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9/24 NJPW DESTRUCTION IN KOBE, JAPAN REPORT

9/24/23 Results from New Japan’s DESTRUCTION in Kobe From Kobe World Hall, Hyogo, Kobe Japan:

1 - Tiger Mask and Kevin Knight vs. Clark Conners and Drilla Moloney

KUSHIDA is not in the country yet so Tiger Mask steps in.

Moloney picks up Tiger Mask for a Suplex.  Conners hits a spear from the top rope.

Moloney pins Tiger Mask

Bullet Club War Dogs attack Knight after the match.  Knight and KUSHIDA will face Conners and Drilla in a week or so for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.

2 - Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi and EVIL vs. TAKA Michinoku, DOUKI and SANADA 

TAKA hits a Michinoku Driver on Dick Togo.

TAKA pins Togo.

I popped big for the Michinoku Driver.  

3 - Jado, El Phantasmo, Hikuleo, Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga vs. Gedo, KENTA, Gabe Kidd, Alex Coughlin and David Finlay

Wild match.  

Tama hits a Gun Stun on Gedo and gets a pin.

Bullet Club War Dogs try to attack the baby faces after the match but they run away instead.

4 - YOH and Lio Rush vs. BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi 

Rush pins BUSHI after the Final Hour.

Rush and Hiromu have words after the match.   Rush, Hiromu and Mike Bailey will meet on October 9 for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship.

5 - Bad Dude Tito and Zack Sabre Jr vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Kazuchika Okada 

Good match.  Tito got a lot of offense on both Ishii and Okada.    Really good exchange between Ishii and ZSJ.

ZSJ pins Ishii with a cradle and a bridge.

TMDK tease Okada and Ishii about coming after the NEVER Openweight 6 man Championship.

6 - KOPW 2023 Provisional Championship:   SHO vs. Taichi

Just 5 Guys and House of Torture will be handcuffed together to prevent interfering.  

Still tons of shenanigans from House of Torture even with handcuffs on.  

Taichi almost killed SHO with a Dangerous Backdrop.   And kicked his head off with a Yamagiri.  Yujiro throws the Pimp stick in the ring.  Referee is distracted.  SHO pushes Taichi into referee.  Togo throws powder in Taichi’s face.   SHO hits a low blow.   SHO goes for his wrench.   Yoshinobu Kanemaru hits the ring and takes away wrench.    Kanemaru took a swig of whiskey and goes to spray SHO.  

Kanemaru sprays Taichi instead and hits him with the whiskey bottle.  Crowd is PISSED about this.   Kanemaru reveals a House of Torture shirt.   Kanemaru hits a brainbuster on Taichi.  Referee is back in the ring.  SHO hits a Shock Arrow on Taichi.

SHO pins Taichi

SHO wins the KOPW 2023 Provisional Championship.

This was a good angle.   This gives EVIL more momentum when he challenges SANADA for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.   Also, this gives SHO a partner in Kanemaru for Jr. World Tag League.    Now Just 5 Guys are back to Just 4 Guys.

I would expect this feud between Taichi and SHO to continue into December.   A new KOPW champion will be crowned at Wrestle Kingdom in January.   

5.  IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship:   Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls vs. Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI

ZSJ and Tito comes to the ring with their faction partners.  

Good match.

YOSHI-HASHI hits a Crucifix Bomb and pins Nicholls.

Bishomon retain the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships.

6.  Great O-Khan vs. Shingo Takagi 

Takagi pins O-Khan after hitting Last of the Dragon.

7.  Tetsuya Naito vs. Jeff Cobb 

As a last minute decision, the main event at Wrestle Kingdom is now on the line.

Naito hits two Destinos and pins Cobb.

8.  IWGP U.K. Heavyweight Championship:  Yota Tsuji vs. Will Ospreay 

Great match.  Tsuji kept pace with Ospreay throughout the match.  Very impressive.    Tsuji reverses out of the Stormbreaker and hits a Stunner.   Tsuji hits a big spear.  Ospreay gets his foot on the ropes at the two count.  Damn the crowd thought he won.  Tsuji hits a double stomp on Ospreay’s head.  Then hits Ospreay with Stormbreaker.   Two count.  

Tsuji goes for a spear but Ospreay hits a Hidden Blade.  Ospreay with a spear and Storm Driver.  Two count.  Ospreay hits another wicked Hidden Blade and a Stormbreaker.

Ospreay pins Tsuji.

Will Ospreay retains the IWGP U.K. Heavyweight Championship.

Tsuji was awesome tonight.    He was made tonight by Ospreay.  Tsuji was able to hang with the Aerial Assassin.  There were some small issues like they took a long time to set up a top rope Spanish Fly but overall it was a great match.   Tsuji was only a young lion about two years ago, but now he is performing with one of the top wrestlers in the world.

Ospreay praised Tsuji after the match.   Zack Sabre Jr. came to the ring and challenges Ospreay for IWGP U.K. Championship at Royal Quest III at the Copper Box Arena in England on October 14.   Ospreay accepted.  

On New Japan World, the Road to DESTRUCTION Tour continues on September 30, October 1, 7 and 9.  On October 9, SANADA will face EVIL for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Super Junior Tag League begins October 21.

Thank you for reading.

 

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