NJPW Destruction In Ryogoku Results

New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Destruction tour came to an end today with Destruction in Ryogoku.

The main event saw SANADA defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against his former tag team partner EVIL and the match featured the usual House of Torture shenanigans and interference. It even appeared at one point that EVIL would win following multiple chair shots and a Dick Togo-assisted Magic Killer to SANADA. Red Shoes Uno, who had been in the back receiving medical attention, refused to count the pin once he returned to the ring, though, and he instead flipped off EVIL.

SANADA would recover from there and he countered an Everything is EVIL attempt into one of his own before the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion followed up with two Shining Wizards and Deadfall to record the successful title defence. It was then confirmed following the match that SANADA will defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Title in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 18 against his former Los Ingobernables de Japon faction mate Tetsuya Naito, who won the G1 Climax earlier this year.

That wasn't all for SANADA, though, as along with retaining his title and being handed the belt by Keiji Muto, SANADA was awarded a one-year supply of Kantansu vinegar, who sponsored the event.

Although SANADA retained his championship, there were two title changes at Destruction in Ryogoku as Guerrillas of Destiny gained the upper hand in their programme with Bullet Club. The first title change saw Hikuleo and El Phantasmo defeat Gabe Kidd and Alex Coughlin of Bullet Club War Dogs. Tama Tonga would then regain the NEVER Openweight Championship from David Finlay.

Multiple returns also took place at Destruction in Ryogoku. As expected, Yuya Uemura returned from his excursion with IMPACT Wrestling and was revealed to be the newest member of Just Five Guys. He will be confirmed as a member in the faction with matches against each of the other members, as he wished.

Taiji Ishimori also looks set to be the next challenger for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship as he took out Hiromu Takahashi following his win. Ishimori has been out of action since suffering an injury to his cervical vertebrae during his Best of Super Jr. 30 match with Takahashi back in May.

There was an IMPACT Wrestling presence elsewhere in the show that will likely have implications for Bound for Glory and beyond. Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tomohiro Ishii managed to retain their NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Titles in a match against Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, and Josh Alexander.

The NJPW contingent managed to pick up the win following a miscommunication between Josh Alexander and Alex Shelley that saw The Walking Weapon punch the IMPACT World Champion in the face. Hiroshi Tanahashi then took advantage, pinning Shelley following a High Fly Flow. The Ace pointed out to Shelley they had now pinned each other, suggesting a rubber match was on the horizon, potentially for the IMPACT World Title if Shelley manages to retain the gold against Josh Alexander at Bound for Glory.

Full results from NJPW Destruction in Ryogoku:

• Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask, Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI, & Oskar Leube def. Takahiro Katori, Jun Masaoka, Kazuma Sumi, Takeshi Masada, & Kengo
• DOUKI, Taichi, & Yuya Uemura (Just 5 Guys) def. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO, & Yujiro Takahashi (House of Torture)
• Tanga Loa def. Chase Owens
• BUSHI, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, & Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) def. Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, HENARE, & Callum Newman (United Empire)
• Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors (c) def. KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships 
• Master Wato, Shota Umino, & Yuji Nagata def. El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki, & Ren Narita - Best of Seven Series ends 3-3-1
• El Phantasmo & Hikuleo def. Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd (c) - NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships
• Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, & Tomohiro Ishii (c) def. Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, & Josh Alexander - NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championships 
• Tama Tonga def. David Finlay (c) - NEVER Openweight Championship 
• Hiromu Takahashi (c) def. YOH & "Speedball" Mike Bailey - Three-Way for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
• SANADA (c) def. EVIL - Lumberjack Deathmatch for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship