NJPW Road To Destruction In Kobe Night 2 Review – September 9, 2023
Location: Tokyo Japan
Venue: Korakuen Hall
Tag Team Match
Just 2 Guys (Taka Michinoku & Douki) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Yoh
Match starts off with Taka Michinoku & Ryusuke Taguchi trading holds as a low dropkick put Michinoku ahead in the early stages before he poke Taguchi in the eyes then Taguchi hits Michinoku with a hip attack but Michinoku is quickly back in the driver’s seat as he took Taguchi into the corner as Douki came in to score a low dropkick of his own.
Some double teaming ends with another low dropkick from Michinoku & that gets a near fall for Douki before a hip attack took Douki down and gave Taguchi time to tag in Yoh.
A Tijeras from Yoh took Douki out for a plancha before they returned to the ring where a front kick from Michinoku drew a near fall.
A step up knee from Michinoku in the corner downs Yoh ahead of a shin kick and a superkick then the Just Facelock which Taguchi hip attacked apart.
An over the head brainbuster from Yoh connects then a Bummer Ye from Taguchi set the stage for a wheelbarrow Codebreaker to get the win.
Winners: Ryusuke Taguchi & Yoh (8:41)
Rate: 4
8 Man Tag Team Match
Strong Style (Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Ren Narita) & Yuto Nakashima vs. Yuji Nagata, Master Wato, Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma
Everyone but El Desperado & Master Wato spills outside the ring for a scrap arm drags and shoulder tackles have Wato down before dropkicks took Desperado outside as Wato proceeded to introduce him to the guard rails then Desperado & Wato returns to the ring to try and get a pin going.
Shota Umino tags in as Desperado was kept cornered by Wato then a dropkick from Shota caught out Ren Narita on the apron as those two continued to antagonize each other. Tomoaki Honma tags in next as Desperado remained legal then a bulldog from Honma downs Desperado ahead of a missed Kokeshi. Wato tries to help and this time Honma hits it.
Yuji Nagata is in to kick Desperado into the corner but a low dropkick has Nagata down as Desperado makes the tag to Minoru Suzuki & a PK from Suzuki gets a two count before Nagata’s back body drop countered a Gotch Style Piledriver attempt.
They get up to trade elbow strikes from there ending with the clonker from Suzuki before the step up knee and exploder from Nagata connects. Narita & Umino are in next to trade shots as a spinning heel kick from Narita looks to put him in front.
A bridging half hatch suplex is good for a near fall for Narita while Umino’s attempt at a Death Rider earns him a front kick by the ropes ahead of an exploder. Yuto Nakashima gets the tag in as he tried to put away Umino then a hiptoss from Nakashima then a forearm takes Umino down.
Suzuki & Desperado come in to help triple team Umino leading to a Nakashima powerslam for a near fall then a Boston Crab follows but Honma is in to break it up only for Nakashima to throw him back outside.
Umino gets back in it with a dropkick from there then a diving uppercut for a near fall before the Death Rider gets Umino the victory.
Winners: Yuji Nagata, Master Wato, Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma (12:03)
Rate: 6
6 Man Tag Team Match
Chaos (IWGP Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto & Yoshi Hashi & Toru Yano) vs. TMDK (Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Bad Dude Tito)
Match starts with Hirooki Goto & Shane Haste locking up leading to Haste getting an early one count before Yoshi Hashi came in to help suplex Bad Dude Tito onto Haste to help turn things around.
Chops from Yoshi Hashi sink Haste before Mikey Nicholls drags Yoshi Hashi to the outside then back inside Tito’s senton atomico crushes Yoshi Hashi ahead of a stalling suplex that picked up a solid two count.
Tito stays on Yoshi Hashi with a Camel Clutch that goes nowhere as Nicholls tag in and found himself on the receiving end of a chop from Yoshi Hashi. Nicholls gets spun down with a low dropkick as Toru Yano tags in and instantly removed a corner pad.
Yano bops Nicholls on the head but got sent into the exposed corner then sidestepped a charging Nicholls ahead of a roll up for a two count. Another bop’s topped as Haste & Tito came in to help triple team but it backfires as Goto came in to try for a double bulldog which got counter into a backsuplex/neckbreaker.
Tito is back for chops while an enziguiri and a deadlift German suplex rag dolls Goto for a near fall. Goto is back with an ushigoroshi to Tito sparking a parade of stuff that ends with Haste going into the guard rails before Tito gets plant to the mat with Shoto for the win.
Winners: Chaos (9:58)
Rate: 6
6 Man Tag Team Match
Just 3 Guys (IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Sanada, KOPW 2023 Champion Taichi & Douki) vs. House Of Torture (Evil, Sho & Yujiro Takahashi)
Just 3 Guys attacks House Of Torture but Yoshinobu Kanemaru went down shortly after he’d roll into the ring as he looks to have blown out his knee while charging after Yujiro Takahashi.
The match grinds to a halt as Kanemaru gets carried to the back as House Of Torture began to attack Sanada & Taichi from behind. Douki hits the ring and took Kanemaru’s spot as the match finally got going.
