Six titles will be defended at this year’s “KING OF PRO-WRESTLING”, which takes place at Sumo Hall on October 13. The biggest of them all sees AJ Styles make his V3 defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Title against ace Hiroshi Tanahashi in what could be a match that helps define the 1/4 Tokyo Dome main event. The other match that could do likewise sees Okada again risk his 1/4 title shot, this time against the “Stardust Genius” Tetsuya Naito.

Ishii attempts to win back the NEVER Openweight Title when he challenges Yujiro, Taguchi defends his IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title against El Desperado, and the Time Splitters must fend off the challenge of both the Young Bucks and Forever Hooligans in a 3WAY Match for the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title.

Earlier on the card, two major NWA titles will be defended with the legendary Tenzan & Kojima continuing their neverending feud with the Killer Elite Squad as Archer & Smith challenge for the NWA World Tag Team Title. And an unfamiliar face enters New Japan as Chase Owens defends the NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Title against masked man BUSHI.

Unless plans have changed and I missed it, USTREAM’s iPPV service is ending on October 1 and this show isn’t advertised, so it is unlikely to air on iPPV. New Japan is apparently looking into other ways to show the events live to foreign audiences.

NJPW “KING OF PRO-WRESTLING”, 10/13/14 (WPW)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. Special 8 Man Tag Match: Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata, Tomoaki Honma & Kota Ibushi vs. Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga
2. NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Title: Chase Owens (c) vs. BUSHI
3. NWA World Tag Team Title: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (c) vs. Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.
4. Special Tag Match: Toru Yano & Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka
5. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title – 3WAY Match: KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley (c) vs. Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson vs. Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov
6. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Ryusuke Taguchi (c) vs. El Desperado
7. NEVER Openweight Title: Yujiro Takahashi (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii
8. Special Tag Match: Shinsuke Nakamura & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata
9. Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Title #1 Contender Match: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito
10. IWGP Heavyweight Title: AJ Styles (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

NJPW “DESTRUCTION IN OKAYAMA”, 9/23/14 (Samurai! TV)
Convex Okayama
3,600 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Captain New Japan, Ryusuke Taguchi & BUSHI beat Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask & Maximo (5:05) when BUSHI used the MX on Maximo.
2. Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson beat Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov (9:57) when Nick pinned Romero after the More Bang For Your Buck.
3. Kazushi Sakuraba, Toru Yano & Gedo beat Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka & TAKA Michinoku (5:51) when Yano used the Uragasumi on TAKA.
4. Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata beat Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma (7:31) when Shibata used a PK on Honma.
5. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley (c) beat El Desperado & Taichi (15:01) when KUSHIDA pinned Taichi after the I-94 (2nd defense).
6. Special Tag Match: Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii beat Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga (11:44) when Nakamura used the Boma Ye on Tonga.
7. NWA World Tag Team Title: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (c) beat Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi (15:08) when Kojima used a lariat on Nagata (4th defense).
8. NEVER Openweight Title: Yujiro Takahashi (c) beat YOSHI-HASHI (13:29) with the Miami Shine (1st defense).
9. Special Tag Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tetsuya Naito beat AJ Styles & Doc Gallows (13:15) when Naito used a Stardust press on Gallows.
10. Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Title #1 Contender Match: Kazuchika Okada beat Karl Anderson (19:55) with the Rainmaker.

* Naito challenged Okada to a shot at his #1 contendership after the main event. This is a repeat of 2012 when Okada also won the G1 and risked his January title shot, beating Anderson and Goto that year. He beat Anderson today and next in line is Naito…

* After success in a tag match, Tanahashi challenged AJ Styles and it looks like those two could headline KOPW next month.

* YOSHI-HASHI’s second title shot in three days ended in failure as he lost to the Bullet Club’s Yujiro in a NEVER Openweight Title bout. Ishii issued a challenge after the match, wanting to take back the NEVER belt.

* KUSHIDA immediately bounced by from losing his IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title by successfully defending the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title with Shelley over El Desperado and Taichi. Both Forever Hooligans and the Young Bucks want a shot at the belts, so a 3WAY Match could be coming up at Sumo Hall.

* BUSHI challenged Chase Owens for a shot at the NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Title during the show, another match that could take place at Sumo Hall next month.

NJPW “DESTRUCTION IN KOBE”, 9/21/14 (WPW/iPPV)
Kobe World Hall
8,000 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. Tomohiro Ishii, Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov beat Yujiro Takahashi, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (7:51) when Romero pinned Nick after the Contract Killer.
2. Alex Shelley, Maximo & BUSHI beat TAKA Michinoku , El Desperado & Taichi (2:43) when Taichi was DQ’d.
3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tomoaki Honma beat Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Tiger Mask & Captain New Japan (5:22) when Honma used the Kokeshi on Captain.
4. Special Tag Match: Kazushi Sakuraba & Toru Yano beat Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka (11:34) when Yano used the Akakiri on Iizuka.
5. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Ryusuke Taguchi beat KUSHIDA (c) (14:55) with an ankle hold to become the 69th champion.
6. Special Tag Match: Tetsuya Naito & Kota Ibushi beat AJ Styles & Tama Tonga (12:57) when Ibushi used a Phoenix splash on Tonga.
7. IWGP Tag Team Title: Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows (c) beat Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI (11:42) when Gallows pinned YOSHI-HASHI after the Magic Killer (6th defense).
8. Special Singles Match: Togi Makabe beat Hirooki Goto (14:38) with a King Kong kneedrop.
9. Special Singles Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Katsuyori Shibata (17:57) with the High Fly Flow.
10. IWGP Intercontinental Title: Shinsuke Nakamura beat Bad Luck Fale (c) (19:13) with the Boma Ye to become the 10th champion.

* Three months to the day after dropping the IWGP Intercontinental Title to Bad Luck Fale, Shinsuke Nakamura today regained “his” belt to take the number of reigns for the upstart title into double figures. Nakamura sunk the big man with his Boma Ye to begin his third reign as champion and send the fans home happy.

* Tanahashi avenged his G1 Climax loss to Shibata in the semi, but the big story came after it when the two, known for their rivalry inside and outside of the ring, shook hands to perhaps put an end to their long-standing grudge.

* Anderson & Gallows reign as IWGP Tag Team Champions, which began on January 4th at the Tokyo Dome, continued with a successful V6 defense over CHAOS’s Okada & YOSHI-HASHI with YOSHI-HASHI, who has sprung to life this month (and still has a NEVER Openweight Title match in a couple of days), falling to the Magic Killer.

* A long and painful 7 year wait is over. Ryusuke Taguchi is the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion for the first time since 2007. Back then, he was the young breakout star of the junior division and beat the likes of Minoru, Tiger Mask and Koji Kanemoto when the three were in their stronger years. He ended KUSHIDA’s brief reign as champion today with an ankle hold and after being in Devitt’s shadow for so many years, now may have a chance to rule the junior division again.

–> ROAD TO DESTRUCTION 2013 (9/5/14 to 9/20/14) <--

NJPW, 9/20/14
Niihama Citizen Gymnasium
1,250 Fans

1. Sho Tanaka beat Yohei Komatsu (9:20) with a single-leg crab hold.
2. KUSHIDA, Alex Shelley & Maximo beat TAKA Michinoku , El Desperado & Taichi (11:00) when KUSHIDA used the Hoverboard Lock on TAKA.
3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask beat Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Captain New Japan & BUSHI (10:27) when Tenzan used the Anaconda Max on Captain.
4. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka beat Toru Yano & Rocky Romero (10:49) when Suzuki used a Gotch-style piledriver on Romero.
5. Hirooki Goto, Tetsuya Naito & Ryusuke Taguchi beat Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma (12:03) when Goto used the Shouten Kai on Honma.
6. Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Alex Koslov beat Karl Anderson, Bad Luck Fale, Doc Gallows, Yujiro Takahashi & Tama Tonga (17:46) when Nakamura used the Boma Ye on Tonga.

–> ROAD TO DESTRUCTION 2013 (9/5/14 to 9/20/14) <--

NJPW, 9/19/14
Kuwana City Gymnasium
1,800 Fans – No Vacancy

1. El Desperado & Taichi beat Alex Shelley & Maximo (10:02) when Desperado used the 13Y5 on Maximo.
2. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask beat Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, BUSHI & Sho Tanaka (8:50) when Kojima used a lariat on Tanaka.
3. Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka & TAKA Michinoku beat Toru Yano, Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov (6:03) when Suzuki used a Gotch-style piledriver on Koslov.
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi & KUSHIDA beat Captain New Japan & Ryusuke Taguchi (10:07) when Tanahashi used the High Fly Flow on Captain.
5. Karl Anderson, Bad Luck Fale, Doc Gallows, Yujiro Takahashi & Tama Tonga beat Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Gedo (13:46) when Anderson used the Gun Stun on Gedo.
6. Hirooki Goto Kuwana Return Match: Hirooki Goto & Tetsuya Naito beat Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma (10:38) whne Goto used the Shouten Kai on Honma.

–> ROAD TO DESTRUCTION 2013 (9/5/14 to 9/20/14) <--

NJPW, 9/17/14
Hitachinaka Matsudo Gymnasium
850 Fans

1. Tiger Mask & Sho Tanaka beat Jushin Thunder Liger & Yohei Komatsu (8:40) when Tiger used a Tiger Driver on Komatsu.
2. TAKA Michinoku , El Desperado & Taichi beat KUSHIDA, Alex Shelley & Maximo (11:36) when Desperado used the Guitarra de Angel on Maximo.
3. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Ryusuke Taguchi beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & BUSHI (10:13) when Taguchi used an ankle hold on BUSHI.
4. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka beat Toru Yano & Alex Koslov (9:09) when Suzuki used a Gotch-style piledriver on Koslov.
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma beat Hirooki Goto, Tetsuya Naito & Captain New Japan (12:24) when Makabe used a King Kong kneedrop on Captain.
6. Karl Anderson, Bad Luck Fale, Doc Gallows, Yujiro Takahashi & Tama Tonga beat Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Rocky Romero (17:23) when Anderson pinned Romero after the Magic Killer.