NJPW Road to Destruction live results: IWGP Junior title match
DOUKI will make his first defense of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on today’s NJPW Road to Destruction event.
DOUKI defends the Junior title against former three-time champion Taiji Ishimori in today’s main event. Ishimori has won all four of the previous singles meetings between the two.
Today’s undercard:
- Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, HENARE, Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young
- Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Jake Lee, Gabe Kidd & David Finlay
- Shota Umino, Ryusuke Taguchi, Oleg Boltin, Toru Yano & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO, Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL
- Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr. vs. SANADA & Taichi
- TAKA Michinoku vs. Francesco Akira
- Tiger Mask & Tomoaki Honma vs. Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato
- Kickoff match: Masatora Yasuda vs. Daiki Nagai
The kickoff show begins at 5 a.m. Eastern time with Young Lions Masatora Yasuda and Daiki Nagai squaring off. The two have gone to seven draws in their singles matches together.
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Kickoff
Masatora Yasuda vs Daiki Nagai ended in a time-limit draw.
After a hotly contested battle, Yasuda held a vicious and dramatic Boston Crab until Nagai nearly passed out. The 10-minute time limit elapsed, however, ending the match in a draw.
— The NJPW locker room emptied to the arena for the late Kuniaki Kobayashi’s 10-Bell Memorial Ceremony
Main Show
Tiger Mask & Tomoaki Honma defeated Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato
Tiger Mask pinned Kato after a Tiger Suplex.
Francesco Akira defeated TAKA Michinoku
Akira matched the veteran in Michinoku with a Michinoku Driver II for the win.
Michinoku and Akira felt like two generations speaking to each other, like a passing of the baton. Akira has a lot of upside, never failing to impress me in the ring.
SANADA & Taichi defeated Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.
SANADA won via a Deadfall on Zack Sabre Jr.
It’s been a few years in New Japan Pro Wrestling without Suzuki-gun and Dangerous Tekkers, so this match felt bittersweet. As for the dejected SANADA after a fruitless G1 Climax, I’m curious to see where he goes after beating this year’s finalist.
Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO, Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL defeated Shota Umino, Ryusuke Taguchi, Oleg Boltin, Toru Yano & Hiroshi Tanahashi
EVIL and Togo dropped Taguchi with a Magic Killer for the win, despite a last-minute Tanahashi reaching out to help.
Boltin continues to shine. Taguchi locking in after a series of goofy antics never ceases to make me laugh, but he makes it work.
Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Jake Lee, Gabe Kidd & David Finlay
Goto hit Kidd with a seemingly normal Brainbuster, leading to an awkward-looking victory over the dazed Brit.
— Post-match – Ishii and Bishamon brawled with Finlay and Kidd. Lee was absent.
This was a pretty fine match until the pin. Goto looked confused at Kidd being too late to kick out, yet turned out to be fine. Lee wasn’t seen after hurting his knee.
Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji (as Mascara Kantan Su Tomato), Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI defeated Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, HENARE, Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young
Following a Tornado DDT and Pluma Blanca combination, Naito tapped out the United Empire’s Young for the win.
Despite the drama of Naito and HENARE preparing to defend their IWGP World Heavyweight and NEVER Openweight titles respectively at Destruction in Kobe, I chuckled as Tsuji found the time to don a mask as Mascara Kantan Su Tomato. This was an action-packed 8-man tag that continued to elevate Young.
Main Event
DOUKI (c) defeated Taiji Ishimori for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Initially evenly matched, Ishimori quickly got ahead of DOUKI following a moonsault off the second rope and slamming his arm into the ring post, trapped in a chair. Avoiding a 20-count at 15, DOUKI fared no better; Ishimori’s dirty tactics refused to let DOUKI on his feet for long.
DOUKI found the strength to unleash a snap hurricanrana, a tope, a DDT, and a suplex in succession to Ishimori, finally gaining him some control. Throughout the match, he spiked Ishimori on his head to loud effect. DOUKI countered Ishimori’s Bloody Cross into a gnarly DDT that nearly had the win. DOUKI retained his championship after transitioning a Bone Lock into a Suplex De La Luna.
— Post-match – Celebrations were cut short for DOUKI, as Yoshinobu Kanemaru attacked him, demanding a match. Just 5 Guys came to his rescue among the blue and silver confetti, helping him limp backstage.
Matches like these solidify my love for the Junior Heavyweight division in NJPW. DOUKI’s year has been strong, but I can’t state enough on how satisfying a tear that Ishimori has been on since returning to in-ring action at 2023’s Royal Quest. He’s been so motivated and I can’t wait for the 2025 that he has.