Elimination was the name of the game at the first night of NJPW’s Road to Wrestling Dontaku. The show was highlighted by two Survivor Series, battle royal mash-up style tag team matches at the top of the card.
It was YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Bullet Club (Gedo, KENTA, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori) in the first match. It played out like this:
- Gedo taps to Tanahashi’s Texas Cloverleaf.
- Tanahashi skins the cat to get back into the ring. Dick Togo pulls him down and out. The official doesn’t spot Togo’s interference. He just sees The Ace on the floor so he eliminates him.
- Evil and Toru Yano take each other out after fighting on the apron.
- Yujiro clobbers Ishii in the head with his pimp stick and then kicks him off the apron.
- Goto heaves Yujiro over the top rope.
- Ishimori pins Goto with a sneaky roll-up.
- Ishimori goes for a springboard off the top rope. Yoshi-Hashi just flat out punches him sending him over the ropes and to the floor.
Both teams keep their allies in the match. Courtesy: NJPW.
It is down to Kenta and Yoshi-Hashi. Hashi drop kicks Kenta out of the ring. Kenta lands right on Yoshi-Hashi’s bo stick. Since his feet technically didn’t touch the floor he is still in the match. Kenta throws out Yoshi-Hashi to be the sole survivor and win the match for Bullet Club.
Los Ingobernables De Japon versus The United Empire was the main event of the evening. Here are the results:
- Khan kicked Naito off the apron.
- As Khan poses, Sanada drop kicks him to the floor.
- Sanada’s clothesline carries himself and Henare over the top rope and out of the ring.
- Cobb pins Bushi with Tour of the Islands
- Shingo shoves Cobb off the apron and to the floor.
Shingo and Ospreay are left to battle it out. Shingo gives Ospreay Made In Japan off the apron and to the floor.
Shingo wins the match for Los Ingobernables De Japon and is the sole survivor.
Road to Wrestling Dontaku 2021 Night One
Results
Yota Tsuji versus Gabriel Kidd
A spirited match between two Young Lions. Kidd submits to Tsuji’s Boston Crab.
Winner: Yota Tsuji
Yuya Uemura, SHO & YOH versus Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki, Yoshoinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado)
As Sho and Yoh are busy with Kanemaru and Desperado, Suzuki makes Uemura submit to a half-crab. Kanemaru and Desperado put Yoh in a double submission. Sho tries to save him but Suzuki cuts him off and forces him to watch Yoh writhes in agony. Sho finally breaks free rescuing Yoh from further damage.
Winners: Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki, Yoshoinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado)
Suzuki-Gun (DOUKI, Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi) vs BULLET CLUB (Jado, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)
Suzuki-gun puts Bullet Club in simultaneous submission holds. Jado taps out to Taichi. Douki chokes out Jado with his steel pipe.
Winners: Suzuki-Gun (DOUKI, Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi)
Elimination Tag Match – YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs BULLET CLUB (Jay White, KENTA, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori)
Winners: BULLET CLUB (Jay White, KENTA, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori)
Elimination Tag Team Match – Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI) vs United Empire (Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & Aaron Henare)
Winner: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI)