On the road to wrestling Dontaku, New Japan Pro-Wrestling stopped in Hiroshima for Aki no Kuni SENGOKU EMAKI. In front of a sold-out crowd of Hiroshima fans, the brightest stars of professional wrestling put on a performance none would forget. The highlight of the show was undeniably the main event of the night which saw the IWGP Jr Tag Team Championship being defended by Roppongi 3K. SHO & YOH have never successfully defended their belts despite this being their 3rd reign, meanwhile Shingo & BUSHI were looking to recapture them as soon as possible.
Watch the full event on NJPW World
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7th match – IWGP Junior Tag Championship Match
Chaos – Roppongi 3K group (SHO & YOH) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & BUSHI) when YOH pinned BUSHI with a Dragon Suplex Hold
Although these two teams have been at war since the start of the Super Junior Tag League in October 2018, this latest chapter began during The Beginning in Sapporo, when SHO & YOH accosted the champions in the ring. On the Anniversary Event on the 11th March, Roppongi 3K lived up to their promise and won the championship belts leading to a furious demand for a rematch. This match was one that presented a vicious back and forth from both SHO and Takagi. Whilst L.I.J. took the upper hand early on, Roppongi 3K fought back admirably showing remarkable strength of character. During the closing stretch of the match, it looked like it would be all over for YOH as he was hit with a Rebellion (the same combination move that the pair used to defend their titles in February) but he frantically kicked out. Finally the Chaos team was able to hit their 3K combination move on L.I.J. and YOH finished off BUSHI with a Dragon Suplex, leading to a pinfall. For the first time in their NJPW careers, SHO and YOH managed to defend their championship.
6th match
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, EVIL & SANADA) defeated the team ofKota Ibushi, Tomohiro Ishii & Kazuchika Okada when EVIL pinned Ishii after a using EVIL.
With the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line on the 4th May in Fukuoka, both Okada and SANADA were looking to this match to try out new techniques and ideas. The same night will see EVIL and SANADA pair up in a special singles match as well as Naito and Ibushi facing each other. Whilst the fighting was fierce, Ishii and EVIL seemed to have a particularly bitter rivalry and the match was marked by outbursts from the two. It was fitting then, that they were the ones to finish it, when EVIL pinned Ishii.
5th match
Dragon Lee, Will Ospreay & Hirooki Goto defeated the team of Taiji Ishimori, Hikuleo & Jay White when Goto pinned Hikuleo after a GTR.
The match proved to be a preview of the upcoming special singles match between Jay White and Hirooki Goto on the 29th April in Kumamoto, during Wrestling Hi no Kuni as well as the upcoming IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match between Dragon Lee and Taiji Ishimori on the 3rd May. Will Ospreay also made his first appearance in Japan since the New Japan Cup, finding himself as the opposite number of the looming menace that is Hikuleo. The match was marked by the sense of indignation that has followed the BULLET CLUB members ever since they lost their championships in New York. In the end Goto, who has found a new lease on life this tour, finished the job by pinning Hikuleo.
4th match
Ryusuke Taguchi & Jeff Cobb defeated Suzuki-gun (TAKA Michinoku & Taichi) when Cobb pinned TAKA after using a Tour of The Islands.
Another returnee to the New Japan ring was Jeff Cobb. Cobb who has been wrestling around the world during the first half of the tour has borne the brunt of Taichi’s frustrations. Through an inspired selection porcine themed insults, the Holy Emperor has been skewering the NEVER Openweight Champion in his comments to the press backstage in advance of their match on the 3rd of May. For his part, Cobb’s growing frustration at having to simply take the abuse spilled out into the open in the ring and he unleashed a torrent of devastating power moves on the two Suzuki-gun members. Despite pinning TAKA Michinoku and winning the match, it was Cobb, however, that found himself lying on the ring canvas as Taichi attacked with his microphone stand after the bell.
3rd match
Tomoaki Honma, Mikey Nicholls, Juice Robinson, Toru Yano & Togi Makabe defeated BULLET CLUB (Jado, Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale, Tanga Loa & Tama Tonga) when Makabe pinned Jado after a King Kong Knee Drop.
Ahead of their title match at Wrestling Hi no Kuni on the 29th April, G.o.D and the most violent players Yano and Makabe clashed. They were joined by Chase and Fale and Juice and Chase respectively, who have also been feuding throughout this tour. Rounding out the group was Honma and Jado, the latter of which lost the match on behalf of BULLET CLUB when he fell to a King Kong Knee Drop.
2nd match
Suzuki-gun (El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Minoru Suzuki) defeated the team of Toa Henare, Tiger Mask & Jyushin Thunder Liger when Suzuki pinned Henare after a Gotch-style piledriver
The match quickly devolved into a dirty affair as Suzuki-gun used every vicious tactic in their book to win. The rivalry between Suzuki and Liger continued to heat-up before Henare suffered the consequences of crossing the King and ended-up getting pinned.
1st match
Ren Narita & Shota Umino defeated Yuya Uemura & Yota Tsuji when Umino pinned Tsuji after a Fisherman’s Suplex
The opening match between the Young Lions, saw the more junior pair try a different tactic to usual and a more aggressive approach. The match was finished off with a majestic fisherman’s complex from Umino.
