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6/21/22 Results from New Japan Road, a Star Returns from Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan:
It is another full show in Korakuen. Everyone is wearing mask but I do not see empty seats.
El Desperado is on Japanese commentary.
Yuto Nakashima vs. DOUKI
DOUKI applies the Italian Stretch #32 and Nakashima submits.
Ryohei Oiwa vs. Taichi
Taichi throws Oiwa with a sumo style throw then hits a wicked jumping high kick to his face. Brutal.
Taichi pins Oiwa.
YOH, Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto vs. Dick Togo, SHO, Yujiro Takahashi and EVIL
Between House of Torture and Yano, this match was full of shenanigans. Yano pulled out his dog cage and locked Togo inside.
YOH traps SHO in a leg bar submission. Togo comes in with his choke wire. Yano and the referee try to stop Togo. SHO is tapping out. Yujiro hits YOH with his pimp stick. SHO grabs his wrench and hits YOH in the face.
SHO pins YOH.
After the match, EVIL lays out Goto and YOSHI-HASHI with their Bo Staffs. House of Torture pose in the ring with their belts.
YOH, Goto and YOSHI-HASHI are chasing House of Torture for the NEVER Openweight 6-man Championship. With the G1 Climax beginning in July, I am unsure when this title match will occur. This match could occur on the undercard of one of the Budokan events, however if that match is announced ahead of time, it would be a spoiler of who will be in the G1 Climax Finals.
Jado, Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Aaron Henare, Francesco Akira and TJP
Henare traps Jado in a Full Nelson with a body scissors. Jado submits.
Smart to give Henare the win. At one point, Henare was fighting all three opponents at once and he still gets the submission victory. Henare looks strong going into the C Block of the G1 Climax.
One observation: Wato and Taguchi went for a double drop kick to TJP who was on his knees. Wato completely missed his target. Akira and TJP immediately followed with a double drop kick on Wato. Both hit their mark. I do not want to bash Wato, but his miss was clear on camera. Those small things should be improved, especially in New Japan where everyone works snug and stiff.
Kosei Fujita, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe and Kazuchika Okada vs. BUSHI, SANADA, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito
Los Ingobernales de Japon were teasing Fujita during the introduction. Takagi was doing it the most. The bell rings and Fujita hits a running drop kick on Takagi. The rest of LIJ is thrown to the floor. Okada, Makabe, Tenzan and Fujita work over Takagi until the referee gets everyone else out of the ring but Takagi and Fujita. Takagi quickly takes control and beats down Fujita. LIJ tag in and out beating down Fujita.
BUSHI puts a Boston Crab on Fujita and he taps out.
LIJ continue to beat down Fujita after the match.
They announce the matches for the G1 Climax starting July 16:
A Block - Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
B Block - SANADA vs. Jay White
C Block - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Aaron Henare
D Block - Will Ospreay vs. El Phantasmo
July 17:
A Block - Toru Yano vs. Jonah
B Block - Tomohiro Ishii vs. Taichi
C Block - Zack Sabre Jr. vs. KENTA
D Block - Shingo Takagi vs. Juice Robinson
The rest of the matches can be found on www.njpw1972.com.
AEW All Atlantic Championship Qualifier: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Clark Conners
Stiff match. Both men’s chests were red within the first 5 minutes. Ishii was still selling his knee from his match yesterday with Kanemaru. They both exchanged power moves. Ishii hit a lariat and a brainbuster.
Ishii pins Conners.
Tomohiro Ishii moves on to the Forbidden Door on June 26 to compete in a four way match to determine the Inaugural AEW All Atlantic Champion. Already in the match is Pac, Miro, Tomohiro Ishii and the final spot to be determined in a match between Penta Oscuro and Malakai Black on June 22.
