For the third time in four days New Japan Pro Wrestling ran a show in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall, and fatigue may well be setting in for the company’s Korakuen fans. To compound that problem yesterday’s New Japan Road show was the fourth NJ show in Korakuen in nine days, none of which had particularly stellar line-ups and included a grand total of two singles matches.
The New Japan Road show was one of the weakest looking NJPW cards in recent memory and the show itself proved to be about as interesting as people assumed it would be, with only one match standing out as being anything close to must-see. The results from the show can be found here, as the road to New Japan’s 45th anniversary show begins.
Yujiro Takahashi vs. Tomoyuki Oka
Yujiro unsurprisingly picked up the win against the heavyweight Young Lion with his Pimp Juice DDT. Even at this early stage it is clear that Oka is going to be an important part of New Japan’s future, but for now his role is to stare at the lights in opening matches.
Yujiro Takahashi def. Tomoyuki Oka
YOSHI-HASHI, Rocky Romero, Beretta & Jado vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & El Desperado
One of five multi-man matches on the show, YOSHI-HASHI picked up the win for his team to by forcing TAKA to tap to the Butterfly Lock.
YOSHI-HASHI, Rocky Romero, Beretta def. Jado vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & El Desperado
Kenny Omega, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Tanga Roa vs. Yuji Nagata, Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Manabu Nakanishi
Everyone was in house show mode here, although house show mode for the New Japan Dads is arguably a step above the big show mode of a lot of workers. Tama Tonga picked up the win for Bullet Club after hitting Nakanishi with the Gun Stun.
Kenny Omega, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Tanga Roa def. Yuji Nagata, Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Manabu Nakanishi
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma
Yano picked up the win for the CHAOS team after rolling up Liger at the end of more inoffensive house-show wrestling. The build continues towards Ishii & Yano defending the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships against Honma & Makabe.
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano def. Jushin Thunder Liger, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma
Katsuyori Shibata & David Finlay vs. Minoru Suzuki & Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Shibata vs. Suzuki has been announced for the first round of the forthcoming New Japan Cup and the two had an intense brawl after the match here, which was won by the Suzuki-gun team after Smith hit Finlay with a high angle powerbomb.
Minoru Suzuki & Davey Boy Smith Jr. def. Katsuyori Shibata & David Finlay
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Michael Elgin, Juice Robinson, KUSHIDA & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
This match served to further a number of storylines ahead of the New Japan Cup, which will see Tanahashi take on EVIL in the first round. Taguchi and Takahashi are feuding over the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship too, but the most notable takeaway from the match was Juice Robinson once again gaining the fall for his team, hitting poor BUSHI with the Pulp Friction. New Japan obviously has big plans for the former CJ Parker.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Michael Elgin, Juice Robinson, KUSHIDA & Ryusuke Taguchi def. Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
Kazuchika Okada & Gedo vs. Tiger Mask W & Tiger Mask IV
The main event of the night and the only match worth seeking out if you are short on time, this served to build towards the Okada/Tiger Mask W singles match that is coming at New Japan’s 45th anniversary show. This may have been the best Tiger Mask W (Kota Ibushi) showing to date, thanks in no small part to a more streamlined mask. It was Tiger Mask IV who surprisingly picked up the fall, hitting Gedo (who unsurprisingly took the fall) with a tiger suplex for the 1-2-3.
All roads now lead to the 45th anniversary show, which takes place on March 6 and features a main event of Okada vs. Tiger Mask W, along with the New Japan debut of Zack Sabre Jr. and a total of four championship matches, before the New Japan Cup begins on March 11.
Tiger Mask W & Tiger Mask IV def. Kazuchika Okada & Gedo
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