Kobe World Hall sees busy 10 match lineup

The first of two big stops on the Destruction series, our annual trip to the always electric Kobe World Hall will see ten matchups, three titles on the line, and a lot of pride at stake for United Empire and LIJ as well.

Watch Destruction in Kobe LIVE in English on NJPW World!

Main event: IWGP US (UK) Championship: WIll Ospreay vs Yota Tsuji

Will Ospreay’s legendary summer saw him pick up wins over Kenny Omega, Kazuchika Okada, Shingo Takagi and Chris Jericho in a two month span. After putting himself on the clock on January 4 to put himself at the top of the wrestling world within the year, it could be argued that he’s not only achieved his goal, but lapped the field in well under the time allotted. In Ospreay’s mind, the top wrestler in the world should be crowned with an internationally minded championship, but in lieu of the defunt IWGP Intercontitnental title, he refuses to ‘bear a flag that isn’t mine’.

That led Ospreay to create the IWGP United Kingdom Championship, a title he defends for the first time against one of two blips on an otherwise stunning summer. Ospreay had designs on revealing the UK title center ring after beating Tetsuya Naito to advance to the G1 final, but that was not the case, and El Ingobernable would go on to win the G1 trophy. The next night, bearing the wounds of a physically and mentally grueling several weeks, Tsuji would surprise Ospreay with a massive Spear, and pinned the champion.

‘IWGP UK, US, it doesn’t matter,’ Tsuji would comment after their tag bout ‘what I want is your head.’ For many wrestlers around the world, Ospreay has become the prize over and above any championship that’s at stake, but for Tsuji, nothing could be truer. Five months removed from his impactful return that saw him rocketed to the top of the card, Tsuji has done everything right-but get a result when the chips are down in big singles matchups. After a loss to IWGP World Heavyweight Champuion SANADA and a mixed G1, he wants to put all those pieces together in Kobe against Ospreay- after getting off to an impressive start with a huge Curb Stomp from apron to floor in Korakuen September 9, can he shock the best in the world and lift the red leather and gold at Destruction?

9th Match: Jeff Cobb vs Tetsuya Naito

Tetsuya Naito’s victory over Kazuchika Okada August 13 to lift his third G1 Climax trophy has brought him a significant step closer to his goal of the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 18. Yet Naito’s opening match loss to Jeff Cobb is something both men keenly remember. Cobb was fast to challenge Naito to a singles match for Kobe as soon as Naito’s G1 win was official, and despite the absence of a Tokyo Dome right to challenge briefcase ever since Kazuchika Okada’s win last year, has every intention of taking Naito’s dream spot with a win.

For Naito’s part, professional pride has seen him willing to raise the stakes. In lieu of an official contract or briefcase, Naito has promised to defend his own ‘contract’ (written in