NJPW WRESTLING DONTAKU NIGHT 1 REPORT (5/3) : Lansdell’s report and analysis of War Dogs vs House of Torture, Shingo vs Umino, and more

NJPW WRESTLING DONTAKU NIGHT 1 REPORT
MAY 3, 2025
FUKUOKA KOKUSAI CENTER
FUKUOKA, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD

Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton were on commentary tonight. The building looked full on the lower level, but the upper reaches of the building were blacked out. I believe there is seating up there, clearly unsold though.

(1) TORU YANO & BOLTIN OLEG & YOH & MASTER WATO vs. RYOHEI OIWA & HARTLEY JACKSON & ROBBIE EAGLES & KOSEI FUJITA

A relatively routine preview tag that was built around the meat-on-meat pairing of Oleg and Jackson. With Oleg being young and signed full-time and Jackson being older and on a tour deal, it was not hard to predict who would get the better of it. Oleg showed some new moves and impressively got two rotations on the Boltin Shake before the match broke down into a free-for-all. Once the ring cleared, Oleg pinned Jackson after a Kamikaze.

WINNERS: Oleg, Yano, Wato, and Yoh via pinfall in 9:00. (**1/4)

(Lansdell’s Analysis: They are taking their time in bringing Oleg along, and it is working well. A fun match despite the presence of Yano, and it looked as though we might not be finished with Eagles and Fujita against Wato and Yoh. There’s a natural feud between Oiwa and Oleg as well that might well develop.)

(2) TOMOHIRO ISHII & YUYA UEMURA & TAICHI & TAKA MICHINOKU vs. LOS INGOBERNABLES DE JAPON (Bushi & Yota Tsuji & Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi)

A preview for tomorrow’s Global championship match between Tsuji and Uemura, but also an opportunity to further the nascent Ishii-Hiromu feud and one of the last times Bushi and Naito will be wrestling while under contract to NJPW. Naito seemed to take even longer than usual to remove his ring gear as a result.

Uemura and Tsuji had a brief exchange in the ring, but more noteworthy was the brawl on the outside between Hiromu and Ishii which took place off-camera for several minutes. Taichi pinned Bushi after a back drop driver.

WINNERS: Taichi, Ishii, Uemura, and Taka via pinfall in 9:00. (**1/2)

(Lansdell’s Analysis: Paint-by-numbers on this match, with the exception of Hiromu and Ishii just continuing to fight despite not being in the ring at the time. Several feuds are being set up all along the card, which is honestly the best move for New Japan right now. They need to figure out who can stick at the top, and three people in this match are candidates in Hiromu, Tsuji, and Uemura. I expect preview tags throughout BOSJ will continue that process.)

(3) UNITED EMPIRE (Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan & Jakob Austin Young) vs. HIROOKI GOTO & YOSHI-HASHI & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI

Yes, this was to preview the world title match tomorrow. Don’t overlook the fact that Bishamon could look for a title match against Newman and O-Khan as well, though. We got a few comedy moments in this match, including a gluteal claw from O-Khan to Taguchi. What I was watching for, and was given, was a sign that Newman could hang with Goto and not look outclassed.

Young got a lot of offence in this match, more than I can remember seeing from him, but ultimately succumbed to the Shoto.

WINNERS: Goto, Yoshi-Hashi, and Taguchi via pinfall in 11:00. (**1/2)

(Lansdell’s Analysis: Another fun preview tag, but I am begging New Japan, please don’t make O-Khan a joke again. I almost expected Yoshi-Hashi and O-Khan to have more interaction, leading to some singles motivation for Yoshi-Hashi. Instead the secondary spotlight was for Young, and I believe he capitalised. A shame he is not in BOSJ this year. )

(4) EL PHANTASMO (C) vs. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA – NJPW World Television championship match

This match was added recently. ELP has a match for the Never Openweight title coming up at Resurgence, and decided he wanted to defend his TV title against him first. Seems like hubris to me. Rocky Romero accompanied Takeshita, which sent Chris Charlton on a rant. He accused Rocky of trying to recruit LIJ to the Don Calls Family. Another suspension incoming?

