Taiji Ishimori defeats Yuya Uemura

NJPW Road to New Beginning: Tokyo

Uemura hit Ishimori with a running dropkick before the bell, so Ishimori slid under the ropes and stalled. As Ishimori reentered the ring, Uemura attacked again but missed a dropkick as Ishimori came off the ropes. For the next couple of minutes, Ishimori focused on the neck of Uemura by locking in a cravat and striking the neck.

Ishimori hit the ropes, but Uemura saw it coming and nailed a dropkick, a running elbow in the corner, and a vertical suplex for a near fall. After three elbow strikes, Uemura knocked Ishimori down with a shoulder tackle and then cinched in a Boston Crab. The referee broke up the hold when Ishimori made it to the ropes.

Running the ropes, Ishimori hit a handspring into the ropes followed by a high kick. Uemura grabbed Ishimori and hit a double undertook suplex for a near fall and a chorus of chants from the crowd. After several standing switches, Uemura got an O’Connor roll for a two count. Ishimori locked in the Yes Lock for the submission victory. Solid match.

Match Ratings

Six dimensions combine to make up the overall rating. Matches score ratings of 1-10 only if the match lasts for a minimum of 5 minutes.

1. Match Quality– Was the match well wrestled or sloppy?
2. Audience Engagement– Did the live audience care about the match?
3. Competitiveness– Was the match competitive or one-sided?
4. Stakes – Did the match matter?
5. Finish– Did the match end in a satisfying manner?
6. Performance: (1) Poor (2) Below Average (3) Average (4) Above Average (5) Excellent