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After a number of disappointing Destruction shows in September, New Japan Pro Wrestling returned to form this evening with King of Pro Wrestling. The uninspired booking that made the Destruction tour so forgettable was left in the past, as a flurry of great matches and exciting stories made this another show to remember.
The card featured three huge matches on top. Will Ospreay challenged KUSHIDA for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship yet again, before Tomohiro Ishii attempted to beat Tetsuya Naito for the third time this year and earn himself a Wrestle Kingdom main event in the process.
The IWGP Heavyweight Championship was on the line in the main event, as champion Kazuchika Okada took on the man who defeated him in this year's G1 Climax, EVIL. Here are the full results and review of the show.
#1 Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga
Hiromu went straight for Bad Luck Fale at the beginning of this one, looking for revenge following Fale's vicious destruction of Daryl a few months back, but the big man soon got the better of the junior heavyweight. Bullet Club controlled the majority of the match before SANADA was able to get the hot tag, hitting Tonga and Yujiro with a huge plancha to the outside.
The finish came as something of a shock. Fale looked like he was going to put BUSHI away with the Bad Luck Fall, only for Hiromu and Daryl to cause a distraction. Hiromu took out the ref, allowing BUSHI to hit the former IWGP Intercontinental Champion with the mist for the roll-up 1-2-3.
Result: Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA & BUSHI def. Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga
#2 Hirooki Goto & Toru Yano vs. Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.
Your usual Suzuki-gun shenanigans started this one off, as Suzuki took it to Yano on the outside. TAKA and El Desperado kept Goto at bay on the outside as Suzuki and ZSJ mercilessly stretched Yano to the point of oblivion. YTR was able to survive, however, eventually making the tag to Goto.
ZSJ then went to work on Goto, stretching him as per before Goto was able to hit the Ushigoroshi before tagging in the Sublime Master-Thief. Suzuki was wise to Yano's tricks, but the NEVER Openweight Champion's desire to main Yano got the better of the champ once again. Suzuki tied Yano up in rope on the outside, but one low blow later Suzuki found himself counted out.
Yano stole Suzuki's championship after the match. The never-ending feud is set to start again.
Result: Hirooki Goto & Toru Yano def. Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr. by count out.
#3 IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Funky Future [c] vs. Roppongi 3K
Sho and Yo were unveiled as Roppongi 3K, and the returning Tempura Boyz starting hot by hitting a pair of beautiful somersault planchas to the outside. After a quick Funky Future flurry, the returning duo took control.
Ricochet eventually made the hot tag and ran wild as only he can, proving himself once again to be one of the best junior heavyweights on the planet. The Future of Flight and 2017 PWG BOLA winner got a number of near-falls, but he eventually fell prey to a flapjack-flatline combo for the finish. We have new IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag champs.
Result: Roppongi 3K def. Funky Future
#4 IWGP Tag Team Championships: Killer Elite Squad [c] vs. War Machine vs. Guerrillas of Destiny
For the fourth time in four weeks, these three teams did battle, meaning it was truly hard to care about such a tired match. This was a tornado tag with elimination rules, and each team came perilously close to getting knocked out early as each team hit their finishing move.
G.O.D went first, Tanga Loa getting hit by a Killer Bomb after stupidly running into a chair positioned in the corner. Tama Tonga put a beating on Raymond Rowe after the fall, leaving War Machine in a pretty desperate position.
Rowe was immediately hit with a Killer Bomb, but Hanson managed to make the save from the top rope. Hanson brought a table into proceedings, but it was the hirsute warrior who found himself going through it. Davey Boy and Archer hit Hanson with a Killer Bomb, and that was that.
Result: Killer Elite Squad def. War Machine & Guerrillas of Destiny
#5 Kenny Omega, Cody & Marty Scurll vs. YOSHI-HASHI, Beretta & Jado
The Bullet Club trio received separate entrances whilst the CHAOS team came out together, which should tell you everything about the relative star power on show here. BC worked over Beretta for much of the early going here, the three members frequently telling the commentators what they were planning to do.
Omega's comedic onslaught eventually backfired though, allowing Beretta to hit a Tornado DDT and tag in YOSHI. The Loose Explosion and Omega went at it before making way for the juniors, Scurll breaking Jado's fingers along the way.
