The official Destruction logo.
Destruction is an annual professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event has been held since 2007 as a pay-per-view (PPV). Since 2013, viewers outside of Japan have also been able to view the event as an internet pay-per-view (iPPV). Destruction is currently held in September as the first major event since the conclusion of G1 Climax with several matches at the event often stemming from previous matches in the G1 Climax. Destruction also continues the road to the January 4 Dome Show, which starts at G1 Climax.
2007
The first Destruction was held on November 11, 2007, in Tokyo, at Ryōgoku Kokugikan. The event featured nine matches, two of which were contested for championships.[1] The event featured outside participants from American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), with whom NJPW had a working relationship at the time. In addition to Christopher Daniels, Rhino and Senshi, Ron Killings was also scheduled to wrestle at the event, but did not make the event.[1] The event saw Shinsuke Nakamura make his return to the ring after a shoulder injury, which had sidelined him for the past months.[2] During the event, Dick Togo and Taka Michinoku successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against former four-time champions, Gedo and Jado and Hiroshi Tanahashi successfully defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Hirooki Goto.[1]
2008
The second Destruction was held on October 13, 2008, in Tokyo, at Ryōgoku Kokugikan. The event featured nine matches (including one dark match), three of which were contested for championships.[3][4] All Japan Pro Wrestling representatives Hiroshi Yamato, Kai and Satoshi Kojima, as well as the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion Keiji Mutoh, took part in the event as outsiders.[3] During the event, No Limit won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for the first time by defeating Minoru and Prince Devitt, while Pro Wrestling Zero1's Masato Tanaka lost the Zero1 World Heavyweight Championship to Yuji Nagata, ending his year-long reign.[3] In the main event, Mutoh made his fourth successful defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura.[3]
2009
The third Destruction was held on November 8, 2009, in Tokyo, at Ryōgoku Kokugikan. The event featured nine matches, three of which were contested for championships.[5][6] The event featured outside participation from Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) representative Místico and Hustle representative Tajiri.[5] The event saw one title switch, when Místico lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship back to Tiger Mask, ending his three-month long reign.[5] The Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) tag team Team 3D returned to NJPW at the event to make their first successful defense of the IWGP Tag Team Championship against the winners of the 2009 G1 Tag League, though the match ended in a double countout.[5] In the main event Shinsuke Nakamura retained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi.[5]
2010
The fourth Destruction was held on October 11, 2010, in Tokyo, at Ryōgoku Kokugikan. The event featured nine matches, two of which were contested for championships.[7][8] Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) representatives Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi and Pro Wrestling Noah representatives Atsushi Aoki and Go Shiozaki worked the event as outsiders.[7] Omega and Ibushi captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship from Apollo 55 in the first title switch of the event.[7] The match was later named the 2010 Match of the Year by Tokyo Sports.[9] In the main event, 2010 G1 Climax winner and freelancer Satoshi Kojima defeated Togi Makabe to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the second time.[7]
2011
The fifth Destruction was held on October 10, 2011, in Tokyo, at Ryōgoku Kokugikan. The event featured eleven matches (including one dark match), three of which were contested for championships.[10] The event saw two titles change hands; No Remorse Corps won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for the first time by defeating Apollo 55, while Masato Tanaka captured the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from inaugural champion, MVP.[10] The event featured a surprise appearance by Yoshihiro Takayama, who attacked Togi Makabe after his match with Minoru Suzuki, setting up a match between the two for Wrestle Kingdom VI in Tokyo Dome.[10] In the main event, Hiroshi Tanahashi successfully defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Tetsuya Naito.[10] Post-match, he was attacked by Toru Yano, who stole his title belt, setting up the title match between the two for Power Struggle.[10]
2012
The sixth Destruction was held on September 23, 2012, in Kobe, Hyōgo, at Kobe World Hall. The event featured nine matches, two of which were contested for championships.[11][12] The event featured the professional wrestling return match of both Katsuyori Shibata and Kazushi Sakuraba, two longtime mixed martial artists.[11] The event also featured outside participation from freelancer Daisuke Sasaki, Kaientai Dojo representative Kengo Mashimo and Pro Wrestling Noah representative Naomichi Marufuji, who unsuccessfully challenged Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the main event.[11] During the event, Kota Ibushi successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Ryusuke Taguchi.[11]
