NJPW Kizuna Road
Night 10
#njkizuna
Event Date: June 25, 2019 (18:30 JST)
aired live on NJPW World
City: Miyagino, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
Venue: Sendai SunPlaza Hall
Attendance: 1,763
Series: Kizuna Road 2019
Commentary (Japanese): Milano Collection AT, Haruo Murata, Yoh (6, 7)
Ring Announcer: Kimihiko Ozaki (1 – 3), Makoto Abe (4 – 7)
Video
Some of the winners and losers from Dominion are shown. Also, some of the people who announced at Dominion that they wanted to be in this year’s G1 Climax are shown (KENTA, Shingo Takagi, Will Ospreay, and John Moxley). Then tonight’s title matches are previewed.
Match 1
Yota Tsuji & Yuji Nagata vs Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan
(referee: Kenta Sato)
Result: Hiroyoshi Tenzan forces Yota Tsuji to submit to an Anaconda Vice
Time: 8:44
Match Thoughts
This was a nice opener. Tsuji wanted a fight, and he started attacking Kojima and Tenzan before the bell. Nagata joined in, but Tsuji spent a large portion of the match in the ring to start. Eventually Nagata tagged in and started to push back against Kojima and Tenzan, and Tsuji was able to capitalize on Nagata’s work for while when he tagged back in. Tsuji was the only young lion in the match though, so it was pretty easy to guess how the end of the match went. This was fun though.
Match 2
Ren Narita & Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe (NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Champ) & Kota Ibushi vs BUSHI & Shingo Takagi & SANADA & EVIL & Tetsuya Naito (IWGP IC Champ)
(referee: Kenta Sato)
Result: Shingo Takagi pins Ren Narita after Noshigami
Time: 11:06
Match Thoughts
This was fun. The young lions really made themselves stand out. Umino wanted Naito to start the match, and he did pretty well against the IC Champ. Naito tagged out, but a little later in the match Naito took Umino out into the crowd and beat him up while the match was still going on in the ring. Late in the match, Narita had a fun sequence against Shingo. Of course Shingo got the better of the young lion, but it was an exciting sequence.
Ring Area
After the match, there is still a little brawling around the ring. After a few seconds, LIJ gets into the ring together. Koti Ibushi decides to walk through the center of their group, but he leaves without any more fighting. Afterwards, Shingo holds his fist up for LIJ’s salute. Naito, BUSHI, and SANADA join, but EVIL once again just leaves the ring and walks away.
Match 3
Mikey Nicholls & Juice Robinson vs Guerrillas of Destiny (ROH Tag Champs & IWGP Heavyweight Tag Champs) w/ Jado
(referee: Marty Asami)
Result: Mikey Nicholls pins Tama Tonga with a backslide
Time: 8:21
Match Thoughts
Very good match. This was essentially a tornado tag match. GOD attacked Juice and Nicholls before the opening bell, and the match started with a brawl out in the crowd. Even after getting back into the ring, there were barely any tags. It was fun though. GOD took over the middle part of the match, but Nicholls and Juice had some fun moments as the match neared its finish. I liked the finish a lot. It was sudden and kind of surprising.
Match 4
Yujiro Takahashi w/ Pieter & Taiji Ishimori (IWGP Jr. Tag Champ) & Chase Owens & Jay White w/ Gedo vs Toa Henare & Sho & Yoh & Hiroshi Tanahashi
(referee: Marty Asami)
Result: Jay White pins Toa Henare after Blade Runner
Time: 11:08
Match Thoughts
Good match. There were some tags early in the match, but after White and Tanahashi faced each other one on one for a while, the match moved into a lengthy breakdown period. Everyone fought in and around the ring, and it was fun. Henare tagged in late in the match when Tanahashi got into trouble, and Henare finished the match with White. Henare showed some impressive strength with a nice stalling suplex on White, but White was able to overcome and dominate the last few minutes of the match.
Ring Area
After the match, everyone leaves the ring except for Jay White and Gedo. White says Hirooki Goto is as much of a failure as Shibata, and Goto should retire just like Shibata. White says Goto doesn’t deserve another match against him in the G1. White also says he shouldn’t even be in the G1 since he’s already the number one contender. As White speaks, Goto run to the ring and attacks him. Gedo tries to fight Goto, but Goto easily puts Gedo down.White leaves the ring area with Gedo while Goto stays in the ring. Goto says he’s ready for the G1 tournament.
Match 5
Douki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Taichi & Lance Archer & Minoru Suzuki vs Tiger Mask & Jushin Thunder Liger & Toru Yano (NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Champ) & Tomohiro Ishii (NEVER Openweight Champ) & Kazuchika Okada (IWGP Heavyweight Champ)
(referee: Marty Asami)
Result: Tomohiro Ishii pins Douki after a brainbuster
Time: 11:53
Match Thoughts
Very good match. We got some G1 previews with Okada versus Archer and Ishii versus Taichi, and we got a lot of other fun ma this chaotic match. There was a lot going on the entire time, but I think the G1 previews stood out the most. Those were great, plus it was fun seeing Minoru Suzuki still being pissed and taking it out on everyone.
Match 6
RPW British Cruiserweight Title Match
Ryusuke Taguchi (NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Champ) vs El Phantasmo (RPW British Cruiserweight & IWGP Jr. Tag Champ)
(referee: Red Shoes Unno)
Result: El Phantasmo wins via pinfall after CRII
Time: 24:04
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Of course there was a lot of comedy in about the first half of the match, but I really enjoyed it. They transitioned into some more serious wrestling as the match went on, but it never really got all that serious. This was a well done, lighthearted match with a fun finish.
Match 7
RPW British Heavyweight Title Match
YOSHI-HASHI vs Zack Sabre Jr. (RPW British Heavyweight Champ)
(referee: Red Shoes Unno)
Result: Zack Sabre Jr. wins via submission with a modified Jim Breaks Arm Bar
Time: 23:03
Match Thoughts
Very good match. YOSHI-HASHI started off by trying to wrestle Sabre on the mat, but apart from a few counters, YOSHI-HASHI was dominated by Sabre’s technical skill. YOSHI-HASHI started to make up some ground when he switched to power moves, and Sabre was starting to get rocked by some of YOSHI-HASHI’s shots. When fatigue started to set in and the match slowed down towards the end, Sabre began to have his way with YOSHI-HASHI. This was fun to watch as all of Sabre’s matches are. I feel like Sabre can beat anyone, but the way he gets arrogant and tries to bait people into attacking him also makes me feel like almost anyone can beat Sabre if they can avoid his holds. That makes him one of the most interesting wrestlers to watch.
Ring Area
After the match, Sabre tells Sendai to shut up. Sabre still thinks YOSHI-HASHI is a joke. He also thinks that he will never lose the RPW British Heavyweight Title. It will be buried with him. He also thinks he’s going to win the G1 and become the first British IWGP Heavyweight Champ. Strong style is dead, long live Sabreism.
Show Impressions
This was a fun show. I think it was easily the best of the Kizuna Road matches that aired on New Japan World. It didn’t feel super important, but it did give us a few small previews for the G1.
Match of the Night
YOSHI-HASHI vs Zack Sabre Jr.
YOSHI-HASHI looked good, but Sabre looked better.
Official Results: https://www.njpw.co.jp/tornament/187687?showResult=1