New Japan Pro Wrestling 4/22/2024 Road to Wrestling Dontaku 2024 Day 3

New Japan Pro Wrestling 4/22/2024 Road to Wrestling Dontaku 2024 Day 3

Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) & Katsuya Murashima vs. BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens, KENTA & Taiji Ishimori)

The faces get jumped before intros are over as usual. Chase bangs Goto's head off the buckles and works him in the corner. Chase takes a double shoulder then has Yoshi hiptossed on him and Kenta suplexed on him. Taiji then takes the double back clubs from Bishamon. KM hits forearms on Chase then slams him.

KM misses a dropkick and takes a running knee. KM's legs are split then Taiji chokes him with a shirt. Kenta chest kicks KM then Kenta back elbows him. KM takes foot slaps then dropkicks Kenta. Yoshi gts in and gets offense in on the heels. Yoshi shoulders Kenta over then corner lariats him. Yoshi neckbreakers Kenta.

Yoshi is tripped by Chase outside. He avoids a double team  then Kenta avoids a double team and suplexes Goto. Yoshi lariats Kenta. KM and Taiji get in. KM hits forearms then shoulders him over. KM slams Taiji then dropkicks him. KM crabs Taiji then Taiji is basement dropkicked while in it.

Taiji handspring back corkscrew kicks KM then sends KM's arm into the exposed buckle. KM is shoulderbreakered then Taiji submits him with a border city stretch.

It was an okay opener, especially by Bullet Club standards. Nothing great here but it was tolerable and there wasn't too much BS.

TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Zack Sabre Jr.) vs. Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo, Hikuleo & Jado) & Shoma Kato

ELP = El Phantasmo

Kato gets in Kosei's face during intros. Shane and ELP start us off. ELP dances and poses. Shane wristlocks him, ELP headflips out then Shane kips out out. He then kicks ELP in the back. ELP dropkicks Shane and headflips up. Shane hits a nice dropkick on ELP. ELP takes a double back elbow then rolling senton + fist drop combo.

Mikey is sent int oa Hiku forearm then takes corner attacks. Hiku spinning side slams him and ELP elbow drops him off the ropes. Mikey fights out of a 4v1 then runs into a ddt from Hiku. Mikey is pulled over the top. Kosei hits euros on Jado then Zack head twists Jado with his feet. Zack headscissors Jado. Kato tries to break it up but Zack just ankle locks him as well.

Zack boots on Jado and Jado hulks up. Jado shoulders him over. Hiku comes in and cleans house. He hits snake eyes and big boot on Kosei. Hiku runs through a double clothesline and hits his own. Hiku elbow drops Shane for 2. ELP avoids a double team  then Zack puts an abdominal stretch on him. Hiku breaks it up.

Hiku takes a double boot and double strikes. Hiku takes a reverse 3D then ELP is double lifted and hits a double ddt out of it. Kato and Kosei go at it. Kosei chops him then avoids a lariat. Kato flying dropkicks him then hits forearms. Kato hiptosses Kosei. Kosei backslides him into a crab and taps him out.

It was around 10 minutes. There wasn't a ton of time here for everyone. It was average for the most part and was far from anyone's best.

TMDK puts all the titles they have on Kosei after. Shane and ELP have words after.

CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano), Hiroshi Tanahashi, Oleg Boltin & Shota Umino vs. House Of Torture (Dick Togo, EVIL, Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi)

The faces get jumped before intros as usual and most of them go out to fight. Shota is sent into the rails. Yano pulls the heels down by their hair then takes a turnbuckle pad off. Yano is sent into the exposed buckle. Yujiro chokes Yano with a cane outside then bangs his head off the exposed buckle.

Ren stomps on Yano then rubs his eyes on the ropes. Togo foot chokes Yano and fist drops him. Yano sends Togo into the exposed buckle. Ishii avoids several double teams and sends Togo into Evil. Ishii then shoulders Togo over. Togo eye pokes him then Ishii suplexes Togo. Shota takes a weird double overhead suplex.

Ren is slammed on his chest then Shota basement dropkicks him. Ren chokes him. Shota euros him then Ren chokes him. Shota throws him over then Ren germans him. Shota exploders him. Tana and Evil go at it. Evil eye rakes him then Tana does it back. Evil low blows him.

Tana pushes the ref over and low blows Evil back. Evil eye rakes Oleg then amkes him charge into the exposed buckle. Oleg takes corner attacks then is punched in the crotch off the 2nd rope. YK comes off the 2nd rope and is caught with a bearhug. He eye rakes and ear claps out. Tana sling blades YK then Oleg splashes YK for 2. The faces clear the heels and Oleg karelin's lifts YK and throws him.

