It hasn’t been a good month for Tetsuya Naito. Not only did he lose the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Jon Moxley at Windy City Riot but a new enemy has come to NJPW to take him out.
Before tonight’s card got underway there was a contract signing between Douki and Sho for their IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship match on April 29th. Evil and Dick Togo are at Sho’s side. Evil believes he is the actual “president” of NJPW now so he takes a seat at the table. For those who don’t know, Douki stole Sho’s IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship as he has done to others to teach him a lesson and force him into a title match. We actually get to see what the contract looks like…
Douki and Sho get into an argument before the contract is signed. Sho flips the table in anger. When everyone’s backs are turned Dick Togo switches the contracts. A clueless Douki signs the switched contract. The Chairman of the Board, Naoki Sugabayashi, also signs the contract too. Sho is the last to sign.
Douki motions for the belt to be returned to Sho and it is. When Evil shows off the switched contract it says “NOT” a IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship match but nobody realizes that. Poor Douki he has signed a contract for a non-title match.
Later on, Naito took on Drilla Moloney.
Drilla Moloney mocks Naito for losing his championship belt Jon Moxley. The crowd is behind Naito though. It doesn’t take long for the match to go outside when Drilla hits a baseball slide sending Naito into a ringside barrier. He is rammed into another and almost goes right over.
Naito arm drags Drilla into the official knocking him right out of the ring. Naito puts Drilla into a submission but there is no official to check on him. Naito squeezes and squeezes. Drilla taps out to no avail.
David Finlay jumps the rail. He stands on the apron diverting Naito’s attention. Finlay mocks Naito from the floor daring him to come fight him. Pro-Wrestling NOAH’s Jake Lee jumps into the ring. He and Naito start exchanging blows. He nails Naito with a running kick in a corner. Moloney pins Naito with the Drilla Killa as Lee smiles and claps. Finlay pounds on Naito. Lee stands over a fallen Naito. Lee is wearing a Good Looking Guys shirt, a stable led by Jake Lee. The stable’s other members are Jack Morris, Anthony Greene, Tadasuke, YO-HEY and LJ Cleary.
Lee puts the boots to Naito before Hiromu Takahashi hits the ring. He punches and chops anyone who isn’t Naito. He double drop kicks Finlay and Drilla out of the ring. Drilla and Finlay double team Hiromu slamming him into a steel post.
Lee kicks Naito out of the ring. He labels him with another running kick that sent him over the railing before leaving the ringside area.
It doesn’t take long for Finlay to beat a roughed-up Hiromu with Overkill. Drilla and Finlay beat on Hiromu until Shingo and Tsuji hit the ring to make the save. Gabe Kidd attacks them both from behind. Finlay lays the boots into Tsujii as Kidd focuses on Shingo. Finlay hits Tsujii with a shillelagh in the head and drops him with Overkill.
Jake Lee wants to eliminate Tetsuya Naito. Courtesy: New Japan World.
In a backstage interview with The War Dogs, Finlay explained that Lee has been begging him for Naito head for weeks.
“Here’s the thing, Naito I told you were a marked man. I told you somebody was coming for your head and that someone was Jake Lee,” said Finlay.
Finlay announced that Gedo has been removed from the upcoming elimination match between LIJ and The War Dogs in Hiroshima on April 27th. Lee will be taking his place.
Road to Dontaku Night Five Results
YOSHI-HASHI, Hirooki Goto and Shoma Kato vs BULLET CLUB (KENTA, Chase Owens and Taiji Ishimori)
Just like last night Kato submits to Ishimori’s Bone Lock hold.
Winners: BULLET CLUB (KENTA, Chase Owens and Taiji Ishimori)
NEVER Openweight 6 man Tag Team Championships- Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi and Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Kanemaru hits Takahashi in the ribs with a steel chair. The Ace manages to barely raise his shoulder after a slam by Yujiro. Dick Togo chokes out The Ace with his garotte. Yano grabs Yujiro by the hair before he can hit Pimp Juice. Kanemaru spits whiskey at Yano. Yano ducks so it hits Yujiro in the face instead. Yano gives Kanemaru a low-blow. Evil gives Yano a low-blow. The Ace gives Evil a low-blow. The Ace kicks the ropes on Gedo as he tries to enter the ring, so a low-blow to him too. Oleg gives Yujiro the Kamikazi and The Ace pins him with High-Fly Flow.
Winners: … and still NEVER Openweight 6 man Tag Team Champions, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg.
Yota Tsuji vs Gedo
Gedo pulls out his brass knuckles before the bell can ring. Tsuji runs off the ropes spearing Gedo. Tsuji takes off his jacket. The bell rings. He pins Gedo in five seconds.
Winner: Yota Tsuji
BUSHI vs Gabe Kidd
Bushi flies. Courtesy: New Japan World.
Bushi tries to match is speed with Gabe’s strength. Gabe, overdoing his “madman” gimmick, quickly takes over until he charges at Bushi. Bushi dodges and he hits the steel barricade. Gabe drags Bushi up the aisles of Korakuen Hall.
“I am a madman, you know!” screams Kidd for the hundredth time.
Bushi escapes being piledriven into the floor. Kidd charges down an aisle at Bushi. Bushi dropkicks his knee out from under him. Bushi leaps off the top of an entrance way onto Kidd and a Young Lion.
From behind the official Bushi spits mist into Kidd’s eyes. Kidd kicks the official as Bushi rolls him up. He has Kidd pinned. Kidd piledrives Bushi for the win.
“Get me some f—–g water!” Kidd screams to the official after the match is over.
Winner: Gabe Kidd
Shingo Takagi vs Clark Connors
Connors flees to the floor demanding Takagi come fight him. Takagi refuses. Back in the ring, Connors cannot knock Takagi down with shoulder tackle after shoulder tackle. The fight does end up on the floor. Takagi bounces Connors’ head off the ring apron. Connors shoves a Young Lion into Takagi. Connors whips Takagi into the ring barricade. They brawl into the crowd. Connors whips Takagi into a wall backstage and into a steel post. Takagi is stunned with a snap suplex on the floor. Connors picks up and slams two Young Lions on top of Takagi. Takagi makes it back into the ring at 19 but Connors spears him in the ropes. Connors gets a two count.
Takagi only gets a two count with Made in Japan. A Pumping Bomber pins Connors.
Winner: Shingo Takagi
Tetsuya Naito vs Drilla Moloney
Winner: Drilla Moloney
Hiromu Takahashi vs David Finlay
Winner: David Finlay