Before the bell, Takeshita absolutely starched ELP with an elbow, then hit a tope con giro to the outside…while still wearing his robe. Good grief. Back inside, Takeshita hit a flying back elbow, but ELP slipped out of a suplex attempt and got a schoolboy for a two-count. He laid in some chops and hit a springboard crossbody and a lionsault for another two-count. ELP went for the UFO, Takeshita fought it off but ELP connected with a huracanrana. ELP clotheslined Takeshita to the outside and was about to fly over the top to meet him when Romero pushed Takeshita out of the way. ELP was able to put on the brakes and went to the outside to remonstrate with Romero, but of course was blindsided by Takeshita.

Takeshita shoved ELP into the corner post, rolled him inside, and hit a slingshot senton. A stiff whip to the corner sent ELP stumbling across the ring. A second one followed by a cover was enough for a two-count. Takeshita tried to apply a sleeper variation, it looked like ELP was blocking it so Takeshita just switched arms and applied it left-handed. A small thing that is actually very impressive. ELP got to the ropes. As the five-minute mark went by, Takeshita beat down ELP in a corner. He went for a running knee but ELP avoided it, sending Takeshita into the corner pad and over the top to the floor. ELP followed with a tope to knock Takeshita over the barricade. Romero tried to interfere again, but got kicked in the gut and dumped over the barricade. ELP returned to the ring, went to the top…and hit a crossbody over the barricade into the second row, taking out both Takeshita and Romero in the process.

ELP rolled Takeshita to the apron and attempted a CR-2. Takeshita fought it off and hit a big knee strike. Takeshita went for a blue thunder bomb off the apron, but ELP blocked it. After some back and forth, ELP shoved Takeshita into the ring post…and hit a piledriver on the apron! That’s the Hardest Part of the Ring (TM)! ELP rolled into the ring at the count of ten, with Takeshita scrambling back in at 19. Both men exchanged heavy strikes with Takeshita predictably getting the upper hand. ELP hit a beautiful dropkick to counter a flying forearm, but then jumped right into an elbow strike. Raging Fire…countered to a small package! 1…2…no! As we hit the ten-minute mark, ELP connected with Sudden Death. He set for a second one but Takeshita collapsed. ELP pulled him up and set for CR-2…reversed into the Bastard Driver! 1…2…no!

Takeshita perched ELP on the top rope, facing outwards. He went up with him and looked to hit a super blue thunder bomb. ELP fought it off and hit a sunset flip running powerbomb for a near fall. CR-2 attempt…connected! 1…2…still not enough! The announcer said there were two minutes left as ELP went for Thunderkiss ‘86, but he stumbled and Takeshita was able to recover. After a couple of reversals Takeshita caught a springboard crossbody attempt and countered with a blue thunder for a near fall. ELP came back with a poison rana, Takeshita returned the favour. With a minute left, both men connected with a lariat and collapsed. They ran through a series of rollups as the seconds counted down. Takeshita hit a knee strike, ELP hit a big lariat, but neither could get the fall as time expired.

WINNER: Time limit draw in 15:00. (***1/4) ELP retains the NJPW World Television championship.

(Lansdell’s Analysis: This result was about as obvious as they come from the moment the match was announced. Takeshita was never likely to win a second New Japan title, especially not one that is frequently defended, and a loss so close to Resurgence would have given viewers no reason to tune in to the match in California. They had good chemistry and ELP did not look outclassed, which was a real concern, but I am still not a fan of having the match in the first place.)

(5) ZACK SABRE JR vs. HIROSHI TANAHASHI

These two have had some quality matches, especially in tournament settings. It could be argued that those matches were the key to ZSJ ascending the card and becoming a championship contender. Tanahashi might not be as fast or as comfortable taking to the air as before, but he can still handle himself in mat exchanges which plays right into ZSJ’s bailiwick.

The opening exchanges were essentially a grappling exhibition. Tanahashi grabbed a cravate and maintained it through a couple of reversal attempts. ZSJ backed into a corner to force a break, but tried a cheap shot that Tanahashi saw coming. Tanahashi hit a turnaround crossbody off the middle rope, but the upper hand did not last as ZSJ got a takedown and twisted Tanahashi’s neck three times with a neck screw. ZSJ switched focus and applied a modified Fujiwara armbar, then transitioned into a unique double arm submission. He rolled into a pinning combination for a two-count.

ZSJ toyed with Tanahashi, laying in some kicks that gradually got stronger. At the five-minute mark, Tanahashi tried to mount a comeback with some elbows, then took ZSJ down with a flying forearm. A strike combination followed by a scoop slam and a middle rope somersault senton got a two-count for Tanahashi. ZSJ caught a kick attempt from Tanahashi and dropped him with a dragon screw. He hit a charging European uppercut, a stiff PK to the back, and another one to the chest…Tanahashi caught it! ZSJ slapped him repeatedly in the face while Tanahashi held his leg, but Tanahashi ignored the slaps and hit his own dragon screw. He went to work on ZSJ’s legs, then hit a trio of Twist and Shouts. He went for a Slingblade, but ZSJ countered with a Zack Driver to leave both men down.

Tanahashi rolled to the apron, and ZSJ started to go out and join him but got caught with a dragon screw in the ropes. Tanahashi hit a second one at the ten-minute mark, then hit a Slingblade for a near fall. Tanahashi went to the top rope…Aces High connected! Again Tanahashi went to the top…High Fly No! ZSJ got his knees up, and immediately applied a triangle choke! Tanahashi fought it off, escaped, and reversed into a cloverleaf…but ZSJ immediately countered back into a choke. Tanahashi turned the choke into a quick cover for two, and a series of reversals led to near falls with rollups for each man. Tanahashi got a European clutch for a near fall, then ZSJ caught him with a sleeper. As Tanahashi started to fade, ZSJ hit the Zack Driver for the win.

WINNER: Zack Sabre Jr via pinfall in 13:00. (***1/2)

(Lansdell’s Analysis: This will probably be Tanahashi’s best match on the retirement tour. Their styles mesh well, and this was their fourteenth match with each other. For the record, they will finish tied at seven wins each.)

(6) SHINGO TAKAGI vs. SHOTA UMINO

There had been a lot of animosity between these two leading up to this match, which I expected would tell us a lot about who is expected to take the reins in pursuit of Goto. On a couple of occasions, Shingo has launched a chair at Umino’s head, and he did that here before the bell. He missed, thankfully, but still managed to blitz Umino in the corner. He took a break to remove his ring gear, and Umino used that gap to fire back. Shingo absorbed the assault and beat down Umino, shoving the ref out of the way. They just kept going at each other, taking it to the outside where Umino whipped Shingo into a barricade to create some separation. Back in the ring, Umino flattened Shingo with a shoulder tackle. He measured Shingo and hit a running attack in the corner into a suplex for a one-count. Umino went for a neckbreaker, Shingo blocked it and dropped Umino with a flurry of strikes. He clotheslined Umino over the top to the floor, and once again joined him there.

It was Umino’s turn to hit the barricade, as they brawled into the announcer’s area. Shingo hit Umino with a chair, apparently while the referee was not looking. Back in the ring, Shingo crumpled Umino with a clothesline in the corner. Umino fired back with elbows, but got dropped with a short-arm clothesline. Shingo hit two more for good measure, and a powerbomb for a two-count at the five-minute mark. Shingo toyed with Umino, then tried for Made in Japan. Umino blocked it, hit a dropkick to Shingo’s knee, then hit a dragon screw. Umino locked in the STF but Shingo immediately made it to the ropes.

Shingo backed Umino into a corner and hit a couple of back elbows. Umino blocked an attempted lariat and hit a half-dragon suplex. Shingo returned the favour, Umino hit a German suplex, and Shingo hit a northern lariat. Shingo hit a tornado DDT and a stiff left-arm clothesline, then hit Made in Japan for another near fall. Umino fought off Last of the Dragon, but then ate a stiff elbow. Shingo hit a lariat, but Umino would not go down. A jab, a headbutt, and a sliding lariat dropped Umino, but he came back with a tornado DDT. Shingo popped right up and then back down again thanks to an Umino lariat.

At the ten-minute mark, Umino hit a crisp powerbomb for a two-count. Umino looked for Second Chapter, but Shingo blocked it. Umino leathered Shingo with some elbow strikes, but Shingo returned fire with alternating left and right elbows. Umino copied that, each man hit a lariat, and they traded blows again. Umino hit an enzuigiri and a big lariat for a one-count only, but a second lariat got a near fall. Umino measured Shingo, and wiped him out with a running knee strike. Second Chapter…countered into a spinning neckbreaker by Shingo! Both men were down as the crowd clapped their approval. Each man went for a lariat, and they collided. Shingo sidestepped a running boot, Umino getting caught in the ropes briefly. Shingo hit a rope-assisted GTR, then connected with a Burning Dragon! Instead of a cover, Shingo went for a lariat…and almost decapitated Umino! 1…2…no! Shingo went for Last of the Dragon…and hit it! 1…2…3!

