NJPW Destruction in Kobe notes: DOUKI agrees to defend Jr. Title against SHO, David Finlay retains, ELP joins Hontai

Photo Courtesy: New Japan Pro-Wrestling

DOUKI successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Yoshinobu Kanemaru. He fought off SHO during the match. After the bout, SHO took the belt and threatened to destroy it with a metal object if DOUKI did not agree to give him a title shot. DOUKI agreed, so SHO handed him the belt back but knocked him out with the metal object.

The second defense of David Finlay’s IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship reign took place. He bested YOSHI-HASHI. Post-match, Hirooki Goto stepped up to Finlay.

There was a NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Title match. The trio of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Oleg Boltin and Toru Yano defended against House of Torture (EVIL, SHO & Yujiro Takahashi). Ren Narita interfered but he was offset by El Phantasmo. Tanahashi, Boltin and Yano went on to retain. Afterwards, Tanahashi hesitantly accepted El Phantasmo into Hontai. Both him and Jado are joining the group, which officially signals the end of Guerrillas of Destiny.

Hirooki Goto versus Gabe Kidd started out with Kidd ambushing his opponent backstage. Their bout resulted in a double count out, but Kidd demanded that the referee restart the match and make it no disqualification. That was made official and Goto won the match.

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A Washington D.C. native and graduate of Norfolk State University, Andrew Thompson has been covering wrestling since 2017.