The action at the second night of NJPW’s Road to Destruction was marred by an injury to Yoshinobu Kanemaru of Just Five Guys. The match against the House of Torture started with a brawl before the bell even rung. As Kanemaru slid into the ring he twisted and hurt his knee badly. Medical officials were quick to check on Kanemaru as he went down immediately clutching his knee in pain. Kanemaru was assisted to the back but was limping to keep the weight off his injured knee. Douki pulled double duty subbing for Kanemaru in the match.
Evil wants Sanada to beg for mercy. Courtesy: NJPW.
Once Kanemaru headed to the back to get medical assistance the House attacked Sanada and Taichi. Evil shoved a microphone into Sanada’s face demanding he beg for mercy. Douki arrived to even the teams and the odds. The House separated Douki from the rest of Just Five Guys for most of the match beating the tar out of him. Dick Togo nailed Douki with a chair from behind. Evil pinned him with Everything is Evil. The House put the boots to Douki. Taichi ran them off with a chair. He threw it at them on the floor and hit a photographer in the back. Whoops!
In the main event it was The United Empire (Callum Newman, Henare, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and Will Ospreay) versus Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito in an Elimination Tag Team Match.
Cobb tries to bring Naito down hard. Courtesy: NJPW.
The initial back and forth between Ospreay and Tsuji has the crowd cheering and some on their feet. If you know how Japanese crowds can be you can appreciate that reaction and that it means a lot.
- At 14 and a half minutes Shingo pins Newman with a Pumping Bomber.
- The Great-O-Khan eliminates himself at 18 minutes and 13 seconds when he slams Shingo on the apron. Shingo falls off the apron seconds later.
- At 19 minutes and 8 seconds Bushi dodges a knee strike by Henare throwing him over the top rope to the floor.
- At 19 minutes and 32 seconds Ospreay pins Bushi with a Hidden Blade.
- Ospreay and Tsuji have an amazing battle on the apron. Tsuji hits a stomp on Ospreay sending them both crashing to the floor at 23 minutes and 32 seconds.
That leaves Cobb against Hiromu and Naito.
- Cobb powerbombs Hiromu over the top rope at 24 minutes and 55 seconds. Tsuji, Shingo and Bushi catch Hiromu but he still hits the floor.
- Cobb wins the match for his team by drop kicking Naito off the apron to the floor at 27 minutes and 23 seconds.
Sole Survivor: Jeff Cobb
Winners: The United Empire
NJPW Road to Destruction Night Two Results
YOH and Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Just Five Guys (DOUKI and TAKA Michinoku)
Taguchi hits his Bumaye right on Taka’s face. Yoh and Taguchi pin him with a double-knee facebreaker.
Winners: YOH and Ryusuke Taguchi
Tomoaki Honma, Master Wato, Shota Umino and Yuji Nagata versus Yuto Nakashima, El Desperado, Ren Narita and Minoru Suzuki
Shota pins Nakashima with his Death Rider. Umino and Narita exchanged words after the match. Master Wato threw Desperado into the ringside barricade. Suzuki shoved Milano Collection A. T. and stole his chair behind the Japanese commentary desk. Suzuki exchanged some words with Nagata and then threw the chair to the ground.
Winners: Tomoaki Honma, Master Wato, Shota Umino and Yuji Nagata
Chaos (Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto) versus TMDK (Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste and Bade Dude Tito)
Hashi and Goto pin Bad Dude Tito with a Shoto. Hashi and Goto trade some nasty words with Nicholls and Haste after the bell.
Winners: Chaos (Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto)
House of Torture (SHO, EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi) vs. Just Five Guys (SANADA, Taichi and Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Winners: House of Torture (SHO, EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi)
Zack Sabre Jr. (c) versus Satoshi Kojima – NJPW World TV Championship
Sabre Jr. catches Kojima coming off the ropes in an arm-bar submission for the win.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.
Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada (c) versus Tiger Mask, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Togi Makabe – NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship Match
Ishii hits his Brainbuster on Tenzan for the 1, 2, 3.
Winners: Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada
The United Empire (Callum Newman, HENARE, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and Will Ospreay) versus Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito – Elimination Tag Team Match
Winners: The United Empire (Callum Newman, HENARE, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and Will Ospreay)