Former friends turned bitter enemies, that’s a tale as old as time!

NJPW is on the Road to Osaka’s New Beginning, but there are some old grudges that need to be handled. Will El Desperado get even with “Uncle Nobu?”

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Ryusuke Taguchi & Katsuya Marushima VS YOH & Shoma Kato; Taguchi & Marushima win.
• 10 Man Tag: The United Empire VS Bullet Club War Dogs; The United Empire wins.
• Six Man Tag: The Guerrillas of Destiny VS Bullet Club; Bullet Club wins.
• 8 Man Tag: Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma VS TMDK; TMDK wins.
• Six Man Tag: Tama Tonga, Shota Umino & Togi Makabe VS The House of Torture; The House of Torture wins.
• 10 Man Tag: Los Ingobernables de Japon VS Just5Guys; Just5Guys win.
• Master Wato VS SHO; Cancelled.
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado VS Yoshinobu Kanemaru; Desperado wins and retains the title.

PLAY BY PLAY

Master Wato heads to the ring.

And he’s on crutches?! Well that’s a clear indication something is wrong. Fans are a bit solemn seeing the Way to the Grandmaster slide into the ring, but then they cheer him on for standing here in the ring. Wato gets the mic, and he starts by apologizing to the fans that he won’t be able to compete tonight. He injured his left knee during his match during New Beginning in Nagoya this past Saturday, and upon examination, it turned out to be a cruciate tear of his left knee’s ACL. He then faced the reality that this would require surgery, and will have to miss a lot of time in the ring.

However, Wato vows that he will not just come back from this, but he will come back better and stronger, at truly 100%. WAIT! SHO ATTACKS!! Sho CLOBBERS Wato’s leg with the “Torture Tool” wrench!! Fans boo as Sho keeps hitting the leg, even while Wato’s down! The fans tell him to go home but Sho laughs at Wato’s pain! Sho even holds the mic to Wato’s face so we can all hear Wato cry in pain! Sho then mockingly says, “Oh, that’s really too bad~!” Sho says this is a big thank you to Wato! He really thought they were gonna have a match tonight and have to wrestle with “dignity,” so he was in a bit of a spot.

Sho then boasts that maybe he’s just too tough for the 2023 Best of the Super Junior winner. He might be in trouble if he gets too strong even for the Junior Heavyweight Division. And he feels bad for all the dummies who thought they were gonna see him and Wato wrestle tonight. Especially when this is free on NJPW World this time! HAH! He then taunts Wato for just sitting there, drooling and crying all over the mat. Wato should stand up to show Desperado and all these good people he’s still got heart! Sho says Wato’s like a little maggot worm down there! Grandmaster? More like grandchild! Master Maggot!

Sho then mockingly asks which leg was injured. Tear? Total tear? Well, it will be after this! Sho grabs one of the crutches!! BUT WAIT! Here comes Desperado! The Murder Machine goes running when he sees The Rogue Luchador here! Young Lions help Wato out of the ring, and Desperado helps him to his feet. Wato gets the mic again just to say, “House of Torture, I’m definitely coming back for you!” Wato is doubly motivated to get back in the ring, when and where will we see him come for revenge?

After the 10 Man Tag: Los Ingobernables de Japon VS Just5Guys…

J5G won, but Taichi got the mic to ask LIJ to stay. Taichi says he has a “proposal” for them. Takagi wants to storm in but Taichi tells him to “slow his roll.” Taichi says that the next time they’re in Korakuen Hall, February 5th, he wants a “Faction Gauntlet match.” Yeah, not elimination, but a gauntlet. “Win and stay in,” something you usually see in judo. They’ll enter by rank, “generals in last.” Takagi asks who determines ranks. Taichi says no one will know the match order until guys make their entrances. Fans like that idea! Taichi continues to explain that every “match” has a 10 minute time limit, which yeah, is pretty short.

And so yeah, it can end up 2v1, 3v1, 4v1, but once generals show up, there will be no more time limit! Fans also like the sound of that! Taichi says it’d be boring if it ended in a draw, so this will be “a winner-take-all match” so they can settle this once and for all. What does LIJ say to that? Takagi’s fired up but Naito doesn’t really react. Taichi says that’s fine, that’s all J5G has to say, “so please, head home safely. Thank you very much.” Now Taichi wants LIJ to leave, but they refuse. Okay did the idiots not understand him? If they’re confused by the match stipulations, he can explain again on his YouTube stream. Fans appreciate that.

But a unique match type has been created! Will the Holy Emperor and his guys win out? Or will LIJ beat them at their own game?

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado VS Yoshinobu Kanemaru w/ The House of Torture!

The Rogue Luchador and Heel Master used to be on the same side in Suzuki-Gun, and were even champions together. But after Minoru Suzuki himself dissolved the group, things seemed to sour. “Uncle Nobu” has joined the dark side in The House of Torture, will he help add more gold to their treasury? Or will this title stay with Strong Style?

The introductions are made, the belt is raised, and we finally see who was the strongest part of the team all along!

Surprisingly, The House goes to the back? Desperado offers a handshake in hopes there’s still respect somewhere in this former friendship, but Kanemaru kicks the hand away. The bell rings and the fans rally for “DESPE! DESPE!” Desperado and Kanemaru circle, tie up, and then break. They circle more, tie up again, and Kanemaru puts Desperado on ropes. Red Shoes counts, Kanemaru lets off slowly, and then he kicks low! Kanemaru whips, but Desperado hurdles the dropkick to the legs! But then Kanemaru dodges Desperado’s dropkick to the legs! But then Desperado dodges another dropkick to the legs!

Desperado bails out and fans cheer this back and forth. Kanemaru waits as Desperado goes around the outside. Desperado steps back in, ties up with Kanemaru and headlocks. Kanemaru pulls hair to power out, but Desperado runs Kanemaru over! Desperado runs but fakes out the dropdown, only for Kanemaru to avoid the elbow drop. Kanemaru headlocks but Desperado powers up and out again. Kanemaru runs Desperado over now, then runs, but he fakes out the dropdown to scuff Desperado. Desperado storms up, Kanemaru SLAPS him! Desperado runs up, Kanemaru dodges to arm-drag, then he has the armlock.

Desperado fights up while fans rally, but Kanemaru wrenches and headlocks. Desperado pries at the hold, powers back up, but Kanemaru holds on tight! Desperado tries again but Kanemaru still holds on tight! Desperado rolls to a cover, TWO! Kanemaru still has the headlock, but Desperado fights back up. Desperado powers out to headlock, but Kanemaru powers out! They crisscross as they run the ropes, and then Kanemaru dropkicks the legs out! Desperado clutches that knee, but fans rally as he goes to a corner. Kanemaru drags Desperado up to toss him out, and then follows. Desperado UPEPRCUTS first!

Kanemaru CLAWS Desperado’s eyes but lets off as Red Shoes reprimands. Kanemaru brings Desperado around and POSTS him! Desperado writhes but Kanemaru stalks him. Fans rally but Kanemaru goes looking under the ring. Kanemaru finds a chair, but Red Shoes tells him no! Kanemaru drops the chair to drag Desperado up to fireman’s carry. SNAKE EYES off the railing! Kanemaru sits the chair up, then runs up to use it as a step! Kanemaru gets on the railing, to then GUILLOTINE LEG DROP Desperado down! Fans cheer, that admittedly was impressive. The fans rally as Kanemaru leaves Desperado behind for the ring count.

Desperado crawls at 5 of 20, makes it to the gate at 10, and hobbles around at 14 to slide in at 15! Kanemaru whips Desperado to back drop him! Kanemaru drags Desperado up to TOSS him back out, and Desperado tumbles into railing. Kanemaru then whips Desperado hard into more railing! Kanemaru scoops and SLAMS Desperado right on the floor! Desperado writhes, the fans rally for him, but Kanemaru leaves him behind again. Red Shoes starts the ring count again, and the fans rally more. Desperado sputters but he’s still down at 10 of 20! Desperado hauls himself up and over at 15, and drags himself in at 18!

Fans cheer as this continues, but Kanemaru stands on Desperado’s face and asks him what’s going on, champ? Kanemaru kicks Desperado around, scuffs him, but Desperado glares. Desperado stands to SMACK Kanemaru! And ROCK him! Kanemaru claws the eyes! Kanemaru whips, runs in, but Desperado ELBOWS him away! Desperado runs up but Kanemaru blocks to make him do the splits! Then a ROLLING CUTTER! Cover, TWO! Fans fire up again but Kanemaru drags Desperado around, into a CAMEL CLUTCH! Desperado endures as Kanemaru bends him back! Kanemaru has his forearms across Desperado’s nose, forcing him to mouth-breath!

