It was the final NJPW event of 2023 and the last chance for the promotion to hype the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom show on January 4, 2024, at the Tokyo Dome.
You would think that their IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Sanada, would have a lot on his mind and a lot to share heading into the big match and event. You would think his challenger, the leader of the Los Ingobernables de Japón faction, Tetsuya Naito, would also have a lot to say. Such wasn’t the case at Road to Wrestle Kingdom Night Two even though the main event was Just 5 Guys (SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura) versus Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji).
The crowd was behind Tetsuya Naito from the very start chanting his name before he even came out. When both teams were all in the ring Sanada demanded that he start off the match against Naito. As the bell ring the crowd begins loudly cheering for Naito once again. Naito appears to be breaking clean as he backs Sanada into the ropes but he spits in his face instead. Sanada complains to Red Shoes. Sanada backs Naito into the ropes. He breaks clean. Naito spits at him again. Naito takes Sanada down with an arm bar. It doesn’t take long for Sanada to reverse things. Naito gets the crowd clapping with him. He backs into LIJ’s corner though so that Takagi can blind tag into the match.
Sanada and Naito faced off once again later on. Naito ended a flurry of attacks with a drop kick to the back of Sanada’s head. He then wrapped him up with a leg scissors around his neck. Sanada reaches the ropes. Red Shoes calls for the break. Naito refuses until Red Shoes himself intervenes. Sanada dodges Naito with two leap frogs which end with a drop kick to the mouth. Naito rolls away from Sanada’s attempted moonsault. Naito goes for Destino but Sanada blocks it. He stumbles forward with Naito in his arms. Naito stuns Sanada with a tornado DDT off the ropes. The announcers make a point that Naito is targeting Sanada’s neck.
Uemura ended up winning the match for his team. Tsuji went for his spear but Uemura caught him in a roll-up. After the match Uemura addressed Tsuji on the house mike as Tsuji has backed away from giving Uemura a one-on-one match saying he hasn’t proven anything to him.
Uemura and Tsuji have the same idea. Courtesy: NJPW.
“I gave you what you wanted. Are you going to let things finish like that?” he asked.
“Just as I promised we will have a singles match but the question is where?” answered Tsuji. Both men looked at the Wrestle Kingdom sign.
Uemura gave his answer as “Wrestle Kingdom”.
“Get the biggest stage ready!” shouted Tsuji.
Next, it was time for Naito and Sanada to trade barbs on the microphone.
“It is okay for you not to have a comment but we have a sell-out here at Korakuen Hall. You don’t have to give a comment but it would be the right thing for the people here,” said Naito.
“Sorry, Naito. Just Five Guys won this match so if you don’t mind take your leave,” answered Sanada, who was roundly booed by the crowd.
Naito did leave the ring and that was that leaving this fan very confused by it all.
In the other notable match of the evening, Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney) took on Catch 22 (Francesco Akira & TJP) in a Coffin Match. Midway through the bout The War Dogs brought dog collars into the ring. Both Akira and TJP were put on leashes. While Moloney choked TJP in the ring with the chain Connors did so to Akira on the floor. Clark eventually hung Akira out to dry over the top rope with the chain wrapped around his neck.
Clark Connors takes out Francesco Akira on the floor. Courtesy: NJPW.
With Akira taken out of the equation and hanging motionless at ringside The War Dogs double-teamed TJP and stuffed him in a coffin to win the match.
Reader Alert: This event is free to watch, stream on NJPW’s streaming service.
The Wrestle Kingdom card at this time is:
- Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Tama Tonga – NEVER Openweight Championship Match
- Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. El Desperado – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match
- Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney) (c) vs. Catch 2/2 (TJP and Francesco Akira) – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match
- Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) (IWGP) vs. Guerrillas of Destiny (Hikuleo and El Phantasmo) (Strong Openweight) – Winners Takes All tag team match for the IWGP Tag Team Championships and Strong Openweight Tag Team Championships
- Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW World Television Championship Match
- Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley vs. David Finlay – Three-way match for the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
- Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada
- Sanada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match
Road to Wrestle Kingdom Night Two Results
Shoma Kato and Togi Makabe versus Katsuya Murashima and Satoshi Kojima
Makabe wins the match with a Boston Crab.
Winners: Shoma Kato and Togi Makabe
Masked Horse (Ryusuke Taguchi) & Masked Boltin (Oleg Boltin) versus CHAOS (Toru Yano & YOH)
As per their masked horse personas Taguchi and Boltin introduce a riding crop into the match. Much spanking occurs. Yoh gets the sneaky pin on Taguchi for the win.
Winners: CHAOS (Toru Yano & YOH)
Callum Newman versus Tomohiro Ishii
Newman puts up a strong and valiant fight but Ishii wins with his brainbuster.
Winner: Tomohiro Ishii
Young Blood (Oskar Leube & Yuto Nakashima) versus Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI)
Bishamon pin Nakashima with a Shoto.
Winners: Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI)
El Desperado & Master Wato versus Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi)
Desperado and Hiromu are ready for the Tokyo Dome. Courtesy: NJPW.
Takahashi will be putting his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion belt on the line against Desperado at Wrestle Kingdom. Desperado almost makes Hiromu submit to the stretch muffler but Bushi saves the day. Wato kicks out of Bushi’s MX. Wato wins a battle of the roll-ups with Bushi.
Winners: El Desperado & Master Wato
Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney) versus Catch 22 (Francesco Akira & TJP) – Coffin Match
Winners: Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney)
TMDK (Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.) versus Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada
Instead of giving Fujita the Rainmaker, Okada uses the set-up for that to roll him up for a cradle pin in an innovative new move. Perhaps that was meant for his Wrestle Kingdom opponent Bryan Danielson?
Winners: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada
Just 5 Guys (SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura) versus Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji)
Winners: Just 5 Guys (SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura)