NJPW Destruction in Ryogoku live results: SANADA vs. EVIL lumberjack match
SANADA defends the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against EVIL in a lumberjack match as NJPW’s Destruction tour ends today in Ryogoku.
Formerly tag team partners and members of Los Ingobernables de Japon, SANADA is now with Just Five Guys, while EVIL is with the Bullet Club House of Torture group. SANADA has promised a surprise fifth member will join Just Five Guys today following Yoshinobu Kanemaru’s defection from the group.
Five other title matches will be part of the 10-match lineup.
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight title is on the line in the semi-main, with Hiromu Takahashi defending against YOH and “Speedball” Mike Bailey in a triple threat match.
David Finlay is set to defend the NEVER Openweight Championship against Tama Tonga on the show.
Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii will defend the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles against Impact’s Alex Shelly, Chris Sabin & Josh Alexander in another title match.
The NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team titles will also be on the line as Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd defend against El Phantasmo & Hikuleo.
Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles against KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight.
**********
Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask, Toru Yano, Oskar Leube, & YOSHI-Hashi defeated Takahiro Katori (Freedoms), Jun Masaoka (DDT), Kazuma Sumi (DDT), Takeshi Masada (DDT), & Kengo (Freedoms/Tenryu Project)
This match opened with a Yano rollup attempt, prompting the interpromotional team to beat him down. This led to a control period over the NJPW veterans before Leube turned the match around for his team.
The Frontier team rushed the ring to break up a Taguchi pin attempt, leading to a match breakdown. After clearing the ring of the other team, Taguchi submitted Katori with an ankle lock.
Leube, a last-minute substitute for YOH, was a highlight of this match. His size was the contrast this match needed to be anything more than silly. It was still silly, but not that silly.
DOUKI, TAICHI, & Yuya Uemura (Just 5 Guys) defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO, & Yujiro Takahashi (House of Torture)
Before the match could begin, a video revealed that Yuya Uemura is not only back in New Japan but also Kanemaru’s replacement in Just 5 Guys.
The match was a typical HoT outing from the open. Yuya acted as a focal point in the comeback spots, helping his team stay competitive throughout the match. After a couple of breakdowns, Yuya hit Yujiro with a deadbolt suplex to secure a pinfall victory.
Tanga Loa defeated Chase Owens
I honestly have no idea why this match happened. It did nothing for either guy, furthered nothing, and was hard to watch.
Owens tried to rush Loa before the match but ate a spinebuster instead. Owens utilized an illegal choke to get back in the match before bumping the referee and dropping Loa with a knee rake. Owens continued to work the leg to maintain momentum.
Eventually, they worked their way outside the ring, where Owens hit a jewel heist, nearly ending the match with a countout. Back in the ring, they awkwardly traded momentum before Owens hit a C-Trigger. Owens attempted a package piledriver, but Loa reversed into an OJK, forcing Owens to submit.
BUSHI, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, & Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) defeated Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, HENARE, & Callum Newman (United Empire)
This match was not good, not good at all. So far as I can tell, it was just here to keep these guys, mostly Naito, on the card.
After a prolonged stint of UE control, Shingo tagged out to Naito, who also struggled to gain anything substantial. The Naito tag allowed Newman to get in a bit of offense against Naito, prompting the rest of LIJ to hit the ring. After the run-in, Naito dropped Newman with Destino to win the match.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors (Bullet Club War Dogs) (c) defeated KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight (Jet Setters)
Moments after the opening bell, Knight hit the War Dogs with a nasty dive on the floor. Back in the ring, the Jet Setters worked in tandem to control the champions.
The match slowed down a bit during Kushida’s control segment. As the War Dogs fought back, their offense was as mean as always, but the pace still suffered. Once Knight tagged in, the match picked back up.
Knight’s rally ended with a tandem spear/chop block from the champions. Kushida hit the ring, resetting the match. After some more back and forth, Moloney dropped Kushida with a brutal driver. Connors then hit both of his opponents with spears to retain the belts.
