Hiromu’s homecoming to Hachioji
The New Japan Road kicks off on Thursday June 16, with its second night on June 18 hitting Hachioji in western Tokyo. This is the area that Hiromu Takahashi calls home, and Takahashi is bringing considerable hometown pride to the main event tonight.
Watch New Japan Road LIVE or in English on demand on NJPW World
Main event: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) vs BULLET CLUB (SHO & Taiji Ishimori)
Hiromu Takahashi makes a long awaited home town appearance in the main event, with the last preview match for the following Tuesday’s battle with Taiji Ishimori for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Ishimori draws from the staggeringly deep junior heavyweight lineup in BULLET CLUB to team with SHO, as Hiromu pairs with regular junior tag partner BUSHI. Takahashi will be eager to finish his homecoming event with his hand raised, especially 72 hours before his time in the Korakuen main event limelight. But will Ishimori break any and all expectations for Hiromu winning the title he’s become synonymous with?
6th Match: Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe & Kazuchika Okada vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & SANADA)
June 12 was a night that Kazuchika Okada would rather forget. After a sudden Bladerunner from Jay White, Okada’s reign as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion was brought to an end after five months and four defences. Now the Rainmaker heads into G1 Climax 32 without the world heavyweight gold around his waist, a fact that Tetsuya Naito will no doubt be keen to point out.
Also without gold is SANADA, who was defeated by Will Ospreay in Osaka Jo Hall, not leaving as IWGP United States Champion. Both SANADA and Okada will look to bounce back tonight in a bid to set themselves up for the tournament of tournaments. Menwhile Shingo Takagi, having retained against Taichi at Dominion, will take KOPW gold into the G1, and is eager to get a winning start to the last summer of his thirties.
5th Match: Jado, Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi vs United Empire (TJP, Francesco Akira & Aaron Henare)
The last televised preview of Monday’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship main event match will see United Empire’s TJP and Francesco Akira again combine with Aaron Henare to face Six or Nine and Jado. At Dominion, United Empire’s guest boxing coach Jessie Vargas seem to improve Henare’s already impressive striking game even more, before the Ultima variant on the full Nelson submitted Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Fired up by a confirmed spot in this year7s G1 Climax, Henare will be looking to claim another victim on the Hontai side, but the junior heavyweights won’t want to give up their spotlight either.
4th Match: CHAOS (YOH, YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano & Hirooki Goto) vs BULLET CLUB (Gedo, Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL)
Unsung ‘heroes’ of BULLET CLUB success at Dominion, Dick Togo and Gedo were both instrumental in the successes for HOUSE OF TORTURE in the NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Championship battle and IWGP World Heavyweight Championship main event respectively. Tonight in Hachioji, a chance for both to contribute directly, or if CHAOS get their way, a chance for revenge on behalf of Kazuchika Okada, and the wrestling world at large.
3rd Match: Ryohei Oiwa & Tomohiro Ishii vs Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Before Tomohiro Ishii and Yoshinobu Kanemaru collide one on one for the first time on June 20 in the AEW All Atlantic Championship qualifier, tag action sees Minoru Suzuki return to Japanese NJPW rings, while Ishii recruits Young Lion Ryohei Oiwa. As Ishii and Suzuki get reacquainted after their own clash in Chicago at Windy City Riot, Oiwa will be getting a fast education in a chaotic environment tonight.
2nd Match: Tiger Mask & Tomoaki Honma vs Yuto Nakahsima & Clark Connors
What could easily be the setup to a joke sees a kokeshi, a tiger, a Wild Rhino and a Young Lion walk into a wrestling ring for the second match of the evening. The results will be hard hitting though, as the strength and power of Connors and Nakashima should be more than enough to test Honma and Tiger.
1st Match: Kosei Fujita vs TAKA Michinoku
The first match of the evening will see Kosei Fujita taking on TAKA Michinoku. The young, impetuous but full of potential Fujita will be facing a veteran technical master in Michinoku, in a valuable, if painful education.
