Hiroshi Tanahashi and Zack Sabre Jr. battled for the RevPro championship at NJPW Destruction in Beppu. After a series of back and forth roll ups, Sabre Jr. was able to pin Tanahashi to become the new RevPro champion.
Young Lion’s Cup Match: Karl Fredericks vs. Yota Tsuji
The night kicked off with a Young Lion’s Cup match. Both men started the match by shooting for takedowns. They ended up in the ropes and the referee broke them up. Fredericks gave an insult pat on the chest when they broke from the ropes. Tsuji took down Fredericks and worked over his leg. Both men returned to their feet and Fredericks delivered a desperation dropkick followed with a spine buster and a half Boston crab, and Tsuji tapped out.
Winner: Karl Fredericks
Match rating: 5/10
Young Lion’s Cup Match: Shota Umino vs. Alex Coughlin
The match started with a tentative collar and elbow lock up and quickly went to the mat. Both men scrambled to gain an advantageous position. This match was much quicker paced than the previous Young Lion’s match. Coughlin locked in the Boston crab on Umino in the middle of the ring. Umino slowly made his way to the ropes to force a break and the crowd applauded. Umino delivered a Fishermen’s suplex with a bridge to win the match.
Winner: Shota Umino
Match rating: 5/10
Ren Narita, Yuya Uemura, Taguchi, & Yuji Nagata vs. Michael Richards, Clark Connors, Toa Henare, & Nakanishi
Henare worked over the Young Lions early in the match. The other three members of Henare’s team worked over the Young Lions too. Nagata and Nakanishi were tagged in and the pace of the match significantly slowed down. Thankfully, it didn’t last too long as all members of the team ran into the ring and had a big brawl. Taguchi applied an ankle lock on Richards who tapped out. After the match there was a brawl between the LA dojo’s Young Lions and the NJPW Young Lions.
Winner: Ren Narita, Yuya Uemura, Taguchi, & Yuji Nagata
Match rating: 6/10
Sho, Yoh, & Jushin Liger vs. Minoru Suzuki, Kanemaru, & DOUKI
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Minoru Suzuki gets hardcore on Liger. Photo: NJPW. |
The match started with all men brawling on the outside of the ring. When the dust settled Sho and Kanemaru battled in the ring. However, Liger and Suzuki brawled outside of the ring among the fans. Kanemaru dragged Sho back into his corner to tag Suzuki who dominated Sho. Liger ran in to break up the beating.
Liger and Suzuki returned to the outside for more brawling. Both Liger and Suzuki tagged in to become legal in the match. Suzuki locked in a sleeper in the middle of the ring and then proceeded to rip Liger’s mask. Sho and Yoh hit the 3K on DOUKI for the win via pinfall. After the match Suzuki attacked Liger and left him laying in the middle of the ring.
Winner: Sho, Yoh, & Jushin Liger
Match rating: 7/10
Robbie Eagles, Will Ospreay, Honma, Makabe, & Ibushi vs. El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, KENTA, & Bad Luck Fale
This match set up the two main events at Destruction in Kagoshima, which are Kota Ibushi vs. KENTA for Ibushi’s right to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 14 and IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag team champions El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori defending against Will Ospreay & Robbie Eagles.
All men brawled inside and outside of the ring to kick out off the match. Eagles and Ospreay dove onto El Phantasmo and Ishimori. Eagles and Ishimori returned to the ring and engaged in fast action, which was cut off by Bad Luck Fale running in to break it up.
Fale and Makabe repeatedly double clotheslined each other with neither man going down. Makabe threw Fale over the top rope. Ibushi and KENTA kicked each other repeatedly with neither man gaining an advantage. KENTA delivered the GTO on Honma for the win.
Winner: El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, KENTA, & Bad Luck Fale
Match Rating: 7/10
SANADA, BUSHI, & Shingo vs. Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto, & Rocky Romero
This match is building to Shingo vs. Goto at Destruction in Kobe on the 22nd, as well as Okada vs. SANADA at King of Pro Wrestling. Shingo and Goto started the match off and the two exchanged a series of power moves.
BUSHI delivered a high flying move out of nowhere on Goto. Goto delivered a suplex on BUSHI to ground him and slowed the match down. SANADA put the paradise lock on Okada and released it with a drop kick to get a near fall. Okada hit a DDT on SANADA for a near fall. Goto and Shingo brawled and Goto hit the GTO on Shingo who rolled out of the ring. SANADA locked in the Skull End on Romero to win. After the match Goto and Shingo brawled outside the ring.
Winner: SANADA, BUSHI, & Shingo
Match Rating: 6.5/10
Tetsuya Naito & EVIL vs. Jay White & Chase Owens
White and Owens doubled teamed EVIL. However, EVIL was able to tag Naito. Naito dominated Owens while trash talking White who was on the ring apron. White and Naito went to the outside and brawled. EVIL and Owens followed and brawled into the crowd.
When the match returned to the ring, White was dominating EVIL and all men again brawled on the outside. Owens attempted the package piledriver on Naito but EVIL broke it up. Naito hit the Destino on Owens for the win.
Winner: Tetsuya Naito & EVIL
Match rating: 7.5/10
IWGP Tag Team Title Match: (C) The Guerrillas of Destiny vs. YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii
Ishii and Tama started the match off with Tama attempting to knock Ishii off his feet, which he failed at. Tanga Loa stuck his knee out to hit Ishii. The match went to the outside with the Guerrillas of Destiny dominating Ishii. They returned to the ring and worked over Ishii in their corner. Ishii kicked out of a couple near falls.
The Guerrillas of Destiny mocked YOSHI-HASHI who could not receive a tag from Ishii. Ishii eventually made the hot tag to YOSHI-HASHI who cleaned house on the Guerrillas of Destiny. When the dust settled it was Tanga Loa laying in the middle of the ring. YOSHI-HASHI followed up with a series of moves to get a near fall on Tanga Loa.
YOSHI-HASHI and Ishii doubled teamed Tanga Loa. However, Tama came into the ring and cleaned house. The Guerrillas of Destiny double teamed YOSHI-HASHI and delivered a magic killer for a near fall. Gedo ran into the ring with a kendo stick and hit YOSHI-HASHI who grabbed the stick and nailed Gedo. KENTA came to the apron of the ring and distracted YOSHI-HASHI who turned his back on Tama. Tama came from behind to roll YOSHI-HASHI up for the win.
Winner: The Guerrillas of Destiny
Match rating: 8/10
RevPro championship: (C) Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr
Tanahashi shot in and took Sabre down to the mat. Sabre quickly returned to his feet and locked in an armlock. Tanahashi reversed it and Sabre rolled out of it. They continued chain wrestling with neither man gaining an advantage. When both wrestlers returned to their feet the crowd applauded them.
Both men went into the ropes and the referee broke them up. Sabre slapped Tanahashi while getting off the ropes. Tanahashi took Sabre down and applied the Indian Death Lock. Sabre went to the ropes and forced a break.
Sabre locked in a brutal looking armbar on Tanahashi and went to the ropes. However, Sabre refused to break the hold until the referee got to four in his count. Once Sabre finally broke the hold, he aggressively followed up with another arm lock. Sabre switched to a leg submission in the ropes and then switched to another arm lock in the ropes.
The crowd was chanting Tanahashi and he made a comeback by drop kicking Sabre. However, Sabre was able to lock in an armbar in the middle of the ring. Tanahashi fought out of it and hit the sling blade and the high fly flow. Sabre locked in the guillotine choke out of nowhere. Both men went back and forth with roll up pin falls. Sabre Jr. rolled up Tanahashi for the win and to become the new RevPro champion. After the match, Sabre said he has been the British ace for over a decade.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr
Match rating: 9/10
Event rating: 7.5/10
Don Davies is a life-long wrestling fan of 30 years that has enjoyed many eras from multiple promotions around the world.
