New Japan Road results: Tanahashi & Ibushi vs. Guerrillas of Destiny

The New Japan Road tour continued today in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall. 

Two title matches headlined the show, while Manabu Nakanishi’s next-to-last match highlighted the undercard. Here are full match recaps and results:

TIGER MASK & GABRIEL KIDD DEFEATED YOTA TSUJI & YUYA UEMURA

I’m thinking that Uemura is primed for an excursion given the way he’s been focused on the last couple of nights. He went after Suzuki yesterday, then Tiger Mask today. 

Tsuji and Kidd began trading holds. Tsuji tried to out-power Kidd, but Kidd had the edge. Uemura got a tag and out-wrestled Kidd, then tagged Tsuji back in to continue working Kidd over. 

Uemura and Tsuji hit Tiger with a double dropkick. Uemura used a full crab on Tiger, who finally forced a rope break. Uemura and Tiger went one-on-one for several minutes, with the story being that Uemura was giving Tiger all he could handle. 

The finish saw Tiger use a cross armbreaker for the submission. After the bell, Tiger pulled Uemura up, then bowed to him. 

JUICE ROBINSON, DAVID FINLAY, SHO & YOH DEFEATED MINORU SUZUKI, TAICHI, EL DESPERADO & YOSHINOBU KANEMARU

This was a standard Suzuki-gun crowd brawl. Suzuki and company attacked their opponents as they made their way to the ring, then spent several minutes working on YOH. 

Juice finally got a tag and ran wild. Suzuki sold a lot for Juice which was something of a surprise. Suzuki killed Juice with forearm shots to the side of the neck. Juice hit the Left Hand of God into a double down. 

Finlay tagged in. Kanemaru blind-tagged himself in. Suzuki-gun went four-on-one against Finlay. SHO, YOH and Juice saved. 

The finish saw Juice and Finlay double up on Kanemaru, hitting a double flapjack. Finlay then hit the Acid Drop and pinned Kanemaru. 

YOSHI-HASHI, HIROOKI GOTO & TOMOHIRO ISHII DEFEATED TOGI MAKABE, TOMOAKI HONMA & TOA HENARE

Honma and Goto started out. This was probably the best that Honma has looked since returning from his serious neck injury. Ishii took it easy after his war with Shingo last night. 

Henare tagged in and got worked over, as Goto, Ishii and YH traded quick tags. Makabe tagged in and did some power spots with Goto, exchanging lariats. 

The match broke down a couple of different times. YH hit a headhunter on Honma for a near fall. Honma nearly stole the pin twice, first with a schoolboy, then with a kokeshi. 

The finish saw YH hit a lariat, then use the butterfly lock for the submission on Honma. 

MANABU NAKANISHI, HIROYOSHI TENZAN, SATOSHI KOJIMA & YUJI NAGATA DEFEATED JAY WHITE, BAD LUCK FALE, GEDO & JADO

The New Japan Dads are still on a roll. 

Nakanishi and White started out. White bumped all over for Nakanishi’s offense. After a lengthy segment of getting heat on Nagata, Nakanishi got back in and got Fale up for his Argentinian backbreaker, before White made the save. 

Nakanishi hit a chop off the top rope, then used his rack backbreaker for the submission on Gedo, while Tenzan held White in the Anaconda Vice and Nagata held Jado in a Nagata Lock. 

Nakanishi was absolutely gassed by the end, but looked as good as he possibly can at this late stage. He’ll be in there with Okada tomorrow, who I’m sure will make him look like a million bucks. 

TETSUYA NAITO, SANADA & HIROMU TAKAHASHI DEFEATED KAZUCHIKA OKADA, WILL OSPREAY & ROCKY ROMERO

Ospreay and Naito started off with a crazy sequence, trading counters and reversals. When these two finally have a singles match they’re going to tear it up. 

Ospreay and Okada worked over Naito for a couple of minutes. SANADA and Naito then returned the favor to Okada. Ospreay tagged in and SANADA rolled him around the ring in cradles, which Ospreay did this hilarious comedy sell for. 

Romero got a hot tag and ran wild on Naito and Hiromu. Rocky looks great until he has to start running. Romero went for a hurricanrana, but Hiromu turned it into a pop-up powerbomb for a near fall. 

Romero fell victim to a three-on-one, but still managed a quick cradle on Hiromu for a near fall. Hiromu hit a lariat for his own near fall, then hit the Time Bomb for the pin. This was fun. 

After the bell, LIJ posed for their trademark fist bump. Hiromu then lifted Naito up for the Time Bomb. Naito slid out. They did a series of reversals, ending with both posing. This was a nice little tease for their match on the anniversary show. 

NEVER OPENWEIGHT SIX-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: SHINGO TAKAGI, EVIL & BUSHI DEFEATED TORU YANO, COLT CABANA & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI TO RETAIN THE TITLES

Taguchi, Yano and Cabana are three of the best comedy wrestlers alive, so of course the presentation here played into that. I enjoyed this, but if that’s not your thing, steer clear. 

The storyline here was that Yano stole the titles from LIJ last month. He pulled the belts out from under the ring right at the opening bell, then teased walking out with them. 

They did a lot of comedy. Yano exposed two buckles. Cabana used a Superman pin for a near fall on EVIL. Yano unwittingly assisted EVIL in hitting a Magic Killer on Cabana for a two count. Taguchi got a hot tag and hit a series of hip attacks, then used an ankle lock on BUSHI. 

The finish saw BUSHI tease a belt shot on Taguchi. Taguchi used a belt to block the black mist, but BUSHI eventually sprayed Taguchi with the black mist, then used a BUSHI roll for the pin. 

IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: HIROSHI TANAHASHI & KOTA IBUSHI DEFEATED TAMA TONGA & TANGA LOA TO WIN THE TITLES

Tanahashi and Loa traded headlocks to start. Tonga and Ibushi then tagged in and did the same, before Ibushi started to get on a roll. Ibushi kipped up twice out of shoulder tackles, then hit a dropkick. 

G.O.D. cut Ibushi off with a double team. Tanahashi got a tag and hit a somersault senton, but he too was quickly cut off. Tana came back with a crossbody off the second rope, then tagged Ibushi. Ibushi hit a springboard dropkick, then got cut off again. 

Ibushi somehow ended up bleeding from a cut above his left eye. 

Ibushi hit a snap rana, then tagged Tana. Tana hit Loa with a low dropkick, then got caught with a spear. Jado called for a super powerbomb. Ibushi jumped in to make the save and ate a Gun Stun from Tonga. Tana blocked the move, then hit Twist and Shout on both Tonga and Loa. 

Tanahashi hit a slingblade for a two count on Tonga. He hit a High Fly Flow and went for a cover, but Jado pulled the referee out to the floor, halting the count. 

Loa jumped in and hit Tana with a title belt. Tonga tried to do the same to Ibushi. Ibushi ducked, Tonga hit Loa, then Ibushi hit Tonga with a Kamigoye. Ibushi then hit a plancha to both Jado and Loa. 

Tanahashi slowly climbed to the top, then hit a second High Fly Flow on Tonga for the pin. 

This was a fun main event, but not an all-time classic or anything like that. 

Ibushi and Tanahashi had a great celebration. Both were nearly in tears. Tanahashi then cut a promo, putting over the title win and promising to defend against a number of opponents. 

Tana promised an air guitar show next time. As he was wrapping up the promo, Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi ran in and attacked. Sabre hit the Zack Driver on Ibushi, then hit a series of dragon screws to Tanahashi, so there are your new challengers.