NJPW Destruction in Fukushima Results and Analysis

Credit: NJPW1972 Twitter

Tomohiro Ishii and Will Ospreay vs Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi.

While this was the only post-interval bout which didn’t feature a title on the line, you simply cannot pass up the chance to watch four of the company’s elite workers put on a show.

The match’s subtext comes with Ishii’s future shot at Naito’s Tokyo Dome briefcase, as well Hiromu’s serious allegations towards Ospreay that he is in fact a cat. The juniors’ rivalry is far more heated than their Twitter exchanges might make it seem. Both men continue to jockey for position as Kushida’s next real challenger (sorry Desperado).

Ishii’s knee was the target for most of the match, as it will likely be all the way up to his meeting with Naito at King of Pro Wrestling on October 9^th. With NJPW so rigidly split between Heavyweights and Juniors, these four men proved once again that when the lines are blurred, we can witness greatness. That said, Ishii and Naito’s animosity was the central theme of the match. Naito wrenched Ishii’s knee mercilessly, and Ishii threw his signature forearms with extra beef.

Naito and Hiromu’s cohesion proved to be the tipping point. A Hiromu distraction allowed his leader to land a low-blow, setting up the Destino on Ospreay for the win.