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Csonka’s NJPW Road to Destruction Review 9.08.18

September 8, 2018 | Posted by Larry Csonka
NJPW Road to Destruction 9818
6.5
The 411 Rating
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Csonka’s NJPW Road to Destruction Review 9.08.18  

Csonka’s NJPW Road to Destruction Review 9.08.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Shota Umino and Yuya Uemura defeated Ren Narita and Yota Tsuji @ 9:00 via submission [***]
– Chase Owens defeated Ayato Yoshida @ 8:32 via pin [***]
– Bullet Club defeated Togi Makabe, Michael Elgin, David Finlay, and Toa Henare @ 10:35 via pin [***]
– Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru @ 9:20 via DQ [**]
– LIJ defeated Suzuki-gun @ 18:11 via pin [**]
– Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, and Will Ospreay defeated Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, and Yujiro Takahashi @ 9:30 via pin [***½]
– Hiroshi Tanahashi and Juice Robinson vs. Kazuchika Okada and Beretta @ 21:15 via pin [***½]


– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– I did a column, “Where Are They Now, The Cruiserweight Classic Finals Performers” which you can check out at this link.

– You can check out my top 51 matches of AUGUST list at this link.

Shota Umino and Yuya Uemura vs. Ren Narita and Yota Tsuji: Tsuji been bulking up I see. Uemura and Tsuji start things off, working into a grappling exchange before tagging in Umino & Narita. Umino takes control and he and Uemura work some double teams. Narita battles back, tags in Tsuji and he delivers big time chops. Narita tags back in and lays the boots to Uemura. They trade strikes until Uemura hits a backdrop and we get wholesale changes to Umino and Tsuji. They trade strikes, Tsuji huts a running dropkick and corner attacks. They now slap the shit out of each other and work into a double down. It breaks down, Umino gets the crab, great fight spot from Tsuji and he makes the ropes. Umino now connects with a missile dropkick, back to the crab, and Tsuji finally taps. Shota Umino and Yuya Uemura defeated Ren Narita and Yota Tsuji @ 9:00 via submission [***] This was a good opener, filled with fire and a great sense of urgency as the lions made the most of their time.

Ayato Yoshida vs. Chase Owens: They lock up and Owens looks to ground things early. Yoshida back to the feet, they lock up again and Yoshida hits a hip toss and transitions to an arm bar. Owens escapes, Yoshida lays in kicks on the arm but Owens trips him up and starts putting together offense and grounds the action. The back breaker follows as Owens maintains his control. Yoshida hits a desperation hip toss, but runs into a knee strike. Owens hits the slam, but Yoshida quickly fights back, laying in chops, and the flapjack follows. Owens avoids the PK and cradles Yoshida for 2. Yoshida counters to an arm bar, but Owens makes the ropes. They work into counters, Owens hits the back breaker, and follows with a PK for 2. Yoshida now locks on a hanging hammerlock, but Owens escapes and hits a superkick. The package piledriver finishes it. Chase Owens defeated Ayato Yoshida @ 8:32 via pin [***] This was a good, smart, and simple match worked at a nice pace and with no wasted motion. Yoshida is working with the roster really well so far; it’s easy to see why Nagata is so high on him.

Togi Makabe, Michael Elgin, David Finlay, and Toa Henare vs. Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Taiji Ishimori: Loa and Elgin start things off, Elgin lays into him with strikes and they trade and hoss about a bit. Ishimori cheap shots Elgin and then accidentally takes out Loa, allowing Elgin to start tossing men around with ease. Inlay tags in and runs wild until Ishimori cuts him off. Bullet Club takes the rest of the faces to the floor and isolates Finlay. Fale in with clubbing blows as Bullet Club maintains the heat. Loa tags in and head Ishimori beat down Finlay, Bullet Club works quick tags. Finlay finally fights back and tagging Makabe, who runs wild until he and Fale work into double down. Wholesale changes to Tonga and Henare, Tonga instantly cuts him off and Bullet Club beats him down. Elgin into make the save, Loa takes him out as it completely breaks down. Henare fires up but runs into a gun stun and Tonga pins him. Bullet Club defeated Togi Makabe, Michael Elgin, David Finlay, and Toa Henare @ 10:35 via pin [***] This was a good, action-packed, and tremendously fun tag match. This show is flying by so far.

Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru: Like the day before, Taichi attacks Goto before the bell and beats him down with his mic stand. Kanemaru works over HASHI on the floor as Goto and Taichi also spill to the floor. After some floor brawling, we’re back in with Goto and HASHI taking control. HASHI works over Kanemaru until Taichi cuts him off with a mic stand shot, and the fight goes back to the floor, with everyone brawling. Taichi & Kanemaru work the most uninteresting heat on HASHI until HASHI hits a desperation neck breaker. Goto tags in, and runs wild with kicks and the Saito suplex for 2. Taichi fights out of ushigoroshi, he and Goto trade strikes and kicks. With Taichi actually manning up to Goto a bit here. HASHI gets tossed as Suzuki-gun double teams Goto. The pants are off for Taichi, and the head kick follows for 2. HASHI avoids the mist, and superkicks Kanemaru. Goto hits ushigoroshi and Taichi runs in with the mic stand attack for the DQ. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru @ 9:20 via DQ [**] This was ok at best, but did nothing to make me want to see Goto vs. Taichi at all; fuck Taichi.

Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, BUSHI, and SANADA vs. Minoru Suzuki, Iizuka, Desperado, and TAKA Michinoku: I know you’re going to be shocked here, but Suzuki-gun failed to live up to their usual high standard of sportsmanship, abandoning all sense of decorum, and attacked LIJ prior to the bell ringing. This leads to the usual floor brawl, with Suzuki & Naito paring off and Suzuki trying to kill Naito with a chair. Suzuki is an equal opportunity ass kicker, and now beats the shit out of EVIL before the gang joins in. Suzuki actually tags in and starts working submissions on EVIL. He takes out Naito again on the floor as they continue to work over EVIL. This just keeps going at a snail’s pace, Suzuki in and works more submissions on EVIL until he makes the ropes. Iizuka in and he starts biting people. SANADA finally gets the tag, runs wild and gets a paradise lock on Taka. He slams Desperado into Taka’s ass, Iizuka bites him and Naito and Suzuki tag in and brawl. Naito takes control and poses. Suzuki attacks the arm, lays in knee strikes and gets the sleeper. EVIL makes the save and Naito follows with the dropkick combo. BUSHI hits the missile dropkick. But Suzuki chokes him out and it breaks down. Suzuki-gun works him over and clears the ring. BUSHI takes out Taka, huts the code breaker and gets 2. The MX finishes it. LIJ defeated Suzuki-gun @ 18:11 via pin [**] It existed, and felt like a replay of every LIJ vs. Suzuki-gun tag ever. It was also too long for what it was, despite the fun closing stretch.

Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, and Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, and Yujiro Takahashi: Omega’s wearing his fuck around house show tights. Ishii and Omega to begin. Yujiro sneaks in and attacks. Ishii fights them off and lays in chops. The shoulder tackle follows, and Ospreay tags in as CHAOS works over omega with triple teams. Ospreay wants Ibushi. Ibushi in and they work into some fun back and forth. Ospreay takes him to the floor and Yujiro attacks, allowing Ibushi to hit the running shooting star for 2. Omega back in and beats down Ospreay. Yujiro tags in but Yano cuts him off. Kenny & Ibushi stop him from undoing the buckle pads and send him to the floor. Ibushi back in and he trades strikes with Ibushi. Ospreay finally cuts him off with the back handspring kick. Ospreay catches Omega with a stunner and tags in Ishii. He and Omega trade strikes, pick up the pace and then light each other up. Ibushi in and Ishii fights both he and Omega off. Omega scores with the kotaru crusher and Yujiro tags in and Ishii suplexes him. Yano tags in and unties a buckle pad. We get a five-way hair pull spot until Ishii breaks it up. Omega hits a RANA, it breaks down into dives and Yano low blows Yujiro and cradles him for the win. Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, and Will Ospreay defeated Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, and Yujiro Takahashi @ 9:30 via pin [***½] This was a very good and tremendously fun sprint. I need Omega vs. Ishii & Ibushi vs. Ospreay in my veins NOW!

Hiroshi Tanahashi and Juice Robinson vs. Kazuchika Okada and Beretta: Juice and Beretta start things off. Beretta looks to ground things, but Juice is back to his feet. They work into some back and forth and then into a standoff. Okada & Tanahashi tag in and they lock up, working to the ropes, Tanahashi lays in chops, then looks to ground things. Okada fights back to his feet, but Tanahashi hits a dragon screw, Juice tags in and continues the attack on Okada’s knee. Juice up top and Okada crotches him. Beretta tags back in and dumps Juice and Tanahashi. Okada to the floor and attacks, working over Tanahashi. Back in and Okada hits the senton atomico on Juice for 2. Okada gets a bit ruthless on Juice with a questionable low blow, which Beretta isn’t a fan of, so he tags in and hits the cactus clothesline on Juice. He follows with a plancha. Back in and Beretta maintains control until Juice gets the desperation tag. Tanahashi runs wild, knocking Okada to the floor and then hits the slam and senton on Beretta for 2. Beretta fires up and hits a lariat for the double down. Okada tags in and lays in strikes on Tanahashi. John Woooooooo follows from Okada. Tanahashi fights off he tombstone and hits twist and shout. He and Okada work into counters and end up in a double down. Tag to Juice, he lays in jabs on Okada, and then hits corner clotheslines and the cannonball is countered into a flapjack. Beretta in and hits the high cross for 2. Juice counters the tornado DDT, lays in jabs, but Beretta cut s him off with a suplex. He dumps Tanahashi and double teams on Juice follow. Okada and Tanahashi brawl to the floor, Tanahashi back in and the hart attack on Beretta gets 2. Juice misses the cannonball, and hits the tornado DDT. It breaks down as Okada tombstones Tanahashi. Juice then hits him with the juice box. Everyone is down. Juice now hits the cannonball on Beretta. He heads up top and Beretta runs up and cuts him off with an overhead superplex. Juice cuts off the knee strike into a powerbomb for 2. Tanahashi and Okada brawl on the floor, and Beretta cradles Juice for 2. The stuff piledriver connects and Tanahashi makes the save. Okada dumps Tanahashi and Juice counters the dudebuster, and pulp friction finishes it. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Juice Robinson vs. Kazuchika Okada and Beretta @ 21:15 via pin [***½] This was a very good and action filled match, with the build to Tanahashi vs. Okada continuing, and Juice and Beretta getting a ton of time to shine.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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

6.5
The final score: review Average
The 411
Today’s NJPW Road to Destruction show was a solid effort overall, nothing was bad, but it didn’t have the same energy as the previous night and the overall builds that they were doing didn’t connect with me like on night one. If cherry picking, the final two matches are the best but nothing was must-see.
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