SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…
NJPW DESTRUCTION IN KOBE REPORT
SEPTEMBER 28, 2025
KOBE WORLD MEMORIAL HALL
KOBE, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton were on commentary for the first major card since the G1 Finals.
(1) SHOTA UMINO & YUYA UEMURA & YOSHI-HASHI & EL DESPERADO & YOH vs. HOUSE OF TORTURE (Evil & Sanada & Dick Togo & Douki & Sho)
This match was changed in the last couple of days to add the junior heavyweights, following Doukiâ€s challenge to El Desperado. The thing I was watching closest though was the way Umino and Uemura interacted. That pairing feels important to me going forward. In backstage comments after the Sapporo Road to Destruction show, they officially declared themselves a tag team.
Douki and Desperado got us started with a protracted slap battle. Four years ago these guys were undercard junior heavyweight tag partners, now they are at the top of their division almost entirely due to their own hard work and connection with the fans. Sho caught Desperado from behind, leading to some double-team action. Desperado tagged in Yoh, then brawled with Douki on the outside. Yoh almost immediately tagged Yoshi-Hashi and hit a Headhunter, followed by a basement dropkick from Yoh. They whipped Sho to a corner but he caught a charging Yoh with a boot, avoided Yoshi-Hashiâ€s charge, and a brief ten-man brawl ensued on the outside.
Back in the ring, Sho covered Yoshi-Hashi for a two-count. He tagged in Evil, and they knocked Yoshi-Hashi down with a double shoulder tackle. They wishboned the poor manâ€s legs, then Evil tagged Sanada in. Sadly dressed in a very reserved way on the night, Sanada laid in a succession of right hands. Yoshi-Hashi hit a low dropkick to the shins, allowing him to tag in Umino. One by one Umino took down each HoT member, sending them to the outside. He peppered Sanada in the corner with strikes at the five-minute mark. A running European uppercut into a fishermanâ€s suplex got a two-count. Uemura tagged in, but Sanada showed some atypical face offence in fighting off both men. As if to prove he was still a heel, he “accidentally†kicked Uemura in the groin before tagging in Togo.
House of Torture took turns hitting corner splashes on Uemura. Togo went to the middle rope for the literal crotch chop, but the remainder of Uemuraâ€s team saved the day, leaving Togo just chilling out on the top turnbuckle. He tried a leaping attack on Uemura, who easily avoided it. Uemura and Umino went for a double back suplex, but Evil intervened. He noogied both men but ran into a double dropkick that sent him to the outside. Uemura caught Togo with a Frankensteiner for the win.
WINNER: Uemura, Umino, Yoh, Desperado, and Yoshi-Hashi via pinfall at 7:36. (**)
(Lansdellâ€s Analysis: Nothing special here, just a lot of chaotic brawling and some teases of whatâ€s to come. The decision to let Uemura, and not Umino, pick up the pins in their matches is likely not accidental, and is designed to both continue Uminoâ€s rehab and to sow seeds for a possible betrayal down the line.)
(2) HIROSHI TANAHASHI vs. GREAT-O-KHAN
For most of these Tanahashi farewell tour matches, the right person has won. Heâ€s been beating his contemporaries and losing to people who are on the ascent. I can only point to his win over Uemura before the G1 and his most recent match with Master Wato as questionable choices. With that said, this was a match he absolutely had to lose. O-Khan has been floating around the midcard for so long, despite having the charisma and skills to be more. A loss to a retiring legend would send him back down the ladder yet again.
After some mat wrestling exchanges, O-Khan declined a clean break and whipped Tanahashi to a corner. He charged into a back elbow from Tanahashi, who followed up with the Kevin von Erich crossbody off the second rope. O-Khan countered a German suplex, picking the leg and applying an Indian deathlock. Tanahashi scrambled to the ropes. O-Khan continued his attack on Tanahashiâ€s legs, slamming his knee off the mat before covering for a two-count. O-Khan shrugged off some strikes from Tanahashi and hit a Mongolian chop. Tanahashi blocked the second one and hit his own version of the Mongolian chop, then knocked O-Khan down with a flying forearm. Shades of Tito Santana!
Tanahashi hit a flurry of right hands. He slammed O-Khan down and hit a second-rope somersault senton for a two-count. O-Khan sidestepped a slingblade attempt but Tanahashi hit a dragon screw. O-Khan returned the favour and went for the TTD, but Tanahashi wriggled free as we hit five minutes. They exchanged elbow strikes, with Tanahashi outlasting O-Khan and hitting a European uppercut that staggered him. O-Khan struggled to get up, but hit a straight right hand when he did. Tanahashi stumbled, then fired back with an open-handed slap. He ducked a clothesline and hit a slingblade for a two-count, then went to the outside. High Fly Flow…only found O-Khanâ€s knees.
O-Khan went for the Eliminator, Tanahashi pushed him off but O-Khan came back with his own slingblade! He hit a second one for a near fall, then set up for the Eliminator…countered into a victory roll! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Hiroshi Tanahashi via pinfall at 7:45. (**1/2)
(Lansdellâ€s Analysis: Oh boy. What did I just say about needing a win? The commentators sold this as a possible important moment for United Empire going forward, but thereâ€s basically nobody from that faction in the country right now. They need to either cut bait on it and let O-Khan find a new home, or really work hard to re-establish the group. As for Kiyomiya, I cannot understand why he continues to come to New Japan when they never treat him as the star he undoubtedly is. The tag match in Ryogoku in October for NOAH will almost certainly lead to a singles match between them in New Japan, and on the strength of this result and Kiyomiyaâ€s treatment I would expect Tanahashi to win that too. Not a promising start.)
(3) BOLTIN OLEG (C) vs. DON FALE – Never Openweight Championship match
To say I was not excited to watch this match would be a severe undersell. Fale is marginally more mobile than Tomoaki Honma at this point, and Oleg is still very inexperienced.
Fale “jumped†Oleg before the bell. He hit repeated clubbing blows in the corner, then flattened him with a shoulder tackle. Fale threw Oleg to the outside, where Evil jabbed him in the gut with a cane. Back in the ring, Fale stood on Olegâ€s ribs. He whipped Oleg to a corner, which had magically lost its corner pad. A cover got a two-count. Oleg tried to fight back, but a pair of shots to the stomach cut the rally short. Oleg held the ropes to block an Irish whip, got a boot up to meet a charging Fale, and then for some reason tried to take Fale down with shoulder tackles. It wasnâ€t very effective. Faleâ€s attempt was super effective, however.
Oleg wisely moved out of the way of a Stinger splash, and finally succeeded in knocking Fale down with a tackle. A running splash got a two-count for the champ. Oleg again had a brain fade and tried to body slam Fale, which of course led to Fale falling on him and getting a two-count. Oleg blocked a Grenade attempt and ran the ropes to stagger Fale with a clothesline. He tried another slam, this time with success, and cut off an interference attempt from Evil and Togo. Oleg set for a suplex…and was successful, covering for a near fall. He tried to follow up with Kamikaze, but Fale pulled the referee over and then shoved Oleg into him. Youâ€ll never guess what happened next.
The HoT Shenanigans (TM) ensued, complete with the literal crotch chop from Togo. Fale laboriously climbed to the top rope while Evil and Togo held Oleg in place. Mercifully Oleg fought them off, pushing each man into Fale in the corner. He picked Fale up off the turnbuckle and hit Kamikaze for the win.
WINNER: Boltin Oleg via pinfall at 5:55 to retain the Never Openweight Championship. (*1/2)
(Lansdellâ€s Analysis: Well that was all entirely predictable. And bad, donâ€t forget bad.)
(4) TOMOHIRO ISHII & TAICHI (C) vs. KNOCKOUT BROTHERS (Yuto-Ice & Oskar) – IWGP World Tag Team Championship match
I vacillate between loving the look of Yuto and Oskar, and thinking it is ridiculous and funny. Oskar manages to look murderous until he removes the bandana from his face and reminds you that he has the babiest of faces. Yuto acting like the most ridiculous caricature of a black man borders on offensive, if it werenâ€t in Japan where the mentality around such things is very different.