Yujiro hits Oleg with a cane, Oleg goes into the exposed buckle and Oleg is pinned.

It wasn't anything special and there wasn't enough time for everyone here. At least the shenanigans wasn't egregious and over the top here. 

The faces are beaten up after and HoT poses on them. 

Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji) vs. BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Clark Connors, David Finlay, Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd & Gedo)

Yota comes out in a football helmet, jersey and shoulder pads. The two teams bark at each other before the match. The heels jump the faces before it starts and most of them fight outside. Yota's eyes are raked by DF outside then Gabe and Shingo trade forearms and chokes outside. Shingo is sent into the post and Gedo eye rakes Naito on the rails.

DF backbreakers Yota for 2. Yota rolls up DF then Yota headscissors DF. Yota shoulders DF over then splashes him. DF fights out of a double team in the corner and 8 of the 10 fight outside again. Shingo and Gabe headbutt each other and Bushi is sent into the post. Drilla works over Bushi and tries to take his mask off.

Clark back elbows and elbow drops Bushi. Bushi hits a double hurricanrana on Drilla and Clark. Drilla knocks Gabe off the apron by accident. Naito armdrags, back elbows and basement dropkicks Drilla. Naito grabs Gedo by the beard and slaps his face.

Naito neckbreakers Drilla then does a cravate on him. Drilla and Naito trade forearms. Naito spins on him then takes a spinebuster. Drilla double stomps him. Gabe and Shingo get in and trade forearms. Gabe slaps him then corner lariats him. Gabe hits a headbutt then Shingo corner lariats him. Gabe backdrops him. Shingo backdrops him.

Shingo and Gabe lariat, headbutt then chop battle. Gabe lariats Shingo down, hitting his own combo on him then Shingo lariats him down. Gedo and Hiromu fight. Hiromu dropkicks him then falcon arrows him for 2. The War Dogs bark at Hiromu then Hiromu takes corner attacks. Hiromu takes a stiff dominator then the heels try to give Gedo the pin. Hiromu triangles Gedo then taps him out.

The finish was really lame here and didn't fit this one at all. We barely saw Yota at all here. They kept it moving and it was okay mostly for Gabe Kidd and Shingo going at it. I like the War Dogs doing group barks at people now.

The fight continues after. Shingo and Gabe trade on the floor. DF and Yota have words. DF spits at fans then Clark takes a fan's beer and spits it at him.

Faction Warfare Gauntlet Match - United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & TJP) vs Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura)

Leg 1 - Yuya Uemura vs Great O'Khan

They do some mat wrestling to start and grapple. Khan hooks his leg and hammerlocks him but Yuya ropebreaks. Khan wristlocks Yuya. Yuya uses the ropes and wraps Khan's arm around it. Yuya armdrags and armlocks Khan. Yuya kimura takeovers Khan then Khan dumps him over the top to the floor. Yuya is sent into and over the rails. Khan sits on a chair on Yuya. Yuya is whipped into the stage but jumps onto it then off it onto Khan.

Yuya punches Khan in the ring and is knocked down with a forearm. Yuya flying forearms him. Yuya backdrops Khan for 2 and they grapple. Khan shoulder throws him then Yuya cradles him. Khan does a sheep killer suplex and grabs a table. Yuya uranage's Khan in the ring then top rope crossbodies him for 2. Yuya goes for his front suplex but is belly to belly suplexed instead. Yuya belly to belly suplexes him and the time runs out.

This was dumb as they were doing basic grappling when they had a short 10 minute time limit.

Leg 2 - SANADA vs Jeff Cobb

Cobb clean breaks him. Sanada grabs the leg then Jeff just sits on him. Sanada wristlocks him then Cobb reverses it. Sanada hammerlocks him then they shoulder battle. Cobb isn't moved at all. Sanada lets Cobb do it then dropkicks him in the knee and head.

Sanada backrolls him and is rolled up. Sanada hits boots and he knee dropkicks Cobb off the apron. Cobb stops a plancha and they go outside. Sanada walks into the stands and tries to paraidse lock him up there. They both realize they are close to getting counted out and run back in.

Cobb lifts him and slams him then hits a standing moonsault.  Sanada slams him then Cobb uranage's him. Cobb hits a doward lariat then superkicks him. Sanada moonsaults into skull end. Cobb rolls backwards then Sanada dropkicks him in the back. Sanada back rolls him into a bridge. Sanada shining wizards him. Cobb back rolls Sanada and bridges him for 2. Cobb forearms Sanada and the 10 minute time limit ends.

