NJPW Destruction in Hiroshima
September 16, 2017
1. Hirooki Goto, Yoshi-Hashi & Jado def. Jushin Thunder Liger, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Tiger Mask. Yoshi-Hashi picked up the win by submission with the butterfly lock. Okay opening match.
2. Juice Robinson & David Finlay def. Bad Luck Fale & Leo Tonga. Juice got the win with Pulp Fiction on the newest Tonga after Finlay hit a stunner.
3. Roppongi Vice def. Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens. This was the final match of RPG Vice before they go their separate ways. Baretta got the win over Owens after they hit Strong Zero. After the match Takahashi told Baretta to stay in the juniors division where he belonged, then challenged him to a singles match.
4. Michael Elgin, Kota Ibushi & Togi Makabe def. Minoru Suzuki, Taka Michinoku & Iizuka. Lots of shenanigans from Suzuki-Gun as per usual. Iizuka tried to do his thing with the iron fingers but Elgin came back and clobbered him. Ibushi got the win for his team with the Kamigoye.
5. Ricochet & Ryusuke Taguchi (c) def. Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru to retain the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. Fantastic title match, possibly the best of the night. Even more shenanigans from Suzuki-Gun. Afterwards Rocky Romero came out and announced that he would be forming a new team to combat Taguchi Japan, called Roppongi 3K. Interesting since he’s a part of CHAOS…
6. War Machine (c) def. The Guerrillas of Destiny and The Killer Elite Squad in a triple threat match to retain the IWGP Tag Team Championships. Fairly similar to their first Destruction match, maybe a bit better. The champions hit Fallout on Davey Both Smith Jr. after a hard-fought brawl to retain.
7. Los Ingobernables de Japon def. Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Will Ospreay & Gedo. Another good match playing up three different upcoming programs between EVIL/Okada, Hiromu/Ospreay and Naito/Ishii, the later of which is working with a bum leg. Bushi got the win over Gedo. After the match Naito put Ishii in a figure four while EVIL laid out Okada with the STO into a group of chairs.
8. KUSHIDA (c) def. Desperado to retain the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship. Decent title defense, but not quite as good as the caliber of the super juniors tournament or KUSHIDA’s program with Hiromu. The champion retained after the hoverboard lock transitioned into Back to the Future. Will Ospreay hit the ring afterwards to challenge for the title at King of Pro Wrestling. Hiromu came out to continue stalking Ospreay who decked him in the face and left him alone throwing a tantrum in the ring.
9. Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) def. Zack Sabre Jr. to retain the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. Another fantastic match, possibly best of the night depending on how much you liked the juniors tag match. Sabre was in control throughout picking his spots and forcing Tanahashi to work his slower, submission-based style, attacking the injured arm. Minoru Suzuki came out to interfere near the end after Taka Michinoku distracted the referee. Michael Elgin ran out to even the odds, brawling with Minoru all the way to the back.
The night ended with Tanahashi calling out Kota Ibushi to redeem his loss in the G1. Ibushi came out and accepted the challenge, starring down the champion before leaving him in the ring to celebrate and send the fans home happy.
Looks like King of Pro Wrestling is shaping up nicely…
- IWGP Title: Okada vs. EVIL
- G1 Defense: Naito vs. Ishii
- Jr. Title: KUSHIDA vs. Ospreay (vs. Hiromu?)
- IC Title: Tanahashi vs. Ibushi
- Baretta vs. Yujiro Takahashi
- more to come!