Yuto and Ishii started the match, and these two had been beefing all through the preview tags on the Road to Destruction tour. They traded stiff shots, with Yuto getting the better of the exchange. He nailed Taichi with a cheap shot on the apron, which prompted Taichi to get in the ring and attack Yuto. That brought in Oskar, who beat down Taichi. They hit a tandem big boot to send Taichi to the floor. Yuto hit a succession of rapid-fire kicks on Ishii in the corner, then yelled “bumbaclat†and hit a running knee strike in the corner. Well, I would not mind if I never heard that again.
Yuto tagged in Oskar, who continued the trend of stiff strikes. Ishii fought back and went for a suplex, which Oskar blocked. Ishii blocked a big boot, jacked Oskarâ€s knee, and after a series of escapes he was able to take Oskar over with a German suplex. He tagged Taichi, who went to work with a chop in the corner. He tried a back drop driver, Oskar blocked it, but Taichi connected with a head kick and applied a modified stretch plum. Yuto came in to break the hold, only to eat a hook kick. Oskar used the time to recover enough to hit a big boot, but Taichi avoided a very high-speed Stinger splash and crumpled Oskar with another head kick at the five-minute mark. Taichi channeled his inner burlesque artist and tore away his pants, then set himself for a superkick. Oskar ducked and went for a K-Driller, Taichi escaped and went for a roundhouse kick, Oskar caught it and went for a tree slam, Taichi hit a spinning backfist, but then ran into a big boot from Oskar. Oskar hit a back suplex, leaving both men down.
Both men made tags, and Yuto and Ishii resumed their strike exchange. Yuto staggered Ishii with a slap, then dropped Ishii on his head with a brainbuster. Ishii, lacking as he is a neck, popped right up and barged into Yuto. They traded shots, spit in each otherâ€s faces, and eventually Ishii put a stop to the upstartâ€s hubris with a nasty headbutt. Ishiiâ€s powerbomb attempt was cut off by Oskar, who tangled Ishii in the ropes and went for a yakuza kick. Taichi took the bullet for his partner, so Oskar shrugged and decided to try and kick them both into next week. Ishii caught him with an elbow to the jaw. Taichi and Ishii hit tandem chops to the neck, but Oskar fought off a double-team move. He elbowed Ishii and shoved him aside, blocked a hook kick from Taichi, and hit an atomic drop. Yuto followed it with a lariat to flatten Taichi.
A succession of strikes from Yuto and Oskar dropped Ishii to one knee. They hit a tandem Last Ride for a very near fall, but Ishii countered the follow-up and pushed Yuto into Oskar. A series of escapes led to Ishii colliding with Taichi on the apron. Yuto starched Ishii with a right cross, then hit a violent running PK for another very near fall at the ten-minute mark. Oskar returned to the ring, and they set up for the KOB. Taichi saved the day with a lariat for Yuto and a head kick for Oskar. He dropped Oskar on his fool head with a back drop driver, then went for Black Mephisto on Yuto. Yuto blocked and went for a powerbomb but was flattened by an Ishii lariat. Ishii lifted Yuto for a piledriver, Taichi kicked Yuto in the head and Ishii dropped him on it. Ouch. 1…2…no! Ishii hit a big lariat and covered again for a two-count, interrupted by Oskar. Taichi and Ishii countered a double chokeslam with a double head kick to Oskar, then went for their double-team brainbuster. Oskar cut it off and hit the tree slam on Taichi. Ishii hit him with a lariat, blocked a tree slam, but ran into a sleeper slam. Yuto hit a busaiku knee, then they connected with the KOB for the win!
WINNERS: Yuto-Ice and Oskar via pinfall at 13:30 to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship. (***3/4)
(Lansdellâ€s Analysis: I am torn on this one. It was an excellent match, the two teams have been developing chemistry through the preview tags and it paid off in spades here. On one hand, I can totally understand wanting to get the titles on an established tag team before World Tag League. Yuto and Oskar look to be the real deal, possibly the best new tag team to hit New Japan since Gorillas of Destiny. On the other hand, they have only just come back from excursion and walked right into the title scene, winning on the first attempt, and extending the streak of champions with no successful defenses. It will now be more than a year between successful defenses, and almost two since a team had two successful ones. The challenge from Umino and Uemura, who also have no tag team history, feels like another case of jumping the gun and trying to jam too much in before World Tag League. Couldnâ€t they have put Umino and Uemura in a match with Ishii and Taichi first? As a subplot, thereâ€s some interesting subtext around Yuto and Oskar winning a major title on their first attempt when Umino has yet to win anything and Uemura has not done much better. The title change was one thing, but the follow-up made it all the more baffling.)
(5) HIROMU TAKAHASHI (C) vs. TAIJI ISHIMORI – GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship match
The last time a NOAH championship was defended in New Japan was over 20 years ago. I donâ€t know the politics behind it all, but hearing that Ishimori didnâ€t actually want the title was a very strange choice before the match. That said, these two men are physically incapable of having bad matches with anyone, let alone each other.
Their increased familiarity was evident as Hiromu charged across the ring at the bell looking for a huracanrana. Ishimori blocked it, and they worked through a series of tombstone reversals that must have been murder on the abs. Ishimori stumbled and ended up dropping down with a short tombstone piledriver. He went for Cipher Utaki, Hiromu countered into a headscissors, but Ishimori flipped out of it and landed safely. An insanely impressive display. They ran around each other and the ring, Hiromu tried a sunset bomb over the top to the floor, but again Ishimori landed on his feet and hit a flying headscissors to actually connect with an impactful move. He returned to the ring, but only long enough to hit a beautiful plancha over the top to the outside.
Back in the ring, Ishimori hit a cartwheel Death Valley driver and a low superkick for a two-count. Hiromu mounted a comeback with his own headscissors and a basement dropkick, sending Ishimori to the outside. Hiromu ran along the apron looking for a kick, Ishimori avoided it and ran Hiromu shoulder-first into the corner post. They returned to the ring, where Ishimori again ran Hiromuâ€s shoulder into the corner. Apparently the corner pad had been removed, but I didnâ€t see when or by whom. Ishimori went for the flying Bone Lock, Hiromu blocked and hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and a sidewalk slam to leave both men down at the five-minute mark.
Ishimori ducked a clothesline but ate a falcon arrow for a two-count. Ishimori raked his eyes to escape a Time Bomb, and in the process the referee was knocked down. Ishimori took advantage of that to try a low blow. Hiromu caught the attempt and drew the refereeâ€s attention to the location of Ishimoriâ€s trapped foot. Ishimori protested as Hiromu sold the phantom blow. Hiromu schoolboyed Ishimori for a two-count, then grabbed a small package for another two. Ishimori caught a superkick attempt, swung Hiromuâ€s foot into the referee, and then hit a low blow followed by the Gedo Clutch for a near fall.
Ishimori hit a corner clothesline and a uranage, then went to the top rope for a 450 splash…connected! 1…2…no! Ishimori sold some damage to his ribs from the splash, but was able to slam Hiromu and go for a handspring move. Hiromu caught him mid-handspring and attempted a dragon suplex. Ishimori fought it off, so Hiromu switched to a pumphandle Alarm Clock. A lariat into Time Bomb 1.5 secured a two-count for Hiromu. Ishimori slipped out of Time Bomb 2 and used a la mistica takedown to transition into the Bone Lock. He sold the injured ribs as an impediment to locking in the hold, which allowed Hiromu to get to the ropes.
Hiromu twice escaped a Bloody Cross attempt, and after a series of high-speed counters he reversed another la mistica into Time Bomb 2. He connected with the original Time Bomb for the win.