Jado locked The Villain in the crossface, but Marty was able to reverse it into the chicken-wing for the win.
Result: Kenny Omega, Cody & Marty Scurll def. YOSHI-HASHI, Beretta & Jado.
#6 Hiroshi Tanahashi & Togi Makabe vs. Kota Ibushi & Juice Robinson
Tanahashi and Ibushi went at it to start the post-intermission match off, ahead of their huge IWGP Intercontinental Championship match at Power Struggle. The match soon settled into a nice rhythm, all four men working well within their limits.
Juice took a beating as usual before Ibushi came in like a house on fire. Ibushi and Tana gave fans a taster of their upcoming singles match before Makabe and Juice came back in to take it home. The Unchained King Kong missed his big knee from the top, allowing Juice to hit the Pulp Friction for the 1-2-3.
Result: Kota Ibushi & Juice Robinson def. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Togi Makabe
#7 IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA [c] vs. Will Ospreay
After a great show of respect to start, KUSHIDA and Ospreay proceeded to put on a 100mph sprint that was another classic in their series. These two men are two of the best in the world, in any weight category, and the crowd was treated to a professional wrestling exhibition in Sumo Hall.
KUSHIDA showed a lot of Bryan Danielson influences throughout the match, locking Ospreay in a modified Cattle Mutilation before hitting Danielson's trademark stomps, but this only served to fire up the Aerial Assassin.
The near falls came thick and fast, Ospreay hitting a top rope cutter and an inverted 450 for 2.9. KUSHIDA reversed the Oscutter into the Hoverboard Lock, but Ospreay was able to avoid defeat before hitting an Oscutter for the win.
Will Ospreay becomes the 78th IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. Hiromu Takahashi came out to challenge Ospreay after the match, but Marty Scurll beat him to the punch.
Result: Will Ospreay def. KUSHIDA
#8 Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomohiro Ishii
This match was for Naito's IWGP Heavyweight Championship match at the Tokyo Dome, Ishii challenging Tetsuya after defeating him in the G1. Nobody thought Ishii was likely to get the win here, but this didn't take anything away from what was another genuine classic between these two.
Naito took forever to take his suit off to start the match, but Ishii was unfazed. The leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon targeted the Stone Pitbull's knee during the first portion of the match before Ishii returned the favour by attacking Naito's left knee.
This was a true back and forth between two modern greats. It is a testament to how good Ishii is that despite having no real chance of winning, he was able to draw the match into the possibility of the impossible.
Naito countered a brainbuster into Destino before Ishii achieved the reverse. It took three Destinos but Naito prevailed in the end, confirming his spot in the Wrestle Kingdom 12 main event.
Result: Tetsuya Naito def. Tomohiro Ishii
#9 IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. EVIL
Kazuchika Okada guaranteed himself a fourth straight Wrestle Kingdom main event and a place in history as one of the greatest IWGP Heavyweight Champions of all time with yet another defence, this time against 'King of Darkness' EVIL. Both men went for their finishers early on, but it was clear to all and sundry that this match was going to go the distance.
What a 2017 EVIL has had. Lumbered with a somewhat one-dimensional gimmick, the King of Darkness has picked up big win after big win and now finds himself as a true player in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Okada tried to fight EVIL at his own game, but the brawler was too much the Rainmaker for the meat of this bout.
EVIL targeted the champ's neck, hitting a huge German Suplex before locking in the Banshee Muzzle. Okada fought back with a dropkick and Rainmaker pose, but chaos ensued with Okada knocked referee Red Shoes out in the corner.
EVIL brought a load of chairs into the ring and attempted to hit Okada with Darkness Falls, but the Rainmaker was able to counter it with a beautiful hurricanrana. EVIL would not be kept down for long hitting a huge Darkness Falls and avalanche fisherman buster, but it was not enough to keep Okada down.
Okada prevailed in the end, hitting a jumping tombstone and a humongous Rainmaker for the three count. Okada vs. Naito is your Wrestle Kingdom 12 main event. The two had a promo exchange to close out King of Pro Wrestling 2017.
Result: Kazuchika Okada def. EVIL
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