NJPW Road to The New Beginning results: The tour continues
Recommended matches —
- Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Tomoaki Honma & SHO
- Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Master Wato vs. SANADA, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI
Report —
Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI defeated Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata, Tiger Mask & Yuya Uemura (10:06)
This was a fun brawl to kick off the show. The highlight was the interaction between Suzuki and Uemura.
The Suzuki-gun side attacked before the opening bell. The babyface side was able to withstand the attack at first. Uemura and Suzuki brawled outside and Suzuki sold big for Uemura with his facial expressions.
Tiger Mask got cut off in the ring after a pipe shot from DOUKI while the referee was distracted. Makabe got a hot tag and hit ten punches and a northern lights suplex on Suzuki. Suzuki used a Fujiwara armbar. The two traded strikes.
Uemura and Desperado tagged in for the closing sequence. Uemura got a couple of near falls off quick cradles. Desperado used the ref as a distraction to set up his illegal right hand and a Pinche Loco for the pin.
Will Ospreay & Great-O-Khan went to a no-contest with Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (3:39)
This was a continuation of the finish of last night’s match between these two teams and more of an angle than a match.
No Bea Priestley tonight for United Empire.
O-Khan threw the ref out of the ring before Tenzan and Kojima had even entered. O-Khan and Ospreay attacked as Kojima and Tenzan made their way to the ring.
All four brawled on the outside. The referee lost complete control. O-Khan and Tenzan got in the ring and traded chops. Ospreay entered with a chair and hit Tenzan. The ref waved off the match. It was ruled a no-contest for whatever reason rather than a DQ.
Ospreay and O-Khan brought a stack of chairs into the ring. Kojima made the save for Tenzan with a chair and United Empire made a united retreat.
EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo defeated Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI (10:14)
This was practically the same middling undercard tag that some combination of opponents have had with this Bullet Cub trio on every night of the tour, only Bullet Club came away with a win tonight.
Yujiro began with Goto and tried to get the advantage with biting. Okada and YH saved and they did some comedy. Togo and EVIL cleared the CHAOS apron.
EVIL used YH’s staff as a weapon on Okada. Yujiro hit Goto with his pimp cane. Togo choked YH with a camera cable. Okada got a hot tag and made a comeback on Yujiro. EVIL and Yujiro cut Okada off. Okada hit a big boot to EVIL and tagged YH.
Goto and YH hit some tandem offense on EVIL. EVIL took the ref. Yujiro jumped in with his cane. Togo choked YH with his ligature. EVIL hit Everything is EVIL and pinned YH.
Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi defeated Tomoaki Honma & SHO (17:00)
If you’ve been watching the entire tour, then this match rewarded you for paying attention as it paid off the Naito/Honma interactions that have been going on. If not, enjoy the Hiromu/SHO stuff.
LIJ immediately turned this into a brawl around ringside. Honma missed a kokeshi on Naito in the ring and Naito and Hiromu sent their opponents into the barricade repeatedly. Honma ended up cut off in the ring.
Naito used a crucifix on Honma on the mat while Hiromu kept SHO away. Honma forced a break and hit a vertical suplex. SHO and Hiromu got tags and went a thousand miles an hour. SHO hit a spear and a series of lariats. The two had a long striking battle. Hiromu hit a pop-up powerbomb into a double down.
Naito and Honma tagged in and brawled. Naito teased a top rope frankensteiner but Honma escaped. Hiromu entered for a double dropkick and a near fall. Honma hit a diving kokeshi to Naito. SHO and Honma doubled up on Naito and Honma hit a cannonball for a two count.
The finish was unique. Naito hit a step-up enzuigiri. Hiromu jumped in to hit a thrust kick. Naito then used a jackknife cradle on Honma and pinned him.
Naito and Hiromu did some goofing off after the match that was pretty entertaining.
Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Master Wato defeated SANADA, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI (16:26)
This was a good main event that picked up steam as it went along after a slow start.
Ibushi and SANADA began with a sequence of chain wrestling that was not particularly inspired. Both fought off attempts at the paradise lock. Ibushi hit a dropkick and tagged out. Wato knocked BUSHI off the apron and then hit a sloppy backbreaker on SANADA.
Tanahashi tagged in to face SANADA. Shingo tripped Tana from the floor and the LIJ rout was on. All six brawled around ringside. Shingo and Tana ended up back in as the legal men. Tana was cut off in the LIJ half of the ring.
Shingo and Tana traded strikes. Shingo got the upper hand. Tana hit a dragon screw but Shingo no-sold and tried a pumping bomber. Tana ducked and hit a second dragon screw and Shingo sold the impact of both. Shingo tagged out.
Tana tried to cradle SANADA. Ibushi tagged in for a mid kick and a standing moonsault for a near fall o his next challenger. SANADA busted out the leapfrog dropkick and hit Ibushi with a plancha. Back in, SANADA used a TKO threat to set up a Skull End attempt. Ibushi hit a high kick and both fell down.
Wato and BUSHI got tags. Wato used a dreamcast for a near fall. They traded kicks. BUSHI hit a rewind kick. Wato hit a jumping knee strike. They traded palm strikes. Wato hit another dreamcast before tagging Tana back in.
Tana dispatched an interfering Shingo with a slap. Shingo and SANADA climbed back in to triple up on Tana. BUSHI hit a backstabber for a near fall. SANADA and Ibushi, Shingo and Wato brawled to the floor.
Tana hit a twist and shout, slingblade, then used a cloverleaf. Shingo teased breaking the hold with a pumping bomber. Wato was supposed to hit him with a springboard forearm but slipped coming off the ropes. Wato saved as well as he could, then hit Shingo with a forearm and a 619.
With the cloverleaf still applied, BUSHI tapped out.
Tanahashi, Ibushi and Wato played air guitar to close the show.