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Destruction in Okayama Results:
NJPW were back with their first major show since the G1 Climax. Destruction in Okayama featured four title matches and a lot of tags building towards Destruction in Kobe on Sunday.
Yuji Nagata, Sho Tanaka, Yohei Komatsu & Katsuyori Shibata defeated Jay White, David Finlay, Manabu Nakanishi & Tetsuya Naito
The body language and everything between Naito & Shibata were fantastic here. Shibata no sold every cheap shot from Naito. Naito eventually tossed Shibata around on the floor and took a seat at ringside until the end of the match. The rest of the match was what you'd expect, with plenty of good action. Naito just stood around and watched as Nagata pinned White with a back drop hold. After the match Shibata absolutely tore into Naito. He ran him from corner to corner with boots until he was dragged away. Just as they got Shibata to the top of the ramp, he ran back to the ring and tossed Naito over the guardrail. Naito just strolled away in pain, as if he didn't care. It was fantastic, and their match on Sunday should be awesome.
Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish defeated Mascara Dorada & Jushin Thunder Liger
This was short, but fun while it lasted. Dorada got to fly around and pull out his big dives. ReDRagon hit their usual explosive double team on him. Dorada got a couple of good near falls on Kyle until ReDRagon hit Chasing The Dragon to pick up the win ahead of their title defence against Time Splitters on Sunday.
NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship
Tiger Mask IV defeated Steve Anthony w/Bruce Tharpe
This was a really good match and we have a new NWA Jr heavyweight champion. Anthony came out dressed as a gladiator, complete with the helmet. He's really impressive in the ring and probably the best of the NWA guys that appear in NJPW. He's a really good traditional ground and pound wrestler that can pull out some flashy stuff too. There were lots of great false finishes towards the end. Tiger took out Tharpe with a cross body off the apron. Anthony kicked out of a Tiger Driver and then low blowed Tiger to escape a Tiger suplex, and hitting a twisting Tiger Driver for a nice near fall. Tiger almost had it with a Crucifix and Anthony missed a 450 Splash. Tiger Mask got the win via submission when he put Anthony in a Double Armbar. After the match it looked like Tiger said he wants to defend the title against Liger.
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Matt Sydal defeated Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale
This was the NJPW debut of Matt Sydal. He didn't get a huge amount of ring time, but he looked in wha he did. He was a backdrop to the preview for Tanahashi vs Fale on Sunday. This was your basic NJPW tag match. Tonga got in his near falls before Sydal hit him with a Shooting Star Press and Tanahashi hit the High Fly Flow to score the win.
IWGP Tag Team Championship
Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows defeated Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan
This was good with the last few minutes turning out to be awesome. Anderson & Kojima were the last two legal guys and had an awesome back and forth. Kojima countered the Gun Stun and Anderson escaped lariats. Kojima caught him with a left arm lariat for a great near fall. Anderson finally hit the Gun Stun, but Tenzan broke up the pin. Anderson then hit a Gun Stun on Tenzan. He and Gallows then hit the Magic Killer on Kojima to get the win and retain the titles.
Tomohiro Ishii, Shinsuke Nakamura, YOSHI-HASHI, Rocky Romero & Beretta defeated Captain New Japan, Hirooki Goto, Ryusuke Taguchi, Tomoaki Honma & Alex Shelley
This was the fun match you'd expect. Alex Shelley looked beyond fired up in his New Japan return and had some great exchanges with RPG Vice. The funniest part was before the match when Taguchi was getting in Nakamura's face with his nonsense, and Goto shoved Taguchi out of the way so the serious business could start. Honma, Taguchi & Captain did a three way Kokeshi on Ishii. Other than that there is nothing to report, but it was a really fun match. Obviously Captain took the fall. He was pinned after a Boma Ye and a Brainbuster from Ishii.
Toru Yano & Kazuchika Okada defeated Cody Hall & AJ Styles
This was good. The chemistry between Styles & Okada is truly incredible. Even in a tag match like this they went all out with counters and sequences. Okada caught Styles with a dropkick as he came off the top with a flying forearm. Yano & Hall were pretty funny together. Yano ran scared of Hall. Yano stole the win over Hall with a low blow and roll up. Styles & Okada meet at King of Pro Wrestling on October 12th.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Kenny Omega defeated KUSHIDA
I loved this and hated it all at once. Kenny Omega is once again the Jr heavyweight champion. The match itself was awesome, but I wasn't a fan of the finish or the outcome. Omega & KUSHIDA have great chemistry together and the story of the match was KUSHIDA's back and ribs after Omega hit a moonsault on the floor with a trash can involved. KUSHIDA targeted the arm of Omega. We had lots of great wrestling, lots of power moves from Omega and lots of hard strikes from both wether it be the knees of Omega of the straight right hand and kicks of KUSHIDA. The work was beyond awesome. Gallows accompanied Omega and Shelley was in the corner of KUSHIDA. Gallows ate a dive from Omega on the floor after Gallows had held both Time Splitters in harms way. We had a ref bump which resulted in more interference, now with Karl Anderson getting involved. In the end Omega hit the One Winged Angel after a Gun Stun from Anderson.
I wasn't a fan of all the Bullet Club run-ins leading to the finish and I thought it was too soon to take the title from KUSHIDA. He seems to have every push cut away from him just as he gains momentum. That being said, Omega will be a great champion as he was before and the match itself was awesome. Matt Sydal challenged Omega after the match. Omega took the mic and said he will clean up Sydal on the next show, presumable King of Pro Wrestling, which should be awesome.
NEVER Openweight Championship
Togi Makabe defeated Kota Ibushi
This was absolutely awesome! The match of the night by a mile. Ibushi looked like the star in defeat again after another incredible star making performance. Ibushi stood toe to toe with Makabe and matched him all the way wether it be strikes or brawling. Some of the strikes in this were beyond stiff and physical. Ibushi one upped Makabe on the floor and proved he could brawl just as well as he could. He hit an amazing running dropkick sending Makabe into the guardrail. He then used the table that Makabe set up against him. He set Makabe up on the table on the floor and hit a double stomp from the top rope. The table didn't break, which made the whole thing look twice as devastating. Makabe attempted his Spider German, but even after cracking Ibushi's head on the ring post, Ibushi still managed to land on his feet. Ibushi missed a Phoenix Splash and they went back to another flurry of strikes with Makabe nailing a sick lariat. Makabe again attempted the Spider German, he continuously cracked Ibushi's head in the ring post, but Ibushi would not let go of the turnbuckle. Makabe then grabbed the arms of Ibushi and hit a Spider Dragon Suplex, causing Ibushi to land on his head. Makabe followed it up with a King King Knee Drop to retain the title. Go out of your way to see this one, probably one of my favourite Togi Makabe matches ever.
After the match Tomohiro Ishii appeared, so it looks like he will challenge for the title yet again.
This was a good show. The tag matches weren’t anything newsworthy, but fun to watch. The title matches are all really good, with the main event being must-see.
The card for Destruction in Kobe is:
Yohei Komatsu & Sho Tanaka vs Jay White & David Finlay
Yuji Nagata, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV vs Manabu Nakanishi, Captain New Japan & Juice Robinson
Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, Ryusuke Taguchi & Mascara Dorada vs Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, Rocky Romero & Beretta
Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Matt Sydal vs Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows & Kenny Omega
Katsuyori Shibata vs Tetsuya Naito
Kazuchika Okada, Kazushi Sakuraba & Toru Yano vs AJ Styles, Tama Tonga & Cody Hall
IWGP Jr Tag Team Championship
ReDRagon vs Time Splitters
Wrestle Kingdom Title Shot
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Bad Luck Fale
IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Hirooki Goto vs Shinsuke Nakamura
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