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Road to Wrestling Dontaku, April 24, Korakuen Hall:
Yuji Nagata, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tomoyuki Oka defeated Shota Umino, Ren Narita & Hiroyoshi Tenzan
This was a great back and forth match that got a good bit of time. Nagata kicked the hell out with of Narita and Oka followed suit by beating him down with hard forearms. Oka looked very good and Umino was again the star of the young lions. He showed lots of fire in the last few minutes. He kicked out of a stiff kick, but was put away after an exploder suplex and a crossface.
Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Takashi Iizuka defeated SHO, YOH & Rocky Romero via DQ
After being left laying three times, Roppongi 3k started this match on the attack. They were soon shut down during a ringside brawl. YOH was worked over by the Suzuki-Gun team until he was able to tag Romero. SHO fought out of an iron fingers attack, but the numbers were too much. The finish came when SHO grabbed Taichi's mic stand and was shoved into the referee, who though he was struck intentionally.
Togi Makabe, Michael Elgin & KUSHIDA defeated Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI & Will Ospreay
There was another mesmerising display from Ospreay & KUSHIDA to open this. Elgin turned things around on Yano by using the exposed buckle against him. Makabe was out for payback after being low blowed by Yano yesterday. Ospreay & KUSHIDA went at it with strikes until KUSHIDA nailed a Pele Kick. Makabe hit the King Kong Knee Drop on Yano to pick up the win.
Tomohiro Ishii defeated Toa Henare
I have been looking forward to this one for a while and it lived up to the hype. What a match this was. This was a star making match for Henare. For weeks he has been going to war with Ishii in tags and has gotten closer to beating him each time. Ishii chopped at the throat, just as he has done for weeks. But it was all building to the moment here where Henare gave it back to him. Ishii repeatedly suplexed Henare with Germans and back drop drivers. They absolutely blasted each other with slaps and Henare hit a pop up Samoan drop and a spear for a big near fall. Henare was able to block Ishii's attempts at lariats and headbutts and got a huge near fall when he countered the Brainbuster into a small package. They then traded headbutts with Ishii winning this time. Henare had one more moment of hope when he hit a stiff lariat and a spinsbuster, but Ishii turned him inside out with a lariat of his own and a Brainbuster to win it. This is must see.
Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, Davey Boy Smith Jr, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado defeated Hiromu Takahashi, BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito, EVIL & SANADA
This was absolutely wild. Suzuki-Gun came out to a new theme song for the faction. I don't think these ever really settled into a tag match. Suzuki took Naito into the crowd and tried to murder him with a chair. KES dominated BUSHI until EVIL & SANADA were able to even the score. Suzuki locked Naito in a heel hook, until it was broken up briefly. Hiromu then ended up in the heel hook and when Naito tried to break it up he was again caught in the hold. Things broke down and when they settled, Suzuki pinned Hiromu after a Gotch Style Piledriver.
Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto & Gedo defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Juice Robinson
Tanahashi was beaten down here and taunted by Okada with Okada almost saying that Tanahashi wasn't good enough to hang with him anymore. He was worked over for a lengthy period by CHAOS. Juice got the tag and lit the crowd up. The finish saw Taguchi do his best to hang with the champion, but Okada beat him after a Tombstone and Cobra Clutch. After the match Juice & Goto brawled ahead of their NEVER title match. Okada tried to Tombstone Tanahashi on the floor, but was stopped by Gedo.
IWGP United States Championship
Jay White defeated David Finlay
This was an outstanding main event and the best match Finlay has ever had. Finlay was the underdog and spent a large amount of the match being worn down by Finlay. White brawled with him on the floor, hit multiple snap back drop drivers and used a Muta Lock and a Liontamer. Finlay fought his way back into it with plenty of fire. Finlay hit White with his own Bladerunner, but it wasn't enough. He took out a table, but it backfired as he White powerbombed him onto it, and as tradition with Japanese tables, it didn't break. So White elbow dropped him through it.
In the dying moments, Finlay survived a lariat and fired up to hit a lumbar check and Brainbuster onto his knee for a big near fall. The finish saw White counter the stunner onto Bladerunner to retain. After the match White said Finlay showed that he belonged in the main event, but not in the ring with him and gloated about how White still can't beat him. It was very cool seeing these two guys, that opened Korakuen shows so many times as young lions, taking their opportunity in the main event to deliver a big time title match.
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