New Japan Pro Wrestling 9/9/2024 Road to Destruction 2024 Day 3

New Japan Pro Wrestling 9/9/2024 Road to Destruction 2024 Day 3

There was some pre-show match with people goofing around in masks that I'm not watching.

Jakob Austin Young vs. Shoma Kato

Kato wristlocks him and Jake takes him down. Kato side headlocks him then shoulders him over. Jake leg lariats him. Jake hits a chop and lariat in the corner for 2. Kato hits forearms. Jake stomps Kato's foot then pumping knees him. Kato dropkicks him. 

Kato hits forearms then hiptosses him. Kato dropkicks him then crabs him. Jake escapes and is rolled-up then cradled. Jake step up enzugiri's him then hits a shiranui for the win.

Thoughts: It was short one here and didn't get enough time. It felt like they were building to something and it really ended before they got much done here. Jake kind of feels like a lesser Callum Newman, who isn't a finished product at this time.

Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Katsuya Murashima vs. TMDK (Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.)

Zack and Tenzan go at it. Zack backs him up on the ropes and side headlocks him. They shoulderblock battle. Zack facekicks him and Tenzan shoulders him over. Tenzan hits mongolian chops then Zack twists Tenzan's head with his feet.

Kosei and KM trade forearms. KM shoulders him over then hiptosses him. Kosei running chops him. Zack snapmares KM into a headscissors then pulls on the leg. Kosei stomps on KM's arm then Zack cravates KM. KM slams Zack. Tenzan gets in and shoulders over Zack.

Tenzan hits mongolian chops, headbutts and stomps. Tenzan corner lariats him then suplexes him. Zack armbars Tenzan then Tenzan puts him in the anaconda vice. Zack gets a 2 count on him and they trade forearms. Zack pele kicks the arm and Tenzan lariats him over.

KM dropkicks Kosei then Kosei takes corner attacks. Kosei takes a dropkick then armbars KM. Kosei then taps him out with it.

Thoughts: It was a shorter throwaway tag. There was nothing too great here. I kind of see why Tenzan is getting limited use these days as his offense no longer looks good.

Jado & Shota Umino vs. House Of Torture (Ren Narita & SHO)

Ren into the crowd and waits for Shota. Shota and Jado pose in the stands then the heels attack them. Ren headlocks Shota and bangs his head off the commentary table. Ren beats up Shota in the seats and thye get in the ring. Shota gets stomped on by his opponents.

Shota back elbows Ren then flipping sentons him. Jado back elbows Ren then Shota basement dropkicks him. Ren is pulled over the top by Jado gets clipped by Sho. Sho stomps Jado's leg and Shota is sent over the rail. Sho clips Jado and ddt's his leg. Jado's leg is wrapped around the post. Jado gets his legs split and Ren leglocks him.

Ren hits forearms on Jado. Jado shoulders him over. Shota gets in and slams then elbow drops Sho. Shota dropkicks Ren. Shota fisherman suplexes Ren for 2. Ren chokes Shota in the corner then exploders him for 2. Ren eyerakes Shota then takes an exploder.

Jado gets tagged in. He shoulders over and lariats Ren. Ren is thrown out and Jado bridging ddt's Sho for 2. Jado crossfaces Sho and Ren breaks it up with stomps. Ren kneepresses Shota down and Sho tries to bring a wrench in. Ren hits Jado in the leg with the push-up bar and Sho leglocks Jado to win.

Thoughts: It was okay with the heels cheating and working Jado's leg en route to victory.  I don't really get why anyone would want to team up with Jado or Gedo from a kayfabe perspective since they always lose.

Tomoaki Honma & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Mad Bastards (Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee)

Ishii and Jake go at it. Jake clean breaks him, nails Honma and Gabe sleepers Ishii on the ropes. Gabe misses a lariat and is german suplexed. Jake and Ishii trade forearms. Ishii hits forearms and facekicks. They trade forearms and Ishii goes down. Gabe corner lariats Ishii.

Gabe bites Ishii then slaps him. Gabe takes a backdrop. Honma gets in and shoulders over Gabe. Honma slams Jake then Gabe hits chops on Honma. Honma chops Gabe over then bulldogs him. Honma misses a falling headbutt drop. They trade forearms. Jake knees Honma in the gut and Ishii bowls over Jake. Ishii headbutts Gabe down then Honma falling headbutts Gabe. Honma flying headbutts Gabe then Gabe bites the arm. Honma headbutts Gabe then 2nd rope headbutt drops Gabe for 2.

Gabe suplexes Honma for 2. Jake backdrops Ishii. Honma pushes Gabe into Jake and rolls him up for 2. Honma headbutts both then Gabe flying knees Honma for the win.

Thoughts: This was the most offense I may have ever seen Honma get in. That was a nice surprise. It needed more time than it got but it wasn't bad for being a midcard match.

The fight continues after and Ishii eventually ends up getting dropped. Ishii gets back up and fights both. They then lift him go a guillotine choke and Ishii is out again. They take a break and Jake drops Ishii again. Ishii gets up and grabs a chair then fights off the two heels with a young lion.

Be-Bop Tag Team (Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano), Oleg Boltin & Tiger Mask vs. House Of Torture (Dick Togo, EVIL, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi)

Togo hits shots to Oleg's gut then eye pokes him. Togo wristlocks him and Oleg throws him off. Oleg double shoulders the heels over on a double team then does karelin's lift on Togo. Oleg gets tripped by Evil. Togo fist drops Oleg for 2. Kanemare gets in and hits knees to Oleg's back then Yujiro stomps on Oleg.

Oleg is thrown into the rails outside then takes a double suplex on the floor. Yujiro eye rakes Oleg then facekicks him on the ropes. Evil works on Oleg's arms, pulling them both back.

Oleg dropkicks him and tags Tana in. Tana flying forearms Evil, dropkicks Yujiro in the knee then 2nd rope twisting crossbodies Evil. Tana hits a twist and shout on Evil. Evil takes corner attacks. The faces try to crotch chop Togo but the heels stop it.

Yano takes corner attacks then is chopped in the crotch for 2. Yano atomic drops Kanemaru. Tiger gets in and hits kicks on Kanemaru. Tiger heel hooks Kanemaru then Kanemaru bangs Tiger's knee off the mat. Tiger spin kicks Kanemaru and backslides him for 2. Tiger hits a tiger driver on Kanemaru for 2. Tiger's knees are banged off the mat then Knaemaru figure fours Tiger. Tiger taps out ot the figure four.

Thoughts: It was a pretty average match that we've seen many times. It wasn't anything special or notable.

Evil hits Oleg with the trios titles after.

BULLET CLUB (Gedo & Taiji Ishimori) vs. Just 5 Guys (DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku)

Douki takes down TI and they side headlock each other. TI handspring corkscrew kicks him off the ropes. Douki gets his slinghost ddt blocked and TI armdrags him. Douki does the douki chokey and TI border city stretches him.

TI armdrags Douki while on his shoulders. Douki goes for a leglock and TI ropebreaks. Douki chops him in the throat then ddt's him. Taka and Gedo fight. Taka shin kicks him then pokes him in the eyes with his own fingers. Taka sunset flips him and Gedo blocks a roll-up. Gedo pokes Taka in the eyes with his own fingers.

Douki hits a douki chokey on TI while Taka does just facelock. Taka submits Gedo.

Thoughts: It was a quick one here that didn't accomplish a whole lot except getting people paydays. Maybe that was for the better.

Douki and TI fight after.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji) vs. United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb)

They fight before the bell rings. Yota and Cobb square off. Cobb blocks a flying headscissors then Yota does a nice armdrag. Cobb dropkicks him. Yota's head is banged off the buckles. Akira flying headscissors and leg lariats Yota.

Akira corner lariats Yota then Yota tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him. Naito pulls Khan by his hair outside then sends him into the rails. Yota chinlocks Akira. Yota splashes Akira. Bushi stomps on Akira then dropkicks him in the knee.

Akira hits forearms on Naito. Naito spits at him then neckbreakers him. naito trips Khan then Yota basement dropkicks Khan. Shingo suplexes Akira for 2. Shingo forearms Akira down then Akira hits forearms. Akira spin kicks Shingo in the gut then step up enzugiri's him. Shingo is rolled into a double stomp.

CN gets in and running facekicks Shingo. Shingo no sells it, shoulders him over then gets an enzugiri. CN trips then double stomps Yota's back. CN high kicks Shingo, PK's him and Shingo gets his knees up on CN's standing moonsault. CN flips out of a ddt then spin icks Shingo in the head. Shingo lariats CN over.

Naito and Khan go at it. Naito armdrags him and baseball slides him. Naito hits a diamond dust. Khan pump kicks him. Khan mongolian chops him then leglocks him. Naito step up enzugiri's him then Khan belly to belly suplexes him off a tornado ddt attempt.

Bushi gets in and knocks Cobb off the apron. Bushi 2nd rope dropkicks Khan. Khan takes corner attacks, a pumping knee and a backcracker for 2. Yota shoulders Akira over then Cobb tour of the islands backdrops him. Shingo hits a big lariat on Cobb then CN corner dripkicks Shingo. Bushi rewind kicks Khan then takes a straight punch. Khan flatliners him then does a claw slam. Khan then gets the pin.

Thoughts: It had 11 minutes but it got enough time. We got to see enough of everyone here and they pushed Khan/Naito and Yota Cobb. I liked it but it wasn't great.

NEVER Openweight Title Match - HENARE (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi

They shouldebrlock battle. HT hits chops then Henare shoulders him over. HT stalls outside and Henare goes after him. Henare is sent into the rails then HT is sent into the rails. Henare shoulders him over. HT is sent into the rails.

HT chops Henare then Henare chops him down. Henare kicks him in the back. Henare hits forearms in the ring. HT fights back with forearms and Henare lariats him in the corner. Henare hits wasteland and a senton. HT flying headscissors Henare then hanging headscissors him over the top rope. HT then dropkicks him off the apron.

HT falcon arrows him for 2. Henare pop-up samoan drops HT. Henare clubs on HT. HT flying headscissors Henare, Henare blocks it and HT ddt's him off of it. HT flatliners him off the casadora. HT hits chops on Henare then Henare chest kicks him.

HT hits more chops and Henare chest kicks him. HT chops Henare down then Henare hits chest kicks. Henare hits more chops and takes more chest kicks. Henare PK's him for 2. HT slaps him and lariats him. Henare misses a step up knee then is powerbombed for 2. HT superkicks him then Henare hits a big lariat.

Henare lariats him down. HT superkicks him and then belly to belly suplexes him. Henare lariats HT for 2. Henare full-nelson's HT then uranages him. HT crucifix bombs him or 2. Henare berzerker bombs him. Henare step up knees HT then HT rolls him up for 2. Henare spears him for 2. HT hits a canadian destroyer for 2. HT running lariats him and hits a time bomb for 2.

HT superkicks him then Henare headbutts him. Henare hits a fisherman's buster and wins it.

Thoughts: I wasn't a fan of it. They got it right with Hiromu being the underdog and trying for the upset, but I just couldn't buy it. I could beat the crap out of Hiromu and wouldn't try Henare. I didn't like Henare getting thrown around and Hiromu just didn't really have the underdog type of offense that would have made this one work. I also thought they ended up doing too much in this one and it went longer than needed.

LIJ help out Hiromu then Shingo and Henare stare down. Shingo said he wants to challenge him next and Henare agrees.

Overall thoughts: The main was the only thing that got a lot of time here and I didn't like it. The semi-main was okay and the Ren/Sho match worked. I didn't think much of this otherwise and wouldn't recommend it.