New Japan Pro Wrestling 1/24/2024 Road to The New Beginning 2024 Day 3

New Japan Pro Wrestling 1/24/2024 Road to The New Beginning 2024 Day 3

Here’s what I saw:

Oleg Boltin & Shoma Kato vs. Katsuya Murashima & Toru Yano

Yano gets beaten up before this starts. Yano takes a double shoulder. KM and Kato get in. KM side headlocks him then does a nasty headlock throw on him. KM running forearms Kato and slams him. Yano hip throws Kato and takes a turnbuckle pad off. Kato goes into the exposed buckle.

Yano eye rakes Kato then Kato dropkicks him. Oleg shoulders Yano over then slams him. Oleg splashes Yano for 2. Yano grabs the ref to avoid a suplex then Yano atomic dropkicks him.

KM hits forearms on Oleg. Oleg then throws him around and Karelin's lifts him. Kato dropkicks Yano and KM droopkicks Oleg. Oleg slams KM then rolling death valley drivers him to win it.

It was a short but decent opener. KM had a nice dropkick here and the finisher was a new move from Oleg.

Tiger Mask vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Tiger kicks him in the arm then spin kicks him in the gut. Tiger elbows him in the back of the neck then Zack does a nice arm takedown. Tiger headscissors him. Zack bridges out and indian deathlocks him. Zack kimura's the arm and grabs the leg. Tiger ropebreaks.

Tiger hits kicks to the leg then Zack pulls both arms back. Tiger flips and kicks him with both feet. Zack hits running euros then takes a backslide for 2. Zack PK's him then goes for an armbar.

Tiger rolls him up then legbars him off of it. Tiger hits kicks to the leg then takes palm shots. Tiger slaps him down and Zakc pulls both arms back for the submission win.

It was a short but decent technical match with the two doing a lot of counters and reversals on the mat. They actually matched up well and I'd be up for a rematch.

United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan, HENARE & TJP) vs. BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Alex Coughlin, Clark Connors, David Finlay, Drilla Moloney & Gabe Kidd)

The match starts outside as expected with everyone brawling. TJP jumps out of a double lariat, Akira gets caught on a crossbody and TJP dropkicks them over. Henare PK's Kidd and they trade shots. Heanre misses a 2nd rope kick and takes a pump kick. Kidd rebound lariats him. Kidd bites Khan then Khan bites his ear. Khan shoulder throws Kidd then Alex armdrags Khan off the shoulder throw.

Alex fallaway slams Khan then takes double superkicks. DF spinning forearms TJP then throws him over the top. Newman flying dropkicks TJP. Drilla dropkicks Newman and superkicks Akira. Drilla takes kicks then Clark pounces Akira. Akira takes a powerbomb into a neckbreaker. TJP superkicks Drilla then Clark takes a 3D variation. TJP tornado ddt's Drilla then TJP plancha's Drilla.

Akira rolls Clark into a double stomp then hits a wild flipping neckbreaker for 2. Clark powerslams Akira then Akira superkicks him. Akira rolls him up for 2 then Clark spears him. Clark hits an elevated lifting ddt and wins it.

The fight continues on after and United Empire backs off Bullet Club eventually. Newman spinning forearms DF and sends him over the top. DF hits Newman with the shillelagh and powerbombs him.  Finlay tells them they are dead after. Drilla pretends to pee on a United Empire towel while Clark humps it.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji) vs. Just 5 Guys (Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura)

 

J5G attacks before the bell. Yota is sent into the rails by Yuya. Taichi hits Kawada kicks on Shingo and Shingo bangs his own head off the buckles in response. Taichi corner lariats him and Shingo shoulders him over. Taichi face kicks him.

Yuya armdrags Shingo, misses a dropkick and is senton'd. Yota forearms Yuya in the gut. Yuya criss crosses and hits a hiptoss and slam. Yuya armdrags him. Taka corner stomps Yota then bangs his arm off his shoulder. Taichi kicks Yota in the back. Yota hits forearms on Yuya then is backdropped.

