In an intense showdown, Shota Umino, Master Wato, and hometown hero Yuji Nagata faced off against El Desperado, Ren Narita, and Minoru Suzuki in the main event of night three on the Road to Destruction series. This match marked the beginning of a best of seven trios series, and it certainly did not disappoint.
Watch the replay of the match here!
The match kicked off with a fierce exchange of blows, setting the tone for the intense battle that was about to unfold. Nagata and Suzuki wasted no time in showing their animosity towards each other, while Wato and Desperado focused on working over each other’s arms and shoulders. Narita and Umino, two young rivals, collided in the center of the ring, refusing to give an inch. Despite Narita briefly gaining the upper hand with a tackle, Umino displayed composure and managed to back him into the red corner.
Nagata and Wato took turns punishing Narita, while the “Justice Army” side successfully fended off Strong Style’s attempts to intervene. However, Narita had no choice but to take matters into his own hands and delivered a spinning heel kick out of the corner. This led to a chaotic brawl outside the ring, with Nagata enduring a brutal assault from all three of his opponents in front of his home crowd. Even when Nagata’s partners tried to come to his aid, they were met with trio submission holds.
Finally, Nagata fought his way free with a front suplex to Desperado and made a much-needed tag to Wato. Wato unleashed his fury with a tope con giro on his masked rival and attempted to execute Recientemente. However, he was abruptly halted with a spinebuster, while Umino and Narita continued their relentless battle. Narita managed to apply a half hatch, desperately trying to prevent Umino from delivering any significant offense. Nevertheless, Umino landed a short-range dropkick, followed by Shooter executing the Trident. Umino then brought Nagata back into the ring, igniting the Togane crowd as Blue Justice took the fight to the King.
After a quick arm snap, Nagata locked in the Nagata Lock II on Suzuki, joining forces with Umino and Wato to subject Strong Style to a trio of submissions. With time running out and the match surpassing the 25-minute mark, both teams were determined to secure a victory. Nagata and Suzuki engaged in a fierce exchange of strikes, disregarding the time calls. Despite Nagata’s last-second exploder, he was unable to make the cover, resulting in the first match of the Best of Seven Series ending in a draw.
This thrilling encounter left fans on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating the next installment in this intense trios series. With neither team willing to back down, the Road to Destruction promises to deliver more hard-hitting action and unpredictable outcomes.
Originally posted at NJPW1972.com