The main event of night one of Road to Destruction witnessed a parade of dirty tactics as EVIL and SHO from the HOUSE OF TORTURE clashed with IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA and KOPW 2023 title holder Taichi. The H.O.T side made their entrance flaunting the ill-gotten physical IWGP and KOPW title belts, which infuriated their rightful holders. The match quickly escalated into chaos as SHO was thrown into the guardrail by Taichi.
As H.O.T found themselves on the back foot, they resorted to foul play, taking advantage of an exposed turnbuckle. A suplex from SANADA and Taichi followed, with Taichi delivering a devastating hook kick to SHO. However, a misdirection of the referee allowed SHO to survive. SANADA then launched a combination of strikes and a plancha, while EVIL endured a relentless assault from his opponents. Togo’s interference, hurling TAKA Michinoku into SANADA, led to Darkness Falls for a near fall.
With the match surpassing the 15-minute mark, SANADA managed to evade EVIL’s attempt to finish the match and retaliated with a powerful Shining Wizard. However, EVIL resorted to pulling down the referee during a Deadfall attempt, setting the stage for the HOUSE OF TORTURE’s despicable tactics. Togo flung a chair into SANADA’s face, and a series of low blows and belt shots culminated in EVIL pinning the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
In the aftermath, H.O.T continued their assault on the champions, only to be overwhelmed when DOUKI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru arrived to even the odds. Despite their intervention, SANADA and Taichi were left without their title belts, clearly on the back foot after night one of the Road to Destruction.
For the replay of this intense match, fans can head over to NJPW World to catch all the action for free. Witness the chaos and dirty tactics employed by the HOUSE OF TORTURE as they clash with IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA and KOPW 2023 title holder Taichi.
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