WINNER: Shingo Takagi via pinfall in 15:00. (****)

• After the match, Shingo stared down Takeshita who was on Japanese commentary. Shota Umino’s nose was bleeding, though hopefully not broken.

(Lansdell’s Analysis: I do not understand the booking of Shota Umino, but I am happy to see Shingo getting a big win here. Or at least I was, until he got in Takeshita’s face after the match. You get a big win against a recent world championship contender, and you choose to challenge the Never Openweight champ instead of Goto? I guess losing here is a sign that Umino is not ascending yet. Maybe a signal that he needs to form that faction I have been expecting for a while? Regardless, this was a very good match that was essentially non-stop physicality.  )

(7) HOUSE OF TORTURE (Evil & Ren Narita & Sanada & Sho & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) vs. BULLET CLUB WAR DOGS (David Finlay & Gabe Kidd & Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors & Taiji Ishimori) – Dog Pound Steel Cage match

The losers will no longer be part of Bullet Club. The last time there was a cage match in New Japan, War Dogs took on United Empire in what would be Will Ospreay’s last match with the company. That match is infamous for the gruesome head wound suffered by Henare, who needed paramedics at ringside to avoid bleeding out. House of Torture had a numbers advantage with Yujiro and Dick Togo at ringside, as opposed to Gedo in the corner of the War Dogs. Moloney came out with a bandolero filled with forks, because of course he did.

Before getting in the cage, Finlay locked the cage from the outside. War Dogs then scaled the cage. I figured they would destroy Togo and Yujiro before they got in. The bell rang and the carnage began. Finlay and Evil paired off, as did Kidd and Narita. The first two in the ring were the two leaders, but they quickly went back to the outside. Ishimori and Sho made a brief cameo in the ring, long enough for Ishimori to cane Sho. Kidd and Narita had their turn, with Kidd laying in a succession of chops in the corner. He launched a chair into Narita’s face, then called to the crowd. Narita used that distraction to hit a chairshot of his own, and continued the furniture-enhanced beatdown on the floor.

Sho tried to hit Ishimori with his wrench, but Ishimori avoided it and hit a handspring corkscrew kick. Things got crazy fast from there: Kanemaru hit a dropkick on Ishimori. Connors tackled Kanemaru. Narita flattened Connors. Kidd hit a back suplex on Narita, Evil hit a lariat on Kidd, Finlay hit a Northern Irish curse on Evil, Sanada hit a magic screw on Finlay, then caught Moloney coming in with a low blow. Sanada tried a paradise lock, Moloney fought it off and hit his own low blow followed by a spinebuster. He tried for a Drilla Killa but Sho cut him off with a low blow. Sanada took one of Moloney’s forks and jabbed him with it, then gouged his forehead. First blood to House of Torture.

Sho, Sanada, and Kanemaru took turns digging at Moloney’s head. Connors tried to break it up but got beaten down. Moloney’s head went into an exposed turnbuckle. Sanada kept sticking the fork in Moloney’s head as Finlay tried to mount a rescue. Sanada and Evil cut that short and threw Finlay shoulder-first into a corner post. Togo gouged Connors with a fork through the cage. Sanada decided a fork was too easy and started biting Moloney’s head. Kanemaru took his turn choking Moloney in the corner, then Evil used Connors’ barbed wire-wrapped hat to continue the punishment. Evil hit a rare wrestling move, a fisherman’s buster, for a two-count on Moloney.

On the outside, Narita repeatedly bounced Kidd’s head off a table. Connors was bleeding from Togo’s fork attack. Moloney was alone in the ring with all of House of Torture, who ran the train of body attacks in a corner at the ten-minute mark. War Dogs all recovered at once, just in time to prevent a top-rope kendo stick shot to the groin on Moloney..Connors took out Kanemaru with a spear, then all five War Dogs pounded on their opponents. The brawl spilled to the floor again, Finlay and Sho on the apron…Finlay superplexed Sho off the ropes into the assorted crowd on the floor! All ten men were down, with Connors the first to stir. He retrieved a baseball bat from under the ring, and rolled Kanemaru inside. Kanemaru had a kendo stick, which Connors beat out of his hand. Sho made the save, jabbing Connors with his own bat. A chair shot and a reverse DDT onto the same chair got a two-count for Kanemaru. Ishimori broke up the pin, but then took a straight chair shot to the head. It was from the padded seat part of the chair, but still unpleasant to watch. Sho held Connors in place for a whisky shower from Kanemaru…Connors ducked, jabbed Kanemaru with the baseball bat, and hit a double spear on Kanemaru and Sho. He took a swig of whisky for fun.

