New Japan Pro Wrestling 9/9/2023 Road to Destruction 2023 Day 2

New Japan Pro Wrestling 9/9/2023 Road to Destruction 2023 Day 2

I skipped two matches here:

Master Wato, Shota Umino, Tomoaki Honma & Yuji Nagata vs. Strong Style (El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki & Ren Narita) & Yuto Nakashima

Despy = El Desperado

Everyone shoves and forearms each other to start. Wato and Despy trade forearms then Despy walks over his back and strolls when Wato drops down. Despy armdrags and shoulders him then Wato shoulders, armdrags and dropkicks him. Despy is thrown into the rails outside and Nagata and Suzuki battle outside. Wato hits back kicks on Despy then Despy is stomped in the corner.

Shota dropkicks Ren on the apron which fires him up. Shota then forearms him over the ref. Honma gets in and bulldogs Despy. Honma misses a falling headbutt then hits one with the help of Wato. Nagata running facekicks Despy then Despy dropkicks him in the knee. Suzuki gets in and hits forearms on Nagata, then running facekicks him. Suzuki is back body dropped then him and Nagata trade forearms. They slap each other and Nagata exploders him.

Ren and Shota trade shots then Ren spinning heel kicks him. Ren ducks a running forearm then underhook suplexes him. Ren jumping facekicks him on the ropes then exploders him. Yuto gets in hits forearms on Shota. Yuto hiptosses him then running forearms him. Shota taks running corner moves then Despy spinebusters him. Yuto has trouble picking up Shota for a powerslam then we get triple submissions.

Shota dropkicks Yuto then hits a nice running euro. Shota death rider ddt's him and wins it.

It was on the shorter end and we didn't get enough time to see that much of everyone. It was an entertaining 8-man though with the continued Ren/Shota issues and Nagata/Suzuki reviving their rivalry.

CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI) vs. TMDK (Bad Dude Tito, Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste)

Goto and Shane start us off. Goto armlocks him then Shane rolls, kips up and backflips out of a wristlock. Shane then snapmares him and dropkicks him in the back of the neck.  Goto and Yoshi double shoulder shane then Goto hiptosses Yoshi onto Shane. Tito is then suplexed onto Shane. Shane then takes the double clubs to the back.

Yoshi makes Shane fly back with a big chop. Yoshi is tripped into a baseball slide then has his chest banged off the apron. Tito hits chops and forearms on Yoshi then short arm lariats him. Yoshi takes a rolling senton + fist drop combo. Tito slingshot sentons Yoshi.

Tito suplexes Yoshi then camel clutches him. Tito hits crossfaces then Yoshi takes a double shoulderblock. Yoshi boots Mikey in the corner then Mikey forearms him in the back of the head. Yoshi dropkicks him in the knee then Yano takes off a turnbuckle pad. Yano throws it at Mikey then slaps him in the back of the head. Yano rolls him up.

Yano avoids a 3v1 and pulls down two opponents by the hair. Goto corner lariats TMDK then spinning heel kicks both. Goto takes a 3D variation and Tito chops Goto. Tito enzugiri's Goto then deadlift germans him for 2. Goto and Tito lariat each other then Goto. Tito takes a superkick from Yoshi after some other action happens then Tito takes a combo drop + elbow slice. Goto pins Tito.

It was just an average, pointless midcard tag. The finishing stretch wasn't that good here.

NJPW World Television Title Match - Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Satoshi Kojima

 

Zack and Koji shoulder each other and Zack headbutts him in the gut. Koji shoulders him over then sends him into the rails outside. Zack stomps Koji's arm into the ground outside then stomps it inside too. Zack fujiwara armbars him and Koji ropebreaks. Koji hits forearms then shoulders him over. Koji hits machine gun chops then Zack kicks him from the apron. Koji legsweeps him then ddt's him on the apron. Koji spinning forearms him and ddt's him. Koji cutters him. Zack tries to running lariat him but is clotheslined and drops. Koji brainbusters him for 2 then Zack sitout drivers him.

They trade forearms and Koji throws him. Koji hits a big lariat then another big lariat. Zack backdrops him. Koji no sells it then hits his own sitout driver for 2. Zack flying armbars him then sits on the shoulder and cranks back to win it.

I had no expectations for this one but it ended up being a lot of fun. Koji hit some big lariats here and Zack sold big for them. The crowd got into it and it seemed like Koji could actually win it.

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Title Match - Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii and Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Tiger Mask and Togi Makabe

Ishii and Tenzan start us off. They trade mongolian chops for regular chops then Tenzan is triple stomped in the corner. Tenzan hits mongolian chops on Okada then Tiger spin kicks Okada in the gut. Tiger 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him, legsweeps him and spin kicks him.

Okada flapjacks Tiger then Tana slams Tiger. Tana 2nd rope flipping sentons him for 2. Ishii and Tiger trade strikes then Okada slams Tiger. Okada knocks Togi off the apron then throws him into the rails. Tiger dragon screws Tana then Okada neckbreakers Tiger. Tiger top rope armdrags Okada.

Togi shoulders Tana over then corner lariats him. Togi hits mounted corner punches and takes a twist and shout. Ishii hits forearms chops on Togi. Togi running lariats him then Ishii suplexes him. Togi no sells it then powerslams him. Tenzan spinning heel kicks Ishii then suplexes him. Okada gets in and hits some offense, including a ddt on Tenzan.

Tenzan is barely lifted for a triple ddt then Ishii lariats Tenzan. Ishii enzugiri's Tenzan then lariats him for 2. Togi lariats Ishii then Tiger tilt-a-whirl backbreakers Okada. Tiger high kicks Ishii twice and tiger drivers him. Togi top rope kneedrops Ishii and Tenzan falling headbutts Ishii. Tiger topes Okada then Tenzan underhook high angle ddt's Ishii on his head for 2. Tenzan hits a side effect on Ishii and goes up top. Okada grabs him and hits a german.

Tana sling blades Tiger then Tenzan hits mongolian chops on Okada and Tana. Okada hits a landslide on Tenzan and Ishii sliding lariats him. Ishii brainbusters Tenzan and wins it.

The first half was kind of boring with nothing happening but the second half got good with Tenzan trying to do the unthinkable and get the upset win. With Tenzan being so fragile and limited, it worked in his favor here as he was super sympathetic and you wanted to see him win. This was fun.

Elimination Match - BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji vs Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, HENARE, Jeff Cobb & Will Ospreay

Will and Yota start us off. Will flips out of an armlock using the ropes then Yota chest slaps him. They hurricanrana each other and both cartwheel out. Yota does a nice armdrag. Shingo hits shots on Will and suplexes him. Hiromu double axe handles Will's arm then Yota picks him up and drops him on Will.

Will running facekicks Hiromu then Will's team knocks their opponents off the apron. Fale PK's Hiromu then Cobb slams Hiromu's back in the buckles. Hiromu is beat up for a bit and Khan sits on his neck on the buckles. Will chops Hiromu in the butt then Henare punches Hiromu in the butt. Hiromu is surreounded in a 5v1 and chest slaps everyone. They then stomps him together and try to 5-man gorilla press him out.

Henare sentons Hiromu then Naito dropkicks Cobb in the knee. Naito's combinacion cabron is blocked then Naito neckbreakers him. Cobb misses a standing moonsault then takes a baseball slide. Cobb yanks him into a bearhug belly to belly then Newman running hurricanrana's Shingo. Newman springboard lariats Shingo for 2 then Shingo ddt's Cobb. Newman spinning enzugiri's Shingo then hook kicks him. Shingo lariats him over and eliminates him by pining him.

Khan tries pin attempts on Shingo. Khan lets Shingo hit forearms on him then Khan mongolian chops him. Shingo mongolian chops him and backdrops him. Khan pump kicks him then hits a stright punch. Khan seats Shingo up top and punches him then they both get on the apron. Khan stupidly brain claw slams him on the apron and both are eliminted due to over the top elimination rules.

Bushi and Henare go at it. Bushi is nearly knocked off the apron then he rewind kicks him. Henare hits him in the gut, misses a stop up knee and is thrown out by Bush for the elimination. Will hidden blades Bushi, eliminating him. Yota and Will trade forearms. Will hits Kawada kicks then Yota backbreakers him into a curbstomp.

Yota misses a splash and crotches Will up top. Yota superkicks him and Will kiks his head into the buckles. Will sitout powerbombs him for 2. Will goes onto the 2nd rope and is pushed over then hangs. WIll headscissors him abd both hang while chopping each other. Will hook kicks him then his os cutter on the apron is blocked. Yota headbutts him then stupidly curb stomps him, with both going down to the floor. Both Will and Yota are eliminated.

Cobb takes a 2v1 and is shotgun dropkicked into the buckles. Naito is suplexed off a tornado ddt attempt. Hiromu goes for a hurricanrana on Cobb but is powerbombed out (onto people for safety) and eliminated. Naito step up enzugiri's him and tries to send him out. They fight on the apron and Cobb superkicks him. Cobb dropkicks Naito off the apron for the elimination and the match victory.

I thought there was a little too much time spent on apron shenanigans and not enough wrestling. I didn't like the two self-eliminations either.

Overall thoughts: The main had issues and wasn't as good as it could have been. The Koji/Zack match didn't look like much ended up being good and the trios tag title match was a lot of fun. Not a must see show, but those two matches I liked made it worth sitting through.