NJPW Road to Power Struggle results: Junior Tag League day 12

The penultimate show of the Road to Power Struggle tour took place in Aichi at the Toyohashi City General Gymnasium today. 

Day 12 of the tour featured only one Super Junior Tag League bout, while a star-studded eight-man tag took the main event slot on the show. 

The event took place in a large room with a high ceiling and a relatively small crowd. As a result, this was a very quiet show. Nothing seemed to have any heat. 

Here are full results, match recaps, and updated Super Junior Tag League standings:

KARL FREDERICKS & TOMOAKI HONMA DEFEATED YOTA TSUJI & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI

Tsuji and Honma began. Honma took some chops, but dropped Tsuji with a backdrop. Fredericks and Honma traded tags, working Tsuji over. Honma used a single-leg crab, a headbutt, then hit some chops. 

Tsuji landed a dropkick and tagged Taguchi. Taguchi hit Honma and Fredericks with a series of hip attacks. Honma missed a kokeshi. Taguchi missed a kokeshi. Tsuji entered for a double-team, but Honma hit a combination DDT/downward spiral on both Tsuji and Taguchi. 

Fredericks and Tsuji tagged in. Fredericks hit a dropkick, a Stinger splash, then hit an elbow drop for a near fall. Tsuji hit a dropkick to Fredericks, then hit a slam on Honma. Tsuji used a full crab on Fredericks. Honma tried to break it up, but Taguchi cut him off with a hip attack. Fredericks forced a rope break. 

Fredericks and Tsuji traded forearm shots. Fredericks hit a spinebuster, then used a Liontamer for the submission win. This was not a very noteworthy opener. 

SHO & YOH DEFEATED EL DESPERADO & DOUKI

Desperado and DOUKI attacked Roppongi 3K before the opening bell. Desperado used two chairs to attack SHO on the floor, and SHO sold his back. They teased a countout, but SHO made it back in. 

Desperado used a full crab on SHO, but SHO forced a rope break. DOUKI tagged in and hit a double stomp to SHO’s back. Desperado exposed a turnbuckle. SHO reversed a suplex into his own suplex, and YOH got a hot tag. 

YOH ran wild with flying forearms. He then hit a dragon screw on Desperado. Desperado pulled the ref into YOH’s path, then hit a right hand. DOUKI got a tag and hit a springboard DDT. He made a cover, but SHO made the save. 

Desperado took the referee. DOUKI grabbed a steel pipe. YOH ducked the pipe, then SHO hit DOUKI with a spear. SHO clotheslined Desperado to the floor. YOH hit DOUKI with a superkick, then used a bridging German for a near fall. 

YOH then hit a dragon suplex for the pin on DOUKI. 

Desperado hit SHO and YOH with a chair after the match. He then hit a con-chair-to to SHO’s back. They’re pushing the idea that Roppongi 3K will be going into their last tournament match injured. 

EL PHANTASMO & TAIJI ISHIMORI DEFEATED ROCKY ROMERO & JUSHIN THUNDER LIGER

Liger went for a Romero Special on Ishimori, but ELP saved. ELP and Ishimori used quick tags and worked Liger over in their corner. Liger no-sold back and chest rakes from ELP. Liger used a chest rake on ELP, which ELP sold big. Liger hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. 

Romero got a tag and hit forever clotheslines, then hit both Ishimori and ELP with a double lariat. Romero hit a swinging DDT on ELP for a two count. Liger got a tag and hit a shotei. Romero hit a knee. Liger and Romero hit a double suplex on ELP, and Liger got a two count. 

Ishimori took Romero out on the floor. Ishimori and ELP hit tandem superkicks to Liger, and ELP got a near fall. Liger hit a shotei on ELP for a two count. Ishimori took the referee. ELP hit a low blow to Liger, then used an inside cradle for the pin. 

TAICHI, ZACK SABRE JR., MINORU SUZUKI & YOSHINOBU KANEMARU DEFEATED TETSUYA NAITO, SHINGO TAKAGI, SANADA & BUSHI BY DQ

This was your standard Suzuki-gun vs. LIJ brawl. Suzuki-gun used a jump start before the bell, and they brawled all over the building. Suzuki-gun used all manner of plunder, including chairs and pieces of the barricade. 

