YOSHI-HASHI’s stolen staff once again comes to KENTA’s aid in elimination victory
The Road to Wrestling Dontaku kicked off on April 10 in Yokohama, with Hiroshi Tanahashi joining a CHAOS side of Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI to take on BULLET CLUB in the first of the night’s two elimination tag main events.
A fired up Toru Yano volunteered to start for his side, with EVIL opposite. Producing the hood he used to blindfold Dick Togo in Ryogoku, Yano distracted EVIL long enough to remove the neutral cornerpad, but found himself elevated over the top rope, teammates coming to his aid before he fell to the floor. Nonetheless, Yano was now at the mercy of all BULLET CLUB, who dealt boots to the CHAOS member and took control of the match until EVIL was sent into the exposed steel.
April 19’s singles opponents Taiji Ishimori and Hirooki Goto were next in ring. Ishimori used his speed effectively, but it wasn’t enough to keep an advantage against the NEVER 6-Man tag champs, who triple teamed the Bone Soldier and his teammates. BULLET CLUB would turn their opponents’ confidence against them however, and took CHAOS and Tanahashi to the floor, YOSHI-HASHI the legal man when thrown back inside to be picked apart.
Though his teammates tried to help the Headhunter out of the BULLET CLUB corner, they too would fall to back clad boots as YOSHI-HASHI remained under Gedo’s control. A rewind kick would finally bring Tanahashi in though, and with Jay White absent, the Ace was intent on punishing the Switchblade’s Blacksmith Gedo. A string of Dragon Screws was followed with a somersault senton, and though Gedo directed Tanahashi over the top rope, the Ace would skin the cat before landing a Slingblade and locking in the ‘GTO’ Texas Cloverleaf.
The five on four advantage against BULLET CLUB wouldn’t last, as EVIL sent Tanahashi over the top, and the intervening Dick Togo prevented the NEVER Champion from skinning the cat a second time. Down to four on four, Yano and EVIL again rest, Yano tasting the exposed steel turnbuckle and a Fisherman’s Buster for two. Grabbing his hood from the corner, Yano tried to blind EVIL, leading to both struggling over the top, the King of Darkness eventually eliminating both himself and the KOPW 2021 holder.
Now three on three, it was down to the NEVER 6-Man Openweight Tag Team Champions and their April 20 challengers. At the 15 minute mark of the match, the BULLET CLUB challengers elected to isolate Ishii, but Goto and YOSHI-HASHI prevented Yujiro from landing Pimp Juice and opening up a triple team opportunity. Moments later it was Ishii’s teammates again coming to the aid as they physically caught and prevented Ishii from going over the top to the floor; as Stone Pitbull and Tokyo Pimp battled on the apron though, it was Yujiro booting Ishii to the floor to give BULLET CLUB the three on two edge.
Goto gamely battled all three of his opponents before landing Ushigoroshi and pitching Yujiro over the top rope, but Ishimori responded with a roll-up and feet on the ropes to send Goto out. YOSHI-HASHI was left for CHAOS against Ishimori and KENTA, and shoved the Bone Soldier away from a springboard attempt to bring the match down to one on one: YOSHI-HASHI vs KENTA.
Extra motivated by his desire to reclaim his ceremonial bo staff from the thieving KENTA, YOSHI-HASHI connected with a Headhunter neck breaker, but a powerbomb was blocked, and KENTA scored with a swinging Stungun. Cutting his opponent off on the top rope, YOSHI-HASHI tried to bring KENTA down to the floor, but this time it was the stolen staff that saved him; KENTA standing on the metal to prevent his elimination. Furious, YOSHI-HASHI retained his focus with a superkick, but Karma was not forthcoming for the despicable KENTA. The Headhunter was forced over the top rope and to the floor as BULLET CLUB started their tour victorious, but will the same be said with gold on the line April 20?