Master Wato, Shota Umino, & Yuji Nagata defeated El Desperado, Ren Narita, & Minoru Suzuki (Strong Style)
While this wasn’t the best of the Strong Style multi-mans, it was still a ton of fun. It was fairly chaotic, with Narita and Umnio maintaining their spot as this feud’s soul.
Match number 7 of this best-of-7 series opened with a tense staredown.
Wato and Desperado started the match with a standard sequence before tagging out to the veterans. Suzuki and Nagata traded strikes inside the ring and out. Umino and Narita then entered the fray, picking up where they always leave off.
After spending a heap of time in the ring together, Narita and Umino traded finisher attempts, leaving both men grounded. Nagata and Suzuki hit the ring but maintained their focus on each other. Wato and Desperado then hit the ring, giving Narita and Umino more time to recover. Once Umino and Narita returned to their feet, they traded mean strikes. Umino won out, hitting Narita with deathrider before pinning him.
This result, 3-3-1, leaves the best-of-7 as a draw. After the match, each rival pair shook hands.
NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship: El Phantasmo & Hikuleo defeated Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd (c) (Bullet Club War Dogs)
This War Dog pair is really something special. Their limb work tonight was focused, their offense was intense, and their presence was palpable. This match was significantly better than it should have been—the first great match on this card.
The War Dogs opened the match with a sneak attack on the main unit pair. The champions then set their focus on the leg of Hikuleo, forcing him to seek a tag. The eventual hot tag to ELP was short-lived, as the War Dogs gained the lead and isolated him with ease.
Once recovered, Hikuleo tagged into the match, launching a rally against both Dogs. Coughlin cut the rally with a pair of suplexes and a single-leg Boston crab. ELP tagged back in, only to be choked from the top rope and dropped with a doomsday device and double muscle buster.
After ELP kicked out, Hikuleo provided a distraction, buying him enough time to duck a clothesline, dropping Coughlin. Kidd didn’t slow down though, unloading on Hikuleo with strikes and a bit of spit; Hikuleo answered with a palm strike. Hikuleo and ELP hit a synchronized superkick and chokeslam before an assisted Thunderkiss ’86 left ELP with an unchallenged pin on Coughlin, winning them the STRONG titles.
NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship: Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi, & Kazuchika Okada (c) defeated Josh Alexander, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelly
To the surprise of absolutely no one, this match was fantastic.
Shelly and Tanahashi opened with a slick sequence before tagging into Ishii and Alexander, who maintained the pace. Okada and Sabin then entered the match, leading to a substantive back and forth.
A match breakdown allowed the Impact trio to gain control over Okada, isolating him from his team. Okdada withstood the onslaught before tagging back to Ishii, who took the fight to Alexander once more. Alexander dropped Ishii with multiple suplexes before nailing him with a disgusting backbreaker.
Ishii reversed the C4 attempt and hit Alexander with a headbutt that sent his headgear flying. Sabin hit the ring with a dropkick to keep the Impact trio ahead, but Ishii answered with a suplex and a tag to Tanahashi.
Tanahashi’s withstood an MCMG attempt at coming back, allowing the rest of his team to isolate Shelly. The Impact trio fired back, but a miscommunication allowed the champions to maintain their control. Tanahashi then hit Shelly with High Fly Flow to win the match, retaining the 6-man championships while pinning the Impact Heavyweight Champion.
NEVER Openweight Championship: Tama Tonga defeated David Finlay (c)
This match had its moments, especially in its earlier stages, but by the end, I was happy it was over.
Finlay opened the match with a surprise attack on Tama, followed by a quick spear. The action then worked to the outside, where Finlay beat him with a chair and drove him through the barricade. A fired-up Tama fought back with a Tangan twist on an exposed portion of the floor before continuing his assault inside the ropes.
Finlay eventually baited Tama back to the floor, throwing him headfirst into the ring post. Back in the ring, Finlay hit the Dominator for a nearfall. Tama reversed an attempted follow-up, but his rally was cut short.
