NJPW Announces Bouts For Destruction Tour, King Of Pro Wrestling
- Following Royal Quest, New Japan Pro Wrestling returns to Japan for a multiple-day Destruction tour. Taking place in Beppu on September 15, Kagoshima on September 16 and Kobe on September 22, NJPW announced all three shows will showcase major matches, many with title implications. Additionally, Young Lion matches will take place throughout the tour.
In Beppu, Hiroshi Tanahashi will defend his newly won RevPro British Heavyweight Championship in a rematch against former champion Zack Sabre Jr. The next day in Kagoshima, Kota Ibushi will defend his G1 Climax right to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom against the new NEVER Openweight Champion in Kenta. Also scheduled for that event will be El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori defending their IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles against Will Ospreay and Robbie Eagles.
Finally, Destruction in Kobe will feature Shingo Takagi facing Hirooki Goto in a special singles match. Tetsuya Naito v. Jay White for the IWGP Intercontinental Title was already announced as the main event.
Here are the full cards for the Destruction tour:
September 15 – Destruction in Beppu – Beppu B-Con Plaza
* Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) v. Zack Sabre Jr. – RevPro British Heavyweight Championship
* Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa v. YISHI-HASHI and Tomohiro Ishii
* Tetsuya Naito and EVIL v. Jay White and Chase Owens
* Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto and Rocky Romero v. SANADA, Shingo Takagi and BUSHI
* Kota Ibushi, Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, Will Ospreay and Robbie Eagles v. KENTA, Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo
* Jushin Thunder Liger, YOH & SHO v. Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
* Yuji Nagata, Ryusuke Taguchi, Ren Narita & Yuya Uemura v. Manabu Nakanishi, Toa Henare, Clark Connors & Michael Richards
* Shota Umino v. Alex Coughlin – Young Lion Cup
* Yota Tsuji v. Karl Fredericks – Young Lion Cup
September 16 – Destruction in Kagoshima – Kagoshima Arena
* Kota Ibushi v. KENTA – Ibushi's G1 right to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 14
* El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori (c) v. Will Ospreay & Robbie Eagles – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
* Tetsuya Naito & EVIL v. Jay White & Yujiro Takahashi
* Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto & Rocky Romero v. SANADA, BUSHI and Shingo Takagi
* Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Jushin Thunder Liger v. Zack Sabre Jr., Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
* Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, YOH & SHO v. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens
* Yuji Nagata, Ryusuke Taguchi, Shota Umino & Yota Tsuji v. Manabu Nakanishi, Toa Henare, Karl Fredericks & Alex Coughlin
* Ren Narita v. Michael Richards – Young Lion Cup
* Yuya Uemura v. Clark Connors – Young Lion Cup
September 22 – Destruction in Kobe – Kobe World Hall
* Tetsuya Naito (c) v. Jay White – IWGP Intercontinental Championship
* Hirooki Goto vs. Shingo Takagi
* Kazuchika Okada, SHO & YOH vs. EVIL, SANADA and BUSHI
* Kota Ibushi, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, Will Ospreay & Robbie Eagles v. KENTA, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
* Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask & Rocky Romero v. Zack Sabre Jr., Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
* Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Toa Henare v. Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
* Ren Narita v. Clark Connors – Young Lion Cup
* Shota Umino v. Karl Fredericks – Young Lion Cup
* Yuji Nagata, Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura v. Manabu Nakanishi, Alex Coughlin & Michael Richards
- Several championship bouts have already been confirmed for King of Pro Wrestling. Taking place on October 14 inside Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, the show will be headlined by Kazuchika Okada defending his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against SANADA. After successfully defending his title against Minoru Suzuki and Royal Quest, Okada was confronted by SANADA, who appeared to have challenged him to a match.
Following his win at the Super J-Cup, El Phantasmo will be facing Will Ospreay for the latter's IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Additionally, Jon Moxley will be defending his IWGP United States Championship against Juice Robinson in a no disqualification match. Moxley is currently dealing with an injury that kept him out of AEW's All Out event this past weekend.