double stomp. He covered, but Ishimori kicked out at two. Ishimori countered Desnucadora with a rana for a nearfall. Ishimori used La Mistica, then transitioned to the Yes Lock. Lee fought for the ropes, and finally got there. 

Ishimori hit a lungblower for a nearfall. They traded knee strikes. Lee hit a German, and a running knee for a nearfall. Lee followed with Desnucadora for the pin. 

Lee cut a promo after the match, and said the win was for Hiromu Takahashi. He said the title is waiting for Hiromu to return.