Douki gets isolated from the off as the initial brawling on the outside gave way to Douki getting thrown into the exposed corner. Sho picks up a two count from there before Sanada threw away Evil’s modified t shirt but all that just distracts the ref as Douki continued to get worn down on the outside.
Douki finally hit back with a leaping headbutt to Evil off the ropes allowing him time to tag in Sanada & he clears house. He pulls down Sho for a Paradise Lock then baited in Takahashi to break it up.
Sanada adds a springboard dropkick to Evil from there before Dick Togo threatened Sanada with a chair in the ropes but Sanada stops himself but we’ve got trips to both Evil & Sanada in the ropes as Taichi tried to level things out.
Axe Bombers clear the way as Douki tags back in to help triple team Evil leading to an elevated stomp for a near fall. Douki finds his way into the Douki Chokey putting it back on as Evil looks to roll to the ropes.
A head kick from Taichi rolls Evil down as Douki almost got the win before Dick Togo chuckes a chair at a springboarding Douki before Everything Is Evil gets the win.
Winners: House Of Torture (8:25)
Rate: 3
Television Title Match
Zack Sabre Jr (c) vs. Satoshi Kojima
Zack Sabre Jr goes for the wrist early on but Satoshi Kojima heads to the ropes where he is tied up ahead of the clean break. Kojima doesn’t budge from a ZSJ shoulder tackle before he charged down ZSJ as things headed outside and into the guard rails.
Back inside ZSJ drops Kojima’s arm over the top rope then follows him back outside to continue working on the arm. Kojima is in almost an endless arm wringer as ZSJ pulls him to the mat going for an armbar as Kojima scurried into the ropes for a break.
Returning Kojima charges down ZSJ then sidesteps a charge into the corner as he proceeded to pepper ZSJ with the Machine Gun Chops.
ZSJ is up to stop Kojima from hitting the elbow drop though by trapping him with a hammerlock on the top rope before Kojima swept the leg to send ZSJ crashing onto the side of the ring.
A DDT from Kojima properly spiked ZSJ upside down onto the side of the ring, while another DDT back inside looked to have him on course for victory except ZSJ is able to grab a limb and pull Kojima into an armbar but the ropes save Kojima once more as he resumed fire with a series of elbows and a Koji Cutter to ZSJ.
ZSJ kicks away a lariat attempt, then threw some of his own but Kojima doesn’t budge as he stuck out a strong arm for ZSJ to run into then a brainbuster is next for a near fall before ZSJ caught Kojima with a Zack Driver as he was prepping for one more lariat.
They are trading elbows but ZSJ counters a lariat into a Cobra Twist only to get thrown aside as another Koji Lariat swatted ZSJ but Kojima can’t make the cover though and only gets a two count when he got over before Kojima hits a CCD for a near fall.
ZSJ struck back as he rolls Kojima down into a triangle armbar but it was moot as ZSJ had it all sewn up forcing Kojima to tap out.
Winner By Submission & Still Television Champion: Zack Sabre Jr (12:07) (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
Rate: 7
NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Titles Match
Chaos (Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii) & Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Tiger Mask IV & Togi Makabe
Tomohiro Ishii & Hiroyoshi Tenzan starts this match & Ishii with some chops and Mongolian Chops from Tenzan before a shoulder tackle took Tenzan down. Kazuchika Okada is in next as he took some Mongolian Chops before Tiger Mask tags in to keep Okada on the back foot.
Okada shuts down Tiger Mask with a flapjack as Ishii & Hiroshi Tanahashi joined in with low dropkicks. Tanahashi is in next for a flip senton out of the corner for a two count before Ishii came in.
He’s trading shots with Tiger Mask but it’s Tiger Mask who finds himself on the deck as Okada returned to hit a slam then sends Togi Makabe off the apron.
Heading outside Okada sends Makabe into the guard rails as Tiger Mask remained isolated in the ring. He’s able to take down Tanahashi but Ishii just storms the ring to clear the apron as he found another way to get at Tenzan on the outside.
Okada is back to land a neckbreaker on Tiger Mask for a two count before Tiger Mask looked to fight back with an avalanche armdrag off the top rope.
Tags bring us to Tanahashi & Makabe with Tanahashi getting cornered for mounted punches before he ran into a Makabe lariat for a two count. A Twist & Shout dumps Makabe to the mat before Ishii came in to wallop Makabe with chops and forearms in the corner.
Makabe pops up from a suplex to catch Ishii with a powerslam before Tenzan tags in to hit a spinning heel kick then more Mongolian Chops before Okada came in to catch Tenzan with a DDT as things looked to break down. Tenzan gets triple teamed ahead of an elevated DDT which almost got the win as Makabe dove in to break up the count.
Ishii tries to go after Tenzan by taking him down with lariats as Tenzan refused to stay down. An enziguiri doesn’t have any effect before one more lariat took Tenzan down for the near fall. Makabe is back in to go for a double clothesline but it’s blocked as he instead knocks down Tanahashi before a tilt a whirl backbreaker from Tiger Mask takes care of Okada.
Tenzan headbutts have Ishii rocked, ahead of a Tiger Driver and a King Kong Knee Drop while Tenzan’s falling headbutt looks to set up for the brainbuster & he hits then goes for the cover but Tanahashi breaks up the count ahead of an Anaconda Buster that almost got Tenzan the win.