This was a good match. Clark Conners trained in New Japan Strong. Ishii spent time and had matches in New Japan Strong. So their pairing made sense and made for a great match. Conners had two good matches with Honma and Ishii. He was in the BOSJ 29, but he belongs in the Heavyweight Division. Next year, he should be in the G1 Climax.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Taiji Ishimori
They are playing cat and mouse at the start, chasing each other in and out of the ring. Ishimori gets the advantage after hitting an arm breaker on the floor. Ishimori wraps Hiromu’s left arm around the ring post and hits him with a chair. Ishimori methodically goes to work on his left arm. Ishimori uses a double wrist lock submission. Hiromu tries to reverse out but Ishimori applies a triangle choke. Hiromu gets to the ropes. Hiromu takes Ishimori to the floor and hits a running drop kick from the ring apron. Back in the ring, Hiromu hits a Falcon Arrow. Two count. Ishimori plants Hiromu with a sliding German suplex. Ishimori with a Codebreaker on Hiromu’s left arm. Two count. Hiromu throws Ishimori to the apron. Hiromu goes for a Sunset Bomb. Ishimori blocks it and somersaults off the apron and lands on his feet. Ishimori picks up Hiromu in tilt-a-whirl position and rams him arm first into the ring post.
Hiromu struggles to get to his feet. Ishimori hits a moonsault to the floor. Ishimori throws Hiromu back in the ring. They exchange reversals. Ishimori hits a Destroyer. Hiromu with a release belly to belly suplex into the turnbuckle. They trade elbows. Hiromu goes for D (triangle choke), but Ishimori reverses into a cradle. Two count. Hiromu with a Victory Royal. Two count. More reversals. Hiromu with a DVD into the turnbuckle. Ishimori reverses out of Time Bomb and throws Hiromu into the ring post. His left arm hitting the post. Ishimori with a shoulder breaker. Ishimori hits La Mistica and goes for a Bone Lock. Hiromu goes for the ropes and rolls up Ishimori in cradle pin. Two count. Ishimori with another La Mistica and applies the Yes Lock. Hiromu gets to the ropes.
They both roll to the ring apron. Ishimori hits a knee strike. Ishimori picks up Hiromu and hits a piledriver on the ring apron. OMG. There was a loud gasp from the crowd. Ishimori with a Cipher UTAKI. Hiromu kicks out at two. Ishimori goes for a Bloody Cross, but Hiromu reverses him into D (triangle choke). Ishimori is able to kick his way out. Hiromu hits a lariat, a DVD into an exposed turnbuckle and Time Bomb. Ishimori kicks out. Wow!
Hiromu goes for Time Bomb II but Ishimori reverses out and applies the Bone Lock. Hiromu goes for the ropes. Ishimori pulls him back to the middle. He goes for a Bloody Cross but Hiromu reverses into a Stunner. The exchange lariats. Hiromu with a super kick and two Stunners. Hiromu goes for a Time Bomb II off the ropes but Ishimori fights out of it. On the top, Ishimori grabs Hiromu in a Dragon Sleeper. He picks him up into a suplex position and drops him on the mat. Ishimori goes for the pin. Two count. Ishimori picks up Hiromu and finally hits a Bloody Cross.
Ishimori pins Hiromu.
Taiji Ishimori retains the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship.
Wow! Great match. The piledriver spot on the apron was insane. Both men know how to tell a story in the ring. I hope both men get all the rest they need after this long tournament.
After the match, Ishimori says he has beaten everyone and started trash talking Desperado at ringside. Music plays.
KUSHIDA is back in New Japan! Big pop from the crowd. He comes to the ring to confront Ishimori. He says he signed a contract that will finish his career in New Japan. Ishimori tells him he will have to prove himself before he gets a title shot.
In the interview area, KUSHIDA said he still lives in Florida but will be moving to Los Angeles (closer to the LA Dojo) to make travel to Japan easier.
Before KUSHIDA left New Japan in 2019, he lost the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title to Taiji Ishimori at Wrestle Kingdom 13. This will continue their storyline during the coming months.
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