NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome live results: Hiromu Takahashi returns
NJPW begins their Road to Tokyo Dome today with the first of three straight nights of action in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.
Hiromu Takahashi’s comeback match headlines today’s show, as the returning star will team with BUSHI against the Birds of Prey, Will Ospreay and Robbie Eagles.
On the undercard, Kazuchika Okada will team with YOSHI-HASHI against Jay White and Chase Owens. Third from the top will be Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi tagging against Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi.
The other notable undercard bout is the opener, which will see Jushin Liger wrestle the first of three final Korakuen Hall matches. Today he teams with Tiger Mask, Yuya Uemura and Yota Tsuji as they face Rocky Romero, Ryusuke Taguchi, Tomoaki Honma and Togi Makabe.
The NJPW World broadcast will have English commentary. Our live coverage begins at 4:30 a.m. Eastern.
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ROCKY ROMERO, RYUSUKE TAGUCHI, TOGI MAKABE & TOMOAKI HONMA DEFEATED JUSHIN LIGER, TIGER MASK, YUYA UEMURA & YOTA TSUJI
Tsuji and Honma began. Honma missed a kokeshi. Taguchi and Tiger tagged in. Tiger hit some kicks. Taguchi hit a hip attack, then Tiger began attacking his posterior. Liger tagged in and continued the comedy, slapping Taguchi’s ass.
Liger used a Romero special. Taguchi tried a hip attack but Liger simply stepped out of the way. Taguchi hit a hip attack, then tagged in Makabe. Tsuji tried to make the save for Liger, but Makabe hit him with a powerslam.
Makabe hit ten punches in the corner and a lariat on Liger for a two count. Liger came back with a shotei. Uemura and Romero tagged in. Uemura hit a double underhook suplex. Honma saved Romero.
Everyone jumped in for a big move. Honma hit Liger with a kokeshi. Romero hit Uemura with a knee. Makabe hit a double lariat on Tiger and Liger.
Romero used a cradle on Uemura for a two count, then hit a swing DDT for another near fall. Romero then hit a falcon arrow into a cross armbreaker for the submission win over Uemura.
Tsuji went after Makabe after the match. Makabe dropped him with a forearm. All eight guys then had a pull-apart. A solid opener, but nothing special.
The announcers said that there was an earthquake during this match. That seems notable.
BAD LUCK FALE, TAMA TONGA & TANGA LOA DEFEATED JUICE ROBINSON, DAVID FINLAY & TOA HENARE
Bullet Club used a jumpstart attack and went after Henare. The commentators said that Henare is working with a broken rib. Jado used a kendo stick and Bullet Club worked over Henare, seemingly forever.
Henare finally managed a tag to Juice. Juice and Finaly hit stereo bulldogs. Juice hit a Left Hand of God. Henare and Fale tagged in. Henare went for a Samoan drop on Fale, but couldn’t get it. Fale took the ref in an effort to allow Jado to interfere, but Henare took him out with a dropkick.
Fale hit a pounce and a big splash for a two count, then hit a Grenade on Henare for the pin. This wasn’t good.
Somewhere in here Finlay took a spear on the floor taking him out of the match. G.O.D. taunted him after the match as Juice tended to his shoulder with an ice pack.
The announcers called attention to another earthquake aftershock here.
ZACK SABRE JR. & TAICHI DEFEATED EVIL & SANADA
SANADA and Sabre traded waistlocks and holds. SANADA used a headlock takeover and hit a dropkick. Sabre rolled outside, frustrated. SANADA tried for the paradise lock on Sabre. Taichi made the save and SANADA tried to put him in the lock as well. Sabre used the distraction to attack.
Sabre and Taichi went to work on SANADA. Taichi choked EVIL with a cable while Sabre sent SANADA into the crowd. After a countout tease, Sabre went to work on SANADA’s left arm. Taichi tagged in and continued the attack on the left arm.
SANADA managed a hip toss and tagged EVIL. EVIL hit a seated senton in the corner for a two count. Taichi blocked Darkness Falls and hit a kick. Taichi hit a buzzsaw kick. EVIL used the referee as a base for a Magic Killer on Taichi, into a double down.
Sabre and SANADA got tags. SANADA hit a dragon screw. He tried a figure four, but Sabre turned it into a cradle for a pinfall attempt. SANADA escaped, but Sabre nailed him with a PK. Sabre sold the damage from the kick and the earlier dragon screw.
SANADA and Sabre traded strikes. Sabre went for the Zack Driver. SANADA blocked. Sabre used a cobra twist but SANADA reversed into Skull End. SANADA used a spinning Skull End. He tried a moonsault but missed.
Taichi hit an interfering EVIL with an axe bomber. Sabre and SANADA traded a series of quick cradles, ending with Sabre rolling through for the pinfall victory.
This ended up being a heck of a match by the end after a slow start.
TOMOHIRO ISHII, HIROOKI GOTO, SHO & YOH DEFEATED EL PHANTASMO, KENTA, YUJIRO TAKAHASHI & TAIJI ISHIMORI
Not much to this one, just a chance for a hurting Ishii to get his hand raised.
YOH and Ishimori started off as the legal men. Bullet Club turned it into a ringside brawl. Ishimori, KENTA, Yujiro and ELP worked over YOH. YOH’s selling here was cartoonish, as was Bullet Club’s offense.
Goto finally got a tag but KENTA quickly cut him off. Goto came back with a lariat. Yujiro tagged in and also ate a lariat. Goto tagged Ishii. Ishii was quickly cut off as well. Yujiro used a fisherman buster for a two count.
The match broke down and all eight jumped in. Goto and Ishii hit stereo ushigoroshis on KENTA and Yujiro. Ishii then used the Vertical Drop Brainbuster for the pin on Yujiro.
KOTA IBUSHI & HIROSHI TANAHASHI DEFEATED TETSUYA NAITO & SHINGO TAKAGI
Naito and Ibushi began. I am absolutely terrified that someone is going to die when they are in the ring together. Naito and Shingo tried to double up on Ibushi, but Ibushi hit both with dropkicks before tagging out.
Tana tagged in and hit a scoop slam on Naito, but missed the follow-up somersault senton. They traded strikes. Shingo attacked Tana from the apron. All four brawled around ringside and Tana and Ibushi got sent into the barricade.
Back in the ring, Shingo and Naito used quick tags in working Tanahashi over. Shingo hit a vertical suplex and a double sledge to the chest. Tana came back with a dragon screw. Both tagged out.
Ibushi ran wild on Naito with dropkicks. Naito hit a tijeras, then used a crucifix with his legs on Ibushi. Ibushi reached the bottom rope, but Naito was slow to break the hold. Ibushi hit a snap German. Naito came back with a one-legged dropkick, then tagged out.
Ibushi hit an insane snap rana on Shingo, then tagged out. Tanahashi hit a flying forearm and a somersault senton on Shingo for a near fall. They traded strikes. Tana hit Twist and Shout, then used a slingblade for a two count. Naito made the save for Shingo, then brawled outside with Ibushi.
Tana tried a High Fly Flow, but Shingo got his knees up. Tana ducked a Pumping Bomber but fell victim to a double team. Shingo hit Noshigami for a near fall as Ibushi made the save.
Ibushi hit a superkick on Naito. Shingo hit a German on Ibushi. Shingo and Tana traded strikes. Shingo hit a big lariat for a two count.
Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber. He went for Last of the Dragon, but Tana slipped to a victory roll and got the flash pin.
Immediately after the three count Shingo jumped on Tana with a lateral press to get his heat back. Tanahashi sold all of this big, doing his best to make Shingo look good in defeat.
It’s not surprising given the level of talent of all four of these guys, but this was awesome.
JAY WHITE & CHASE OWENS DEFEATED KAZUCHIKA OKADA & YOSHI-HASHI
White and Okada started off. White teased locking up but tagged out right away. Okada used some strikes to take over on Owens. YH got a tag and hit some chops. YH hit a baseball slide on both Owens and White, then sent Owens into the barricade.
As YH tried to climb back inside, White cut him off. This allowed Owens to get the upper hand on YH, while White then sent Okada into the barricade.
White and Owens worked over YH. YH went for a tag but White knocked Okada off the apron. YH managed a headhunter on Owens, then tagged Okada. Okada hit Owens with a back elbow and a DDT. Okada teased an air raid crash, but Owens blocked and suplexed Okada into the buckle.
White got a tag and hit a Blade Buster on Okada for a two count. Okada came back with a dropkick to the back. He tried another but White avoided it. They teased finishers. Okada pulled out of a Blade Runner and connected on another dropkick.
YH got a tag and hit a headhunter on White, then used a sit-out powerbomb and a jackknife cover for a two count.
YH went for Kharma, but White blocked. YH used the Butterfly Lock, but Owens saved for White. Okada and Owens brawled outside. YH hit a lariat. He went for Kharma again. White grabbed the referee. Gedo jumped in with brass knuckles. YH ducked the knuckles but fell victim to a Blade Runner. White got the pin.
YH had a good night and Okada was his usual spectacular self in this match.
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We got an awesome wacky Hiromu video package before the main event. Hiromu was hanging out in a laundromat. Hiromu was naked in a hot tub. I can’t do this justice.
WILL OSPREAY & ROBBIE EAGLES DEFEATED HIROMU TAKAHASHI & BUSHI
Hiromu looked good but only did some moderately insane things instead of his typical extremely insane things.
Hiromu and Ospreay started with a crazy exchange of flips, counters, drop-downs, misdirection spots, headscissors, you name it. This got a great crowd response. Both tagged out.
Eagles and BUSHI were the legal men inside, but the focus was on Ospreay and Hiromu on the floor. Ospreay sent Hiromu into the barricade repeatedly, and Hiromu threw himself around with reckless abandon.
Ospreay got a tag. Eagles and Ospreay hit stereo kicks on BUSHI. Ospreay got a two count as the pace slowed for the first time. Ospreay hit some methodical chops. Eagles tagged back in.
Hiromu tripped Eagles from the floor. He teased a sunset bomb on Ospreay, but ultimately settled for a regular apron bomb. Hiromu hit a shotgun dropkick and Ospreay flew over the barricade.
They fought into the crowd. BUSHI sent Eagles into the East sign, while Hiromu sent Ospreay into the West sign in Korakuen.
Back in the ring, Hiromu tagged in and hit Eagles with chops. BUSHI and Hiromu used quick tags and worked Eagles over. BUSHI used an STF, but Eagles reached the ropes. Hiromu and BUSHI both hit chops. Hiromu used a basement dropkick for a two count.
Ospreay tried a Pip Pip Cheerio but Hiromu hit him with a shotgun dropkick, and the Eagles beatdown continued. Eagles hit a leg lariat on Hiromu, then tagged Ospreay.
Ospreay hit Hiromu with a flying forearm. Hiromu again ducked Pip Pip Cheeri, but Ospreay connected on a backflip kick. Ospreay then hit Pip Pip Cheerio.
Ospreay teased Storm Breaker. Hiromu blocked, but Ospreay hit a kick that might have caught Hiromu in the face, as he ended up with a bloody nose. Hiromu suplexed Ospreay into the buckle. BUSHI got a tag and Ospreay hit both with a backflip kick, then tagged out.
Eagles missed a charge into the corner. BUSHI hit a missile dropkick. Eagles hit a dropkick to the leg. Ospreay entered for some tandem offense, then hit a Sasuke Special to Hiromu on the floor. Eagles hit a running knee for a two count.
Eagles missed a 450 attempt, but rolled through. Ospreay and Hiromu jumped in. Hiromu blocked a tiger wall flip kick and sent Ospreay outside. Eagles hit a kick on Hiromu, then hit BUSHI with Turbo Backpack.
Eagles climbed to the top but BUSHI cut him off. Eagles sent BUSHI back to the mat with a headbutt, then hit a 450 to the legs. Eagles then used the Ron Miller Special. Hiromu tried to save but Ospreay intercepted him with a cobra twist. Hiromu hit a pop-up powerbomb on Ospreay, sendng him into Eagles, breaking the submission.
BUSHI managed a tag. Hiromu hit a corner clothesline. Eagles and Ospreay cut him off with a double Cheeky Nandos kick.
Eagles and Ospreay went for Red Wing. Hiromu flipped over into a double powerbomb off the second rope. Hiromu and BUSHI hit a tandem fireman’s carry slam on Eagles but Ospreay saved.
Ospreay tried Hidden Blade on Hiromu, but Hiromu ducked it, then press slammed Ospreay over the top to the floor. BUSHI followed with a dive over the top to Ospreay.
Hiromu hit a DVD into the buckle on Eagles. He tried Dynamite Plunger, but Eagles rolled through into a cradle for the surprise pinfall win.
After the bell, Ospreay taunted Hiromu with the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight belt. Hiromu and BUSHI walked to the back, leaving Ospreay to cut the show-closing promo.
Ospreay cut a heelish promo. He said maybe Hiromu isn’t ready, but he is, and he’ll see everyone tomorrow.