New Japan News and Notes

December 19th Road to Tokyo Dome – Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
1. Yohei Komatsu defeated Sho Tanaka.
Komatsu wins by submission with a single leg Boston crab
2. El Desperado & Taichi (Suzuki-Gun) defeated Jusin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV.
Desperado pinned Liger with Guittarra De La Angel after hitting Liger with the NWA Jr Heavyweight title belt. After the match Desperado & Taichi tore up Liger’s costume and cut the hair from his mask.
3. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & BUSHI defeated Tomoaki Honma, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima.
Nagata pinned Honma after a back drop suplex hold. BUSHI landed on his head and neck coming off the top rope during the match and had to be stretchered off.
4. Kazushi Sakuraba, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI defeated TAKA Michinoku, Takashi Iizuka & Minoru Suzuki (Suzuki-Gun).
Sakuraba made TAKA submit to a Kimura Lock.
5. Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata defeated Captain New Japan & Tetsuya Naito.
Goto pinned Captain after Shouten Kai.
6. Special Elimination Match: Eliminations by pinfall, submission or over the top rope.
Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Jado & Gedo (CHAOS) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, Kota Ibushi, KUSHIDA & Ryusuke Taguchi
– Makabe & Ishii eliminated each other over the top rope.
– Taguchi made Jado submit to an ankle lock.
– KUSHIDA pinned Gedo with a roll up.
– Okada made KUSHIDA submit to Red Ink after countering the Hoverboard Stretch into a Tombstone.
– Okada & Tanahashi eliminated each other over the top rope.
– Nakamura eliminated Ibushi over the top rope.
– Nakamura pinned Taguchi with Boma Ye to win the match.

December 20th Road to Tokyo Dome – Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
This is the last NJPW show before Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th.
1. El Desperado defeated Yohei Komatsu.
Desperado pinned Komatsu after Guittarra De La Angel
2. Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV defeated Sho Tanaka & KUSHIDA.
Liger pinned Tanaka after a Brainbuster. After the match Desperado tried to attack, but Liger fought him off.
3. Ryusuke Taguchi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima defeated Captain New Japan, Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata.
Taguchi made Captain submit to an ankle lock.
4. TAKA Michinoku, Taichi & Minoru Suzuki (Suzuki-Gun) defeated Kazushi Sakuraba, YOSHI-HASHI & Jado.
Taichi pinned Jado with a Taichi (Gedo) Clutch.
5. Toru Yano vs Takashi Iizuka.
No contest. After the match Naomichi Marufuji & TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) of Pro Wrestling NOAH saved Yano from a Suzuki-Gun beat down. Marufuji & TMDK will be Yano’s partners at Wrestle Kingdom as they take on Iizuka, Shelton Benjamin and KES (Lance Arched & Davey Boy Smith, Jr) of Suzuki-Gun.
6. Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata defeated Tomoaki Honma & Tetsuya Naito/
Shibata pinned Honma after a PK (Penalty Kick)
7. Togi Makabe, Kota Ibushi & Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Tomohiro Ishii, Kazuchika Okada & Shinsuke Nakamura (CHAOS).
Makabe pinned Ishii after a King Kong Knee Drop