Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Welcome to the New Japan Pro Wrestling on AXS TV report!
It is New Japan Road from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
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.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
