10 Biggest Stories From NJPW's Destruction Events (And What They Mean Going Forward)
Kenny Omega and Hiroshi Tanahashi retain. Jay White and Gedo betray.
New Japan Pro Wrestling's Destruction first took place in 2007 and was subsequently expanded to three consecutive events per year in 2016. This year's series of shows took place in Hiroshima on the fifteenth, Beppu on the seventeenth, and wrapped up in Kobe on Sunday -- with each city holding a marquee main event.
What should have been the biggest story was Hiroshi Tanahashi's redemption -- whose status as "Ace" had been in peril until he won August's G1 Climax -- as he finally triumphed over Kazuchika Okada. Instead, the shocking turn of events after the match stole away the attention. Meanwhile, Kenny Omega and Tomohiro Ishii tore it up in Hiroshima for the IWGP Championship, and Tetsuya Naito eked out a win over Minoru Suzuki in Beppu.
Furthermore, Taichi stole the NEVER Openweight title, and a slew of new challengers and feuds came to the forefront with Zack Sabre, Jr. and EVIL locked in constant battle, Kushida marking his place in the Junior Heavyweight Championship final, and Will Ospreay hoping for a singles match against Kota Ibushi.
For all those stories and more, join us as we look at what went down during Destruction and what lies ahead for New Japan's top stars.
10. Zack Sabre Jr. And EVIL Square Off
A CHALLENGER APPEARS!@zacksabrejr @151012EVIL @takam777 pic.twitter.com/rpuGNUl4Nm
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) September 20, 2018
At all three Destruction events, Zack Sabre, Jr. and Los Ingobernables de Japon’s EVIL found themselves on opposite sides of the ring. The LIJ and Suzuki-gun factions faced off in six-man action at each show, and each encounter saw ZSJ and EVIL bring the fight to one another with increasing intensity.
The two men exchanged strikes and holds during the series of matches with Sabre often getting the upper hand thanks to his well-versed ground and submission game. But EVIL rallied back with his superior strength as his opponent struggled to deal with his bulkier and bigger frame.
While EVIL’s Los Ingobernables group came out of Destruction with two wins, Sabre seemed unaffected by the losses. The British superstar continued to taunt EVIL and his “Halloween costume” night after night during his post-match comments. Seemingly, the two are headed for a singles match down the road. If he can overcome EVIL, a former IWGP Tag Team and NEVER Openweight Champion, it would be a surefire step up for ZSJ on his rise through New Japan’s heavyweight ranks.