At Night Three of the Road to NJPW New Beginning tour, the motley team of Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano and Togi Makabe beat Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga) to become the new Never Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions.
Ryusuke Taguchi in his rugby gear and wrestling in his hometown of Sendai taunted current IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion Taiji Ishimori before the bell rang. Ishimori defends that title against Taguchi at the New Beginning pay-per-view on February 11th. The two rivals locked horns to start the match.
Taguchi caught Ishimori in his ankle lock submission forcing Ishimori to flee the ring for a breather. Ishimori rolled back in and tagged Tonga. Taguchi tagged in Yano. Still insisting he has turned over a new leaf; ‘Good Guy’ Tonga offered Yano his hand in friendship.
“No. No. You are a bad guy!” said Yano.
“No, I am a good guy!” replied Tonga reaching for a hug.
Yano avoided Jado’s kendo stick as he hit the ropes.
From inside the ring, Tonga admonished Jado for attempting to cheat. Jado leapt up onto the apron and the two Bullet Club members argued. Yano pushed Tonga into Jado.
Yano pulled off the turnbuckle pad, swung it and missed Tonga. Yano threw the turnbuckle to Tonga who carefully put it down on the apron.
“What are you doing?” Loa asked Tonga.
“I am a good guy,” said Tonga.
After Loa, the illegal man, stomped Yano, Tonga apologized to him.
“I hope Haku isn’t at home watching this,” said commentator Kevin Kelly.
Ishimori tagged in heaving Yano out of the ring so that Jado could attack and choke him with the kendo stick.
Tonga leapt out of the ring to stop Jado.
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‘Bone Soldier’ Ishimori submits. Photo: NJPW.
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“Jado, no!” yelled Tonga asking Yano if he was okay before rolling him back into the ring.
“Please, don’t cheat. I love you,” Tonga said to Jado.
Eventually, Taguchi and Ishimori faced off again. Taguchi had Ishimori pinned with his Dodon (Chickenwing Facebuster). The official, Red Shoes, was pulled out of the ring by Jado before he could slap the three count.
Chase Owens interfered bashing Taguchi. He lifted Taguchi up for the Package Piledriver; however, Yano punched him in the “lower abdomen”.
Ishimori flipped out of Taguchi’s ankle lock sending Taguchi flying into Red Shoes.
It was Bad Luck Fale’s time to jump Taguchi. This brought out Kazuchika Okada who drop kicked Fale out of the ring.
Next, ‘Switchblade’ Jay White jumpt into the ring. He set up Taguchi for a Blade Runner until Tanahashi blasted him with a Slingblade.
Taguchi turned Ishimori’s Bloody Cross into another ankle lock. Ishimori tapped out.
In other matches:
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Minoru Suzuki takes the fight into the crowd. Photo: NJPW.
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Shota Umino and Ayato Yoshida defeated Yota Tsuji and Toa Henare. Umino pinned Tsuji with a Fisherman’s Supex. Henare was pissed off at the loss.
Tiger Mask and Manabu Nakanishi beat Ren Narita and Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Tiger Mask pinned Narita with the Tiger Suplex.
Shingo Takagi defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru via disqualification. Kanemaru spit his whiskey but missed. Takagi was going to finish Kanemaru but El Desperado attacked him with a steel chair. Bushi entered the fray to even the odds. The official called for the match between Bushi and El Desperado to start.
Bushi defeated El Desperado via disqualification. Desperado rips Bushi’s mask off. Kanemaru rushes the ring. Desperado holds up Bushi’s mask as a trophy. Bushi sprays Desperado with his mist. Bushi tears Desperado’s mask off. Bushi throws the mask into the audience.
Yoshi-Hashi, Tomoaki Honma, Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Bullet Club (Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale and ‘Switchblade’ Jay White). Okada Tombstone Piledrives Takahashi. Tanahashi Styles Clashes Takahashi. Okada hits Takahashi with his Flying Elbow Smash. Tanahashi lands High Fly Flow on Takahashi for the pin. Poor Takahashi.
Los Ingobernables de Japón (Sanada, Evil, Tetsuya Naito) Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. and Minoru Suzuki). Sabre Jr. pins Evil with a roll-up.