Yuya back elbows Yota then Yota tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him. Bushi and Taka get in. Bushi hits forearms and they mess up some spot. Bushi knee dropkicks him then hits a bulldog + dropkick combo. Bushi topes Taka outside.

Bushi takes offense from all 3 opponents then Taka puts him in just facelock. Bushi codebreakers Taka then Shingo sliding lariats Taka. Shingo lariats Taichi on the ropes and they lariat each other at the same time. Shingo dragon screws him. Taka eye pokes him and rolls him up for 2. Taka knees him in the head. Shingo hits a stiff lariat for on Taka then powerbombs him for the win.

It was an average tag. Just not enough time for the amount of people involved. Shingo's lariat was nice and Bushi/Taka messed up some spot here. It would have been nice to see Yota and Yuya go at it more. during the match.

Yota hits Yuya after then sends him into the rails.  Yota throws Yuya into the entrance way then Yuya jumps the rails to attack him.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito) vs. Just 5 Guys (DOUKI & SANADA)

Sanada and Naito go at it. They try pin attmpts on each other. HT and Douki go at it. Douki flips out of a headscissors. HT back elbows him and corner lariats him. HT then basement dropkicks him. Naito double axe handles Douki's arm then HT does the same to Douki. Douki tries to fight off a 2v1 but is double clotheslined.

Douki handspring back elbows HT. Sanada and Naito go at it. Sanada dropkicks him then plancha's him outside. Naito armdrags Sanada then baseball slides him. Sanada dropkicks Naito. HT takes corner moves and a a kick + enugiri combo. Douki swings HT into a northern lights suplex.

HT blocks daybreak from Douki. HT then lifts Naito into a tornado ddt on Douki. HT hits a time bomb on Douki for 2. HT running lariats Douki then Douki seatbelts him and pins him.

It was a short, waste of time tag. They had 9 whole minutes here to work with and did what they could, but this could have gone triple that.

Hiromu throws a tantrum after and walks off.

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Title Match - CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii) & Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste)

This is Okada's last Korauken Hall match for the time being. Okada and Kosei go at it. Kosei forearms, clubs and chops him. Okada throws Kosei out then slams him on the floor. Kosei tries to hit froearms to Ishii on the apron but Ishii no sells them then forearms him over. Tana slams Kosei then 2nd rope flipping sentons him. Ishii chops Kosei in the corner. Kosei hits forearms then Ishii crabs him. Kosei ropebreaks.

Okada snapmares Kosei then baseball slides him. Kosei chops Tana and tries a spinning heel kick but it ends up being a spinning hip shot. Kosei dragon screws Tana. Shane dropkicks Tana then flying cannonballs him and Okada in the corner. Tana euros Shane then hits a twist and shout.

Shane boots Ishii then Ishii backdrops Shane. Shane euros Ishii and Ishii forearms him. Mikey pops up Shane into a suplex on Ishii, powerbombing his own partner to do this. Mikey corner lariats Ishii then death valley drivers him. Mikey sliding lariats Ishii. Okada gets in and double ddt's Mikey and Shane. Okada hits a high flapjack on Kosei. Mikey takes a double dropkick to the knee, takes shots from all 3 opponents then takes a triple ddt.

Ishii runnng lariats Mikey for 2. Ishii headbutts him then Kosei enzugiri's him. Kosei dropkicks Okada then hurricanrana's Tana. Kosei tope con hilos Tana then Ishii takes a tank buster. Okada misses a dropkick on Shane and takes a PK. Ishii takes a double team lifted ddt from TMDK for 2. Tana dragon screws Shane then is lariated by Mikey. Ishii and Tana then hit dragon screws at the same time at 15 minutes.

Kosei hits a big chop on Okada then hits forearms. Okada forearms him and Kosei is out as he runs. Okada double axe handles him and smiles. Kosei springboard dropkicks him for 2. Kosei slaps him and foot slaps him. Okada hits a big forearm then pounds on him. Kosei trips him, ties up the legs and pulls on his chin. Tana breaks it up and is thrown out by Kosei.

