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6/18 NJPW ROAD RESULTS FROM TOKYO, JAPAN

6/18/22 Results from New Japan Road From Esforta Arena Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan:

Kosei Fujita vs. TAKA Michinoku

TAKA spent a lot of time working on Fujita’s neck with submissions.  Fujita fights back.  TAKA locks in Just Facelock.

Fujita taps out.

Yuto Nakashima and Clark Conners vs. Tiger Mask and Tomoaki Honma

Honma hits a Flying Kokeshi on Nakashima and follows with another Kokeshi off the ropes.

Honma pins Nakashima.

Conners and Honma have a stare down after the match.  

Clark Conners and Tomoaki Honma will face each other in the 1st Round Qualifier Match of the Tournament for the AEW All Atlantic Championship on June 20 at Korakuen Hall.

Minoru Suzuki and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Ryohei Oiwa

Suzuki traps Oiwa in a single leg Boston Crab with an ankle twist.   

Oiwa taps out.

Kanemaru attacks Ishii and puts him in a figure four leg lock.  Ishii was selling the leg going back to the locker room.

Tomohiro Ishii and Yoshinobu Kanemaru will face each other in the 1st Round Qualifier Match of the Tournament for the AEW All Atlantic Championship on June 20 at Korakuen Hall.

Quick observation:   The young lions, Fujita, Oiwa and Nakashima, look much improved, despite their losses tonight.  They have more muscle and fighting stiffer than they have in the past.

YOH, Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI vs. Dick Togo, Gedo, Yujiro Takahashi and EVIL

Wild match.  With the House of Torture’s shenanigans and Yano’s comedy spots, it was entertaining.   Gedo tries to hit YOH in the face with his brass knuckles.  YOH super kicks him in the face.

YOH pins Gedo.

CHAOS members tease EVIL about wanting a shot at the NEVER Openweight 6 man Tag Team Championship.

TJP, Francesco Akira and Aaron Henare vs. Jado, Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi

Henare traps Jado in a Full Nelson.  

Jado submits.   

United Empire continues to look strong.   Akira continues to embrace his inner heel and bad mouths Taguchi and Wato as they leave the ring.

TJP and Francesco Akira will challenge Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on June 20 at Korakuen Hall.

Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe and Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi and SANADA

Takagi hits Last of the Dragon on Makabe.

Takagi pins Makabe.

This was a preview of the competitors in the G1 Climax Tournament which begins on July 16.

Hiromu Takahashi and BUSHI vs. Taiji Ishimori and SHO

Hiromu comes to the ring and brings manju (a Japanese pastry dessert) for the ringside announcers, which they all ate on camera.  

BUSHI is wearing a mask with rainbow colors for Pride Month.

SHO takes the house mic and calls the Hachioji a “toilet”.   BUSHI and Hiromu goes to the floor to attack Bullet Club and they brawl on the floor.  SHO and Ishimori beat down LIJ.   All four men bumped all over the ring.  Hiromu with a spinning Flatliner on SHO.  Two count.   Hiromu with a DVD on SHO into the turnbuckle.  Referee takes a bump.   SHO goes for his wrench.   Hiromu ducks and hits a German suplex on SHO.  Ishimori comes in the ring and eats a double super kick.   BUSHI hits a tope suicida on Ishimori on the floor.   Hiromu with a Pumping Bomber on SHO.  Two count.   Hiromu hits a Time Bomb on SHO.

Hiromu pins SHO.

Good match.  Awesome heel work by Bullet Club.  They were trying build the heat.

Hiromu Takahashi will challenge Taiji Ishimori for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship on June 21.

After the match, Los Ingobernales de Japon came to ringside to support Hiromu and BUSHI.   Hiromu lifted his fist in the air for the LIJ salute.   Naito, Takagi and SANADA rib Hiromu and leave him hanging by himself in the ring.  Funny.

Predictions:   

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship:   United Empire looks strong.  Taguchi and Wato have held the belts since Wrestle Kingdom.  TJP and Akira have beaten the tag champs several times since BOSJ 29 began and on undercard matches.   While they are a fairly new team, TJP and Akira have gelled well and deserve a run with the belts.

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship:  Ishiimori won the belt at Dontaku on May 1.  It seems early for him to drop the belt and it has been the Bullet Club dominating the New Japan scene since Dontaku.  However, with Okada losing the World Title to Jay White, New Japan needs a babyface to be at the forefront of the company.   Okada will start his quest at the G1 and build his way back to the top.  Hiromu is here now.   I see Hiromu winning the Jr. Heavyweight Title and continuing to be the face of the company for the rest of the summer.

Regarding the AEW All Atlantic Championship, there is one more qualifier match for June 21, but it has not been announced.  While it is cool that New Japan talent are being used in the tournament , I do not see any of them winning the belt.

Thanks for reading.

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