Taiji Ishimori of Bullet Club, who had been sidelined due to a cervical spine injury since May, marked his triumphant and surpise return to NJPW at the “DESTRUCTION in RYOGOKU” event.
Prior to this, Hiromu Takahashi showcased his prowess by successfully defending his IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship (V6). The electrifying 3-way match featured YOH and “Speedball” Mike Bailey as challengers. Hiromu sealed the victory by pinning (17:53) YOH after executing the TIME BOMB II, following a Hiromu-chan Bomber, thereby retaining his title.
Following this intense contest, the scene took a surprising turn as Taiji Ishimori, who had been sidelined for nearly six months due to a back injury, made a dramatic return. Lights went out and when they turned back on, Ishimori who appeared in the ring then unleashed a devastating Pump Kick on Hiromu. He wasted no time boldly issueing a challenge to Hiromu for for the coveted IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title.