NJPW Kizuna Road results: 10-man elimination tag main event

Happy Birthday, Minoru Suzuki. 

The Wrestling Observer Hall of Famer celebrated his 51st birthday in Korakuen Hall today, main eventing Kizuna Road. 

There was a lot of good wrestling on the show, but a lack of marquee matchups meant that this would not have been a must-see event, if not for the G1 lineups being announced. 

Here are the results and match recaps:

YUYA UEMURA DEFEATED YOTA TSUJI

These two showed great intensity in the latest installment of their never-ending series. 

Uemura took the bulk of the match. He went for a variety of submissions early on. He tried a cross armbreaker and a Fujiwara armbar. He hit a corner dropkick. Tsuji made a comeback, hitting a powerslam. 

Tsuji got a full crab applied. Uemura reached the ropes, forcing a break. Uemura connected with a dropkick. Tsuji hit the ropes, but ran right into a deep arm drag. Uemura then hit a belly-to-belly into a bridge and got the pin. 

Their lifetime series is now 4-4-21. This was an excellent opener. 

TOA HENARE & TOMOAKI HONMA DEFEATED YUJI NAGATA & SHOTA UMINO

Umino has leaned out a bit, and that has added some definition to his chest and arms. Couple that with his new haircut, and he really has a great look to go with his in-ring skill. He’s going to be a huge star. 

Umino got the best of an early shoulder tackle exchange with Henare. Honma and Nagata got in. Honma missed a kokeshi. Nagata made a tag to Umino, and the momentum shifted to Henare and Honma. 

Umino made a comeback and landed a dropkick. Nagata tagged in and landed some kicks to Honma. Honma hit a series of chops, but Nagata no-sold them. Honma hit a diving kokeshi, then tagged Henare. 

Honma went for a Nagata Lock, but Honma hit a diving kokeshi, saving Henare. Umino tagged in and hit a back elbow. Henare cut him off with a lariat. Honma and Henare hit stereo lariats, then stereo kokeshis. Henare covered, but Nagata saved. 

Umino and Henare traded strikes. Umino hit a German into a bridge for a close near fall. Henare blocked a fisherman buster attempt, then connected with a tackle for a near fall. Henare followed with an uranage for the pin. Honma was the weak link here, but another solid match. 

TETSUYA NAITO, SHINGO TAKAGI, EVIL, SANADA & BUSHI DEFEATED KOTA IBUSHI, JUSHIN LIGER, TIGER MASK, SATOSHI KOJIMA & HIROYOSHI TENZAN

This was Tenzan’s comeback match after missing a couple of months due to injury. 

LIJ went for their trademark fist bump before the match. For the second consecutive night, EVIL declined participation. 

Naito had a few stitches in his lip after being busted open last night. 

Naito and Tenzan began the match. Naito taunted Tenzan. Tenzan and Kojima hit some of their trademark TenKoji offense on Naito. Naito and EVIL worked over Kojima. Ibushi and EVIL got tags, and they had a fairly even exchange. 

Ibushi hit a springboard dropkick. BUSHI tagged in, then Liger entered for his team. Liger went for a Romero Special, but Shingo stopped him, which got some boos. 

SANADA and Tiger were left the legal men as the match broke down. Tiger used a small package for a near fall. SANADA got Skull End locked in, and Tiger Mask submitted. 

SANADA kept the hold locked in after the match. Liger jumped in for the save, but Naito put the boots to him. Liger and Naito then had a pull-apart. EVIL again refused to participate in the group celebration after the match. 

G1 LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT

Here are the featured matches for each night of the G1 Climax. The full schedule of tournament matches is listed here: 

  • July 6: KENTA vs. Kota Ibushi, Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi 
  • July 13: Hirooki Goto vs. Jay White, Jon Moxley vs. Taichi
  • July 14: Lance Archer vs. Bad Luck Fale, KENTA vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • July 15: Jeff Cobb vs. Jon Moxley, Tetsuya Naito vs. Taichi
  • July 18: EVIL vs. SANADA, Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay
  • July 19: Shingo Takagi vs. Taichi, Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jon Moxley
  • July 20: KENTA vs. EVIL, Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay
  • July 24: Jon Moxley vs. Shingo Takagi, Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tetsuya Naito
  • July 27: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA, Kazuchika Okada vs. KENTA
  • July 28: Hirooki Goto vs. Toru Yano, Tetsuya Naito vs. Jon Moxley
  • July 30: Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr., KENTA vs. SANADA
  • August 1: Toru Yano vs. Jon Moxley, Taichi vs. Jay White
  • August 3: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi, Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA
  • August 4: Jon Moxley vs. Jay White, Tetsuya Naito vs. Shingo Takagi
  • August 7: Will Ospreay vs. KENTA, Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL
  • August 8: Toru Yano vs. Taichi, Tomohiro Ishii vs. Shingo Takagi
  • August 10: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada vs. Kota Ibushi
  • August 11: Juice Robinson vs. Jon Moxley, Tetsuya Naito vs. Jay White
  • August 12: G1 finals

JAY WHITE, TAMA TONGA, TANGA LOA & TAIJI ISHIMORI DEFEATED HIROSHI TANAHASHI, JUICE ROBINSON, MIKEY NICHOLLS & REN NARITA

Bullet Club used a kendo stick shot from Jado on the floor to establish the early advantage. White worked over Tanahashi. He used a chinlock, and they did an awesome spot where Narita kept jumping in to break up the hold. He did it twice. On the third try, White dropped him with a right hand. 

