New Japan Pro Wrestling 5/3/2025 Wrestling Dontaku 2025 Day 1

New Japan Pro Wrestling 5/3/2025 Wrestling Dontaku 2025 Day 1

Master Wato, Oleg Boltin, Toru Yano & YOH vs. TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles & Ryohei Oiwa)

Rob and Yoh go at it. They each escapes wristlocks. Rob armwringers him. Kosei and Wato fight. Wato armdrags him then is armdragged back. Wato avoids an armdrag then is armdragged. Wato hits a facebuster. Yano and Oiwa get in. Oiwa misses a corner elbow then dropkicks him.

Rob comes back in and euros Yano's leg. Kosei takes Yano down by the wrist then stomps it. Yano takes corner attacks from the other team for 2. Yano pulls Oiwa down by the hair.

Oleg and Hart get in and shoulder battle. Hart crossbodies him. Hart suplexes him. Hart misses a corner splash then Oleg corner splashes him. Oleg hits a belly to belly suplex then corner splashes him. Oleg karelin's lifts Hart.

Oiwa backdrops Oleg. Yano gets his legs split and takes a double kick to the back. The juniors all go at it then Rob and Kosei hit stereo dropkicks. Yoh dropkicks Kosei then plancha's him.

Rob topes Yoh outside then Wato tope con hilos Rob. Kosei then does a rope walk springboard senton outside. Hart corner splashes Oleg then lariats him. Hart sentons him for 2. 

Oleg dropkicks Hart and catches his crossbody. Hart germans him then Oleg germans him back. Oleg lariats him then finlay rolls him for the win.

Thoughts: It was a decent opener with the juniors going at it and Oleg/Hart having a solid section as usual.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji) vs. Just 4 Guys (Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura) & Tomohiro Ishii

HT = Hiromu Takahashi

Yuya and Yota go at it. They criss-cross and Yota does  single leg codebreaker. Yuya armdrags and armlocks him. Taka boots Yota in the gut and they shoulder battle. Yota shoulders him over. Taka takes a sunset flip into a baseball slide. Taka and HT go at it. HT hits a forearm then takes an eye poke and a pump kick. Ishii comes in and shoulders over 3 opponents.

HT hits chops on Ishii. Ishii hits forearms. HT htis a corner lariat and basement dropkicks him. Ishii suplexes HT then germans Naito. Tai corner facekicks Naito. Tai then takes a double lariat. Bushi dropkicks Tai in the knee.

Tai stomps on Bushi. Bushi then does a bulldog + dropkick combo. Tai spin kicks Bushi in the gut then lariats him for 2. Yuya armdrags Yota then dropkicks him. Bushi cradles Tai for 2. Bushi rewind kicks Tai. Ishii then running lariats Bushi. Tai backdrops Bushi and wins.

Thoughts: It was a shorter and fast paced match. Everyone got their segment in and not much else before we went home. It was okay but it was mostly just filler. 

Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. United Empire (Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan & Jakob Austin Young)

CN = Callum Newman, RT = Ryusuke Taguchi

CN chops up Goto. Goto chops him on the break after CN insists. CN and Goto trade forearms. Goto shoulders him over. RT gets in and hits hip attacks on Khan. He then sits on his neck. Khan shoulders him over.

Khan takes a double shoulderblock. Yoshi and RT are hiptossed onto Khan. Khan's back is clubbed on by the other team. Khan double chops RT. RT goes for hip attack but Khan kancho's him. Khan double chops RT then uppercuts him. Khan sits on RT's neck. 

Jake hits knees and euros on RT. CN kicks RT in the back. They trade shots. RT rolls into a dropkick on him. Goto spinning heel kicks CN in the corner and backdrops him for 2. CN enzugiri's Goto then corner facekicks him. CN PK's him. They lariat each other at the same time then Goto lariats him.

Jake dropkicks Yoshi. Yoshi takes corner attacks then a shining wizard from behind. RT and Khan square off. RT misses a hip attack. Goto lariats Khan off the ropes. Jake hits shots on Yoshi and dropkicks him. Jake takes a superkick into an ushigoroshi and running hip attack. Jake takes a double team elbow slice bomb and is pinned.

Thoughts: We had a little more Taguchi than I wanted here. I didn't think it was a great preview or Goto vs Newman and it was just average.

NJPW World Television Title Match - El Phantasmo (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita

KT forearms ELP out while he still has his jacket on. He then tope con hilos him. KT flying lariats ELP. ELP rolls him up for 2. ELP hits chops. ELP 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him then asai moonsaults him for 2.

ELP flying headscissors him then lariats him over the top. ELP goes for the dive but Rocky Romero moves KT away. KT then hits ELP from behind. ELP is sent into the post. KT slingshot swantons him. KT chinlocks him. ELP ropebreaks.

KT running knees ELP in the corner. KT tries to do a flying knee but goes out. ELP then topes him over the rail. ELP then throws Rocky over the rail. ELP springboard plancha's KT in the front row. 

KT knees him on the apron. KT is pushed into the post then piledriven on the apron. They trade forearms inside. KT pump kicks him then ELP dropkicks him while he's in the air. KT forearms him then ELP cradles him. ELP superkicks him. KT hits a cradle tombstone for 2.

ELP sunset bombs KT For 2. ELP then hits a CR2 for 2. ELP comes off the 2nd rope and is caught with a blue thunder. ELP poisonrana's KT. KT poisonrana's him. They lariat each other then both go down. ELP hurricanrana's him. KT hits a pumping knee then ELP flips him with a lariat. The time limit then expires.

Thoughts: It was the usual Takeshita match. Things start off well, then they do some big spot that ends up being meaningless and it's all downhill from there. It was an indy match as expected and I didn't think it was that good. The springboard into the blue thunder spot was cool though.

ELP wants 5 more minutes after but KT leaves.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Zach trips him. They roll on the mat and stand off. Zach twists out of a wristlock and Tana cravates him. Tana back elbows him out of the corner then 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him. Zack neck twists Tana.

Zack hits euros. Zack pulls on both of Tana's arms. Zack then turns it into a pin attempt. Zack boots him while he's down. Tana flying forearms Zack. Tana slams him then hits a 2nd rope swanton for 2.  

Zack facekicks him. Zack dragon screws Tana. Zack euros him then kicks Tana in the back. Tana grabs his leg and Zack hits a bunch of slaps. Tana dragon screws him three times.

Tana backslides him for 2. Tana hits three twists and shouts. Zack michinoku drivers him. Zack pele kicks Tana's arm. Tana dragon screws Zack on the ropes. Tana then hits a slingblade. Tana hits a top rope crossbody on him.

Tana goes for a high fly flow but Zack gets his knees up. Zack triangles him. They trade pin attempts. Tana cradles him for 2. Tana backrolls him into a bridge. Zack then grabs a sleeper. Zack spinning michinoku drivers him and wins.

Thoughts: It was a short match here. It was similar to what we have been seeing with them. There wasn't much of a finishing stretch and they sadly weren't going for some classic here. What we got was fine though. They countered each other a lot here and traded various holds.

They shake hands after.

Shingo Takagi vs Shota Umino

Shingo throws a chair at Shota to start then hits a bunch of headbutts. Shota hits forearms then Shingo hits punches in the corner. They shoulder battle. They go out and fight and Shota is sent into the post. Shingo is then sent into the rails.

Shota shoulders Shingo over. Shota fisherman suplexes him for 1. Shingo hits punches then a big lariat. Shingo corner lariats Shota over the top rope. Shota is sent into the rails. Shingo then chairs Shota and throws a chair at his head.

Shingo corner lariats him then hits kicks to the head. Shingo then allows Shota to hit some boots. Shingo clubs him. Shingo hits short arm lariats. Shingo powerbombs him for 2. Shingo foot slaps him. Shota dropkicks him in the knee then dragon screws him. Shota bangs his own head off the buckles to fire up. They half-nelson suplex each other. Shota germans him. Shingo tornado ddt's him. Shingo hits a hard lariat. Shingo hits a made in japan on Shota for 2. Shingo headbutts him down and sliding lariats him.

Shota tornado ddt's him. Shota then hits a hard lariat. Shota powerbombs Shingo. Shota hits a hard forearm. Shingo hits a forearm combo on Shota. Shota hits forearms. They lariat each other on the ropes then lariat each other in the middle of the ring. 

They collide with lariats. Shota enzugiri's him. Shota lariats him over for 1. Shota lariats him. Shota running knees him then takes a twisting brainbuster. Shota headbutts him then Shingo hits a bridging GTR. Shingo hits a burning hammer on him and running lariats him for 2. Shingo then wins with a last of the dragon.

Thoughts: It was a good match with lots of stiff shots and a good pace. We knew what this was going to look like as they previewed this well and it delivered. I felt like it could have been better but I had no issues with this and if it was me, I would just run this one over and over as both step up their games against each other. Shota's nose got busted open on the finish here.

Shingo drops an ice pack on him after.

Loser Leaves BULLET CLUB Steel Cage Ten Man Tag Team Match - House Of Torture (EVIL, Ren Narita, SANADA, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) vs. BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Clark Connors, David Finlay, Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd & Taiji Ishimori)

DF = David Finlay, YK = Yoshinobu Kanemaru, CC = Clark Connors

DF locks the cage from the outside and they all climb the cage to get in.

Evil chairs DF to start and is sent into the post and the cage. Ren blocks Gabe's kendo stick shot then hits his own. Evil chairs DF in the jaw. Evil hits DF with the kendo stick. CC is sent into the buckles. CC is sent into the cage. Taiji, Gabe and Drilla use kendo sticks on opponents.

Gabe throws a chair at Ren's face. Ren then does it to him. Ren chairs Gabe. Taiji handspring corkscrew kicks Sho. Everyone starts coming in for a move. DF uranage beckrbeakers Evil then Sanada magic screw's DF. Drilla has the ropes kicked into his crotch. Drilla then does it Sanada. 

Drilla then spinebusters Sanada. Sho low blows Drilla. Sanada forks Drilla in the head then drives it into him. A turnbuckle pad is pulled off. Drilla gets busted open from the fork. DF is sent into the post shoulder first. Togo stabs CC with the fork from the outside. YK running boots Drilla in the corner. Evil then uses spurs from CC's hat on Drilla. Evil chokes Drilla with a rope. Sho eye rakes Drilla. Gabe's head is banged off a table. Drilla takes corner attacks. CC running spears YK. DF's team hits stereo corner punches on their opponents in all corners. DF superplexes Sho off the 2nd rope onto everyone outside.

CC bats away a kendo stick from YK. YK begs off and Sho fights for the bat. CC and Taiji take bat shots to the gut. YK chairs CC then reverse ddt's him. Sho then chairs Taiji. Sho chokes CC with a bat. YK spits whiskey in Sho's face when CC moves. CC then hits a double spear.

Taiji does a moonsault off the cage onto 2 people. Evil grabs the shillelagh then DF hits forearms on him. Evil eye rakes DF then Evil is sent shoulder first into the post. DF buckle bombs Evil. Evil blocks overkill from DF then DF cutters him. DF hits oblivion on Evil and the ref is pulled out on the count.

Togo throws salt in DF's eyes from the outside. Togo then climbs in the cage. DF is sent into the cage. Gedo and Dick Togo fight on the cage. Gedo sits on top of the cage and splashes Togo onto a table. The table doesn't break.

Yujiro Takahashi comes in the cage and hits DF with a chain. He then chokes him with it. Evil breaks the shillelagh and stabs DF with it. Evil hits chain punches on DF and busts him open. Drilla spears Sanada in the ring. Drilla hits Sanada with his guitar. Drilla takes an AA off the apron through a table on the floor. Gabe and Ren trade punches in the ring. Gabe hits forearms. Ren bites him. Gabe headbutts Ren. Gabe running lariats him. Gabe pulls out a barbed wire table.

Ren's face is covered in blood. He hits Gabe in the gut with a push-up board. Gabe's head is rubbed into the barbed wire table but his head doesn't really hit much. Ren gets stuck up top. They fight up top. Gabe headbutts him then 2nd rope piledrivers him through a barbed wire table for the win.

Thoughts: Going in, we knew it wasn't going to be as good as last year's classic. It wasn't. It heavily reliant on the weapons shots and some of the big spots. They did a good job with it though I thought it went a little longer than it should have and I thought it could have used more story. I do think they got the heel vs heel idea right though and got it right by sticking to brawling.

Evil handcuffs DF to the cage and puts a dog collar with a chain around him. Evil then hangs him with it.

Gabe barks on the mic after. He said they wanted to take Bullet Club from them and says how can you can take it from them when this is the house they built?  Gabe says it's the #1 Bullet Club. 

Finlay says he's not happy that Evil walked out in one piece. He says Evil snapped his shillelagh and he wants a dog collar match with him next time. Drilla calls Sanada a b!tch. Gabe said he doesn't need to shower and says it's the greatest Bullet Club that there has ever been. Gabe says they are saving NJPW and says there's no more that needs to be said. Clark says this is his family and they all bark.

Overall thoughts: The lower card matches were fine. Takeshita/ELP was indy wrestling as expected. Tana/Zack wasn't quite as good as some of the matches leading up to it but it was fine. Shingo/Shota was probably the best match of the night and was good as expected. The main was good enough but not as good as last year's classic, which was expected. I'd give it a 6 out of 10 due to the two top matches delivering and the lower card being tolerable.