wrestling / TV Reports

Csonka’s NJPW Road to Destruction Review 9.07.18

September 7, 2018 | Posted by Larry Csonka
NJPW Road to Destruction 9718
7.5
The 411 Rating
Community Grade
12345678910
Your Grade
Loading...
Csonka’s NJPW Road to Destruction Review 9.07.18  

Csonka’s NJPW Road to Destruction Review 9.07.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi defeated Ren Narita and Shota Umino @ 8:15 via pin [***]
– Bullet Club defeated Juice Robinson, Michael Elgin, David Finlay, and Ayato Yoshida @ 9:33 via pin [**¾]
– Beretta defeated Toa Henare @ 8:50 via pin [***]
– Hirooki Goto and Gedo defeated Taichi and Taka Michinoku @ 9:16 via pin [**]
– Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA, and BUSHI defeated Minoru Suzuki, Iizuka, Kanemaru, and Desperado @ 11:45 via pin [***]
– Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, and YOSHI-HASHI defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, and Tomoaki Honma @ 13:30 via pin [***]
– Golden Lovers defeated Tomohiro Ishii and Will Ospreay @ 19:00 via pin [****½]


Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Ren Narita and Shota Umino: Yujio and Narita to start things off. They lock up and work into a solid back and forth opening stretch, Narita hits the dropkick and then he and Umino take control, dumping Owens and double teaming Yujiro. Yujiro cuts that off quickly and bullet club takes control and takes the fight to the floor for a bit. Back in and Bullet Club isolates Narita, with Owens taking control. They work quick tags, Narita keeps trying to fight back and finally hits the dropkick and we get wholesale changes to Owens & Umino. Umino runs wild on Owens for a bit until Owens hits a pair of neck breakers. Narita tags back in, working over Owens and hitting a suplex for 2. The crab follows, but Yujiro is in and attacks. Bullet Club cuts him off with double teams until Umino makes the save and scores a series of near falls. Owens cuts him off, package piledriver, and that’s that. Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi defeated Ren Narita and Shota Umino @ 8:15 via pin [***] This was a good opener, that kept a good pace and featured everyone working hard; an enjoyable way to kick things off.

Juice Robinson, Michael Elgin, David Finlay, and Ayato Yoshida vs. Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Taiji Ishimori: This is part of the build to next week’s trios title match. Elgin and Tonga to kick things off. Tonga tries to quicken the pace immediately and gets dumped to the floor. Elgin chases, and then cuts off a RANA and hits a press slam. Finlay tags in and so does Fale. Fale tosses him around, Finlay fires up and attacks but eats a clothesline as Fale knocks his teammates to the floor. Fale then works him over in the ropes, and Ishimori tags in and takes control, grounding Finlay and covering for 2. Tonga now tags back in, laying in strikes and hitting the corner splash. Loa tags in and follows with a slam and leg drop for 2. Ishimori back in and he lays in chops to Finlay and follows with the seated senton for 2. They trade rights, and Finlay hits the desperation dropkick. Wholesale changes to Juice & Loa, Juice runs wild and takes out Tonga with a clothesline. He knocks Fale to the floor, and hits the full nelson slam on Ishimori. The cannonball is cut off by Fale, but Juice manages to dump him to the floor. Yoshida tags in, and he battles with Loa and hits the PK for 2. Ishimori in and hits the back handspring kick. It breaks down into the big move buffet and Elgin takes out Fale. Loa cuts off Yoshida and hits ape shit for the win. Bullet Club defeated Juice Robinson, Michael Elgin, David Finlay, and Ayato Yoshida @ 9:33 via pin [**¾] This was an overall pretty good match with a fun closing stretch and no Firing Squad bullshit, serving as solid set up for next week’s title match

Beretta vs. Toa Henare: This is Beretta’s return to NJPW singles action following his time away due to injury. They lock up and work to the ropes for a break. Beretta then takes Henare down, slaps him around, and trade strikes. Beretta takes Henare to the floor and follows with a plancha. They brawl on the floor, Beretta hangs him on the barricade and follows with an apron double stomp. Back in and a slingshot elbow drop connects for 2. Beretta maintains control, laying in chops until Henare starts firing back and then follows with a backdrop. The Samoan drop connects for 2. Henare then cuts off the tornado DDT and turns it into a suplex for 2. Henare heads up top and flies off into a dropkick from Beretta. Beretta now hits the tornado DDT, and shining wizard for 2. They trade strikes, Beretta slaps him around and then takes Henare up top. The RANA follows but Henare rolls into a sunset flip for 2. He follows with a German but Beretta cuts off the spear with a knee strike and stuff piledriver for 2. The dude buster finishes it. Beretta defeated Toa Henare @ 8:50 via pin [***] This was good, Henare continues to work hard and is constantly improving, while Beretta picks up a good win to get reintroduced to the NJPW fans after so much time away.

Hirooki Goto and Gedo vs. Taichi and Taka Michinoku: This is part of the set up for Taichi challenging Goto for his NEVER Openweight championship next week. Taichi attacks before the bell, beating down Goto with his mic stand, leading to the floor brawl. Gedo & Goto make the comeback and work over Taichi back in the ring. Gedo tags in, takes out Taka, but Taichi cuts him off and dumps him to the floor. Everyone brawls to the floor now, Taichi attacks Goto with chair shots, back in the heels isolate Gedo, with Taka taking the heat. Taichi tags back in, working with absolutely no aggression sense of urgency here. Fucks sake dude you have a title shot coming up, show some fire. Gedo fights him off, tags in Goto and Goto runs wild. The corner kick and Saito suplex follow for 2. Taichi cuts him off, loses the pants, and hits a lariat. Taka gets the tag, he and Taichi double team Goto and Gedo makes the save. Taka crossfaces Gedo, Goto counters the last ruined and hits Ushigoroshis on both Taka & Taichi. The GTR finishes Taka. Hirooki Goto and Gedo defeated Taichi and Taka Michinoku @ 9:16 via pin [**] This was ok at best, with the only one showing any sort of fire or sense of urgency being Goto. Taichi was completely worthless here.

Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA, and BUSHI vs. Minoru Suzuki, Iizuka, Kanemaru, and Desperado: In a shocking turn of events, Suzuki-gun abandoned all sportsmanship and attacked LIJ prior to the bell ringing. This is set up for next week’s Naito vs. Suzuki singles match. They all brawl to the floor with Naito & Suzuki pairing off. Back in and BUSHI runs wild on Despy & Kanemaru. LIJ now takes control, isolating Despy and everyone getting a turn to beat on him. Suzuki cuts off Naito and works the hanging arm bar in the ropes before taking him to the floor for a proper ass beating. Suzuki is using chairs and focusing his attack on the arm of Naito. Back in and Suzuki-gun stomps away at Naito. Suzuki chokes him out and Despy covers for 2. Suzuki now locks on a hanging arm car on the apron, which looks like it absolutely sucks for Naito. Iizuka is in and starts biting everyone. Naito tries to fight back, but Suzuki locks on the sleeper. He looks for the Gotch, but Naito fights it off and hits the flying forearm. Tag to SANADA and he runs wild on Kanemaru & Despy. Paradise lock time for Kanemaru. Despy saves him but SANADA continues to control. EVIL tags in and Iizuka cuts him off with a chair shot. Suzuki-gun isolates him and Iizuka chokes him out with his rope but LIJ makes the save as it breaks down. Iizuka gets the iron fingers, but gets cut off and the mass brawl continues. The magic killer finishes Iizuka. Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA, and BUSHI defeated Minoru Suzuki, Iizuka, Kanemaru, and Desperado @ 11:45 via pin [***] Like most LIJ vs. Suzuki-gun battles, this was chaotic fun, with a lot of attention paid to Naito vs. Suzuki without giving a ton away.

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, and Tomoaki Honma vs. Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, and YOSHI-HASHI: This is part of the build to next week’s Tanahashi vs. Okada match. Okada is back to carrying balloons again. Tanahashi and Okada start us off. They lock up, work to the ropes, and no clean break from the Ace. They work into some counters and cradles and now HASHI & Honma tag in. They lock up and then trade chops, HASHI takes control until he runs into a shoulder tackle. Honma hits the slam but Yano cuts off the kokeshi by pulling him to the floor. Everyone brawls to the floor as Yano removes a buckle pad. Back in and CHAOS takes the heat on Honma, whipping both he and Makabe to the exposed buckle. Okada tags in, hits the senton atomico and then misses a kokeshi; don’t come at the king son. HASHI back in and he works over Honma, hitting a clothesline and covering for 2. Honma battles back with a suplex and tags in Tanahashi. He runs wild on Okada until Okada hits the flapjack and DDT for 2. Tanahashi battles back, hits twist and shout but runs into a dropkick and they then work into a double down. Yano and Makabe tag in, Makabe runs wild on Yano & HASHI, and hits a lariat for 2. Honma tags back in and dumps HASHI. Tanahashi and friends work over Yano. FALLING KOKESHI by Honma! Running Kokeshi, but Yano low blows him and cradles him for the win. Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, and YOSHI-HASHI defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, and Tomoaki Honma @ 13:30 via pin [***] This was a good tag match, with nice attention paid to building to Tanahashi and Okada, and Honma & Makabe getting their groove back ahead of a possible WTL run.

Golden Lovers vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Will Ospreay: This is part of the build to next week’s Omega vs. Ishii IWGP title match. Ibushi and Ospreay start us off. They lock up and immediately work to the ropes. They then work into some fast paced and tremendously fun back and forth and a stand off. Ishii and Omega now tag in. There‘s no fucking around as they immediately brawl and Ishii takes early control. Ibushi tries to make the save, and he and Omega cut off Ishii with double teams. Ishii cuts off the Omega dive as Ospreay & Ibushi battle on the floor. Back in and Ishii and Ospreay double team Omega until Ibushi makes the save before being dumped. Ishii and Omega trade big time chops and strikes, just lighting each other up. Omega finally cuts him off with the Saito suplex and tags in Ibushi, who grounds the action. He lays in strikes on Ishii and Omega tags back in. Omega lays the boots to Ishii, but Ishii fires up and lays in chops and strikes. Omega fires back, rocking Ishii but Ishii hits the powerslam to cut him off. Ospreay tags in and hits a 619 and sling blade. The running shooting star press connects for 2. Omega fires back with a snapdragon as Ibushi flies in and takes out Ishii. Cross slash follows from the lovers. Back in and the double teams on Ishii follow but Ospreay counters the assisted German and hits the double PELE and Sasuke special! Back in and CHAOS hits a doomsday device on Omega for 2. Ishii follows with lariats and a Saito suplex. Ibushi in to save Omega and they double-team Ishii. They look for golden trigger, Ospreay lies in and gets caught and dumped to the floor. The lovers head up top and Ishii cuts them off and superplexes mega. Ospreay flies in and it completely breaks down. V trigger by Omega, but Ishii rebounds with a huge lariat for a great near fall. Omega counters the brainbuster into a snapdragon, and they work into a double down. Wholesale changes to Ospreay & Ibushi, they fire up and trade strikes. Ibushi goes rapid-fire bit Ospreay cuts him off and hits the sitout powerbomb for another great near fall! The cyclone kick connects, Omega dumps Ishii and Ospreay cuts him off with a stunner. Ospreay cuts off the Oscutter into a straight jacket German. Kamigoye is countered, but Omega catches Ospreay with V trigger. The elevated German from Ibushi follows and Ishii makes the save, RANA from Omega and golden trigger finishes Ospreay. Golden Lovers defeated Tomohiro Ishii and Will Ospreay @ 19:00 via pin [****½] This was a 100% certified fucking banger. Overall this was an absolutely excellent tag match, with a ton of drama and beautiful hard-hitting action. The pairings (Ibushi & Ospreay and Ishii & Omega) were awesome, and makes me want more tags and singles matches going forward. This match was so much fun, they had the crowd locked in the entire time, and this was a match that would have been welcomed on any bog tome show and could have headlined it. And we got it on a road to show. Go out of your way to see this one.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

 photo fe36ffd0-0da4-4e3b-a2d3-b026b341dd87_zps41ef5d61.jpg
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.5
The final score: review Good
The 411
The “NJPW Road to” shows can be a real mixed bag, but this one was an overall good and consistent show with good build to he upcoming matches and a great main event you should go out of your way to see.
legend