New Japan Pro Wrestling is in the middle of their annual Kizuna Road Tour. As this show started at 5:30am EDT, here’s a spoiler free match listing for the non-nite-owl New Japan fans. Each match has been given a Need To Watch Rating of 0.0-10.0
FIRST MATCH: Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura
Another entry into what is becoming a very fun rivalry between these two young lions.
Need To Watch Rating: (5.0)
SECOND MATCH: Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata vs. Shota Umino & Tomoyuki Oka
A match that felt less like an opportunity for Shota and Tomoyuki to prove themselves, and more like a punishment for both young lions. Nagata and Nakanishi remain a solid pairing. Nothing essential here though.
Need To Watch Rating: (1.0)
THIRD MATCH: Ren Narita & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Bullet Club (Yujiro Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori)
Narita got to show some real fire against Ishimori. Other than that this match was fairly inessential, though fun throughout.
Need To Watch Rating: (1.0)
FOURTH MATCH: Taguchi Japan (Ryusuke Taguchi, KUSHIDA, Toa Henare, Jeff Cobb & Togi Makabe) vs. CHAOS (SHO, YOH, YOSHI-HASHI, Rocky Romero & Toru Yano)
A very fun match, that marks Jeff Cobb’s return to NJPW TV. Outside of some fun spots, and Taguchi’s World Cup Fever, there wasn’t much to write home about in this match.
Need To Watch Rating: (1.0)
FIFTH MATCH: Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, EVIL, SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi) vs. Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Desperado, TAKA Michinoku, Taichi & Takashi Iizuka)
This match featured some good previews for tomorrow’s main event between El Desperado & Hiromu Takahashi. Their fiery performance is all that really gave this match any substance at all.
Need To Watch Rating: (4.0)
SIXTH MATCH: Hiroshi Tanahashi, David Finlay & Juice Robinson vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & Jay White)
Okada and Tanahashi in action, as well as a good tease of the upcoming US Title match between Juice & Jay. Finlay is in this match as well,
Need To Watch: (4.0)
MAIN EVENT: NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Michael Elgin (c) vs. Hirooki Goto
Far too slow for it’s own good. This match only really became anything close to essential in it’s closing stretches. Overall a good preview for the G1 and definitely sets plenty of stories in motion.
Need To Watch Rating: (7.5)