Finlay pushed Tama from the top rope to the floor. The pair struggled for control on the side of the apron for a moment before Finaly drove Tama through a table with a powerbomb. Back in the ring, Finlay hit another powerbomb, but Tama reversed Oblivion into a gun stun.
A late back-and-forth with various blocked finish attempts played out. After missing multiple gun stuns, Tama finally connected with one, but Finlay kicked out. Another struggle played out, ending when Tama hit a Styles Clash and a DSD. Tama then pinned Finlay to win the NEVER Championship.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi (c) defeated Mike Bailey, & YOH
If you’ve enjoyed the rest of Hiromu’s reign, you’ll love this, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan. While it never slowed down, it lacked the raw energy needed for a match this structureless.
Bailey opened the match by rushing both of his opponents, which, surprisingly, worked in his favor. From here on, the match functioned as a singles match, with runins switching the pair wrestling.
Bailey landed a double-knee senton on Hiromu. This prompted YOH to hit the ring, but Hiromu quickly answered by throwing YOH into Bailey. Once Bailey recovered, he established the lead by running corner-to-corner with kicks. When Bailey climbed to the top, he was interrupted by both men, leading to a YOH superplex on each of his opponents.
A lariat from YOH sent Hiromu to the floor. Bailey took this opportunity to challenge YOH, but YOH won out with a suplex resulting in a nearfall. YOH then hit Hiromu with a splash, forcing Bailey to make the save. YOH then landed Drive on Bailey, forcing Hiromu to make the save.
Late in the match, Hiromu reversed Direct Drive before landing a Timebomb, but YOH kicked out. Hiromu then hoisted YOH back up before landing a lariat and Timebomb 2 to win the match and retain his belt.
After the match, Taiji Ishimori appeared in the ring and dropped Hiromu with a pump kick. He cut a promo with Hiromu’s belt in hand, challenging him to a match for the title.
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Lumberjack Deathmatch: SANADA (c) defeated EVIL
This was an unfortunate main event. At this point, it’s just disappointing, really.
SANADA started the match strong, gaining advantage in the ring. EVIL eventually sent SANDA to the floor where the House of Torture lumberjacks took beatdown SANADA, leaving EVIL in uncontested control.
SANADA eventually retook the lead after utilizing a double paradise lock and landing multiple dives on the HoT lumberjacks. Instead of contesting this control, EVIL tried to leave the building with the IWGP belt in hand; thankfully, the rest of the 5 Guys chased EVIL down and carried him back to the ring.
Back in the ring, SANADA accidentally dropped the referee with an elbow, allowing the HoT lumberjacks to assault SANADA. After two more referees hit the ring, SANADA began to show signs of life.
EVIL escaped the skull end before locking in a scorpion deathlock. SANADA escaped by reaching the bottom rope, only to eat a Darkness Falls. SANADA held on, hitting a quick magic screw to keep himself in the match.
SANADA locked in a skull end after missing a moonsault. Before EVIL could submit, Dick Togo rang the ring bell. This led to a fight between the lumberjacks, distracting SANADA. EVIL then shoved SANADA into the 3rd referee, leading to both teams going at it in the ring. J5G won the exchange with SANADA ending it via shinning wizzard.
SANADA hit EVIL with a pair of moonsaults, but Togo pulled the referee to the floor. Yuya Uemura tried taking care of Togo but ate an EVIL low blow for trying. EVIL then killed SANADA with a chair shot and a Togo-assisted Magic Killer. The referee refused to count EVIL’s fall, flipping him and Togo off instead.
SANADA shoved EVIL into Togo but ate a lariat immediately after. SANADA reversed the Everything is Evil attempt with one of his own, followed by a pair of shining wizards and a Dead Fall to win the match.
The main event of WrestleKingdom is set—Naito vs. SANADA for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
After the match, SANADA was awarded with a one-year supply of vinegar before Keji Mutoh presented him with the IWGP World Heavyweight championship.
SANADA cut a promo acknowledging his shared past with Naito. He then welcomed Yuya to J5G and ended the show with a shower of confetti.