With three out of the five matches including Young Lions the third night of the Road to Dontaku tour was pretty predictable as far as the results were concerned. Young Lions are usually the ones to eat a defeat in NJPW as is the tradition so there were no surprises with half of tonight’s card.
A Faction Warfare Gauntlet match was the name of the game in the main event pitting Just Five Guys against The United Empire. In the match, there are ten minute mini bouts with the loser being eliminated. If there is a draw both men are gone. The matches go on and on until one team has had all of their members eliminated.
The first bout is Yuya Uemura versus The Great-O-Khan. Khan comes out carrying a table. The match goes to time so there is no winner. Both men are out of the Gauntlet match.
The second bout is Sanada versus Jeff Cobb. Sanada and Cobb brawl to the upper levels of Korakuen Hall where Cobb lifts up Sanada for a suplex but Sanada slips out of the hold. The match ends in another draw so both men are eliminated.
Next is TAKA Michinoku versus Callum Newman. Newman pins Taka with a stunner off the ropes. Newman moves on to battle Douki. Douki makes Newman submit to his Douki Chokie.
Francesco Akira is out next for United Empire. Douki ducks the Fireball Knee pinning Akira with a roll-up.
It is Douki versus TJP. TJP pins him with a Mamba Splash. Taichi checks on Douki but as he does so TJP nails him with a drop kick from inside the ring.
In the final match TJP no-sells a Pumping Bomber to pin Taichi with a roll-up winning the Gauntlet Match for his team.
United Empire survives the Gauntlet. Courtesy: New Japan World.
Road to Dontaku Night Three Results
Katsuya Murashima, YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto vs BULLET CLUB (Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens and KENTA)
Ishimori makes Murashima submit to a Yes Lock. Kenta throttles Hashi after the match. Kenta and Owens take the tag team belts taunting Bishamon before handing them back. Owens gives a shout-out to the Hybrid School of Wrestling in Texas before heading backstage.
Winners: BULLET CLUB (Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens and KENTA)
Hikuleo, El Phantasmo, Shoma Kato and Jado vs TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls and Kosei Fujita)
Kato is subbing for an injured Taguchi. Fujita makes Kato submit to a Boston Crab.
Winners: TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls and Kosei Fujita)
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, Boltin Oleg, Shota Umino and Tomohiro Ishii vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, SHO, Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita and Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
As Evil distracts the official Yujiro hits Oleg with a pipe. Oleg is thrown into an exposed turnbuckle by Kanemaru. Kanemaru rolls Oleg up for the win. Narita throws Umino into a steel guardrail. House of Torture lays a beatdown on the rest of the faces in the ring then stand over them with the Never Openweight Six Man Tag Team belts.
Winners: HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, SHO, Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Nartia and Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi and Yota Tsuji) vs BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, Gedo, Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney)
Shingo is down but not out. Courtesy: New Japan World.
Tsuji comes out wearing football gear including a helmet. The match begins as a big brawl on the floor. Things head back into the ring and then it is quickly back on the floor once again. Takagi is hit so hard by Gabe Kidd that he breaks a steel barricade. Gedo submits to Hiromu’s D triangle choke hold. The battle goes on long after the match is over. Gabe works over Shingo’s injured bicep with a steel chair. Clark Connors is offered a drink by a fan. He takes a swig and spits it back in their face.
Winners: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi & Yota Tsuji)
Faction Warfare Gauntlet Match- Just Five Guys (SANADA, Taichi, Yuya Uemura, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku) vs United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, TJP, Francesco Akira & Callum Newman)
Winners: United Empire