NJPW Road to Destruction results: Tanahashi & Taguchi vs. Suzuki-gun
NJPW continued their Road to Destruction tour today with their third consecutive night in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.
The show featured the continuation of the round-robin Young Lion Cup tournament, along with a collection of tag matches previewing the key bouts on the Destruction shows later in the tour.
Here are full results and match recaps:
YOUNG LION CUP MATCH: ALEX COUGHLIN DEFEATED MICHAEL RICHARDS
Coughlin scored early with some chops and stomps in the corner. He used a side headlock takeover. Richards used a headscissors to escape the hold. Coughlin bridged out of the headscissors and tried for a crab, but Richards forced a quick break.
Richards hit a lariat. Coughlin came back with a crab. Richards again forced a rope break. Coughlin used a bridging Indian deathlock, and Richards tapped out. This was the least spectacular of the Young Lion Cup matches so far. It was technically sound, but not very exciting.
YOUNG LION CUP MATCH: KARL FREDERICKS DEFEATED CLARK CONNORS
Fredericks missed with a dropkick, giving Connors an opening to try for a full crab. Fredericks fought it off. Connors hit some chops in the corner. Fredericks came back with uppercut forearms.
Connors went to work on the taped right arm of Fredericks. Fredericks hit a dropkick. Fredericks tried a body slam twice, but Connors fought it off. Connors hit a jawbreaker, but Fredericks came back with a shotgun dropkick, then a splash in the corner.
Connors hit a spear out of the corner. They exchanged chops and uppercuts. Fredericks hit a spinebuster, then used a single-leg crab. Connors tapped out.
YOUNG LION CUP STANDINGS —
- Alex Coughlin: 4
- Ren Narita: 2
- Karl Fredericks: 2
- Clark Connors: 2
- Michael Richards: 2
- Yuya Uemura: 0
- Shota Umino: 0
- Yota Tsuji: 0
SATOSHI KOJIMA, REN NARITA & YOTA TSUJI DEFEATED HIROYOSHI TENZAN, SHOTA UMINO & YUYA UEMURA
Kojima and Tenzan traded Mongolian chops. Umino and Narita tagged in and had a striking battle. Narita did not go down after two shoulder tackle attempts, then scored a knockdown on Umino on his first shoulder tackle.
Umino hit a back elbow and a dropkick. Uemura and Tsuji tagged in. Tsuji hit a chop, and Uemura responded with a double-leg takedown. Tsuji worked a side headlock. Uemura hit a shoulder tackle and a back elbow, and his team began working over Tsuji.
Tenzan hit Tsuji with headbutts, then choked him on the mat. Umino hit a shoulder tackle, then a series of elbow strikes. Tsuji hit a body slam, then tagged Kojima. Kojima hit Umino with a DDT, then hit machine gun chops in the corner.
Kojima hit a top rope elbow for a nearfall. Umino came back with a dropkick off the middle rope, then tagged Tenzan. Tenzan hit Kojima with chops, then hit a brainbuster for a two count.
Kojima and Tenzan traded strikes. Kojima hit a Koji Cutter, into a double down. Narita and Uemura tagged in. Uemura used a slam for a one count. Uemura tried for a double underhook suplex, but Narita blocked it, then hit a backdrop.
Umino jumped in and hit Narita with a dropkick. Narita hit a belly-to-belly on Umino. The match broke down, and four guys brawled to the floor, leaving Narita and Uemura the legal men. Narita hit an overhead belly-to-belly into a bridge and got the pin.
TAMA TONGA, TANGA LOA & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI DEFEATED TOMOHIRO ISHII, YOSHI-HASHI & TOMOAKI HONMA
They started off with a wild brawl, with everyone jumping in. Honma hit Yujiro with a kokeshi, but missed one on Tonga. YH hit a dropkick through the ropes to Jado. Loa jumped YH on the floor, and everyone brawled around ringside.
Back inside, Bullet Club worked YH over. Yujiro hit him with a leg drop for a nearfall, then hit some forearm strikes from the mount. Loa hit a powerslam for a nearfall. Tonga teased a brainbuster, but YH escaped, then made a tag to Ishii.
Ishii ran wild, hitting shoulder tackles, a dropkick, and a powerslam. Tonga and Loa cut him off. Tonga hit a neckbreaker for a nearfall. Tonga blocked a lariat, then hit a Tongan Twist. Loa tagged in and covered Ishii for a two count.
