A pair of elimination style matches highlighted the last Road to Wrestling Dontaku event before the two big Wrestling Dontaku cards this weekend for New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
In the first, it was IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Dragon Lee, Will Ospreay, Mikey Nicholls, IWGP United States Champion Juice Robinson and Hirooki Goto against Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, Hikuleo, Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale and Jay White).
Order of elimination:
- Dragon Lee and Taiji Ishimori brawl over the top rope. Both are eliminated. Ishimori steals Dragon Lee’s mask. Lee had to resort to putting a towel over his head to hide his face as he went back to the locker room.
- Will Ospreay pinned Hikuleo with the OsCutter.
- Seconds later, Bad Luck Fale heaves Will Ospreay over the top rope.
- Minutes later, Mikey Nicholls clotheslines Bad Luck Fale over the top rope.
- Seconds later, Fale punches Nicholls from outside the ring. Chase Owen throws Nicholls over the top rope to the floor.
- Robinson and Owens battled on the apron. In a clever spot, both men were hanging off the top rope trading kicks with each other. Robinson sends Owens to the locker room with the Left Hand of God.
- White dumps Robinson over the top rope with a Saito Suplex.
- Goto throws White over the top rope but Gedo distracts the official. After a low-blow White tosses Goto to win the match for his team as the sole survivor.Winners: Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, Hikuleo, Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale and Jay White).
White shows what won Bullet Club the match. Photo: NJPW.In the second elimination match, it was IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Sho and Yoh, IWGP Intercontinental Champion Kota Ibushi, Tomohiro Ishii and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada versus Los Ingobernables de Japón (Shingo Takagi, Bushi, Tetsuya Naito, Evil and Sanada).
Order of elimination:
- Evil clotheslines Ishii off the apron.
- Right after that, Ibushi drop kicks Evil out of the match.
- Ibushi eliminates Naito with a hurricanrana off the apron. In doing so, he also eliminates himself.
- Bushi drop kicks Yoh out.
- Sho sweeps Bushi’s legs and basement drop kicks him off the apron.
- Okada drop kicks Shingo off the top rope.
- Sanada pulls the ropes down on Okada. Okada tumbles out of the ring.
- Sho submits to Sanada’s Skull End. Sanada is the sole survivor for his team.Winners: Los Ingobernables de Japón (Shingo Takagi, Bushi, Tetsuya Naito, Evil and Sanada).
As a part of Wrestling Dontaku night one on Friday, Jeff Cobb will defend the Never Openweight Heavyweight Title against Taichi and Dragon Lee will put up his IWJP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Taiji Ishimori. As part of night two on Saturday, Okada will defend the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Sanada.
In other matches:
Ren Narita, Shota Umino and Tiger Mask defeated Yuya Uemura, Yota Tsuji and Toa Henare. Tiger Mask won the match with an amazing Butterfly Suplex off the top rope.
Rocky Romero and Ryusuke Taguchi beat Suzuki-gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru). Romero put away El Desperado with roll-up. A furious Desperado and Kanemaru put the boots to Romero and Taguchi.
Tomoaki Honma, Toru Yano and Togi Makabe defeated Bullet Club (Jado, Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga). A Kokeshi from Honma and a King Kong Knee Drop put Jado away.
Jyushin Thunder Liger, Yoshi-Hashi and Jeff Cobb beat Suzuki-gun (Taka Michinoku, Minoru Suzuki and Taichi). Cobb pinned Michinoku with a Tour of the Islands.
