NJPW Destruction in Hiroshima Results and Analysis

Credit: NJPW1972 Twitter

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA (Champion) vs El Desperado

Since returning in January, the Suzuki-gun juniors have had trouble distinguishing themselves. The Best of the Super Juniors gave them a platform to do so, with El Desperado being the standout of the group. He hasn’t done much since winning his first three bouts of the tournament, making for slim chances in his first shot at the Junior Ace.

The match started with high-paced chain wrestling before Desperado launched a somersault suicide dive, landing on his feet. Displaying in-ring competence and high-risk athleticism in the first five minutes, Desperado showed he belongs amongst the best Juniors in the company. But then, his character got the better of him, and the match took a familiar turn.

Being a Gun member, Desperado couldn’t resist bending the rules. He involved his guitar, which was quickly confiscated by Red Shoes. Desperado’s backup plan involved lashing KUSHIDA with a rope when the ref’s back was turned, but it didn’t stop there. El D introduced a steel chair that he ate, and ripped off his own mask to try and get KUSHIDA disqualified. The loose fashion with which NJPW operate the DQ rules means that this only confused both Japanese and foreign viewers, completely taking the wind out of the match.

Both men would wrench each other with submissions, but the crowd was no longer into it. KUSHIDA eventually hit the ‘Back to the Future’ for a win that won’t be remembered as critical in his outstanding 2017 run.

After the bell, Will Ospreay lamented his previous losses to KUSHIDA, challenging him one more time at King of Pro Wrestling. Hiromu Takahashi sought to make his case, but Ospreay knocked him out cold before he got a chance to do so. A three-way dance between these Junior stars could be a show-stealer down the line.