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KENTA VS. YOSHI-HASHI & MORE: 4/19 NJPW ROAD TO WRESTLING DONTAKU IN TOKYO REPORT

4/19/21 Results for New Japan's Road to Wrestling Dontaku 2021  - Korakuen Hall, Tokyo Japan:

Tomoaki Honma, Toru Yano and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Gedo, Dick Togo and EVIL.  Yano gets the school boy roll up pin on Togo after covering his head with a black hood, and a low blow.

BUSHI, SANADA, Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi vs. Jeff Cobb, Aaron Henare, Great O-Khan and Will Ospreay.  O-Khan comes to the ring with his mask this time.  He looks serious and acting different.   With Naito playing mindgames, O-Khan is looking as if he is keeping his distance to avoid Naito getting into his head.  United Empire attacks before Los Ingobernales de Japon can do their ritual fist bump.  Chatotic in the opening moments, but the pace picked up and both teams were moving so fast.   O-Khan tossed a charging BUSHI up in the air, who was caught by Cobb, who turned it into a Tour of the Islands.  Cobb pins BUSHI.  Wow!  Awesome match and a good follow-up to their matches last night.   Big win as a team by the United Empire.   LIJ's trademark is fast paced matches and attacking as a team.   United Empire showed that they can do it too.

Again, I respect LIJ for helping to build the United Empire.    Aaron Henare looked strong over the past two nights and that was due to LIJ. 

As United Empire celebrated in the ring, Tetsuya Naito sat at ringside at a laptop and pretended to watch and take notes on the computer.  O-Khan approached him and called him "stupid".   Naito smiled at him and said "Gracias".   Both teams exited back to the locker rooms.

The next 3 Special Single matches are previews of tomorrow's NEVER Openweight 6-man Tag Team Championship Match.

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yujiro Takahashi.   Wow.  I thought Ishii would win easily.   Takahashi gave Ishii a really good match.    Ishii looked to have hurt his neck when Takahashi nailed a DDT.  Takahashi hit a reverse Pimp Juice and Miami Shine, but Ishii kicked out.  Ishii followed up with lariat and a brainbuster.     Ishii pins Takahashi.

Hirooki Goto vs. Taiji Ishimori.  Ishimori attacked and worked on the left arm of Goto.   Ishimori applied the Yes Lock, then a Bone Lock, but Goto makes it to the ropes.  Goto fought back despite the pain in his arm and hit an ushigoroshi.  Goto went for a GTR, but Ishimori reversed out of hold, trapped Goto's arms into a backslide.  Ishimori pins Goto.   The crowd pops from surprise.   Goto is shocked.   Tomohiro Ishii was at ringside and jumped in the ring to protest.  Ishimori ran around ringside smiling that he got the win.  Another good match.   I was happy for Ishimori because I do not think he gets enough credit that he deserves.   

YOSHI-HASHI vs. KENTA.  KENTA comes to the ring without the Bo Staff.    KENTA refuses to lock up with YOSHI-HASHI, by jumping in and out of the ring. YOSHI-HASHI finally had a enough and dropkicked KENTA on the outside.   He throws KENTA in the ring and hits a Headhunter.   KENTA is dazed.   YOSHI-HASHI takes KENTA to the floor and throws him against the guardrail.  KENTA hits a DDT on the floor, which turns the match in his favor.  Match became a slugfest with both men trying to knock each other out with stiff shots.  YOSHI-HASHI hit a lariat and locked in the Butterfly Lock.  KENTA screamed in pain but did not tap.  YOSHI-HASHI tried for a brainbuster but KENTA kneeded him in the face.  YOSHI-HASHI hit a back cracker and a double knee to the face.   YOSHI-HASHI hit a brainbuster on KENTA.   But KENTA kicked out at two.   YOSHI-HASHI went for Kharma, but KENTA kicked out and hit a DDT.  KENTA goes for the pin but YOSHI-HASHI pushes KENTA off.   KENTA lands on Red Shoes (The Referee) and he takes a bump.   KENTA kicks Red Shoes to the floor. 

KENTA goes out and under the ring and he pulls out the Bo Staff.  KENTA tries to hit YOSHI-HASHI with the Bo Staff but he misses.  YOSHI-HASHI picks up the staff, just as Red Shoes recovers.    KENTA points that YOSHI-HASHI has the staff and Red Shoes goes to take the Bo Staff away.   KENTA runs and hits a splash to both Red Shoes and YOSHI-HASHI.   All three are smashed in the corner.   Red Shoes falls in the corner.  KENTA hits another DDT on YOSHI-HASHI.  KENTA takes the Bo Staff, kisses it, then smashes YOSHI-HASHI in the head.   He rolls the Staff to the floor.   KENTA revives Red Shoes.   YOSHI-HASHI rolls up KENTA for a two count.   KENTA goes for GTS.  YOSHI-HASHI reverses out and gets a school boy for a two count.    YOSHI-HASHI goes for Kharma again, but KENTA reverses out and throws him headfirst into the turnbuckle.   KENTA throws 5 sick open handed slaps to the face and nails a Psycho Knee.   YOSHI-HASHI kicks out.  Wow!  KENTA hits a GTS.  KENTA pins YOSHI-HASHI.

Really good main event.   These two wrestlers tore it up.   KENTA's chest was red with welts.   Go to New Japan World and check it out.  

Goto and Ishii came to check on their partner.    KENTA took the mic and warned them that they will lose their titles tomorrow.  KENTA told Yota Tsuji at ringside to give him the Bo Staff.   KENTA started talking to the Staff.  He called it "Bo Chan".   He hugged the Staff as he left the ring.   Funny.

Prediction for the NEVER Openweight 6-man Tag Team Championship Match:  Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori and KENTA

This CHAOS team has held the Titles for 250+ days since they won on August 9, 2020.   The 6-man Titles are often forgotten in the mix of New Japan Cups and G1 Climaxes.  

Since KENTA still has Bo Chan, YOSHI-HASHI will need to fight to get back what is his.    Tomorrow, if the storyline was to finish, YOSHI-HASHI will have to beat KENTA, defend the 6-man titles and take back Bo Chan to be the true winner.   That is a lot to do in 24 hours.

Also, with big events coming and taking shape with Wrestling Dontaku, Wrestle Grand Slam and Dominion, those cards will still need to be determined.

I see Bullet Club winning the titles tomorrow which would give CHAOS a reason to look for rematches at these upcoming events.

Thank you for reading.

 

 

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