From there, Tenzan heads up top but Okada stops the moonsault before a German suplex threw down Tenzan as he tried to get back in with Mongolian Chops to Tanahashi & Okada but a Landslide and a sliding clothesline almost ended things before Ishii hits brainbuster for the win.
Winners & Still NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champions: Chaos & Hiroshi Tanahashi (17:46) (STILL CHAMPIONS!!!!)
Rate: 7
10 Man Tag Team Elimination Match
Los Ingobernables De Japon (Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi, 2023 G1 Climax Winner Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi & Bushi) vs. United Empire (United States Champion Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb, Henare, Great O Khan & Callum Newman)
Will Ospreay & Yota Tsuji trading wristlocks and counters before they headed to the ropes for a break. An overhand chop from Tsuji led to them trading Tijeras before Tsuji’s armdrag and shoulder block had Ospreay down. Shingo Takagi tags in from there by keeping Ospreay on the deck as LIJ began to isolate Ospreay in their corner.
Tsuji drops Hiromu Takahashi onto Ospreay for just a one count to end that spell of pressure as chops proceeded to take Ospreay into the corner only for him to return with a hotshot to Takahashi then a running boot as United Empire flooded the ring.
Just about everyone heads outside for a scrap as Jeff Cobb flung Tetsuya Naito into the rails while Ospreay grounded Takahashi with an Octopus stretch in the middle of the ring.
Henare is in next as was Cobb as Takahashi was getting overwhelmed against United Empire here. Cobb’s deadlift suplex picked up a seated Takahashi before he ran laps of the ring and stuck Takahashi into the corner.
Callum Newman tags in to pick up the pieces, stinging Takahashi with a chop while a chinlock kept Takahashi down on the mat.
Great O Khan is in to add some Mongolian Chops then took a seat on Takahashi in the corner before everyone took their turn on the stuck Takahashi & Takahashi is left isolated as he tried to fight back only to get beaten down before an attempted elimination.
Henare is back with a back senton to Takahashi before a pop up was countered in mid air with a DDT. Naito & Cobb come in but a low dropkick drops Cobb into the corner ahead of a blocked Combinacion Cabron.
Cobb misses a leg drop seconds later then ate a neckbreaker as Cobb tries to bounce back but Naito remained a step ahead by avoiding a standing moonsault before tagging out to Takagi.
Newman is back in & he does some rope running ahead of a Tijeras following with a springboard clothesline to Takagi for a two count. O Khan comes in to help only to get shoved into Newman as Takagi’s DDT took care of O Khan while Newman’s spinning roundhouse almost forced the first elimination with a near fall.
Takagi ducks a hook kick but couldn’t avoid it at the 2nd attempt before he put Newman away with a Pumping Bomber. O Khan is in to try and score some flash pins on Takagi following with a head & arm choke on the mat that ends in the ropes.
Mongolian chops from O Khan looks to have Takagi rock but he returns with some of his own ahead of a back suplex only for a pump kick to take Takagi down.
A right hand from O Khan took Takagi back to the mat before O Khan knocks Takagi over the top rope a low bridge from Takagi sees O Khan join him on the side of the ring before O Khan eliminated himself & Takagi with an Eliminator onto the side of the ring.
Henare is in and chucks Bushi over the top rope but Bushi gets back in and took a body blow for his troubles. Henare misses a step up knee in the corner and gets thrown out over the top rope now Ospreay takes over as United Empire were on the back foot and swipes through Bushi with a Hidden Blade to get the elimination.
Tsuji is in now to square off with Ospreay & he unloads with some elbows to take Tsuji into the ropes before he return with a stomp to Ospreay before a missed Stinger splash looks to have Tsuji in trouble.
Ospreay heads up top but Tsuji catches him on the ropes a teased Spanish Fly ends with Ospreay slipping back in to hit a Cheeky Nando’s before a Liger Bomb drew a near fall.
Tsuji pushes Ospreay over the top to block an OsCutter but ends up getting drag out with him as Ospreay skinned the cat as they head up to the apron as a teased Storm Breaker ends up as a blocked OsCutter before a Curb Stomp from Tsuji eliminated him & Ospreay.
We’re down to Cobb vs. Takahashi & Naito and it’s pretty much a handicap match from there but Cobb’s able to overpower some of it by countering a Tijeras from Takahashi before he powerbombs him over the top and into United Empire.
It’s the final 2 now with Naito cracking Cobb with an enziguiri ahead of an attempted Esperanza but Cobb blocks before he got caught with a tornado DDT/roll up for a near fall.
Cobb goes for the throat from there then blocks Destino before Naito tried to throw him out over the top rope as a low bridge takes Cobb onto the apron where a Koppo Kick looks to force an elimination before Cobb suplexes Naito from the ring and lands him on the apron culminating with a superkick from Cobb and a Combinacion Cabron that left Naito on the apron where one more dropkick took Naito down to the floor.
Winners: United Empire (27:44) Sole Survivor: Jeff Cobb (United Empire)
Rate: 7