Loa tried for a suplex on Ishii, but Ishii reversed it into a brainbuster. Ishii tagged Honma. Honma hit Loa with strikes, a bulldog, a kokeshi, then a pair of lariats. Loa cut him off with a boot to the gut.
Jado hit Honma with a kendo stick, then Loa hit Apesh*t for the pin. This was a weak match except when Ishii was in.
EL PHANTASMO, TAIJI ISHIMORI & BAD LUCK FALE DEFEATED WILL OSPREAY, ROBBIE EAGLES & TOA HENARE
Eagles and Ishimori kicked things off. Eagles went for the Miller Special immediately, but Ishimori reached the ropes. Eagles hit a hurricanrana, then a wheel kick. Ospreay and Eagles used a series of quick tags, working over Ishimori’s left arm. Eagles hit a double stomp off the top rope while Ospreay held the arm.
Henare tagged in. He hit a shoulder tackle for a two count. He tried for a suplex, but Ishimori slipped out and raked Henare’s eyes. Bullet Club worked Henare over. Each member tried a back rake off the top rope. ELP and Ishimori hit theirs, but Henare crotched Fale on his attempt.
Henare managed a tag to Ospreay. Ospreay and Eagles hit some tandem offense, including stereo kicks in the corner. Ospreay hit a standing shooting star press for a nearfall. They teased a double Spanish Fly, but ELP blocked it.
ELP tried to powerbomb Ospreay off the top rope, but Ospreay landed on his feet. Ospreay tried a wall flip, but ELP hit him with an airplane spin neckbreaker.
Henare and Fale got tags. Henare teased a Samoan drop on Fale, but Ishimori made the save. Ishimori hit double knees in the corner. Fale hit a splash in the corner, then hit a splash on the mat. He made a cover, but Ospreay and Eagles saved.
Ospreay and Eagles teased stereo planchas, but Ishimori and ELP avoided them. With those four out on the floor, Henare and Fale were left the legal men.
Henare managed a shoulder tackle for a nearfall. He ran to the corner, but ELP grabbed his ankle from the floor. Fale hit a splash in the corner, then hit The Grenade to get the win.
ELP and Ishimori taunted Eagles and Ospreay after the match. Ospreay and Eagles teased getting back into the ring to attack, but Fale stood in their way as a bodyguard for ELP and Ishimori.
SANADA, SHINGO TAKAGI & BUSHI DEFEATED KAZUCHIKA OKADA, HIROOKI GOTO & ROCKY ROMERO
This was an excellent six-man tag.
Shingo and Goto started off exchanging hard chops. BUSHI tried to jump in for a double team, but Goto hit him with a Saito suplex. Everyone brawled on the outside. Okada teased hitting a tombstone on SANADA on the floor, but SANADA escaped. Okada sent him into the barricade.
BUSHI and Romero ended up the legal men. They traded chops. Romero got the best of the exchange, then tagged Okada. Okada hit a slam, then used a slingshot senton for a one count. Romero and Okada traded tags, working over BUSHI.
BUSHI came back with a hurricanrana on Okada, then tagged SANADA. SANADA hit a pescado on Okada. He tried for a back suplex, but Okada blocked it. Okada tried for an air raid crash, but SANADA avoided it. Okada hit a flapjack, then tagged Goto.
SANADA hit Goto with a dropkick off the middle rope, then tagged Shingo. Shingo and Goto traded forearms. They hit simultaneous lariats. Shingo hit a jab, but Goto caught him in an ushigoroshi.
Romero tagged in and hit Shingo with forever clotheslines, then used a tornado DDT for a two count. LIJ tripled up on Romero. Shingo used a side slam for a nearfall, with Okada and Goto making the save.
Everyone jumped in. Goto hit Shingo with a lariat. SANADA hit a dropkick to Goto’s legs. Okada went for a Rainmaker on SANADA. SANADA tried Skull End. Okada missed a dropkick. SANADA hit Okada with a dropkick. Romero hit a standing sliced bread on Shingo for a nearfall.
Romero tried for sliced bread again, but Shingo blocked it, then hit a pop-up DVD. Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber, then hit Made in Japan on Romero for the pin.
TETSUYA NAITO & EVIL DEFEATED JAY WHITE & CHASE OWENS
Owens attacked EVIL before the bell, and they rolled outside. Naito attacked White with strikes, and White rolled outside, then tagged Owens. Naito tagged EVIL. EVIL hit a series of chops in the corner. He hit the ropes, but Gedo tripped him from the floor.
All four fought around ringside. Back in the ring, Owens hit a back elbow for a one count. EVIL came back with a fisherman buster, then both tagged out.
Naito choked White on the mat. He hit a neckbreaker, then used a dropkick to the back for a nearfall. Naito hit a series of forearms in the corner. White hit a DDT, then tagged Owens. Owens missed a running knee, and Naito hit him with a neckbreaker.
EVIL got a tag. Naito hit Owens with a dropkick. White jumped in to save Owens and sent Naito to the floor. White hit a Blade Buster on EVIL, and Owens followed up with a running knee for a two count.
Owens went for a package piledriver, but EVIL blocked it. Naito jumped in and hit an enzuigiri. White tried to stop Naito. He teased a Blade Runner, but Naito sent him to the floor after a flying headscissors. EVIL hit Owens with a headbutt and a lariat for a nearfall, then used the Scorpion Deathlock for the submission.
White attacked Naito on the floor after the bell. He whipped him into the barricade, then choked him before leaving with Naito’s title belt.
MINORU SUZUKI & ZACK SABRE JR. DEFEATED HIROSHI TANAHASHI & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI
What a wild main event. This was awesome.
Suzuki attacked Liger at the commentary desk on his way to the ring. He dragged Liger inside the ring, then hit him with the Gotch-style piledriver. Tanahashi and Taguchi ran out to make the save. Taguchi hit a plancha on Suzuki, while Tana and Sabre started off the match inside.
Tana hit a dropkick to Sabre’s left leg, then hit a chop block. Taguchi tagged in and he and Tana hit tandem hip attacks on Sabre. Taguchi kept up the attack on Sabre’s left leg with stomps. Suzuki cut Taguchi off, applying an armbar over the ropes. Suzuki pulled Taguchi to the floor, then proceeded to take the fight into the crowd.
Suzuki hit Taguchi with a chair. Sabre and Tanahashi fought into the crowd, and Sabre used an armbar. After a countout tease, Sabre and Suzuki used a variety of holds to ground Taguchi in the ring. Suzuki used a crossface, while Sabre wrenched on Taguchi’s legs.
Taguchi and Suzuki ended up the legal men. Suzuki hit a hard forearm to the side of Taguchi’s neck. Sabre got a tag and used a PK on Taguchi’s butt. Suzuki applied an ankle lock. Tana came in for the save, but Suzuki got him in a rear naked choke, then tossed him outside.
Sabre and Suzuki continued working Taguchi over in their corner. Taguchi finally made a comeback, hitting Suzuki and Sabre with hip attacks. Tana got a tag. He hit Suzuki with a somersault senton. Suzuki cut him off with a rear naked choke, then tagged Sabre.
Sabre hit Tana with uppercuts. They traded cobra twists. Sabre teased a Zack Driver, but Tana hit him with Twist and Shout, then used a slingblade for a two count. Tana went up top while Suzuki and Taguchi fought to the floor.
Tana went for a High Fly Flow, but Sabre got his knees up. Suzuki and Sabre used armbars on both of Tana’s arms, and Taguchi jumped in for the save. Taguchi and Suzuki rolled outside.
Sabre went for a PK. Tana caught it, then hit a dragon screw before tagging Taguchi. Taguchi hit Sabre with four hip attacks, earning a nearfall.
Taguchi went for Dodon, but Sabre pulled him into a cross armbreaker. Taguchi rolled through into an ankle lock. Sabre reversed into his own ankle lock, but Taguchi rolled through that back to an ankle lock. Sabre rolled to the ropes for a break.
Taguchi went for a hip attack. Sabre caught him with a crucifix. Tana saved. Suzuki jumped in and put Taguchi in a sleeper while Sabre and Tana fought. Sabre hit Tana with a Zack Driver, then hit Taguchi with a Zack Driver for the pin.
After the bell, Sabre used a wristlock on Tanahashi. Uemura and Tsuji tried to make the save, but Suzuki fought them off. Sabre then stomped on Tana’s arms.
Sabre cut a promo on Tanahashi and Boris Johnson after the match. He said Tanahashi is a joke, the Ace is dead, and long live the new Prime Minister of the UK, Zack Sabre Jr.
Suzuki grabbed the mic and said Suzuki-gun is ichiban, then attacked Uemura with a chair for good measure.