New Japan Pro Wrestling 2/5/2024 Road to The New Beginning 2024 Day 7

New Japan Pro Wrestling 2/5/2024 Road to The New Beginning 2024 Day 7

I skipped one match.

Katsuya Murashima vs. Shoma Kato

KM - Katsuya Murashima

They lock up. Kato hits a hcop and they trade forearms. KM headlock takeovers him then is put in a headscissors. Kato wristlocks him then KM rolls through and wristlocks him. KM hammerlocks him then Kato ties his legs up. KM does a nice escape out of the front face lock then headlock takeovers him. Kato headscissors him and KM side headlocks him.

KM headlock takeovers him. Kato shoulders him over then KM hiptosses him. Kato leglocks him then KM stomps him. KM leglocks him. Kato hits a chop and is forearmed. Kato running forearms him over then hits a nice dropkick.

Kato hiptosses him then KM slams him. KM back body drops him then single leg crabs him. They go to a 10 minute time limit draw.

KM slaps him and is chopped after. They then butt heads.

It was your usual young lions stuff and it wasn't that impressive. 

El Desperado, Oleg Boltin, Shota Umino, Tomoaki Honma & YOH vs. House Of Torture (EVIL, Ren Narita, SHO, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi)

The HoT force the announcer to read some stuff off paper. EVIL says Umino's actions with the table yesterday weren't sportsmanlike and he sanctions him. Evil then ruins a Shota Umino sweater. Shota Umino comes in and is beat up 5v1. Umino's partners then come out to help him.

The fight starts outside. Honma shoulders over Kanemaru and misses a headbutt drop. Oleg hits forearms on Kanemaru then spinning slams him. Oleg throws Kanemaru around in the air. Sho tries to do it on Kanemaru but drops him and falls. Kanemaru eye rakes Sho then Sho goes into the exposed buckle.

Ren eye rakes Sho then flying neckbreakers him. Ren pulls on his chin. Togo lifts Kanemaru for a legdrop on Sho's neck. Sho hits a dragon screw on Kanemaru then flying headscissors Yoh. Despy gets in and shoulders over Yoh. Despy kicks the middle orpe into Ren's crotch then backdrops Yoh. Yoh puts the ref in the way then spears Despy.

Despy back elbows Sho then takes a flying knee. Despy spinebusters Sho. Evil and Shota go at it. Shota tornado ddt's him for 2. Evil pulls Shota by the hair then throws him into the exposed buckle. Togo chops Shota in the nuts then Shota dropkicks Yujiro. Ren misses a board shot on Shota then Shota enzuigiri's him. Yujiro tries to get Shota to hit him with it but he doesn't. Shota spinning forearms Yujiro then death rider ddt's him to win it.

It was the same old stuff as usual with these guys. At least the HoT shenanigans were more limited here. We saw a little of everyone and not much else. 

CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano), Hiroshi Tanahashi & Togi Makabe vs. TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Zack Sabre Jr.)

Mikey and Yano start us off. They hit each other over the head and Mikey lariats him. Kosei dropkicks Yano then Kosei takes a 4v1. Kosei is sent into the exposed buckle then Togi foot chokes and slams Kosei. Kosei forearms Ishii and Tana on the apron then fights Ishii. Ishii hits a chop and forearm combo.

Ishii slaps him around then is slapped. Ishii corner lariats Kosei for 2. Ishii backdrops Kosei for 2. Kosei step up enzugiri's him. Tana gets hin and knocks his opponents off the apron. Tana slaps him then 2nd rope flipping swantons him.

Kosei spinning heel kicks Tana. Shane gets in and dropkicks Tana. Shane leg lariats Tana and Yano then cannonballs both. Tana dragon screws Mikey then twist and shouts Shane. Shane falcon arrows Ishii. Zack snapmares and twists the neck of Ishii. Ishii suplexes Zack.

Zack takes running corner attacks and a lariat from Togi. Zack overhead kicks Togi's arm then suplexes him. Zack goes for a PK but is atomic dropped then Shane and Mike ylariat each other on accident. Kosei dropkicks Ishii then slingblades Tana. Kosei tope con hilos outside.

Zack and Togi lariat each other and Zack goes down. Zack cobra twists Togi and Togi hiptosses him. Zack rolling armbars Togi and Togi taps out.

It was a standard 8-man for the most part. I liked Kosei hitting a slingblade on Tana here.

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

 

The fight starts as soon as Bullet Club gets to ringside. Akira has a chair thrown in his face and the ref actually DQ's The Bullet Club. Clark then spears the ref. Akira is powerbombed and choked with a chair. Everyone fights again and Khan gets hit with the shillelagh. Akira is hanged with a dog collar.

DF tells Will that he can't save his friends and his friends can't save him. He says he will see him in Osaka.

This lasted a minute before the DQ and there wasn't a lot to talk about with this one.

Faction Warfare Gauntlet Match - Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji) vs. Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura) 

Leg 1 - SANADA vs Tetsuya Naito

Naito tries pin attempts and Sanada back rolls him.  Naito armdrags him then rolls him up on a pin attempt. naito pulls him dow on the knee then wraps his legs around Sanada's neck. Sanada leapfrogs him and hits a dropkick. Sanada plancha's him.

