NJPW DOMINION RESULTS (06/09/24) – BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS FINALS!

NJPW Dominion took place in the Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka, Japan, featuring the finals of this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament and six title matches featuring the likes of Jon Moxley, Shingo Takagi, Jeff Cobb. EVIL, HENARE and Tomohiro Ishii.

(1) TETSUYA NAITO vs. CALLUM NEWMAN

Newman immediately knocked Naito off the apron with a dropkick, setting him up for a Triangle moonsault. Naito Irish-whipped Newman into the guardrail, only for Newman to shut him down with a shotgun dropkick. Naito caught Newman with a back elbow, followed by a neckbreaker on the apron. Back in the ring, Naito clocked Newman with a basement dropkick and put him in a modified Rings of Saturn. Naito put Newman in a crabate, until Newman shut him down with a running boot to the face. Newman blasted Naito with a corner dropkick and a Penalty kick for a two count.

Naito hit Newman with an atomic drop, but Naito launched him across the ring with an avalanche hurracarrana. Newman planted Naito with a Spanish Fly and double underhook German suplex for a nearfall. Naito evaded the OsCutter, only for Newman to block a Tornado DDT with an elbow strike. Newman dropped Naito with Corriendo, but he managed to kick out at two. Newman pummeled Naito with a bunch of forearms, only for Naito to knock him out with a thrust kick and Destino.

WINNER: Tetsuya Naito at 8:08 (***)

– After the match, Tetsuya Naito briefly spoke with Callum Newman.

(2) TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr, Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita) vs. BULLET CLUB (Clark Connors & Drill Moloney) & LJ CLEARY

Fujita slapped Connors before everyone started exchanging forearm strikes. Connors dropped Fujita with a snap powerslam, but Fujita countered the Spear with an O’Connor Roll. Fujita blocked the Drilla Killa, allowing Eagles to hit Bullet Club with a springboard dropkick. ZSJ put Connors in a wrist lock while the rest of TMDK knocked Moloney and Cleary down. TMDK targeted Connors’ limbs with numerous locks back-and-forth. Eagles kicked Moloney away, only for Connors to pounce him into the ropes. Cleary cracked Eagles with an enzuigiri and slapped ZSJ before blasting Eagles with a double stomp to the back.

Moloney pummeled Eagles down, withstood his chops and crushed him with a double stomp and elbow drop combination. Eagles surprised Moloney with a jackknife, but couldn’t go for the Drilla Killa. Eagles knocked Moloney down with an enzuigiri, reaching Fujita for the hot tag. Fujita clobbered Connors with a chop to the chest and a springboard dropkick for a two count. Connors threw Fujita away with a belly-to-belly suplex, setting him up for a pump kick from Cleary. Cleary slapped ZSJ, only for Fujita to clock him with an enzuigiri and tag ZSJ in. 

ZSJ beat Cleary down with a barrage of uppercuts, setting him up for a neck twist. ZSJ countered a springboard arm drag with a cross armbreaker, until Bullet Club broke the hold. Connors caught Eagles off-guard with a Spear while Fujita took care of Moloney off-camera. Cleary surprised ZSJ with a crucifix pin and a thrust kick, but ZSJ blocked a Disaster Kick with an Ankle Lock. ZSJ floored Cleary with a German suplex and a Penalty kick, setting him up for the Zack Driver and the win.

WINNER: TMDK at 9:41 (**3/4)

– Storm Catch Rules means that strikes are not allowed; there is a 15-minute time limit; and each wrestler has two rope-breaks and/or ring exits. If they use a rope-break or leave the ring a third time, they will be declared the loser.

(3) YUYA UEMURA vs. THE GREAT-O-KHAN – NJPW King of Pro Wrestling Championship Storm Catch Rules Match

Uemura immediately took O-Khan down with a double wrist lock, followed by a back suplex. Uemura put O-Khan in a cross armbreaker, forcing him to use his first rope break. O-Khan put Uemura in a head-and-arm triangle, knocking him off his feet and forcing him to use his first rope break. Uemura hit O-Khan with an arm drag and hyper-extended his arm by hooking it with his leg and dropping to his back. Uemura dropped O-Khan with a body slam before O-Khan took a bite out of his head.