Okada money clips Kosei then takes a reverse 3D. Kosei deadlift germans Okada for 2. Okada germans Kosei then dropkicks him. Okada is rolled up off a rainmaker attempt at 20 minutes. Kosei takes a sling blade from Tana and a sliding lariat from Ishii then Okada dropkicks him. Okada slams him, top rope elbow drops him then rainmakers him. Okada then gets the win.

It was a fun tag as expected. It got enough time and we got a lot of action between Kosei and Okada in Okada's final Korauken Hall match. I would have liked to have seen Kosei get a bit more in here and maybe a few more special spots would have been nice. I liked it but I thought it had room to be better. I would have also liked to have maybe seen a more special match for Okada's final Korauken appearance, but it was a last minute thing and maybe that wasn't possible.

Okada gives a speech after and cries.

Shota Umino vs Ren Narita

 

Shota dropkicks him before intros are done and throws him into all of the rails outside. Shota slams him on his chest and basement dropkicks him. Shota pounds on him then stf's him. Ren flying face kicks him off the apron into the rails. Shota is then sent into the rails. Ren face kicks him over the rails and sends him into the post. Ren chokes him with a push up bar then Shota is backdropped on the apron.

They go into the crowd and Shota is sent into the rail. Shota's had is banged off a sign. Ren underhook suplexes him in the ring for 2 then chinlocks him. Shota hits a running forearm at 10 minutes then fisherman suplexes him. Shota dropkicks him then hits downward elbows and clubs on him.

Ren knees him in the gut then flying face kicks him. Ren rakes Shota's face across the top rope then catapults his neck into the bottom rope. Ren hits foot slaps then normal slaps. Ren forearm and boot flurries him. Ren slaps him then Shota superkicks Ren's head into the buckles. Shota hits boots to the face then back boots when the ref grabs him. Shota slingshot ddt's him over the middle rope. Shota shotgun dropkicks him over the rails. 

They go up into the seats and Ren's head is banged off a chair. Shota then sliding dropkicks him off the chair. Shota brings a table up into the stands and hits Ren with it. A table is put on the stairway entrance. Ren is powerbombed through it then rolls down the steps. This was one of those spots that probably hurt worse than it looked. They tease going to the Korauken Hall entrance but sadly don't. They then head back to ringside.

Shota does a springboard dropkick on Ren then hits a cross rhodes into a lifting reverse ddt. Shota hits a mcgillicutter then is belly to belly suplexed onto a table outside. Ren jumping knee presses him then top rope single knee presses him. Ren low blows and germans Shota. Ren exploders him with a bridge for 2. Ren northern lights suplexes him then Shota hits a jumping ddt.

Shota running knees him. Shota then tornado ddt's him and rolls him into a lifted double underhook ddt. House of Torture finally come down and cause a distraction. The ref goes down then Shota takes a group beatdown. Togo chops Shota in the crotch off the 2nd rope. The lights then go out. Tama Tonga shows up and beats up HoT. Evil low blows Tama then El Desperado helps out Tama.

Ren takes half-nelson suplexes from Shota. Ren then hits a nasty belly to belly suplex with a bridge on Shota. Ren chinlocks Shota then Shota pop-up euros him. Shota ripcord spinning forearms him then hits a spinning death rider for 2.

Shota euros Ren in the back of the neck then double underhook ddt's him to win it.

It went 33:00 and was a long and slow match. You could tell it was going long by the general lack of hustle to try to end it. It was okay and they tried to put on an epic, but I didn't think it was great. I really didn't get House of Torture waiting nearly 25 minutes to interfere here. They really did try to make this special with table bumps and some different moves than usual. They did do a good job here of pushing how much they hate each other as well. I felt like this match was some kind of response to Okada leaving, with NJPW trying to show that they still have other stars, but who knows. I would have cut about 10 minutes off of this and cut out the HoT BS as that added nothing. 

El Desperado and Tama Tonga talk on the mic after. Tama tells Shota he wants him to kick Evil's @ss and take the Never Openweight Title. Tama saves he loves the fans and Shota. Shota says "Tama-san, yes sir" then thanks him and Despy.

Overall thoughts: This was Okada’s last Korakuen Hall show. The main and semi main were good but not great. The UE/Bullet Club brawl was fast paced and the opener was fun. This was a good show overall.