New Japan Pro Wrestling 6/10/2023 New Japan Road 2023 Day 1

New Japan Pro Wrestling 6/10/2023 New Japan Road 2023 Day 1

Kosei Fujita vs. Yuto Nakashima

They go to the mat and Yuto hits a hard chest shot. They trade forearms and shoulder battle, which Yuto wins. Yuto bangs his knee off the mat then legbars him. Yuto hits a nice back body drops for 2 then single leg crabs him. Yuto turns it into a full crab and Kosei ropebreaks.

Kosei hits a nice dropkick then forearm flurries him in the corner. Kosei back elbows and slams him. Yuto shoulders him over  and hits a hard chest slap. Kosei does a nice german and wins it.

It was a short 6-7 minute young lions match. It really wasn't bad atll with Yuto hitting some nice strikes and them just doing the basics.

Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) vs. Oleg Boltin & Oskar Leube

Oskar wants Togi and Togi isn't impressed. The two trade forearms, Oskar yells at him and more forearms are traded. Oskar shoulders him over then both tag out. Oleg shoves over Honma then lifts him up and slams him down. Oleg deadlifts him  then is headscissored on the mat.

Honma forearms Oleg in the corner then Oleg does a nice double leg takedown slam. Oskar gets in and hits shoulderblocks and a nice slam. Honma running back elbows him then bulldogs him. Honma misses a falling headbutt. Oleg hits a nice belly to belly on Togi then does a nasty german on Honma's head. I have a feeling Honma didn't like that very much.

Honma takes shots from both opponents then he takes a double shoulder. Oskar legdrops Honma for 2. Honma headbutts and lariats Oskar then falling headbutts him for 2. Honma jumping headbutts Oskar then 2nd rope headbutts him for the win.

Oleg and Oskar looked good as usual and it was a fine vets vs youngsters match. Oleg's german on Honma was nasty.

Hirooki Goto & Ryohei Oiwa vs. BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd)

Kidd and Alex jump Goto and Oiwa on their entrance. Kidd holds up Goto's belt and takes him into the crowd. Kidd facekicks Goto ans Oiwa hits chops and forearms on Alex, who isn't affected. Oiwa and Alex shoulder battle and Alex wins that one. Kidd throws a chair at Goto's head. Alex deadlifts Oiwa into a slam.

Oiwa is thrown into the rails outside then Goto is whipped into the wall. Kidd forearms Oiwa then holds him for Alex's chops. Alex hits mounted forearms and they trade forearms. Oiwa hits a nice dropkick then Goto comes in and hits a shoulder.

Goto spinning heel kicks Kidd then backdrops Alex for 2. Alex and Goto trade forearms then Kidd footslaps Goto. Goto hits a big lariat on Kidd then Oiwa forearm flurries Kidd. Oiwa hits a stiff conrer dropkick on Kidd then shoulders him over. Kidd takes corner lariats then a double hiptoss. Oiwa hits karelin's lift on Kidd then boston crabs him. Oiwa takes a double fisherman's buster then a stiff piledriver.

It went a little longer than it needed to but I liked it. The heels looked good here and were allowed to get a lot of offense in.

The heels beat up on Goto after and Yoshi Hashi comes to make the save. He gets beaten up then is jackhammered by Alex. Kidd gets on the mic after and said they want both of their belts. He said they want two title matches though, not one, because they want to beat them up twice.

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii), Hiroshi Tanahashi & Master Wato vs. Strong Style (El Desperado & Ren Narita), Shota Umino & Tiger Mask 

Ren throws Umino out and stares down with Okada. Ren clubs on Okada then is slapped and knee'd. Okada facekicks him then Ren single underhook suplexes him. Wato and Despy go at it and Despy slams him. Wato hits a leg lariat then slams him. Despy backdrops him and Okada's team is knocked off the apron.

Tiger backdrops Wato then tana hits shots on Despy. Despy spinebusters him. Umino armdrags and dropkicks Wato then running euros Ishii. Umino fisherman suplexes Tana then Okada pulls him out. Umino whips Okada into the rails then Tana dragon screws Umino through the ropes. Ishii shoulders over various opponents then Ishii and Umino trade forearms.

Umino hits a dangerous looking exploder on Ishii then Tiger crucifixes Ishii for 2. Ren exploders Okada then Despy spears Ishii. Tiger high kicks Ishii in the shoulder then tiger drivers him for 2. Okada neckbreakers Tiger over the knee then Ishii sliding d's him. Wato tope con hilo's Despy outside then Ishii brainbusters Tiger for the win.

It was not that long and felt rushed for everyone they had in there. People got their move or two in and got right out. We barely saw any of Okada and Tana.

Ten Man Tag Team Elimination Match - Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji) vs. Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

Yota snapmares Sanada then headlocks him. Yota shoulders him over then Sanada armdrags him out of a hiptoss. Yota tries to throw Sanada and everyone comes in to help save or eliminate him. Everyone kind of stares down and talks, then we re-group. YK dropkicks Hiromu then slams him. Douki running back elbows and neckbreakers Hiromu for 2.

Taichi does a stiff sidekick on Hiromu then Taka step up knees Hiromu in the corner. Taka eye pokes Hiromu then escapes a headscissors, putting on a crossface. Hiromu dragon screws him then Yota hits chest slaps on Taka. Yota splashes him and shoulders him over. Yota then hits a double lariat and superkicks Taichi.

Yota headscissors Sanada then falcon arrows Taka to pin and eliminate him. Douki rolls up Yota then takes a boot to the face. Douki takes a double shoulder then Shingo backdrops Douki. Naito and Douki botch Naito's slingshot swinging dropkick combo then Bushi neckbreakers Douki for 2.

Douki and Bushi trade step up enzugiri's then Bushi flying headbutts Douki. Sanada dropkicks Shingo's knee then dropkicks him. Sanada backflips over Shingo then takes punches and a lariat. Sanada dragon sleepers Shingo but Shingo gets out and lariats him. Sanada pulls him over the top and ends up on the apron with him.

YK accidentally nails Sanada while he's on the apron then Hiromu is dropkicked into Sanada and Shingo, eliminating both. Taichi hits kawada kicks on Hiromu. Bushi gets put on the apron and Bushi pulls Taichi on there with him. Taichi pushes Bushi off to eliminate him. Naito then brings Taichi's throat down over the top and eliminates him. Naito atomic drops and step up enzugiri's YK. YK pulls down the top rope and puts Naito on the apron. YK then dropkicks Naito off the apron. 

Hiromu puts YK on the apron then ends up joining him there. They kick each other at the same time, catching each other's feet. YK ends up being pushed off by Hiromu and eliminated. Douki dropkicks Hiromu off but Yota catches him. Yota puts him on the apron and Bushi dropkicks Hiromu off to eliminate him. Douki topes Yota. Douki slingshots on him but is caught.

Yota forearms Douki then Douki slingshot ddt's him for 2. Douki is popped up and low blowed then Yota curb stomps him. Yota hits a big spear on Douki and pins him to eliminate him. Yota's team wins the match.

These are rarely ever awful and usually make for decent matches. This was no exception. It wasn't great but Yota's section near the end was good and it was a decent main.

Overall thoughts: Of what I saw, it was a good show. Everything I saw was fine except for the semi-main.