Like the last match, they spent more than half of it doing basic stuff that could't possibly lead to a pin. It makes no sense in a match with a 10 minute time limit where you need to win to eliminate people and not eliminate yourself.

Leg 3 - Callum Newman vs TAKA Michinoku

Taka side headlocks him and eye pokes him. Taka trips him and goes for just facelock but Newman ropebreaks. Taka side headlocks him then headscissors him while splitting the fingers. Taka goes for another facelock and Newman ropebreaks again.

Taka stomps on him and is chopped down. Newman trips him and double stomps his back. Newman dropkicks him in the corner then hits a kick combo into a lariat. Taka step up knees im then running knees him. Taka bulldog headlocks him.

Newman running face kicks him. Taka pump kicks him, takes a spin kick then jumping kicks him. Newman PK's him for 2. Newman misses a top rope SSP, Taka shin kicks him then hits a knee to the face. Taka rolls him up for 2 then superkicks him. Newman high kicks him then does an os cutter. Newman then pins him.

Well, at least we finally got an elimination here.

Leg 4 - Callum Newman vs DOUKI

Douki single leg dropkicks him then topes him outside. Newman is sent into the rails. Douki double stomps Newman then douki chokey's him. Newman hits forearms but is fatigued. Douki euros him. Newman runs the ropes fast and single leg dropkicks him. Newman plancha's him outside.

Newman hits a weird flatliner from the bearhug position. Douki then hits a code red out of the deadlift powerbomb. Douki puts the douki chokey back on and submits Newman.

It was quick but easily was the most entertaining leg so far. The move Newman did was something unique.

Leg 5 - Akira Francisco vs DOUKI

Akira flying headscissors him then hits a stiff baseball slide. Akira sends him into the rails and chokes him on them. Akira straightjacket neckbreakers him on the knee then basement dropkicks him in the back. Akira chinlocks him. Douki fhgts out then takes a running back elbow.

Akira hits forearms and knees. Douki step up enzugiri's him. Douki forearms him then armdrags him. Douki springboard back elbows him. Akira superkicks Douki then corner lariats him. Douki flips him with a lariat then armdrags him. Douki gori special drops him on the knees.

Douki slingshot ddt's him for 2. Akira rolls him out of the casadora into a double stomp. They trde shots. Douki step up enzugiri's him then takes an STO variation. Akira hits a neat twisting neckbreaker and Douki ends up pinning him.

It was a decent leg here with Akira having a good showing. Akira busted out some interesting offense here.

Leg 6 - TJP vs DOUKI

TJP jumps off the top and forearms him before it starts. Douki puts him in the douki chokey then TJP regal stretches him. TJP flying knees him in the corner then does facewash kicks. Douki dropkicks him out then asai moonsaults him outside. Douki slingshots in and is caught with a cutter. TJP frogsplashes him off the top. TJP kind of pulls off before he gets the pin but they count it anyway.

This was only a few minutes long. 

Leg 7 - TJP vs Taichi

Taichi rolls Douki out and TJP dropkicks him through the ropes. TJP top rope splashes him for 2. TJP triangle dropkicks him from inside to outside. TJP knee drops him and hits a euro. Taichi step up enzugiri's TJP in the corner. Taichi kicks him in the back then running knees him.

Taichi abdominal stretches him. They trade forearms then Great O Khan and United Empire come down. TJP cranks Taichi's arm back then springbord twisting forearms him. TJP corner face kicks him then facewash kicks him.

Taichi hits Kawada kicks then TJP rakes him with the boot. TJP backdrops him then Taichi no sells it and running lariats him. TJP springboard ddt's Taichi. They fight up top and Taichi gets his knees up on TJP's frogsplash. Tacihi cradles him then backdrops him. Taichi buzzsaw kicks TJP then is rolled into a pinoy stretch.

TJP backslides him and they trade forearms. Taichi enzugiri's him then backdrops him. TJP spin kicks him then Taichi spinning back elbows him. TJP lariats him then Taichi axe bombers him. TJP cradles him and gets the win.

TJP gets on the mic after. He says his partners should all win various titles and tournaments then says divide and conquer, United Empire, crowns up.

It wasn't that good of a gauntlet. The first two matches had the bigger stars in it and both were draws where they misused the time. We then ended up getting a bunch of TJP and DOUKI, which wasn't the worst thing ever but it wasn't as interesting as seeing the bigger names go at it. Only two of the gauntlet matches really got enough time and it was disappointing overall. I wish they would have just scrapped one of the undercard matches and extended this thing.

Overall thoughts: It was a one match show and the one match wasn't that great. I wouldn't recommend this.