Fans rally as Desperado endures but Kanemaru thrashes him in the traditional chinlock style! Desperado fights to get an arm free, and he claws forward to the ROPEBREAK! Kanemaru lets off slowly, kneeling on Desperado. Every trick Desperado knows, Kanemaru taught him! Kanemaru lets off as Red Shoes counts, and he stomps Desperado down. Kanemaru throws hands, then avoids Desperado’s punches to claw at the eyes! Red Shoes reprimands but Kanemaru whips Desperado. Desperado holds ropes to KICK back! But Kanemaru claws eyes again! Kanemaru runs, but into a scoop and BIG back suplex!

Fans fire up while both men are down! Desperado drags Kanemaru up to hit another BIG back suplex! Cover, TWO! Kanemaru hangs tough but the fans rally behind Desperado. Desperado goes to ropes, fires himself up, and he runs in at the corner. Desperado blocks a boot to put that leg in the ropes, then he DROPKICKS the other leg! Desperado grabs that left leg to DRAGON SCREW! Fans fire up while Kanemaru writhes. Desperado drags Kanemaru out to YANK the leg, and hook it up in a STRETCH MUFFLER! Kanemaru scrambles to get the ROPEBREAK! Desperado lets go slowly, to “Oops!” and drop a knee on the leg!

Red Shoes reprimands Desperado but Desperado fires himself back up again. Desperado drags Kanemaru up, scoops, but Kanemaru lands out of it! But the bad leg jams! Desperado grins and storms up on Kanemaru. Kanemaru holds ropes to fight the whip but Desperado kicks the bad leg! Desperado whips, but Kanemaru hobbles and falls over. Fans boo, they aren’t sure if he’s exaggerating or not. Desperado storms up, and yeah, Kanemaru was setting a trap! Victory roll, TWO!! Desperado swings, Kanemaru dodges and then tilt-o-whirls to DDT! Cover, TWO! Fans rally for Desperado but Kanemaru goes to a corner.

Kanemaru climbs up and he aims as Desperado stands. DEEP- NO, Desperado turns DDT into SPINEBUSTER! High stack, TWO! Into STRETCH MUFFLER! Kanemaru reaches out, but Desperado gets the arm, NUMERO DOS! Desperado thrashes Kanemaru around but Kanemaru endures! Wait, Sho returns! So much for playing fair here! Red shoes tells Sho to stay away but Sho shrugs, he hasn’t done anything yet! Desperado lets Sho go, and then NARITA runs in! Narita shoves Desperado into Red Shoes! Fans boo, Desperado flips Narita off, but Narita bends that finger! Then Narita wraps on the SLEEPER HOLD!

Yujiro undoes a buckle pad, but wait! SHOTA UMINO rushes out here! And so do Tanahashi and Taguchi! Fans fire up as Hontai makes the save, going after the House of Torture! Narita CLAWS Shota’s eyes, runs, but into a DROPKICK! Fans cheer as Shota, Taguchi and Ace-sachou chase the House to the back! Desperado applauds that, too, and gets back to his feet. Desperado storms up on Kanemaru and drags him up. But Kanemaru blocks the gut wrench! Desperado kicks the bad leg, whips but Kanemaru reverses! Desperado stops from hitting bare buckles, only for Kanemaru to shove him in!

Kanemaru whips and Desperado hits bare buckles hard! Desperado writhes but the fans rally up as hard as they can. Kanemaru crawls his way over, then hobbles up. Kanemaru scoops for BRITISH FALL! Then Kanemaru puts Desperado in the drop zone, goes up, ROUNDING BODY PRESS! Cover, TWO! But then Kanemaru gets the legs, BOSTON CRAB! Desperado endures and fans rally up even harder! Kanemaru sits deep, but Desperado powers up! Desperado reaches out, but Kanemaru shifts to a LION TAMER! Desperado endures, claws his way around, Kanemaru shifts to just a HALF CRAB! Desperado flails and crawls, ROPEBREAK!

Fans cheer as Kanemaru lets go in frustration. Kanemaru drags Desperado up, brings him around and around and around, to POST him! Red Shoes reprimands but Kanemaru pushes Desperado into the drop zone. Kanemaru climbs up, Desperado stands, into DEEP IMPACT!! Cover, TWO!! Desperado survives and the fans fire up! Kanemaru shouts at Desperado, drags him up, and reels him in, but Desperado fights the suplex! Desperado hooks the leg, Kanemaru throws body shots, but the struggle for control is still on! Kanemaru suplexes, but Desperado fights it! Desperado suplexes up and over!