Ishimori climbed the cage and hit a moonsault to Narita and Kanemaru. Evil took out two people with the shillelagh, but Finlay put an end to that. They brawled into the ring, where Finlay got his weapon back at the 15-minute mark. Evil blocked the attack with an eye rake, but Finlay managed to regain control and send Evil into the corner post. Buckle bomb by Finlay, Overkill…blocked by Evil! Everything is Evil…no! Gun Stun by Finlay! Into Oblivion connected! 1…2…Narita pulled the referee out of the ring. Finlay stood tall in the ring, alone. Kidd was busted open on the outside. Finlay went to the floor and threw a chair into Evil’s face. He found himself a table and set it up, but Togo threw salt in his eyes through the cage. Togo climbed the cage and joined in the assault, whipping Finlay into the cage to stop Gedo from coming in. Togo went to the top of the cage, Gedo met him there and knocked him down, and Finlay used the time to recover. Finlay put Togo on the table…splash from the top of the cage by Gedo! Well, more like a gentle fall that did not break the table…but it was fun.

Meanwhile Yujiro found his way into the cage with a thick chain. He blindsided Finlay. Evil snapped the shillelagh and used the splintered end to cut Finlay open. We now had a de facto seven-on-five match. Evil and Yujiro set up two tables, but Moloney hit a pair of low blows to stop the interior decorating. Sanada was in the ring with his guitar, but not for long as Moloney ran through him with a spear. Moloney grabbed the guitar…El Kabong! Sanada was now bleeding as Moloney went for the Drilla Killa on the apron! Sanada blocked it and tossed Moloney through the two tables that Yujiro and Evil had just erected.

Kidd and Narita squared off in the ring. Kidd had been out of the action for a while, and looked to be bleeding heavily. He laid in a series of strikes but was stopped in his tracks when Narita bit him. Kidd fought back with a straight-up headbutt that made me cringe. Kidd hit a stiff rebound lariat, then went to the outside to locate…a barbed-wire-wrapped table. He slid it into the ring, set it up…and got nailed with Narita’s push-up board. Narita slammed Kidd’s head into the table, then ground him into the barbed wire. Narita was bleeding heavily as he put Kidd on the table face-down. We’ve had 25 minutes of this carnage. Kidd recovered before Narita could come off the ropes, then joined him on the second rope. They traded heabutts and strikes, with Kidd winning the exchange. Piledriver off the second rope through the table! He’s a madman, you know. 1…2…3!

WINNERS: War Dogs via pinfall in 26:00. (***)

• After the match, Evil put a dog collar around Finlay’s neck with that heavy chain attached to it. Finlay was handcuffed to the cage. Evil threw the chain over the top of the cage, left the cage and pulled the chain tight. Evil stormed off as members of War Dogs recovered enough to check on Finlay.

(Lansdell’s Analysis: This is not my kind of match, and it was nowhere near as epic as the last one. It was necessary to put a cap on the feud, but from the looks of that aftermath maybe there is still life in the feud? I wonder if the finish came a little early because of how badly Narita was bleeding, in an attempt to avoid another Henare situation. That said, going with the finish they did would suggest there was not much concern about that. The much-expected turn did not happen, either from Gedo or Ishimori, and House of Torture retreated to the back in fairly short order. Kind of a weird way to end things.)

Final thoughts: This felt like an unnecessary show, to be honest. With so many multi-man tags on this card and tomorrow’s card, it would have been easy to just do one show. The main event tomorrow of Goto and Newman doesn’t feel big enough to headline a whole tour, and that could have been avoided by putting the cage match on after it. Whatever the reasoning for spreading the major matches over two shows, it did make this show feel far less interesting. Shingo and Umino was the best part of it, both in terms of match quality and what it might mean moving forward, but nothing else seemed to matter.

Keep your eyes and ears open for the 7-Star Podcast and Radican Worldwide on PWTorch VIP to hear more of my thoughts on the road forward from here and the upcoming BOSJ tournament. Thanks for joining us!