O-Khan tried to go for a power move, only for Uemura to bite his ear. O-Khan took Uemura off his feet, only for Uemura to make him lose his second exit with a belly-to-belly suplex over the ropes. Back in the ring, O-Khan laid Uemura out with a spinning uranage for a two count. Uemura countered the Eliminator with a cross armbreaker, until O-Khan was able to break the hold and pin him for a nearfall. O-Khan launched Uemura away with a belly-to-belly suplex and spiked him with the FGO, setting him up for the Eliminator and the win.

WINNER: The Great-O-Khan at 10:36 (New NJPW King of Pro Wrestling Champion) (***)

(4) HIROSHI TANAHASHI, TORU YANO & BOLTIN OLEG vs. LOS INGOBERNABLES DE JAPÓN (Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) – NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship

Tanahashi and Tsuji locked up before giving Yano and BUSHI the tags. Yano clocked BUSHI and Takahashi with jabs to the back of the head, only for them to knock him down with a double dropkick. Tsuji put Yano in a wrist lock, setting him up for a diving axe handle from Takahashi. Takahashi blasted Yano with a basement dropkick before Tsuji dropped him on top of Yano for a two count. Yano pulled Takahashi’s hair, withstood a shot into the exposed turnbuckle and cracked Takahashi with an atomic drop. Oleg got the hot tag to nail Tsuji with a shoulder tackle and a big splash, followed by the delayed gutwrench suplex.

Oleg put Takahashi and BUSHI down with a double dropkick before laying Tsuji out with a vertical suplex. Tsuji tried to go for the facebreaker, but Oleg blocked it and clobbered him with an elbow. Tsuji swept Oleg off his feet and crushed his head with a Curb Stomp, followed by a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Oleg and Tsuji got into a forearm strike exchange, until Oleg knocked Tsuji away with a dropkick. Tanahashi got the hot tag to take Tsuji down with a running forearm and a bodyslam, setting him up for the somersault senton.

Yano threw Takahashi out of the ring while Tsuji cracked Tanahashi with a pump knee. Tsuji knocked Tanahashi off his feet with a headbutt and kicked Yano out of the ring. Tanahashi took care of Tsuji with a sling blade while Oleg dropped BUSHI and Takahashi with a double clothesline. Tanahashi missed the High Fly Flow, allowing Tsuji to take the win with the Gene Blaster.

WINNERS: Los Ingobernables de Japón at 8:32 (New NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions) (***1/4)

– After the match, Boltin Oleg returned to the ring to confront Yota Tsuji before walking away.

(5) JEFF COBB vs. TOMOHIRO ISHII – NJPW World Television Championship

They immediately started exchanging shoulder tackles, until Cobb knocked Ishii off his feet. Cobb caught Ishii with a leaping crossbody before standing on his back. Ishii blocked a suplex and knocked him off his feet with a shoulder tackle. Ishii attacked Cobb with a series of chops, only for Cobb to shut him down with a flying uppercut to the back of the head. They traded forearm strikes, until Ishii floored Cobb with a delayed vertical suplex. Cobb launched Ishii with a release German suplex, following it with a delayed vertical superplex.

Ishii quickly fired up and managed to put Cobb down with a German suplex. Ishii laid Cobb out with a Saito suplex before receiving a belly-to-belly suplex. Cobb withstood a forearm strike and turned Ishii inside out with a lariat for a nearfall. Cobb knocked Ishii off his feet with a headbutt and crushed him with a standing moonsault for a two count. Ishii caught Cobb with a clothesline, an enzuigiri and a running lariat for a shocking kick out at one. Cobb tackled Ishii into the mat and crushed him with a forearm strike, but he kicked out at one. 

Ishii took Cobb down with a sliding lariat and blocked an F5, but Cobb knocked him down with a dropkick. Cobb laid Ishii with the F5000 and traded strikes with him before laying him out with the Spin Cycle. Ishii blocked the Tour of Islands and cracked Cobb with a headbutt before countering a pop up powerbomb with a hurracarrana and turning Cobb inside out with a lariat for a close two count. Cobb blocked the Brainbuster and finished Ishii with the Tour of the Islands for the victory.

WINNER: Jeff Cobb at 11:47 (Still NJPW World Television Champion) (****1/4)

– A video package announcing the G1 Climax 34 was shown. The format has gone back to 20 names and 2 blocks. 18 names will be announced next week while the last two will have to earn them in tournament matches. The top 3 in each block would qualify to the next bracket of the tournament. The tournament starts on July 20.

– They announced a series of events to take over the half of the year, including History X-Over on November 17 and Wrestle Kingdom 19.

(6) GUERRILLAS OF DESTINY (Hikuleo & El Phantasmo w/Jado) vs. BULLET CLUB (KENTA & Chase Owens) vs. BISHAMON (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) vs. TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls w/Zack Sabre Jr & Kosei Fujita) – IWGP Tag Team Championship & NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship Elimination Tornado Match

Everyone surrounded KENTA and Owens, forcing them to roll out of the ring. Bishamon attacked Bullet Club while GoD brawled with TMDK. Nicholls attacked Hikuleo with forearms, until Hikuleo dropped him with a DDT. GoD floored Haste with a spinning side slam and a diving knee drop. YOSHI knocked Hikuleo off the apron before Goto hip-tossed him on top of ELP. TMDK dropped Goto with a back suplex and neckbreaker combination, followed by a fist drop and moonsault combination. KENTA and Owens threw TMDK out of the ring and stomped YOSHI down. Owens knocked YOSHI down with a clothesline and cracked ELP with a knee strike for a two count.

Bullet Club planted ELP with a powerbomb and neckbreaker combination for a close two count. Hikuleo clobbered Bullet Club with a double clothesline before crushing Nicholls with an elbow drop. Haste attacked Hikuleo with a clothesline, only for Hikuleo to shut him down with a massive lariat. Hikuleo dropped Haste with a powerslam, setting him up for a springboard Swanton and a lionsault from ELP. ELP crashed into everyone with an assisted Asai moonsault, followed by Sudden Death on Haste. Haste countered a chokeslam from Hikuleo with a DDT while ELP took care of Nicholls. ELP accidentally blasted Hikuleo with Sudden Death, allowing TMDK to eliminate GoD with the Tankbuster on Hikuleo.

Owens and KENTA surprised TMDK with stereo roll-ups for a nearfall. While Bullet Club beat TMDK down, Hikuleo argued with ELP at ringside. KENTA blasted Haste with kicks to the chest, followed by a DDT. Owens swept Nicholls off his feet, setting him up for a Hesitation dropkick from KENTA. KENTA crushed Nicholls with a diving double stomp while Owens flattened YOSHI with a Death Valley Driver. Bullet Club pummeled Goto down before Owens crushed him with a senton. Goto dropped Owens with a back body drop, only for Owens to crack him with an enzuigiri. Bishamon took Owens down with a thrust kick and neckbreaker combination. Bishamon planted KENTA on top of Owens and finished Owens with Shoto to eliminate him.

TMDK and Bishamon traded strikes in and out of the ring, until Goto floored Haste with a leg lariat and a Saito suplex. Goto rammed Haste into the corner, setting him up for a corner clothesline from YOSHI. TMDK put Goto down with the Olivia Newton Bomb, but YOSHI broke the pinfall. Nicholls and YOSHI traded chops, until YOSHI nailed Haste with a thrust kick.

Goto caught Nicholls with a lariat to the back, but Haste saved Nicholls from Shoto. Goto knocked Haste off his feet with a headbutt, only for Haste to nail him with a dropkick. Goto blocked the Tankbuster before receiving a Power Bottom for a close two count. YOSHI attacked TMDK with kicks and chops, until they dropped him with a Tankbuster for a shocking nearfall. TMDK crushed YOSHI with an avalanche Tankbuster to pick up the win.

 WINNERS: TMDK at 16:26 (New IWGP Tag Team Champions & New NJPW STRONG Tag Team Champions) (***1/2)

– A video package was shown recapping the history between Shingo Takagi and HENARE.

(7) SHINGO TAKAGI vs. HENARE – NEVER Openweight Championship

Takagi blasted HENARE with a chop to the chest before they started exchanging forearm strikes. HENARE caught Takagi with an elbow to the head, but Takagi cornered him with a jab and a clothesline. Takagi pummeled HENARE with a barrage of right hands, until they got into a headbutt exchange. HENARE blasted Takagi with kicks to the back and a Penalty Kick before receiving a lariat. HENARE went for a rising knee, but Takagi blocked it with a powerbomb. Takagi took HENARE down with a sliding lariat, only for HENARE to shut him down with an immediate knee strike. Takagi blocked a Spear to put HENARE down with jabs and a DDT.

HENARE caught Takagi with Rampage, followed by a kick to the chest. They traded numerous chops and kicks to the chest, until Takagi clocked HENARE with a lariat to the back. HENARE nailed Takagi with a Disaster Kick, only for Takagi to immediately retaliate with a Pumping Bomber. Takagi caught HENARE with a back elbow, a jab and a lariat. HENARE blocked the Last of the Dragon and laid Takagi out with Streets of Rage, but couldn’t go for the pinfall. HENARE cracked Takagi with a back elbow and a jumping knee strike, only for Takagi to block a Penalty kick.

Takagi withstood HENARE’s strikes and put him down with the Last of the Dragon, but was too tired to go for the pinfall. Takagi attacked HENARE with a series of lariats and forearm strikes, until HENARE caught him with a liver shot and a hoo kick. HENARE withstood an enzuigiri and clocked Takagi with a Penalty kick. They both went for lariats at the same time and started exchanging palm strikes to the face. Takagi knocked HENARE off his feet with a single forearm strike before they traded a couple of headbutts. HENARE caught Takagi with two Hammerheads while Takagi responded with a lariat, leaving both men knocked down. Neither man was able to get up, so the match was declared a Draw.

WINNER: Draw at 14:35 (Shingo Takagi Still NEVER Openweight Champion) (****1/4)

– A video package recapping the rivalry between Jon Moxley and EVIL was shown.

– EVIL made his way to the ring and spray-painted NJPW chairman Takaaki Kidani’s face.

– EVIL was accompanied by House of Torture while Jon Moxley was accompanied by Shota Umino, Togi Makabe, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask.

(8) JON MOXLEY vs. EVIL – IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Lumberjack Match

They started brawling on the entrance way where Moxley drove EVIL into the guardrail. Moxley blasted EVIL with a series of chops and knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. Moxley dropped EVIL with a neckbreaker, followed by a bunch of kicks to the back, a sliding lariat and a cross armbreaker. EVIL gouged Moxley’s eyes and threw him out of the ring, only for Moxley to beat down all of House of Torture and ram him into the guardrail. Moxley sat EVIL on a chair and pummeled him down with a series of anvil elbow strikes before knocking him down with a big boot.

Back in the ring, Moxley put EVIL in a Figure 4 Leg Lock, until he was able to reach the ropes. EVIL raked Moxley’s eyes and shoved him off the apron and into the guardrail. House of Torture stomped Moxley, until Moxley’s teammates made the save and threw him back in the ring. EVIL choked Moxley out with a t-shirt and threw him out of the ring where House of Torture whipped him with belts. Back in the ring, EVIL trapped Moxley in a Nagata Lock, until he was able to grab the ropes. Moxley blocked a superplex and raked EVIL’s back before knocking him down with a headbutt. 

EVIL avoided a diving strike before they started trading forearm strikes and chops to the chest. Moxley pummeled EVIl with chops, until EVIL crushed him with a corner clothesline. Moxley knocked EVIL off his feet with a King Kong lariat and beat him down with a load of forearm strikes, setting him up for a piledriver and a two count. EVIL rolled out of the ring to hide with the rest of House of Torture, until Moxley knocked them down with a suicide dive. Moxley grabbed a belt and attacked EVIL with several lashes to the back. Moxley set up a table at ringside, only for Dick Togo to blind him with powder to the eyes.

EVIL put a chair on Moxley’s neck and clobbered it with another chair. Back in the ring, EVIL laid Moxley out with a superplex, but he managed to kick out at two. EVIL trapped Moxley in the Anaconda Vice, but Moxley was able to break it and put him in a sleeper hold. EVIL blocked a German suplex by grabbing the referee’s shirt, but the referee kicked his hand away. The referee accidentally slapped Moxley, allowing EVIL to floor him with Darkness Falls for a nearfall. EVIL attacked Moxley with lariats, until Moxley put him down with a German suplex.