Fans fire up while both men are down! Kanemaru crawls, we pass 20 minutes of the one hour time limit. Desperado stands, Kanemaru runs in, but into a SPINEBUSTER! Then Desperado turns Kanemaru over, hauls him up, OLYMPIC SLAM! Desperado doesn’t stop there, he gut wrenches for GUITARRA DEL ANGEL! Cover, TWO!! Kanemaru survives but Desperado is all fired up! The fans are with him, and he storms up on Kanemaru. Desperado underhooks, PINCHE- NO, Kanemaru fights it! Kanemaru wrenches free, but Desperado dodges to then lift and SHIN BREAKER! And then GROUND DRAGON SCREW!

The fans fire up as Desperado STRETCH- NO, Kanemaru cradles! TWO!! Desperado rolls Kanemaru up, shifts and has the leg, STRETCH- NO, Kanemaru again cradles! TWO!!! Another near escape, but Kanemaru kicks low! Desperado ducks the enzi! Then he rolls to get the STRETCH MUFFLER!! And then Desperado grabs the arm, NUMERO DOS!! Kanemaru endures, and now DICK AND EVIL are here! Dick YANKS Red Shoes out so Evil can stomp away on Desperado! Fans boo as Evil & Dick mug Desperado! The fans tell them to go home now, but Evil soaks it up. Evil drags Desperado up and coordinates with Dick.

Desperado fights Magic Killer! And Tama Tonga gets in! Tama TOSSES Dick, then blocks Evil’s low blow! Desperado LOW BLOWS Evil! Fans fire up as Tama & Desperado work together now, MAGIC KILLER!! The Good Bad Guy thwarts the King of Darkness and the fans are thunderous! Desperado aims at Kanemaru but Kanemaru aims in return! Desperado dodges the bottle shot, and LOCO MONOS! The whiskey mist goes flying into the air! Desperado calls to Red Shoes and then calls for the end! Underhooks and PINCHE- NO, Kanemaru fights it, trips to a jackknife bridge, TWO!! Kanemaru kicks low and SMACKS Desperado off buckles!!

Kanemaru suplexes, TOUCH- NO, Desperado fights free! STRETCH MUFFLER!! NUMERO DOS PLUS!!! Kanemaru quits, Desperado wins!!

Winner: El Desperado, by submission (still IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion)

The House of Torture tried all sorts of tricks, but it all got thrown back in their faces! Will the Heel Master come to regret his betrayal?

As for Desperado, after getting the belt and mic in hand, he rests in the middle of the ring. Desperado says that was pretty badass. He didn’t realize Kanemaru was such a dick, though. And while it feels like “a past life,” he remembers working hard side by side to be the best in the dojo. And there was this one time, he and Bad Luck Fale were drinking, and they went to Daikichi in Todoroki. Fale had maybe a bit too much, was gonna jump into the railroad crossing, so Desperado punched him to stop him. Fans applaud the great story, and then Desperado says that today, he got the bag back! Tama probably doesn’t even remember that story, but Desperado thanks him for the save tonight.

Desperado then talks on the unfortunate news that Wato got hurt. Desperado remembers having a similar injury, needing surgery, and then six to seven months of rehab. It was a long time before he came back here. And that’s nothing compared to what Wato’s gonna face, so there is no need to rush. Fans applaud that, and Desperado says this is the anniversary of the first time “main unit” acted like a team. He thanks Taguchi and Tanahashi for their part in the save. He may be Team Strong Style, but that doesn’t change that they’re basically in the same corner. And from now on, he will hold on tight to this belt.

Fans cheer and Desperado takes his leave. But then backstage, Sho attacks Desperado!! The Murder Machine says he’s got next! Will the House of Torture take this title no matter what it takes?

My Thoughts:

Okay, I skipped a lot of this one, but it didn’t really have much on paper. It was a bit of an unfortunate surprise that Wato came out to announce his injury, with Sho then attacking him to add to his own story in the Junior Heavyweight Division. Wato VS Sho was gonna be the other match I covered but that went out the window. And I ended up seeing the other results so that kinda foiled the fun of covering those. But Desperado making the save on Wato was good, and then Desperado needing the rest of Hontai making the save was also a good detail. Desperado of course retains in his first defense, but now Sho wants his shot, and that’ll be some good stuff in another of these New Beginning events.

My Score: 8.5/10