It’s time to get into Night Two of NJPW Wrestling Dontaku! We have two main event level matches to finish this night off, but first we have the undercard tag team matches to take a look at. Wrestle Grand Slam is coming up soon, and everyone wants a spot on the card, and a win tonight will help a lot of folks cases.
Suzuki-Gun (Zack Sabre Jr, Taichi & DOUKI) vs BULLET CLUB (Jado, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)
Both Taichi & ZSJ were able to get wins over Guerillas of Destiny last night, but tonight they teamed with DOUKI to take on G.O.D & Jado in the opening contest. Tekkers have a title shot and the Iron Fingers of Hell have been removed, so now they focus on breaking the champions down.
DOUKI would want to start to get revenge for being powerbombed through a ladder, and Taichi tried to calm him down like he was an angry toddler. He wouldn’t get Loa, but instead started with Jado and took a cheap shot with a dropkick. This match broke down quickly, but DOUKI Tekkers stood tall. G.O.D went outside, and DOUKI nailed them with an Asai Moonsault. When he tried to dive onto Jado, he’d be sidestepped and whacked with a kendo stick.
Back in the ring, Jado would punch DOUKI in the head on the mat, as Taichi stood on the apron ready to whack someone with DOUKI’s led pipe. DOUKI was stomped by G.O.D in their corner, before being hit with a running powerslam for a two count. Loa told DOUKI to bring it and countered a hurricanrana into a powerbomb, threatening to throw him to the outside before DOUKI countered with a DDT.
Taichi finally got a tag in, and would trade blows with Loa. Tama tagged in, and looked for the Gun Stun, but was instead crushed in the corner with a high kick. ZSJ tagged in and went right for the Octopus Stretch, but Tama was able to slip out. Jado tagged in and went for a crossface, before G.O.D dropped Taichi with a Magic Killer. ZSJ would have been next, but he slipped out. He’d take them out and wrap up Jado with a submission to end the match.
This followed up on the chaos of their matches yesterday, especially the ladder match. DOUKI & Loa have a pretty good feud building, and hopefully we see that grudge match on a coming Road To show. This one was a fun brawl, but nothing remarkable. Match Rating: 2/5 (**)
Master Wato & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. BULLET CLUB (Taiji Ishimori & Yujiro Takahashi)
A last minute change to the card after either YOH or El Desperado failed a temperature check removed that match, as well as Okada & SHO vs. Suzuki & Kanemaru from this show. Instead, we have Master Wato teaming with his mentor Tenzan to take on the Bullet Club duo of Ishimori & Takahashi.
Tenzan would start with Takahashi, and they’d start by trading strikes in the middle of the ring. Takahashi was dropped with a shoulder block, before Tenzan nailed some Mongolion Chops. Wato tagged in and hit a roundhouse kick to drop Takahashi, before Tenzan hit an elbow drop. Takahashi dodged a kick and threw Wato out of the ring where Ishimori drove him into the apron. Back in the ring, Ishimori would get the tag and start beating down Wato in the BULLET CLUB corner.
A scoop slam got a two count, and the crowd was getting behind Wato. Ishimori would throw him outside the ring, where Takahashi rammed him into the barricade. Wato got back into the ring, dropped Ishimori with a kick and was able to complete the tag to Tenzan. Tenzan hit some shoulder tackles before looking to apply the Anaconda Vice on Takahashi. Ishimori would break this hold up, and get tossed aside.
Wato got a tag, and Tenzan tried to help set up a Swan Dive Dropkick, but Ishimori yanked him down onto the apron. Ishimori would be hit with a rolling solebutt kick, before being dropped with the spinning roundhouse kick for a near fall. The Crucifix Driver was countered, and Ishimori nailed Bloody Cross to get the win for Bullet Club.
This match was thrown together at the last minute and it showed. The action was fine enough, with Ishimori always being able to deliver a strong performance, but this match simply wasn’t that good. Wato, Tenzan, and Takahashi all failed to deliver. Match Rating: 1.75/5 (* 3/4)
Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI & SANADA) vs United Empire (Great-O-Khan, Aaron Henare & Jeff Cobb)
Before Shingo Takagi & Will Ospreay meet in the main event, their factions meet in six man tag team action. This one started with a major brawl. Henare got SANADA in the ring, and beat him down with strikes before he even got his T-Shirt off. BUSHI was able to get a tag after SANADA hit a basement dropkick and choked Henare with his shirt. Naito got in, and applied a cravate on Henare, softening up the neck. Henare hit a headbutt, before taking a double hip toss.
A neckbreaker would be followed up with a submission from Naito, but Great-O-Khan came in to break it up. Naito grabbed him by his braid and hit some elbow strikes, before being thrown to the mat and hit with a PK from Henare. Henare would choke Naito on the bottom rope, before tagging in O-Khan. They’d crack Naito’s legs like a wishbone, before Cobb tagged in for a delayed vertical suplex, holding Naito upside down for about 10 seconds before dropping him.
Naito managed to get free and hit the swinging DDT, and tag in SANADA. Henare met him and took a basement dropkick. Henare would catch a crossbody and turn it into a Samoan Drop, before looking for the Rampage. Cobb tagged in and was hit with a hurricanrana, before BUSHI got a tag.
He’d manage to get Cobb outside and hit a dive to drive him into the barricade. A dropkick in the ring and a three on one attack from L.I.J looked good for them, but Cobb isn’t an easy target. The Empire struck back and took L.I.J out of the ring. BUSHI alone, Cobb caught him with a Kamigoye as a shot at Ibushi and hit Tour of The Islands for the win.
Empire vs. L.I.J is the best undercard match on paper, and always delivers. There is a reason these are the two top factions in NJPW right now, because they have no weak links. Cobb continues to build to a match with Kota Ibushi by stealing his finisher, a likely match for Wrestle Grand Slam. Match Rating: 3.5/5 (*** 1/2)
What was your favorite match of the undercard? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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