WINNER: Hiromu Takahashi via pinfall at 11:30 to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship. (***1/2)
(Lansdellâ€s Analysis: This was a tricky one for me. Thereâ€s no question that the action was top drawer, and their familiarity with each other was on display for all to see. They worked through counters and reversals that really drove home the point that these two men have wrestled countless times. Everything seemed to shift after the 450 though, and I have to wonder if the combination of that impact and the earlier slip on the tombstone reversal didnâ€t tweak something in Ishimoriâ€s torso. The closing portion of the match felt very different and slightly off, which hurt the match overall. The post-match challenge was almost expected, given how the rest of the show had unfolded, but I did enjoy the commentators wondering how the production team was able to play Eitaâ€s music.)
(6) YOTA TSUJI vs. DAVID FINLAY
This has become quite the rivalry, with each man having beaten the other in important matches. Although not officially billed as a number one contenderâ€s match, you would have to think that it was being seen as one.
They started off aggressively, with Tsuji clotheslining Finlay to the outside. He went for a baseball slide which Finlay was able to sidestep, but maintained control and whipped Finlay into a barricade. They brawled up the entrance ramp, with Tsuji creating distance to hit the Gene Blaster. Finlay blocked it and hit a Northern Irish curse, in the process seeming to hurt his own knee. Finlay dragged Tauji back to ringside, whereupon he dropped him on the apron with a backbreaker. Finlay slowed things down and played to the crowd. Back inside, Finlay covered for a two-count. Tsuji escaped out the back of a powerbomb attempt and got a sunset flip for a two-count. Finlay went for another powerbomb, and this time Tsuji countered with a back body drop that sent Finlay into the corner pad. It looked nasty but likely was not.
Tsuji perched Finlay on the top rope and joined him there. Finlay pushed him down, but Tsuji hit a head kick and came right back up. Tsuji went for a huracanrana, Finlay half-blocked it but they had to change plans as it was clear he did not have a good grip. Tsuji connected with the rana for a two-count. They exchanged elbow strikes in the middle of the ring. Tsuji got the upper hand and went for his face slam-curb stomp combo, but Finlay dodged the stomp. Finlay ran into a knee lift and a superkick but came back with a crisp rebound lariat at the five-minute mark.
Finlay hit a running back elbow in the corner, then unceremoniously dropped Tsuji with a release suplex slam. He played to the crowd, removing a corner pad, and went for a buckle bomb to the exposed corner. Tsuji countered with a headscissors, sending Finlay shoulder-first into the corner post and out to the floor. Tsuji followed him out with a tope shoulder tackle. Tsuji rolled Finlay into the ring, played to the crowd on the outside, then hit a running knee in the corner and a falcon arrow for a two-count. He went for a powerbomb but Finlay countered and hit the Dominator for a two-count. Tsuji countered another powerbomb into a sunset flip, but again Finlay kicked out. Tsuji charged, but Finlay elevated him and dropped him onto the exposed corner. A backbreaker and a powerbomb by Finlay got a near fall.
Tsuji found a way to counter a suplex with a knee lift, blocked a lariat and hit a flatliner, then nailed a German suplex for a two-count at the ten-minute mark. He set for Gene Blaster, but Finlay grabbed him in a gator roll and went smoothly to Into Oblivion in a slick and unique counter sequence. Finlay went for Tsujiâ€s own Marlowe Crash, but ate a superkick. Tsuji returned the favour but landed into a stunner instead. Finlay covered for a near fall. He called for the end, but Tsuji rolled him up to counter Overkill and got a two-count. Another sequence of reversals saw Tsuji hit a stiff knee only to run into a knee from Finlay. Overkill connected out of nowhere! 1….2…no! It did not look clean, but I think that was intentional to lessen the blow of the kickout. Finlay went for Overkill again, Tsuji rolled out the back and hit Gene Blaster! 1…2…no! The crowd came alive for Yota as both men struggled to their feet. Yota was first up, calling to the crowd but running into a rollup for a near fall. Finlay went for Overkill but it was Tsujiâ€s turn to counter, hitting an alley-oop for his own near fall. He put Finlay on the top turnbuckle facing outwards, and hit a super Guerrero Special! Gene Blaster connected! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Yota Tsuji via pinfall at 14:35. (****)
(Lansdellâ€s Analysis: I could happily watch these two wrestle all day. They just work so well together, and Finlay is becoming a masterful ring general in terms of pacing and choosing his spots. The commentators mentioned that this was another loss in a key spot for Finlay, and he did look dejected after the match. Tsuji almost certainly put himself in the title picture with this win, while speculation will continue to mount over Finlayâ€s future in New Japan.)
(7) GABE KIDD (C) vs. SHINGO TAKAGI – IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship match
Another case of two people who are very familiar with each other, and this match was almost guaranteed to be a slugfest.
They brawled before the bell, and almost immediately Kidd caught Shingo on the jaw with a palm strike. He landed heavy chops in the corner, only for Shingo to turn the tables and hit his own flurry. They continued brawling to the outside, running into each other like moose in rutting season. Kidd got the upper hand, pulled two chairs out from under the ring, and dropped one for Shingo to use. They fenced with the chairs briefly until Kidd managed to hit Shingoâ€s chair out of his hand. Kidd waffled Shingo on the head with his chair, but Shingo shrugged it off and leveled Kidd with a lariat. The crowd exploded for that one. Shingo grabbed himself another chair and just launched it into Kiddâ€s face.
Shingo dragged Kidd to the apron, threatening to drop him with Made in Japan. Kidd slid out, hit a lariat, then hit a moonsault off the second rope to the floor. They brawled into the crowd, trading stiff slaps to the face. Kidd won the exchange, then remonstrated with the crowd and the camera. He had a trickle of blood on his cheek, clearly an accidental one from a slap. They made it back to the ring, where the strike exchange continued. Shingo reeled off a trio of jabs but could not avoid a misdirection lariat at the five-minute mark. Kidd positioned Shingo on the apron and hit a standing senton to his chest. He followed up with a brainbuster on the floor. Kidd erected a pair of tables while Shingo recovered, telling us that he was a madman. I do remember hearing that somewhere before. Kidd tried to powerbomb Shingo off the apron through the tables. Shingo escaped and hit a Death Valley driver on the floor.
Back inside, Shingo slammed Kidd and hit a standing senton. He peppered Kidd with right jabs in the corner, but Kidd came back with a suplex to break the momentum. Kidd mocked Shingo, attempting to steal his Shingo Time pose. It did not end well as Shingo clotheslined him from behind. There was blood on Shingoâ€s right tricep that might have been related to the blood on Kiddâ€s cheek earlier. Hard to tell whose it is at this point. Shingo connected with a suplex and was about to tell us what time it was when he had to duck a Northern lariat from Kidd. He came back with a Yukon lariat of his own at the ten-minute mark and…itâ€s Shingo Time! The crowd got behind him as he went for Made in Japan. Kidd fought it off and hit an exploder suplex. Shingo came back with one of his own, but Kidd popped up and hit a back drop driver. Shingo ducked under a rebound lariat and hit his own back drop driver, leaving both men down.
Both men stared each other down across the ring, and charged. Kidd hit a dropkick to beat Shingo to the punch, Shingo ducked a lariat and went for a back suplex, Kidd landed on his feet and hit his own back suplex for a two-count. He called to the crowd and tried to position Shingo for a superplex. Shingo blocked and instead perched Kidd on the ropes. Shingo went up with him, looking for a Made in Japan. Kidd punched out of it and hit a super huracanrana and a big lariat for a near fall. That top rope rana was very awkward, Kidd was already through his flip before Shingo moved. Kidd rolled down his kneepad and looked for the O-Knee. Shingo caught the first attempt and hit a sliding lariat, but Kidd got back up and nailed the attack to again leave both men down.
