Korakuen sees a stormer of a main event; YOSHI-HASHI moves to challenge tag champions
The first night of the Road to Power Struggle tour on October 23 saw the NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Championships defended in the main event, DOUKI looking for his first title in NJPW as he sided with Zack Sabre Junior and Taichi against the CHAOS representing champions of Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI.
After a war of words backstage and online, an angered YOSHI-HASHI exploded out of the blocks against DOUKI, but just as he got the upper hand, his Suzuki-Gun teammates entered the fray. As Dangerous Tekkers took Ishii and Goto into the guardrails, DOUKI took control of YOSHI-HASHI with his steel pipe.
After sustained offense the Headhunter fired back with a vertical suplex, bringing in Hirooki Goto, who caught a ZSJ PK and landed Ushigoroshi. Tomohiro Ishii proved a physical weak link for the trio however, and when he entered the ring with knees still damaged from the G1 Climax final weekend, it was only a matter of time before Taichi and Sabre went on the offense. Goto and YOSHI-HASHI did their best to prevent a triple team on Ishii, but when DOUKI landed a pipe shot to the back of the kneecap on the floor, Dangerous Tekkers vowed to break Ishii’s leg altogether.
Double team Dragon Screws led to a Last Ride, for Taichi, and when Ishii kicked out, he found himself right in a knee bar. The Stone Pitbull escaped however, and landed a desperation concrete headbutt before tagging a recovered YOSHI-HASHI back in. DOUKI traded with the Headhunter, but when he seemed out powered straight up, Taichi was there to pull YOSHI-HASHI outside, leading to a DOUKI Bomb out to a pile of humanity on the floor.
Doton no Justsu followed for two, and with Taichi and ZSJ removing the other two players in the match, DOUKI got in Daybreak and Italian Stretch No.32 as YOSHI-HASHI faded. After the Headhunter barely made the ropes, DOUKI attempted Suplezx De La Luna, but YOSHI-HASHI escaped, and Goto and Ishii came in for the support, a triple team setting up YOSHI-HASHI before Taichi struck from behind with a Dangerous Backdrop.
Suplex De La Luna connected for an incredible nearfall before Goto made the save, following with GTW. The match breaking down ever further, DOUKI looked for a new maneuver to polish YOSHI-HASHI off, only to get caught in the Butterfly Lock, as the match passed the 30 minute mark. As YOSHI-HASHI combined the hold with a double wrist lock, and then a sleeper, DOUKI almost cradled the Headhunter and repeatedly escaped Karma, but Ishii and Goto hit the ring, hitting a GYR to Taichi and a reverse GYR to DOUKI before Karma finally connected for the win.
YOSHI-HASHI wasn’t satisfied purely with NEVER victory however, as he grabbed the microphone post match and declared that ‘there shouldn’t be any complaints- we should be going for the IWGP Tag title next!’. Backstage, Goto emphatically stated he would be YOSHI-HASHI’s partner for the challenge, but with Taichi and ZSJ both vehemently opposed to the suggestion, how will this situation play out?