Sanada is set out and Naito baseball slides him. Sanada is sent into the rails then Naito neckbreakers him over the rails. Naito 2nd rope hurricanrana's him then Sanada dropkicks him. Sanada is sent into the rails. They fight on the stage and Sanada dropkicks him in the knee.

Back in the ring, Sanada dropkicks him in the knee. Naito cradles him for 2 then tornado ddt's him. They go to the 10 minute time limit and both are eliminated.

Leg 2 - TAKA Michinoku vs Shingo Takagi

 
Taka jumps Shingo before he's all ready to go. They go outside and Taka is sent into the rails. Taka dragon screws him over the 2nd rope and bangs his leg off the post. Taka figure fours him around the post. Taka drags Shingo to the backstage area and tries to get him counted out.

Shingo gets back in and Taka ankle locks him. Taka does a grounded ankle lock then Shingo lariats him. Shingo suplexes him then sliding lariats him. Taka running knees him then hits kicks. Taka kicks him in the shin and rolls him up, then running knees him. Shingo lariats him for 2. Shingo lariats him again and powerbombs him. Shingo then STF's him and rolls him to get the submission win.

Leg 3 - Shingo Takagi vs Taichi

They collide with shoulders and Taichi running face kicks him. Taichi hits kicks to the leg then sends Shingo in the rails. Shingo is sent into the post then Taichi single leg crabs him. Taichi hits Kawada kicks then leg kicks. Shingo ddt's him and corner lariats him.

Shingo hits forearms then hits a twist and shout neckbreaker. Taichi back body drops him then back enzugiri's him. Taichi enzugiri's him then Shingo dragon screws him. They trade chops to the neck and Taichi hits kicks to the body. Shingo shoulders him over then Taichi sumo throws him. Shingo rolls him up out of the abdominal stretch for 2. Taichi high kicks him and is lariated. They lariat each other at the same time and Taichi gamengiri's him for 2.

They go to a 10 minute draw and both are eliminated. 

Leg 4 - BUSHI vs DOUKI

Bushi charges at him with forearms and throws him out. Bushi runs the ropes and takes a back elbow. Bushi back elbows him then ddt's him. Douki uppercuts him then  they trade step up enzugiri's. Bushi rewind kicks him and Douki armdrags him. Douki seatbelts him and pins him in quick fashion. 

Leg 5 - DOUKI vs Hiromu Takahashi

HT running shotgun dropkicks him and basement dropkicks him. Hiromu then runs the apron and dropkicks him. HT goes for a sunset bomb but it is blocked and Douki asai moonsaults him. Douki step up enuzgiri's him then springboard back elbows him. Douki double stomps him. Douki has him in the gori special then double armbars him.

HT blocks a slingshot ddt then death valley drivers him into the buckles. They trade forearms. Douki uppercuts him then hits a double throat thrust. They collide with lariats and Douki rolls him up for 2. They trade cradles and HT running lariats him. Douki hits a nice running lariat. HT superkicks him and Douki rolls him up before putting him in another double armbar. HT hits an interesting elevated ddt for 2 and we go to the 10 minute time limit.

Leg 6 - Yota Tsuji vs Yuya Uemura

 

There's no time limit for this final leg. They stare down. They criss cross each other then miss an armdrag and stomp before staring down. They trade chops then trade forearms for chops. Yota flying headscissors him out. Yota goes for a tope but is forearmed. Yota is sent into the rails outside then sent shoulder first into the post.

Yuya hits chops and does a neat move where he yanks Yota's arm with his leg. Yuya slams and elbows him. Yuya hammerlocks him then hammerlock slams him. Yota's shoulder is sent into the buckle. Yota pushes Yuya's head into the mat with his legs. Yota running face kicks him then tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him. Yota topes him outside.

Yuya hits up kicks in the ring and dropkicks him. Yuya backdrops him then kimura's him. Yota misses moves and is pele kicked. Yota flatliners him then curbstomps him. Yota crabs him and boot slaps him. Yuya hits chops. Yuya goes for a hurricanrana but is powerbombed. Yota crabs him again then giant swings him. Yota crabs him again and turns it into a lion tamer.

Yota curb stomps him then Yuya hurricanrana's him. Yuya goes for the armbar and is rolled up then Yota spears him for the win.

Yota gets on the mic after and tells Yuya they have to fight. Yota said they can have a match every night, but they need to settle it with a hair vs hair match. Yuya said he doesn't care about his hair but won't dodge anything. He agrees to the match. I don't really like this idea because both guys have longer hair and I don't really see how this benefits anyone.

The gauntlet match format here was different but it didn't really work. Everything had a 10 minute time limit and was cut off before it really got going, defeating the purpose of it. They had a couple of draws, which made sure we didn't see much of some of our favorites and again limited some of the fun of this idea. They also didn't have the whole team out there which meant it was quieter and didn't have some of the extra drama. Yuya/Yota was the only thing that really got enough time here and I thought it probably should have gotten more than than it did in an odd twist.

Overall thoughts: It was a one match show and the one match didn't deliver. The gauntlet match was something different but the time limits ruined it. I don't recommend this show.