At the first night of Road to Tokyo Dome wrestling fans got an early Christmas present from ‘Santa’ himself. El Phantasmo is not only back in NJPW, he is cancer free.
At the end of October, ELP explained that through various scans it was discovered that he has “a little tumour of cancer”.
“Believe me I am in good spirits and not worried or scared,” he wrote explaining that he has “amazing family, friends and fans” at his side and “the support of warriors who have gone through the same thing.”
ELP is back. Courtesy: NJPW.
At the conclusion of the United Empire (Jeff Cobb & Jakob Austin Young) vs TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Ryohei Oiwa) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi) match, ‘I Wish You a Merry Christmas’ starts playing. Jado dressed as Santa arrived with someone dressed as a reindeer in tow.
Santa tells Narita that he has a Christmas present for him. He wants to know if Narita will accept the present. Santa climbs into the ring handing Narita a gift bag. Narita snatches it out of Santa’s hands. It is a pair of ELP’s sunglasses. The lights go off in the arena. The sunglasses are glowing. ELP’s music plays. ELP comes out with a Canadian flag draped over his shoulders. It is a flag signed by fans with their get well messages on them.
“I am back, baby!” he says before sliding into the ring. The House of Torture takes a hike.
ELP announces that he has beaten cancer. The crowd cheers.
“I don’t know Japanese,” says ELP whispering something to Jado.
The House of Torture storms back into the ring. They attack them both. Yujiro holds ELP as Narita is ready to hit ELP with the push-up bar.
ELP kicks Narita in the stomach, back-elbows Yujiro in the face, super kicks Narita. Jado clotheslines Yujiro.
Jado announces that ELP will wrestle on tomorrow’s Road to Tokyo Dome show. ELP picks up the TV title. He says to Narita he is free to compete at Wrestle Kingdom. Jeff Cobb and Oiwa slide back into the ring. They too share some words and then all bump fists.
ELP nails Ren Narita. Courtesy: NJPW.
In the main event of the evening it was the last KPOW match of the year, a match that will decide who the King of Pro-Wrestling Champion will be for 2024. The KPOW title is a provisional throughout the year with the winner of the final match being declared the champion of the year. The matches themselves have varied stipulations that are voted on by fans. Tonight’s stipulations between champion The Great-O-Khan and Taichi were:
First Fall: No Rope Sumo match.
Second Fall: Yoshinobu Kanemaru as special guest referee.
Final Fall (If needed): Last Man Standing rules.
After shoving each other around the ring for a few minutes Taichi got the fall by flipping, hip-tossing Khan out of the ring and to the floor.
There was a long break while the ring crew reattached the ring ropes and turnbuckles. Kanemaru, a former tag team partner and stablemate of Taichi’s comes down to the ring dressed in ref’s gear but carrying his whiskey bottle.
Chris Charlton: He is drinking on the job!
Taichi takes a leap of faith. Courtesy: NJPW.
The crowd has a great time watching habitual rule-breaker Kanemaru call the match but it is clear early on that he is not going to favour his old friend, Taichi. His counts are slow for him, he ignores Khan breaking the rules and he fast counts any attempted pins by Khan.
Kanemaru removes a turnbuckle pad but stands in front of the corner. As Taichi is whipped into a corner Kanemaru moves out of the way. Taichi hits the corner, exposed buckle hard. When TAKA Michinoku leaps onto the apron to complain Kanemaru blasts him with the turnbuckle pad knocking him to the floor.
Chris Charlton: This is very shady officiating!
As he is in a submission move and reaches for the ropes Kanemaru kicks Taichi’s hands off the ropes. Taichi nails Khan with a kick to the head. Khan goes down hard. Kanemaru desperately tries to get Khan back to his feet. Kanemaru kicks Taichi in the “lower abdomen”, holds his arms back so that Khan can hit him with a haymaker. Taichi gets up and strangles Kanemaru. Khan and Kanemaru run a train on Taichi bashing him in a corner. Khan goes for the pin. Kanemaru waves it off, hits Taichi with a running knee strike to the back of the head. Taichi still kicks out even though Kanemaru was pushing down on Khan. Khan hits Taichi in the jaw with Kanemaru’s whiskey bottle to win the second fall. Khan takes a wad of money out handing it to Kanemaru after the match.
Taichi gets on the house mike warning Khan that if he wants to bend the rules like that so will he.
Taichi and Khan battle though the stands. Taichi throws Khan after a small riser and hits a flying crossbody. Khan rips up one of the steel grate supports for a ring barricade. He throws it at Taichi. Khan chokes out Taichi with a steel chair and suplexes him on a pile of chairs. Taichi Irish Whips Khan into one of the arena’s concrete walls.
Taichi congratulates The Great-O-Khan. Courtesy: NJPW.
Khan puts a table on a push cart, puts Taichi on the cart and then pushes it through like five rows of chairs. Taichi hits Khan in the face with a steel chair and chokeslams him off a riser through a table. Khan does make the count and rises back to his feet. Back in the ring, Khan blocks Taichi’s thrust kick. Khan uses his last bit of strength to hit the Eliminator. As they both lay on the mat Red Shoes declares the match a draw as both men are knocked out and both have one decision each. Since Khan was the champion going into the match he is declared the KPOW 2024 Champion. Taichi shakes Khan’s hand after the match.
Road to Tokyo Dome Night One Results
Great-O-Khan vs Taichi – KOPW 2024 Match
Winner: …and NJPW KPOW 2024 Champion, The Great-O-Khan
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shota Umino vs TMDK (Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.)
Sabre pins Tanahashi with the Zack Driver. Umino and Sabre had a staredown and then went their separate ways.
Winners: TMDK (Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.)
Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji) vs War Dogs (Gedo, SANADA & David Finlay)
Tsuji hits Finlay with the T-Blaster spear but the bell is rung. The time limit is up. Tsuji stands over Finlay with the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship.
Winners: Time Limit Draw
Kevin Knight vs Robbie Eagles vs Francesco Akira vs Drilla Moloney
Akira accidentally collides with the official. Clark Connors jumps the rail. He hits Akira with a steel chair. Knight leaps over Connors chair shot but gets speared. Drilla spinebusters Eagles. TJP leaps over the barricade. He pulls Connors to the floor. Eagles pins Drilla with a fancy roll-up.
Winner: Robbie Eagles
Just Four Guys (TAKA Michinoku & DOUKI) vs Master Wato and El Desperado
Taka taps out to El Desperado’s Stretch Muffler. Douki and Desperado have a chat after the match. Douki will defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship versus Desperado at Wrestle Kingdom.
Winners: Master Wato and El Desperado
United Empire (Jeff Cobb & Jakob Austin Young) vs TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Ryohei Oiwa) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi)
Yujiro Takahashi pulls Oiwa out of the ring. Yujiro retrieves his cane from under the ring. As the official is distracted Narita hits Young in the head with his metal push-up bar. Narita pins Young with Double Cross. Cobb and Oiwa have heated words with Narita after the match. Narita bails from the ring. Jackson gets involved. He and Cobb trade some unpleasant words. Narita shoves them into each other then hits Cobb and Oiwa with the bar. ELP returns.
Winners: HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi)