Umino bests Narita in wild main event
The main event on the Road to New Beginning on January 24 saw a grudge match in the offering, as Shota Umino looked to finally get his hands on Ren Narita one on one for the first time since Narita joined HOUSE OF TORTURE during World Tag League.
Umino exploded into Narita before the bell, sending him careening off the ringside steel in all directions before planting his foe face first in the ring for two. Umino had the measure of his former friend in the ring and then out, but he would be met by a boot as he looked to bring the fight back inside, and Narita took over, misdirecting the referee with a chair in the ring to set to work with his reinforced pushup bar. As Red Shoes applied a stern count, Narita sent Umino into the Korakuen signage, but the Roughneck gutted out the pain, re-entering and delivering a huge forearm shot at the ten minute mark.
Keeping up the pressure, Umino showed his Blackpool Combat Club influence, trapping the Souled Out Narita and landing hammer and anvil shots. A kitchen sink would cut Shooter off though, and Narita went back to sadistic work. Brutal blows scored from Narita, who cut off Umino’s attempts to stand, but when he caught Shooter on the top rope, Umino would counter with a Cheeky Nando’s kick and a brutal DDT on the apron. Back outside the men went again, and Umino dragged Narita up the stairs and into the people in Korakuen. Seating his foe on a chair in the aisle, Umino sprinted and connected with a massive dropkick.
Still Umino wasn’t done, and with promises that he would take Narita to hell echoing in his mind, took a table up into the crowd. Bridging the entranceway to the arena with the hardware, Umino delivered a brutal powerbomb through the table and all the way down the stairs of the building. Still determined to do even more damage, Umino set up another table outside before landing Trident and then Ignition for two in ring.
Narita would scramble out of the ring to avoid the Death Rider however, and acting on instinct, landed a front suplex through a table on Umino as he charged in. As both pulled themselves back in the ring, Narita hit a guillotine knee, and a second off the top for two. Umino refused to lose to the knee, nor a German suplex, Cobra Twist or Northern Lights; a DDT spiked the HOT member as Umino finally bought a little time for himself.
A huge knee scored for Umino in the corner before a package DDT got two. Now a path for victory seemed open at last, but that was the cue for HOUSE OF TORTURE to make their appearance. Tama Tonga and El Desperado made the save, and an emphatic Gunstun and Pinche Loco took care of SHO and EVIL; with the match now one on one once more, Umino scored a pair of brutal half Nelson suplexes but Narita found a rear naked choke, and then a front suplex for two before going back to the hold.
Narita wanted the Double Cross but was countered into a spinning Death Rider, still only getting two. Blaze Blade scored to the back of the head however, and Death Rider landed flush in the middle to give Umino a huge victory. As Tama Tonga bade farewell to Korakuen Hall at the end of the night, Umino promised to carry his mantle and vowed to become the new ace of a new generation.
