The penultimate show of NJPW’s King of Pro Wrestling tour takes places today in Saitama with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on the line in the main event.
SHO and DOUKI put the IWGP Jr. Tag titles up against El Desperado and KUUKAI in the show-closing bout. DOUKI took the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship from Desperado in an upset earlier in the tour, now Despy has a chance to take the Tag titles from DOUKI.
A series of tag bouts previewing Monday’s King of Pro Wrestling event primarily fill out today’s undercard.
Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, Titan, and Daiki Nagai face Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, Taiji Ishimori, and Gedo in the semi-main event spot.
The lone singles contest on the show features Shota Umino vs. Katsuya Murashima in the second match on the card.
The event begins with a Young Lions tag team bout at 3 a.m. Eastern time.
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- Shoma Kato and Tatuya Matsumoto defeated Masatora Yasuda and Zane Jay
- Shota Umino defeated Katsuya Murashima
Main card
Shoma Kato & Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated Masatora Yasuda & Zane Jay
(Yasuda and Jay sold their opponents quite well. Kato and Matsumoto were particularly easy to dislike.)
Kato and Jay teed off with no haste; Matsumoto tagged in for a series of slams and an attempted armbar. Isolating the American Young Lion further from Yasuda, Matsumoto and Kato bullied him in their corner, broken soon by Jay sneaking a dropkick.
Yasuda fired back, an elbow drop dazing Matsumoto momentarily. Kato interrupted Yasuda’s Boston Crab locked on Matsumoto. Jay returned, with Kato soon sinking in a Boston Crab. Yasuda made the save, but Matsumoto dragged him away. Jay, once more caught in a Boston Crab crawled towards the ropes, yet tapped when Kato dragged him deep into the center.
Shota Umino defeated Katsuya Murashima
(Murashima’s character development is notably informed. He’s emotional, he’s passionate, he has a fire that demands he get his lick in. There’s a hot babyface in him, and I can’t wait to see how that manifests in his NJPW career.)
Umino remained calm during the initial lock-up phase of this bout, adrenaline etched on the face of his opponent. Murashima vied for control with chops, but Uminio grounded him, especially with a Neckbreaker. Absorbing as much of Umino’s offense as he could, Murashima at last retaliated with a pounce to swing a comeback. Stubbornly, Murashima repeatedly tried for a scoop slam, suffering instead that same move courtesy of Umino.
Umino ran the ropes, confidently, until he found himself caught in a scoop slam. Breaking his control, Murashima cinched in a Boston Crab, pulling it deep as he could. Umino regained control with a lariat, and it was enough to put Murashima down. Uminio gained the pinfall victory in this singles match.
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