SANADA was the first LIJ member to make it back to the ring. Suzuki and Sabre worked him over. SANADA came back with a dragon screw on Sabre, then hit a dropkick to Suzuki’s knees. BUSHI tagged in and hit Suzuki with an enzuigiri and a DDT. 

Suzuki went for a Gotch-style piledriver on BUSHI, but BUSHI hit a backdrop. Suzuki tagged Taichi. Taichi and Kanemaru ate a double hurricanrana from BUSHI, who then managed a tag to Naito. 

Naito and Taichi exchanged strikes. Naito hit an arm drag. Taichi went for a buzzsaw kick, but Naito caught it. Naito spit on Taichi. Naito shoved the referee down. Taichi grabbed the referee by the throat. None of this was a DQ. 

Naito attacked Taichi with strikes as Taichi was near the ropes. The referee tried to intervene. Naito raked his eyes, then kicked him out of the ring. This was a DQ. 

Everyone continued brawling after the bell. Another ref ran out. Naito raked his eyes too. Taichi hit Naito with an Axe Bomber, then choked him. Tsuji and Red Shoes jumped in to break up the fight. 

Perhaps the feeling in the NJPW office is that the Naito and Taichi feud needed some steam behind it. This was an attempt to heat things up before they face off on Sunday for the de facto number one contendership for the intercontinental title. The Naito and Taichi program just does nothing for me. 

KENTA, JAY WHITE & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI DEFEATED TOMOHIRO ISHII, HIROOKI GOTO & TOA HENARE

Goto attacked White in the aisle as he made his entrance. Ishii paired off with KENTA, Yujiro with Henare, and Goto with White, as they brawled around ringside. 

Henare and Yujiro ended up the legal men. Bullet Club kept Henare close to their corner, then took turns working him over. 

White hit Henare with a suplex for a two count. Ishii and KENTA tagged in. They traded forearm shots and powerslams, neither man selling anything. Ishii hit a German. He went for a tag to Goto, but Gedo pulled Goto off the apron. Ishii tagged Henare instead. 

Henare hit a tackle. KENTA hit a running knee strike. Ishii cut KENTA off, allowing Henare to hit a tackle for a two count. Everyone else brawled to the floor, leaving KENTA and Henare alone. 

Henare went for Toa Bottom. KENTA instead slapped on a triangle choke, then transitioned to Game Over, and Henare tapped. 

Ishii went after KENTA after the bell, but KENTA escaped. 

SUPER JUNIOR TAG LEAGUE MATCH: TJP & CLARK CONNORS DEFEATED TIGER MASK IV & YUYA UEMURA

Connors and Uemura started off. They had an intense striking battle. Connors backed Uemura into the corner, then tagged TJP. Uemura tagged Tiger. Tiger and TJP traded holds on the mat, while Connors and Uemura continued to brawl on the outside. 

Back in the ring, Connors and TJP worked over Tiger. Tiger came back with kicks against Connors. Uemura tagged back in and used a chinlock on Connors. Connors hit Uemura with kicks and chops. 

TJP got a tag and used a slingshot senton for a two count. TJP hit a suplex. Uemura hit a dropkick, then managed a tag to Tiger. TJP hit Tiger with a DDT, then tagged Connors. Connors hit Tiger with a DDT for a two count. 

Connors hit some chops. Tiger came back with a kick. Uemura came in for a double team. He hit a vertical suplex, and Tiger covered for a near fall. Tiger used a kimura on Connors. TJP tried to save. Uemura held him off, but TJP eventually did save. 

TJP and Uemura brawled on the floor. Tiger hit some spin kicks on Connors, but Connors hit a dropkick, then tagged TJP. TJP hit a springboard backfist on Tiger, then dispatched with an interfering Uemura. 

TJP hit a slingshot dropkick to Tiger. He went to the top rope, but jumped off into a dropkick from Tiger. Tiger hit a Tiger Driver for a near fall. 

Tiger hit a Tiger Superplex for a near fall, then immediately transitioned to an armbar. Connors broke up the hold. Uemura and Connors again fought to the floor. 

