Quick Results
Toru Yano, SHO & Kazuchika Okada pinned Dick Togo, Chase Owens & EVIL in 1:25 (NR)
Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii pinned Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jay White in 10:00 ( ½)
Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & SANADA pinned Tomoaki Honma, Kota Ibushi & Yuji Nagata in 15:30 ( ½)
El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru pinned Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships in 19:55 ( ½)
After Hiromu Takahashi’s torn pectoral ruled him out of action for six months, we’ve got an enforced change to tonight’s main event – as the former champions El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru get a shot at the titles they dropped at the end of January.
Quick Results
Will Ospreay & Great-O-Khan pinned Yota Tsuji & Satoshi Kojima in 8:36 ( )
El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori, Gedo & Jado pinned DOUKI, Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru in 10:43 ( )
EVIL, Dick Togo & Yujiro Takahashi pinned YOSHI-HASHI, Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto in 11:51 ( ¼)
Tetsuya Naito & SANADA pinned Tomoaki Honma & Kota Ibushi in 13:07 ( ¼)
Shingo Takagi, BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi pinned Master Wato, SHO & Hiroshi Tanahashi in 14:46 ( ½)
We’re back at Korakuen for another go around here – with Kevin Kelly once again calling the action solo.
United Empire (Will Ospreay & Great-O-Khan) vs. Satoshi Kojima & Yota Tsuji
Kojima’s teaming with Tsuji again as he continues to warm up for Saturday’s tag match with a returning Tenzan.
Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & Hirooki Goto vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo
SHO & Master Wato vs. Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
Report
Due to a COVID-related state of emergency being declared in Tokyo until February 7, the show began a half hour earlier than usual at 4 a.m. Eastern.
This was also a five-match card rather than the traditional six as there is a recommended 8 p.m. curfew in Tokyo (6 a.m. Eastern).
This was an entertaining opener.
Kojima and Ospreay began, as Kojima wanted revenge for Ospreay kayfabe injuring Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Kojima got the better of a quick striking battle and hit a tackle.
Quick Results
Great-O-Khan & Will Ospreay pinned Yota Tsuji & Satoshi Kojima in 8:38 ( ¼)
El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori, Gedo & Jado pinned DOUKI, Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru in 9:24 ( ¾)
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Kazuchika Okada pinned Dick Togo, EVIL & Yujiro Takahshi in 10:13 ( ½)
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & SANADA pinned Tomoaki Honma, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi in 13:06 ( )
Master Wato & SHO pinned BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi in 17:52 ( )
Hope you like early starts and Korakuen Hall – because we’ve got a lot of them! The current state of emergency that’s been declared in Japan has led to a lot of upcoming New Japan shows starting a little earlier than usual, and with shorter cards, as virtually every show on this Road to tour has been cut to five matches (with the exception of the February 1 and 2 Korakuens, which will be just four matches deep, headlined with an Elimination match on each night).