The big matches at the Destruction shows are covered here, along with a BONUS!!! look at the Yuji Nagata 35th Anniversary Match on the Road to Destruction tour.
1. Yuji Nagata Wrestling Life 35th Anniversary Match: Yuji Nagata, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Manabu Nakanishi & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Yujiro Takahashi & Jado (Blue Justice IX 9/8/19)
This is a **1/2 match, but God did I miss all the New Japan Dads’ themes. And it was fun to see them do their thing, though not in a really “this is good wrestling” kind of way but in a “I haven’t seen some of these dudes in forever” kind of way. The Bullet Club made for the least interesting opposition possible though, and I know Jado’s older now but I was not prepared for him moving like he’s Rusher Kimura. Kojima meanwhile is shredded and looks ready for a 205 Live run. Jado’s facetious Liger chant early on was probably the highlight of the Bullet Club’s contribution, outside of the brief Nakanishi/Fale pairing. Much respect for this quiet match.
2. IWGP Tag Team Title: Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa [c] vs. Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI (Destruction in Beppu 9/15/19)
This was terrible. The Guerillas of Destiny reversed a switcheroo spot to get the better of the good guys like a minute in and that should’ve been my cue. But I kept going, and sat through a boring beatdown of Ishii and a freakin’ YOSHI-HASHI hot tag to set up some telegraphed bullshit spot of his where he draped both GoD guys across the ropes.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the match just kind of fell apart towards the end. Ishii did a German suplex on Loa and seemed to be calling for him to get in place for something other than a sliding lariat, but Loa just sat there for a sliding lariat, so Ishii just gave up and picked him up to hit a lariat after waiting for a business-exposing amount of time. Loa did a fighting spirit spot later on to no heat and I just felt embarrassed. And Tama and YOSHI somehow botched an RKO. They obviously had SOMETHING planned for the finish with some near falls for YOSHI, but between all the careful Magic Killer setups and BS that came earlier it was dead in the water. Royal Quest miracle aside, throw GoD in the bin. I’m even mad at Ishii now. *
3. RPW British Heavyweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi [c] vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (Destruction in Beppu 9/15/19)
So much good wrestling and limb-stretching and dickishness, and I’d tag that with “as per usual” but that’s not fair. These guys spoil us, but instead of doing it with high-risk spots they’re doing it with matwork and attitude. Tanahashi almost getting the Texas Cloverleaf on feels like a major spot and I appreciate that. Him transitioning from the High Fly Flow to another Cloverleaf attempt later on was incredible too. They traded some gorgeous counters and cradles at the end before a flash cradle won ZSJ back his title. It was a nod below their G1 Climax and Royal Quest matches for me but still great, all dramatic and fun to watch and stuff. ****
4. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo [c] vs. Will Ospreay & Robbie Eagles (Destruction in Kagoshima 9/16/19)
Birds of Prey are pretty much already a great babyface tag team, but it was opposite ELP doing jumping back rakes and chinlocks. The Birds’ monkey flip into a kick to the back is a good move, but it was opposite ELP stopping a Spanish Fly with a back rake. I like the Birds, Taiji is occasionally still great, and even ELP is capable of some neat stuff when he’s not being a turd, but this was just barely good. **3/4
5. Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Title Contendership: Kota Ibushi vs. KENTA (Destruction in Kagoshima 9/16/19)
I was incredibly excited for the Ibushi/KENTA G1 match despite the last few years of Hideo Itami performances, and it ended up a match I liked but did not love. This match was completely different, but not really in a good way. I appreciated the idea of Ibushi getting attacked at the start and fighting from behind as opposed to another Dream Match, but it went TWENTY-SIX MINUTES. Like, I loved KENTA attacking pre-bell with the briefcase and opening up the briefcase to reveal there’s ACTUALLY a contract in it, then stomping the briefcase and talking shit on the mic. But that was before the bell – once the bell rang, it went TWENTY-SIX MINUTES.