2013
The seventh Destruction was held on September 29, 2013, in Kobe, Hyōgo, at Kobe World Hall. The event featured ten matches (including one dark match), four of which were contested for championships.[13][14][15] As part of the newly-revived relationship between NJPW and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the event featured the third time Rob Conway defended the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in a NJPW ring.[13] The event also saw the culmination of a storyline rivalry between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Prince Devitt, with Tanahashi emerging victorious in a Lumberjack Deathmatch, which set him up as the next challenger for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.[13] Tetsuya Naito, coming off winning the 2013 G1 Climax, defeated Masato Tanaka to retain his contract for an IWGP Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome and capture the NEVER Openweight Championship.[13] In the semi-main event, a rematch from Wrestling Dontaku 2013, Shinsuke Nakamura successfully defended the IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Shelton X Benjamin, avenging a loss from final day of the 2013 G1 Climax.[13] In the main event, Kazuchika Okada successfully defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Satoshi Kojima, also avenging a prior loss from the final day of the 2013 G1 Climax.[13]
| No. |
Results[13][14][15] |
Stipulations |
Times[13] |
|---|
Dark
match |
Chaos (Takashi Iizuka, Yoshi-Hashi and Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Bushi, Takaaki Watanabe and Tiger Mask |
Six-man tag team match |
6:13 |
| 1 |
Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and Kushida) defeated Suzukigun (Taichi and Taka Michinoku) |
Tag team match to determine the number one contender to the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship |
12:10 |
| 2 |
Rob Conway (c) (with Bruce Tharpe) defeated Jushin Liger |
Singles match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship |
8:16 |
| 3 |
Captain New Japan, Máscara Dorada, Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma defeated Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Karl Anderson, Rey Bucanero and Tama Tonga) |
Eight-man tag team match |
10:05 |
| 4 |
Toru Yano defeated Minoru Suzuki by countout |
Singles match |
8:56 |
| 5 |
Laughter7 (Katsuyori Shibata and Kazushi Sakuraba) defeated Manabu Nakanishi and Yuji Nagata |
Tag team match |
10:49 |
| 6 |
Hiroshi Tanahashi (with Captain New Japan, Tiger Mask, Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma) defeated Prince Devitt (with Bad Luck Fale, Karl Anderson, Rey Bucanero and Tama Tonga) |
Lumberjack Deathmatch |
13:32 |
| 7 |
Tetsuya Naito defeated Masato Tanaka (c) |
Singles match for the NEVER Openweight Championship and IWGP Heavyweight Championship number one contender's contract |
18:10 |
| 8 |
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) defeated Shelton X Benjamin |
Singles match for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship |
12:07 |
| 9 |
Kazuchika Okada (c) (with Gedo) defeated Satoshi Kojima |
Singles match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
24:44 |
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Destruction 2007". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ "Shinsuke Nakamura". Puroresu Central. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 "Destruction'08". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "新日本プロレス「Destruction'08」". Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. October 13, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 "クアーズ ライト Presents Destruction'09". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "新日本プロレス「Destruction'09」". Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. November 8, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 "Destruction'10". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "新日本プロレス「Destruction'10」". Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. October 11, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ "東京スポーツ プロレス大賞". Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved January 20, 2014.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 10.9 10.10 "Destruction'11". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 11.9 "NJPW 40th anniversary Destruction". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "新日本プロレス「Destruction」". Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. September 23, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 13.9 13.10 13.11 "Destruction". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "新日本プロレス「Destruction」". Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. September 29, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Namako, Jason (September 29, 2013). "9/29 NJPW iPPV Results: Hyogo, Japan (Okada/Kojima)". WrestleView. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
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