Csonka’s NJPW Road to Power Struggle Review 10.23.17

Csonka’s NJPW Road to Power Struggle Review 10.23.17

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga defeated Tomoyuki Oka & Shota Umino @ 6:34 via pin [**¾]
– Suzuki-gun defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, ACH, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV @ 8:32 via pin [***]
– Toru Yano & Hirooki Goto defeated Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka @ 9:56 via pin [*]
– Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, & Katsuya Kitamura defeated Kota Ibushi, Juice Robinson, & David Finlay @ 13:17 via pin [***¾]
– Tetsuya Naito, EVIL & SANADA defeated Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI @ 12:59 via submission [***¼]
– Super Jr. Tag Tournament Match: Roppongi 3K defeated KUSHIDA & Hirai Kawato @ 12:40 via pin [***¾]
– Super Jr. Tag Tournament Match: Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI defeated Dragon Lee & Titan @ 20:25 via pin [****¼]

---

– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

Tomoyuki Oka & Shota Umino vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga: Leo and Oka in to start, they trade strikes and work power spots with Leo hitting a big lariat and Yujiro taking Umino to the floor. Oka fires up with chops, but gets cut off by Leo. Yujiro tags in, laying in ground and pound, and following with a leg drop for 2. Yujiro maintains the heat, working strikes in the ropes but then ruins into a spine buster. Umino gets the tag, and runs wild on Yujiro with running forearms and uppercuts. Oka in and takes out Leo, they double-team Yujiro but Leo returns to toss Oka. Umino hits a missile dropkick and salmon Oka to a great reaction. Yujiro cuts him off, hits pimp juice and picks up the win. Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga defeated Tomoyuki Oka & Shota Umino @ 6:34 via pin [**¾] This was a pretty good little opener, with an interested crowd and Leo Tonga putting in one of his better outings.

– Post match, Oka and Leo brawl.

Ryusuke Taguchi, ACH, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, TAKA Michinoku, Taichi & El Desperado: This is a Super Jr. Tag Tournament preview match for Sunday as Tiger Mask & Liger face Desperado & Kanemaru, and ACH & Taguchi face TAKA & Taichi. Kanemaru mocked Tiger Mask with one of his masks he had stolen. Typical Suzuki-gun open as they attack and most spill to the floor for a brawl. Tiger Mask and Kanemaru were left alone until Desperado attacked Tiger Mask and everyone ended up on the floor. Suzuki-gun took the heat on Tiger Mask, trying to rip off his mask like a bunch of assholes. They worked quick tags, isolating Tiger Mask in their corner. Tiger Mask hits a desperation tiger bomb on Desperado and tags on Liger. SHOTEIS for everyone! He then works the Romero special on Desperado, but Kanemaru makes he save. Wholesale changes to ACH and TAKA. ACH runs wild, hits dropkicks and a dive. TAKA cuts him off with kicks and knee strikes, and then locks in the crossface. Taichi tags in, lays in kicks and rips off his pants. ACH wasn’t a fan, hits a RANA and tags in Taichi. Ass attacks follow, and then the babyfaces work over Taichi in the corner. Taguchi hits a missile ass attack, and then he and ACH hit the double ass attack on Taichi. It breaks down, TAKA gets involved but Taguchi fights him off. Taichi shoves his mic stand up Taguchi’s ass and pins him with the rolling clutch. Suzuki-gun defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, ACH, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV @ 8:32 via pin [***] This was good, all action and never slowed. They also did a nice job of getting some heat onto Sunday’s tournament matches.

– Post match, Suzuki-gun attacks Tiger Mask, trying to rip off his mask. They beat everyone down and left victorious.

Toru Yano & Hirooki Goto vs. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka: Suzuki has the bull rope with him and as soon as he enters the ring? The Suzuki-gun pre match attack and floor brawl of course. Suzuki beats the shit out of Yano with a chair for a while, and then brings him back in the ring so that he and Iizuka can work double teams. Yano rips off the buckle pad, but Suzuki cuts him off and works him over some more. Suzuki works the hanging arm bar in the ropes before taking the action back to the floor. We’re just strolling around on the floor here, Goto may be dead because I haven’t seen him yet. Suzuki works the arm of Yano. Oh hey, there’s Goto, and there goes Goto as Iizuka tosses him to the floor. Iizuka bites the arm of Yano as Suzuki tries to rip it off. Yano makes a comeback, but Iizuka blocks the low blow. Yano fights him off and tags on Goto. He works over Iizuka until Iizuka bites his foot. Suzuki trips up Goto, and Yano trips up Iizuka. They brawl to the floor as Suzuki works the sleeper. Goto hits an ushigoroshi on Iizuka and then the GTR for the win. Toru Yano & Hirooki Goto defeated Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka @ 9:56 via pin [*] This was a bad wrestling match, filled with too much bullshit. It was slow, there was way too much Iizuka doing what ever he does and was the same shit we see all the time. Just no good.

– Post match, the rest of Suzuki-gun arrives and they beat down Yano and Goto. Yano fights back and chokes out Suzuki with the bull rope and runs away. Suzuki then hangs a young lion with the rope and stands tall.

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, & Katsuya Kitamura vs. Kota Ibushi, Juice Robinson, & David Finlay: Tanahashi and Ibushi into begin, they work a spirited back and forth but end up in a stalemate. Finlay and Kitamura tag in, Kitamura lays in shoulder blocks but eats a double dropkick from Finlay & Juice. They take him to the corner and work him over for a bit, work quick tags and keep the bug man isolated. Kitamura fires up with some chops, but Ibushi cuts him off with kicks and tags in Finlay. Kitamura cuts him off with a big suplex and tags in Makabe. Makabe runs wild on Juice and Finlay, hitting corner clotheslines, The lariat to Finlay follows for 2. Finlay fires up, hits clotheslines and an uppercut off the ropes. Ibushi tags back in, but Makabe kills him with a lariat and tags in Tanahashi. He works over Ibushi, hits the slam and senton, covering for 2. Ibushi follows with a desperation RANA, and then lights up Tanahashi with strikes and a standing moonsault for 2. Ibushi fires away with kicks, but Tanahashi cuts that off with a dragon screw leg whip. Kitamura gets the tag and just kills Juice with chops in the corner. Shoulder blocks follow, but Juice counters the spear and hits the cannonball. Tanahashi in to make the save, it totally breaks down into the big move buffet and that leads to Kitamura spearing Juice for a great near fall. Juice counters the jackhammer, lays in strikes and hits a DDT for 2. It breaks down again, Juice and Finlay double team Kitamura, but the big man survives. Juice hits the big right and follows with pulp friction for the win. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, & Katsuya Kitamura defeated Kota Ibushi, Juice Robinson, & David Finlay @ 13:17 via pin [***¾] This was a very good match, with every one working hard and everything they did clicking well. Kitamura got a ton of run down the stretch, including some monster kick outs and believable near falls. The build to Tanahashi vs. Ibushi continues to go well and Juice Robinson & David Finlay continue to look great as a team. On to of all of that, it was a ton of fun.

Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tetsuya Naito, EVIL & SANADA: Korakuen is a very pro LIJ audience today, Naito teases starting off with Okada, but SANADA will begin instead. Okada controls early, taking SANADA down and hitting a basement dropkick. YH tags in, he and Ishii work double teams and that gets a cover for 2. Quick tags follow, with Ishii laying in chops. SANADA fires back, but this only makes Ishii pissed off so he light him up with strikes. LIJ rushes the ring and clears Okada and YH to the floor and attack Ishii. SANADA works over Ishii and EVIL tags in. He grounds Ishii right away, keeping the pit bull down and then tagging in Naito. Naito continues the heat, hitting a draping neck breaker and covering for 2. Naito lays the boots to Ishii, but Ishii fires up and gets cut off by EVIL, but he manages to slam Naito into EVIL and starts suplexing Naito & SANADA. Hot tag to Okada who turns Naito inside out with a lariat and then works over EVIL, hitting the neck breaker across the knee for 2. Naito cuts off Okada as he heads up top, EVIL attacks and hits a senton and that gets 2. Okada battles back, and hits the flapjack. YH tags in and is the old house of fire, working over SANADA with rapid-fire offense. SANADA cuts him off with a dropkick, and work into a series of counters. It breaks down, and YH hits the running knees for 2. Naito makes the save, takes out Okada and they brawl to the floor. SANADA counters karma into skull end, YH escapes but Naito cuts him off, and the TKO by SANADA gets 2. SANADA locks in skull end again and YH has to tap. Tetsuya Naito, EVIL & SANADA defeated Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI @ 12:59 via submission [***¼] While not their best outing, this was another good and fun LIJ vs. CHAOS tag match. They always deliver.

Super Jr. Tag Tournament Match: KUSHIDA & Hirai Kawato vs. Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH): Kawato is fired up, attacking at the bell and hitting a RANA to send Sho to the floor. After his run, he gets cut off and Roppongi 3K sends KUSHIDA to the floor and double teams Kawato. They work quick tags, isolating Kawato in their half of the ring. Yoh stomps the shit out of Kawato, picking up a near fall and then tagging in Sho. Sho grounds the action, working a head scissors until Kawato makes the ropes. Kawato tries to fire up with chops, and then hits the desperation dropkick and tags in KUSHIDA. KUSHIDA runs wild, hitting a back handspring elbow and takes Yoh to the floor, and hits the cartwheel into the dropkick on Sho. Sho looks for a sleeper, KUSHIDA escapes and works a hanging kimura but Sho powers him out into a dominator. Roppongi 3K look for double teams, but Kawato makes the save with a missile dropkick and a sweet tope. KUSHIDA locks in the hover board lock, and transitions to the arm bar but Sho escapes. They trade strikes, and Kawato gets the tag. He fires up with strikes and a lariat, lays in kicks on Yoh and then Sho, he locks in an arm bar, KUSHIDA plays defense for him as he transitions to a triangle. Show powerbombs him to escape, Yoh tags in and Kawato runs them together, KUSHIDA in and Kawato picks up some great near falls on roll ups. Trouble in paradise connects for another great near gall. Kawato is fired up here, but Yoh catches him with a rolling crab. KUSHIDA fights off Sho and makes the save. It breaks down, Kawato fights but eats a back stabber and dropkick. The elevated flatliner finishes young Kawato. Roppongi 3K defeated KUSHIDA & Hirai Kawato @ 12:40 via pin [***¾] That was a hell of a little tag match there, very good overall as Roppongi 3K is gelling very well as a team, and Kawato not only is over, but he continues to evolve and grow as a performer and the crowds are believing he can win. This was so much fun even though Roppongi 3K losing was next to impossible.

Super Jr. Tag Tournament Match: Dragon Lee & Titan vs. Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI: Titan and BUSHI start things off, working a fast paced beginning. BUSHI bails to the floor as Titan mocks him. Takahashi & lee Lag in and beat the hell out of each other with chops, revisiting their long rivalry. More chops follow, they work some counters and Lee sends Takahashi to the floor. Dives by Lee & Titan follow, they aren’t fucking around. Back in and Lee and Titan work double teams on BUSHI, maintaining control. They then work over Takahashi, with titan laying in strikes in the corner until Takahashi takes out his knee with a running dropkick. Everyone brawls to the floor, with Takahashi and Lee brawling into the crowd. Titan and BUSHI follow, as Takahashi posts Lee and now we’re all back in the ring. LIJ try to unmask the CMLL lads, and then just lay the boots to them. BUSHI now takes the heat on Titan, picking up near falls and keeping Titan grounded. LIJ work quick tags, keeping Titan grounded and BUSHI then working an STF. Lee makes the save as Takahashi was in for double teams, and they spill to the floor. Titan avoids a lariat, hits a jump kick and looks for a tag, but lee is down on the floor. BUSHI chokes out Titan with his shirt, leading to Takahashi returning for double teams and another near fall on Titan. Titan tries to make the comeback and finally tags in Lee. Lee runs wild, hitting shotgun dropkicks and covering Takahashi for 2. They trade Germans, dropping each other on their heads. Lee then catches Takahashi with the Spanish fly for the double down. Titan tags in, running wild and hitting a high cross on BUSHI for a good near fall. They work up top and BUSHI hits a RANA of the ropes, covering for 2. Titan counters the destroyer attempt, and sends BUSHI to the floor and then sends Takahashi to the floor. Lee and Titan follow with dives and everyone is down. Lee & Titan take BUSHI back into the ring. They follow with a top rope splash/leg drop combo for a near fall. lee hits a German, and Titan hits a corkscrew moonsault for another near fall. Takahashi hits an apron bomb on Lee as BUSHI counters the Titan moonsault. LIJ double team Titan, but lee makes the save. Lee takes out Takahashi with a sitout powerbomb, but BUSHI hits him with a reverse RANA! Titan hits a back stabber on BUSHI and everyone is down. Titan and BUSHI trade strikes now, BUSHI hits a destroyer but Lee makes the save. Takahashi then takes out lee with a destroyer! BUSHI and Titan work back and forth, but LIJ hit a double team code breaker on Titan for the near fall. BUSHI then kills Titan with a DOOMSDAY MX for the win. Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI defeated Dragon Lee & Titan @ 20:25 via pin [****¼] This was an awesome back and forth match, Dragon Lee & Titan more than held their own, were over, and would be a welcomed addition to the junior tag ranks on a regular basis. The LIJ tag team of Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI work so often together that they not only delivered big time, but worked very well with their opponents and allowed them to shine. They did a great job of creating peaks and valleys in the action, and always picked things up at just the right time. I love Takahashi as a single, but he and BUSHI kick ass as a tag team. There is so much talent to be used, it’s just a matter of properly booking the tag divisions.

-Thanks for reading.

– End scene.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.8

The final score: review Good

The 411

For a show with almost no buzz going into it, today’s Road to Power Struggle show was a ton of fun and filled with a lot of good to great wrestling. It’s worth your time for sure. Just skip the Toru Yano & Hirooki Goto vs. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka match.