After like 15 minutes they started trading elbows and then KENTA started to work the leg for some god damn reason. Like he had been beating Ibushi’s ass for a while and now all of the sudden he’s catching dropkicks with a leglock – WHY? He did a bad figure-four too, which Ibushi turned over but continued to sell it, as I’m not sure it’s even canon in Japan that a figure-four turnover hurts the other guy, but KENTA also sold it as if he was hurting. Also, didn’t KENTA get a concussion in that Ishii match? Is he OK?
And then there was Bullet Club interference at the end. And Ishii and YOSHI ran out for the save, to give me flashbacks of that trash match. And I just… I wanted to like this, OK? Alright? But it was twenty-six minutes. **3/4
6. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV & Rocky Romero vs. Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI (Destruction in Kobe 9/22/19)
I only watched this because I saw the Twitter GIF, so I knew it was coming due to the Twitter GIF, and I still screamed “KISHIN LIGER!!!” out loud. Basically what happened here was Jushin Thunder Liger, who’s been scrapping with Minoru Suzuki lately, attacked Suzuki from behind before the bell, but got overwhelmed and got his ass beat by Suzuki. Suzuki begins to untie the mask, Liger responds with an uncharacteristic low blow, then begins to tie … no … untie his mask… and suddenly he’s bald and painted from head to toe – KISHIN LIGER HAS RETURNED. If you like Demon Balor, you’re not even fucking PREPARED for Kishin Liger.
The commentary freak-out is amazing and Liger looks more shredded than he ever has. He spits what must be poison mist at Suzuki, at the ref, and then grabs a pair of utility scissors and charges at Suzuki, who’s standing in front of a propped up table – Suzuki ducks and the scissors GO THROUGH THE TABLE. HE TRIED TO KILL HIM. And the shot of Suzuki on the floor, covered in mist, after having just dodged Liger throwing a table at him, overwhelmed by the chaos he’s used to creating himself… BRILLIANT.
I was so excited to see DOUKI again but I’m honestly not sure I even saw him on-screen and I definitely did not care after the insanity. Liger is DQ’d and even hits TANAHASHI on the way to the back, this unhinged madman. Tiger Mask carries Liger’s mask (PLUS HAIR) in confusion, then tosses it to a young boy. I love this business and I loved this 3-minute match.
6. Hirooki Goto vs. Shingo Takagi (Destruction in Kobe 9/22/19)
This could have been the exact same match as the G1 Climax match for all I know, but once again this pairing ruled. It was another no-nonsense slugfest, with Shingo continuing to be such a fun guy to watch and Goto continuing to be quietly awesome with the right opponent. Shingo’s usually the right opponent. Like the G1 match, everything they threw connected and was rooted in some kind of truth, an agreement that professional wrestling might be fake but this is different.
The finish was a war, with lariats upon lariats on various parts of the body and a great spot where Goto runs at Shingo with a lariat but he’s tired and Shingo is STRONG so Shingo simply hits his own lariat for an awesome near fall. I loved the urgency of Shingo once victory was in his reach, and even though I found out the finish beforehand I still flipped out for his Pumping Bomber near fall. Goto drops an Ushigiroshi for 2 before another GTR ends it. Heck of a finish, heck of a match. ****
7. IWGP Intercontinental Title: Tetsuya Naito [c] vs. Jay White (Destruction in Kobe 9/22/19)
I didn’t like this. There’s something to be said about the ability to pace out a 30-minute match, build the drama, reach a crescendo – but their version of that here, while occasionally impressive, just wasn’t any fun to watch. There’s no extra zest, from either guy really. It was just a bunch of heat segments for a while and most of them stunk. The finish was fun but when aren’t they? I think White is good, just over-exposed, while I go back-and-forth on Big Match Naito either being good just misused or actually bad. This really felt like a match of two guys who would probably adapt best to the WWE-style – get in, get over, get out – but here they are working 30-minute New Japan main event. Not bad, but weird. ***