White hit a dragon screw to Tana. Tana hit one of his own, and they both tagged out. Juice and Nicholls ran wild on Tonga and Loa. Juice went for a senton, but Tonga got his knees up. Nicholls hit a plancha to Loa. 

Narita blind-tagged himself in to face off with Ishimori. He hit a vertical suplex. He went for a belly-to-belly, but White made the save. Narita hit White with a dropkick, then hit an overhead belly-to-belly on Ishimori for a two count. 

Narita got a leg lace applied on Ishimori. White tried to save, but Tana put him in a cloverleaf. Juice used a crab on Loa, while Nicholls used a single-leg crab on Tonga. 

Narita got two quick cradles on Ishimori for near falls. Ishimori got the Yes Lock applied, and that was it for Narita. He lost the match, but he had a great night in the ring. 

NEVER OPENWEIGHT SIX-MAN TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: RYUSUKE TAGUCHI, TORU YANO & TOGI MAKABE DEFEATED EL PHANTASMO, YUJIRO TAKAHASHI & CHASE OWENS TO RETAIN THE TITLES

Taguchi and ELP kicked things off. They did some of Taguchi’s trademark comedy spots. Taguchi hit some hip attacks. ELP hit a springboard crossbody, then hit a quebrada. They exchanged a series of pinning combinations, then tagged out. 

Yujiro and Yano were in next. Yano untied a corner pad, but Owens and Yujiro used it against him. Bullet Club worked over Yano three-on-one. They stole Taguchi’s forever clothesline spot in the corner. 

After a lengthy beatdown, Yano used a hair pull to take down Yujiro, then tagged Makabe. Makabe hit a clothesline in the corner, blocked a fisherman buster, and hit a lariat. Taguchi tagged in and hit Yujiro with hip attacks. Yujiro caught him on another hip attack, then hit a DDT. 

ELP made a tag, and Taguchi hit a series of hip attacks. Taguchi tried for Dodon, but ELP rolled into a cradle for a two count. ELP hit an airplane spin into a double down. 

Owens and Yano got tags. Yujiro jumped in for a double team. Owens hit a knee strike for a two count, as Makabe made the save for Yano. Yano hit inverted atomic drops, and he removed a second corner pad. 

Owens blocked a low blow attempt, and hit the Jewel Heist on Yano for a two count. He teased a package piledriver, but Makabe made the save. Everyone jumped in as the match broke down. 

The ref took a bump. Yano hit a double low blow to Owens and Yujiro. Makabe hit a double lariat. Yano used a schoolboy on Owens for the pin. 

ELIMINATION MATCH: KAZUCHIKA OKADA, TOMOHIRO ISHII, YOSHI-HASHI, SHO & YOH DEFEATED MINORU SUZUKI, ZACK SABRE JR., LANCE ARCHER, TAICHI & YOSHINOBU KANEMARU

Eliminations could come by way of pinfall, submission, countout, DQ, stoppage, or over the top rope. 

This quickly broke down into a chaotic brawl around the arena. Okada and Suzuki brawled all the way backstage. DOUKI came to ringside to aid Suzuki-gun in establishing the early advantage. 

Suzuki was the first elimination by way of DQ. He had Okada in a heel hook. Okada rolled to the ropes, but Suzuki refused to break the hold. Referee Red Shoes slapped away at Suzuki to try to get him to break the hold. Suzuki shoved Red Shoes — and got disqualified. 

Okada eliminated Kanemaru. Kanemaru was seated on the top rope, and Okada dropkicked him to the floor. 

Archer was in next for Suzuki-gun. He hit Okada with a Pounce, then threw him out over the top rope for the next elimination. 

SHO and YOH entered to take on Archer. Archer hit YOH with a chokeslam, then hit Blackout on SHO. Archer eliminated YOH, throwing him over the top rope. 

Archer used the EBD Claw on SHO, and SHO submitted to make it three-on-two for Suzuki-gun. 

Ishii and Archer no-sold each other’s chops. Archer dropped Ishii with a shoulder tackle. Ishii went for a brainbuster on Archer, but Archer blocked it, then hit a suplex to Ishii. Ishii got the vertical drop brainbuster on his second try. They fought on the apron, and Ishii eliminated Archer with a lariat. 

Taichi got an assist from DOUKI, who grabbed Ishii’s ankles. Taichi hit an enzuigiri, eliminating Ishii, and leaving YOSHI-HASHI alone against Sabre and Taichi. 

YOSHI-HASHI threw Taichi to the floor, but DOUKI took the referee, so the elimination was missed. Taichi and Sabre peppered YH with kicks. Taichi removed his pants. YH used the Butterfly Lock on Taichi. Sabre tried to save, but YH hit him with a lariat. 

DOUKI jumped in, hitting YH with a pipe. YH fought him off, then tossed Taichi over the top for an elimination. 

Sabre grabbed a guillotine, but YH reversed it into a suplex. Sabre slapped on a triangle, then slipped to a cross armbreaker. YH escaped. YH went for Kharma, but Sabre slipped back into a triangle. YH reached the ropes. 

The two exchanged strikes. YH used a backslide for a two count. Sabre applied an octopus hold near the ropes. They fought on the apron. YH snapped Sabre’s arm on the top strand, then hit a chop, and Sabre fell to the floor for the final elimination. A fun main event. 

YOSHI-HASHI cleared the ring of Suzuki-gun single-handedly after the match. He promised to take Sabre’s RevPro British Heavyweight title when they face off later this month, and YH also said he’ll take Sabre’s spot in the G1.