TJP hit a hook kick on Tiger. Uemura made the save for Tiger, then hit a double shoulder block on Connors and TJP. Connors and TJP hit a combination blockbuster/powerbomb for a two count. That spot woke the crowd up. 

Connors missed a spear and went crashing to the floor. Uemura used a full crab on TJP. Connors jumped back in and hit Uemura with chops. Uemura initially refused to give up the crab, but finally did after an uppercut. 

TJP hit a spear on Uemura. He covered, but Tiger made the save. TJP went for a Detonation Kick, but Uemura used a schoolboy for a near fall. Tiger and Connors fought outside. 

TJP tried a pop-up dropkick, but botched it. TJP then hit a Detonation Kick on Uemura for the pin. 

They did a lot of moves, but this match really needed a ring general to keep things cohesive from a psychology standpoint. 

KAZUCHIKA OKADA, WILL OSPREAY, ROBBIE EAGLES & YOSHI-HASHI DEFEATED KOTA IBUSHI, HIROSHI TANAHASHI, VOLADOR JR. & TITAN

Ospreay and Eagles wore Roppongi 3K’s gear. Ospreay was dressed as SHO, while Eagles was YOH. 

Titan and Eagles began with some fancy mat work. Ospreay and Volador tagged in and started flying. A bunch of guys hit hurricanranas. Everyone on Tana’s team hit a plancha. 

Ospreay and Eagles hit tandem kicks on Volador. Eagles used a low dropkick on Volador, then tagged YH, as Okada’s team worked over Volador in their corner. Okada tagged in and hit a slam, then a slingshot senton. 

Ospreay used a chinlock on Volador. Volador came back with a hurricanrana, and Ospreay tagged YH. Volador hit an enzuigiri, then a springboard dropkick before tagging Tanahashi. 

Tana hit YH with a dragon screw. Eagles and Ospreay jumped in and ate a double dragon screw. Tana hit a slam to YH, then connected with a somersault senton for a two count. Tana and YH traded slaps. YH hit an enzuigiri and a lariat, then tagged Okada. 

Okada hit Tana with a back elbow. Okada teased an air raid crash, but Tana caught him with a Twist and Shout. Tana tagged Ibushi. Ibushi hit a flurry of kicks, then connected with a standing moonsault for a near fall. 

Okada came back with a flapjack on Ibushi. YH entered to double up on Ibushi. YH launched Ibushi into a DDT by Okada for a two count. Okada went for a tombstone, but Ibushi blocked it. Ibushi teased lawn-darting Okada into the corner, but Okada slid out and hit a dropkick. Ibushi ducked a Rainmaker, then hit his own dropkick. 

Titan and Ospreay tagged in. Titan hit a springboard crossbody. Ospreay came back with a superkick for a two count. Titan hit a superkick, then connected on a falcon arrow for a near fall. 

Ospreay and Eagles hit stereo knees, then called for a 3K. Titan escaped, then hit Ospreay with a DDT. Things became chaotic here. Volador hit Eagles with a superkick. YH hit Volador with a basement dropkick. Tana hit a slingblade on YH. Okada hit Tana with a big boot. Ibushi hit Okada with a backflip kick. 

Titan hit Ospreay with a clothesline and a swinging dropkick. Titan went for a double stomp, but Ospreay rolled out of the way. Eagles and Ospreay doubled up on Titan, but Volador saved for Titan. Eagles hit a suicide dive on Volador. Ospreay hit Titan with the Storm Breaker for the pin. 

This main event was the highlight of an otherwise lackluster show. 

SUPER JR. TAG LEAGUE STANDINGS

  • Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo 10 points (5-1)
  • Will Ospreay & Robbie Eagles 8 points (4-2)
  • Ryusuke Taguchi & Rocky Romero 8 points (4-2)
  • El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru 8 points (4-2) 
  • SHO & YOH 8 points (4-2) 
  • Volador Jr. & Titan 6 points (3-3) [eliminated]
  • TJP & Clark Connors 2 points (1-5) [eliminated]
  • Tiger Mask IV & Yuya Uemura 0 points (0-6) [eliminated]