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NJPW Road to Wrestling Dontaku, Korakuen Hall, April 24:
Jay White defeated David Finlay
This was yet another excellent match between these two. White went after a knee. Finlay sold it really well and it played into the finish. This was just a great back and forth match. White won with a single leg Boston crab. Finlay looked frustrated after the match as he still searched for a win over White.
YOSHI-HASHI, Beretta & Rocky Romero defeated Captain New Japan, Ryusuke Taguchi & Tiger Mask IV
This was a fun tag match. Nothing blow away, but everyone got to do what they do. YOSHI got some seniority here. They came out to his music and he got the win over Captain with a Butterfly Lock.
Katsuyori Shibata, Juice Robinson & KUSHIDA defeated Manabu Nakanishi, Yuji Nagata & Jushin Thunder Liger
This was another great match that continued on from the tag yesterday. KUSHIDA and his team attacked the arm of Liger to the point where he couldn't hit the Shotei. Robinson got the better of Nagata at one stage. Robinson looked really good in this match. Shibata and Nagata tore into each other again. The finish came when Shibata countered the Argentine Backbreaker into a sleeper and a PK.
After the match Shibata choked out Nagata. Liger tried to hit KUSHIDA with a Brainbuster in the aisle, but KUSHIDA countered and assaulted the arm of Liger again, bending it over the railing. A good match with two more really good simple angles to create lots of buzz for Dontaku title matches.
SANADA & BUSHI defeated Gedo & Kazuchika Okada
This was so good. The crowd were so hot for this as Okada & Gedo were out for revenge after being laid out yesterday. Okada & SANADA one upped each other. SANADA would throw Okada out of the ring and hold the ropes opened for him. Okada would do the same a few minutes later. Gedo was beaten down by LIJ and wasn't allowed to get the tag. When he eventually did the crowd exploded for Okada. SANADA hit an awesome double leapfrog into a dropkick, a dropkick that is almost as good as Okada's. Later Okada would hit his dropkick. Gedo would then get a great near fall on SANADA with the Gedo Clutch. BUSHI took out Okada with a DDT. Gedo kicked out of a SANADA spinning cutter after the longest two count. SANADA made Gedo submit to the Dragon Sleeper.
After the match Okada was hit with BUSHI's mist and again put in the Dragon Sleeper. This was yet another dominant display from Los Ingobernables de Japon. NJPW aren't afraid to put new heels strongly over their top stars.
Tomohiro Ishii & Hirooki Goto defeated EVIL & Tetsuya Naito
This was awesome. This started out with a wild brawl at ringside and the intensity kept up throughout the match. The crowd completely rallied behind Ishii here. He and Naito had an excellent back and forth with Ishii coming out on top. Ishii & EVIL went at it again. Ishii & Goto hit an Ushigoroshi/sliding lariat combo on EVIL, but Naito made the save. Goto took out Naito on the floor. Ishii & EVIL exchanged headbutts and lariats until Ishii got the win with a Brainbuster. CHAOS managed to get the advantage over LIJ here. This was a hell of a match as Ishii looked really strong heading into his title match.
Special Elimination Match
Kenny Omega, Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa defeated Yoshitatsu, Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Michael Elgin
Kenny Omega gave himself a Howard Finkel ring intro, which was pretty funny. Tatsu was worked over by BC until Big Mike got into the match and went back and forth with Omega. Tanga Loa looked really good against Makabe. He hit a nice running powerslam. Makabe survived a five on one beatdown made a comeback against Loa & Tonga. Makabe was able to eliminate Loa over the top rope.
Team NJPW then gave Tonga a five on one beatdown. Loa interfered, which allowed Tonga to low blow and eliminate Makabe. There was a great sequence of misdirection rope running between Honma & Tonga. They both ended up on the apron. Fale took a swing at Honma, missed and accidentally eliminated Tonga. Fale then hit Honma with the Grenade off the apron.
Tanahashi was the next to go. He tried to skim the cat, but a distraction from Yujiro allowed Fale to eliminate him. Elgin then sent Fale packing with a clothesline over the top.
Omega stopped an Elgin Bomb on Yujiro by hitting a reverse Rana. Elgin the manage to fight off both Omega & Yujiro and pinned Yujiro with an Elgin Bomb.
Elgin & Omega exchanged suplexes. Omega hit a snap dragon suplex. Elgin hit a couple of Germans and was about to finish Omega when Yujiro got involved. Elgin slammed both at once, looking like a beast. Omega managed to eliminate Elgin when he used spray to pull him over the top.
This left Omega vs Yoshitatsu. Tatsu has a nice spinning knee strike. Omega couldn't put Tatsu away with two knees of his own. He went for a Styles Clash, playing off the move that almost ended Tatsu's career. Tatsu used spray and rolled up Omega for a close near fall. Tatsu went for a Pedigree, but Omega escaped, hit another knee and the One Winged Angel to pick up the win for Bullet Club.
As always with these elimination matches, this was a really good match. Two of them on consecutive night was probably a bit much, but it gave the Korakuen shows something a bit different than usual.
The main event and the two LIJ vs CHAOS matches are worth your time. The two tags were especially great and did a lot to build hype for Dontaku.
The show is available now at NJPWWorld.com
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