Moxley put EVIL in the Nagata Lock II while Nagata and Umino kept Kanemaru and Narita away. Kanemaru managed to break the pinfall and hide behind the referee before clocking Nagata with an enzuigiri. Togo choked Moxley out with a belt, only for Tenzan to nail him and SHO with a double clothesline. Yujiro took Tenzan with a big boot, but Umino knocked him down with an STF. Nagata and Tenzan put SHO and Kanemaru in the Nagata Lock and the Anaconda Vice while Tiger hit Togo with the Tigre Suicida. Narita saved Moxley from the Death Rider with his push-up bar, using it to knock all of Moxley’s partners down.

House of Torture put Moxley through the table with a triple powerbomb, setting him up for a Death Rider and a close nearfall. Moxley laid EVIL out with Everything is Evil before throwing away all of House of Torture’s weapons. Moxley pulled out a bat wrapped in barbed wire, using to take out all of House of Torture. EVIL stabbed Moxley with a pen, but Moxley blocked his bat shot with a cutter. Moxley clobbered EVIL with numerous bat shots, setting him up for a curb stomp and a Death Rider on the barbed wire bat for the win.

WINNER: Jon Moxley at 25:01 (Still IWGP World Heavyweight Champion) (***3/4)

– After the match, Jon Moxley grabbed a mic and dared anyone in the back to fight him for the IWGP World Heavyweight title. Tetsuya Naito showed up on the entrance way and made his way to the ring. Naito officially challenged Moxley to an IWGP World title match at Forbidden Door.

– A video package recapping the story of El Desperado, Taiji Ishimori and the Best of the Super Juniors tournament over the years.

(9) EL DESPERADO vs. TAIJI ISHIMORI – Best of the Super Juniors Finals Match

Ishimori put Desperado in a wrist lock and took him down with a headlock takeover. Desperado dropped Ishimori with a knee breaker, only for Ishimori to rake his eyes. Ishimori sent Desperado out of the ring and crushed him with a Triangle Moonsault. Ishimori rammed Desperado shoulder-first into the ring post and Irish-whipped him into the exposed turnbuckle, setting him up for a cross armbreaker. Desperado cornered Ishimori to break a headlock and slapped him. Ishimori smashed Desperado’s shoulder into the exposed turnbuckle and into the mat. Desperado caught Ishimori with a back elbow and countered a handspring back elbow with a back suplex.

Desperado crashed into Ishimori with a suicide dive into a cannonball. Back in the ring, Desperado planted Ishimori with a suplex, but couldn’t go for Guitarra del Angel. Ishimori nailed Desperado with an enzuigiri and put him down with a sliding German suplex. Desperado evaded a 450 Splash, but Ishimori still attacked him with an inverted Lung Blower. Desperado knocked Ishimori with a back body drop and avoided a double knee strike in the corner, setting Ishimori up for a back suplex and a dragon screw. Ishimori smashed Desperado’s shoulder into the ring post and dropped him with a hammerlock shoulder breaker.

Desperado countered La Mistica with Numero Dos, until Ishimori broke it with an inside cradle. Ishimori spiked Desperado with a poison rana before receiving a spinebuster. Ishimori blocked Guitarra del Angel and knocked Desperado off his feet with a handspring enzuigiri. Desperado shocked Ishimori with a double knee breaker and tried to go for Numero Dos. Ishimori twisted Desperado’s arm and crushed it with a knee drop. Ishimori put Desperado down with La Mistica, setting him up for the Bone Lock. Desperado managed to transition the hold into Numero Dos, but Ishimori was able to counter it with a Destroyer.

Desperado surprised Ishimori with El Es Culero, only for Ishimori to knock the referee away and put him down with a low blow and the Gedo Clutch for a nearfall. Ishimori tried to go for Bloody Cross, only for Desperado to shut him down with a forearm strike. They got into a forearm strike exchange, until Desperado knocked Ishimori off his feet with a forearm strike. Ishimori caught Desperado with a jumping knee, but Desperado dropped him with a modified Olympic slam for a kick out at one.

Desperado blasted Ishimori with a Spear, followed by Pinche Loco, but he managed to kick out at two. Ishimori nailed Desperado with a modified spinning GTS, setting him up for reverse Bloody Sunday and a shocking nearfall. Desperado blocked Bloody Cross and rammed Ishimori into the exposed turnbuckle, setting him up for a double underhook piledriver, Pinche Loco and the victory.

WINNER: El Desperado at 23:36 (****1/4)

– After the match, SHO interrupted El Desperado’s closing speech to taunt him. Desperado dared SHO to make their eventual title bout a Steel Cage match.