Kidd recovered first and brought Shingo over to the tables he set up earlier. Shingo resisted the piledriver attempt, then nailed the Made in Japan through the tables! Neither man moved as the referee checked on them. He started his count as Shingo started to stir. Shingo got to his feet at nine and rolled back in at 12. Kidd started to stir at 15, rolling back in at 19 only to be greeted with a forearm shiver. Shingo locked Kidd up and buried several 12-6 elbows to the head, then dropped him with a powerbomb for a two-count. Kidd was bleeding from the back of his head. Shingo unleashed a flurry of left and right elbow strikes, then hit the Rainmaker. Burning Dragon connected! 1…2…no! Shingo set for a lariat, nearly decapitated Kidd, then tried for another Burning Dragon…Kidd countered into a piledriver! Both men appeared to be spent. The referee checked on each of them, as they dragged themselves up to their knees. They traded slaps, then standing lariats, as we went beyond 20 minutes. Kidd tried for a doctor bomb, Shingo countered with a headscissors, they headbutted each other, and after a pair of ducked lariats Shingo hit a poison rana! Kidd popped up! Huge lariat by Kidd…only got a one count! Kidd hit the O-Knee and a doctor bomb for a near fall. Drill a hole piledriver…nailed by Kidd! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Gabe Kidd via pinfall at 21:37 to retain the Global Heavyweight Championship.. (***3/4)
(Lansdellâ€s Analysis: What a war. There were some awkward spots throughout that damaged the overall rating in my mind, not to mention the blatant weaponry usage, but this was the brutal and physical match that everyone expected it would be. The result was not really in question, but of course they could not resist once again bringing the next challenger to the ring after the match. I feel like this one needed some time for us to fully absorb the respect shown between Kidd and Shingo, but instead we got Tsuji bigfooting his way into the picture. Whoever loses the match in October will very likely go on to put themselves in the main event scene for Wrestle Kingdom.)
(8) ZACK SABRE JR (C) vs. REN NARITA – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match
The story coming in was that Narita had been able to match, and sometimes surpass, ZSJ in the technical game. Even with that factor, and the likelihood of repeated HoT Shenanigans (TM), I had a hard time believing ZSJ was in trouble here.
As you might expect, they started out with a grappling exchange. They rolled to the ropes, causing a break. Narita sat on the mat and invited ZSJ to join him. They engaged again with ZSJ grabbing an armbar. Narita escaped and moved to a leg lace. ZSJ untied himself and then tied up Naritaâ€s legs. Again they rolled to the ropes. Narita kicked ZSJ in the knee, which he had been targeting in the preview tag matches. He tried a second kick, but ZSJ was ready for it and caught the kick. He took Narita down with a heel hook, but Narita made the ropes. They traded running kicks to the head. ZSJ won the exchange and hit a pump kick at the five-minute mark that sent Narita flying. He followed up with a charging European uppercut into a half-hatch suplex for a two-count.
On the outside, ZSJ blasted Narita with a trio of European uppercuts. He locked on an armbar over the top rope, which Narita turned into an ankle lock. ZSJ slipped down to the floor to escape the hold, and Narita followed. He threw ZSJ into a barricade, then whipped him into another one. He wrapped ZSJâ€s leg around the barricade and pulled back on it. He broke the hold and threw a chair into the ring, despite the protests of the referee. The ref got in the ring to dispose of the chair, so Narita grabbed a second one and waffled ZSJ in the knee with it. After checking on ZSJ the referee finally started his count. ZSJ slowly made his way back to the ring in plenty of time, but was met by a continued assault on his knee. Narita dragged ZSJ to the corner and wrapped his leg around the post as we went past ten minutes.
Back inside, Narita hit a beautiful half-hatch suplex and bridge for a two-count. Thatâ€s whatâ€s so frustrating about House of Torture, this guy is so good but we donâ€t get to see it often enough. He went back to the ankle, ZSJ twisted his way out and went for a neck crank but Narita kicked him away. Narita continued to wrap ZSJâ€s leg around things, and then kick or hit it. He locked in a single-leg crab, then transitioned into a modified scorpion deathlock. ZSJ scrambled to the bottom rope to force a break. Narita followed up with a pair of kneebreakers, but went for a third and got dropped on his face with a DDT counter. ZSJ hit a flying European uppercut to create some space. Narita kicked him in the knee, then each man tried to lock in a cobra twist. ZSJ was about to apply it when Narita grabbed his ear and used it for leverage to throw him in a hip toss.
ZSJ went right into an armbar, Narita blocked the extension of the hold so ZSJ just stomped on his elbow at the 15-minute mark. He looked for a Zack Driver but settled for an octopus hold instead. Narita escaped, took ZSJ over with a snap mare, and hit a neck crank. ZSJ came right back with his own neck crank and a basement dropkick to leave both men down. ZSJ recovered first and tried real hard to kick a hole through Naritaâ€s chest with a PK. He hit a second kick and a trio of uppercuts to drop Narita. Out of nowhere Narita kicked ZSJ in the kneecap and grabbed a guillotine. ZSJ escaped and hit an overhead kick to the arm. They went through a succession of escapes, including ZSJ blocking a Double Cross attempt and Narita avoiding a Zack Driver. Narita connected with an exploder suplex and bridge for a near fall. Narita went up top for He;;â€s Guillotine…ZSJ picked the ankle! Inverted STF applied by ZSJ! He transitioned into the Venus Flytrap…and suddenly Yujiro Takahashi was on the apron. The referee went to deal with the interloper, though Narita had managed to get free of the hold legitimately. Narita grabbed his pushup bar and nailed ZSJ in the knee with it, then tied up the champ in a leg bar at the 20-minute call.
As ZSJ got close to the ropes, Narita pulled him to the middle of the ring and reapplied the hold. ZSJ got to his feet to try and escape, but Narita pulled back to halt the escape. ZSJ seemed reluctant to try for a rope break, shaking his head every time he looked at them. Eventually he realised it was his only escape, and he grabbed the bottom rope. Narita tossed ZSJ to the outside and pulled the referee away, allowing Yujiro to attack. ZSJ easily countered the threat, but was greeted by a sleeper when he returned to the ring. Narita hit a German suplex but ran into a lariat. A Zack Driver was only enough for a near fall, but ZSJ tied Narita up in knots with Clarky Cat. Narita faded but would not tap. ZSJ altered his grip only for Sanada to pull the referee out of the ring. He joined Yujiro in beating down ZSJ, but their attempt to use Yujiroâ€s pimp cane backfired as ZSJ ducked. As we hit the 25-minute call, the ringside Young Lions dragged Yujiro and Sanada to the back.
Narita hit a low blow and the Double Cross, but the referee was still motionless on the outside. He slowly rolled himself back into the ring as Narita went to the top rope. ZSJ sidestepped the attack and hit a round kick to Naritaâ€s back. The ref seemed to be fully recovered as ZSJ appealed to the crowd. He set for a PK…Narita kicked his leg out of his leg! Narita went for the leg bar again, but ZSJ rolled him into a European clutch for a near fall. ZSJ locked in a sleeper variant, Narita kicked the knee to escape and hit a beautiful bridging exploder for another near fall. Narita planted a pair of kicks to the jaw. ZSJ blocked the third and plastered Naritaâ€s face with a slap. Both men slumped to the mat. They traded nasty palm strikes to the face. ZSJ got the upper hand, hit a big PK and a Zack Driver…and picked up the win!
WINNER: Zack Sabre Jr via pinfall at 29:24 to retain the IWGP World Championship. (****).
(Lansdellâ€s Analysis: This was a perfect example of how good Narita is. The interference was annoying but minimal, and although the lack of TMDK members to counter remains an annoyance it did not matter in this case. If we could see more of this Narita, it would be a breath of fresh air.)
Final thoughts: A solid card from top to bottom, with the one glaring exception being the Oleg-Fale match that nobody thought would be good. The trend of having the next challenger come out after all but one of the title matches did get annoying, but not enough to really dent my enjoyment. All in all a fun night that set things up for King of Pro Wrestling beautifully.
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