Destruction (2023)

Promotional poster for Destruction in Kobe, featuring various NJPW wrestlers

**Destruction** was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) annually since 2007. In 2023, NJPW produced two events under the Destruction name; **Destruction in Kobe** on September 24 and **Destruction in Ryogoku** on October 9. These were twenty-fourth to twenty-fifth events under the Destruction name.

## Production

### Background

The 2023 shows marked the return of Destruction. From 2007 to 2013, NJPW held one Destruction event per year, expanding to two shows in 2014 and 2015 and to three shows in 2016, before returning to the two shows format in 2019.

### Storylines

The Destruction shows featured professional wrestling matches, each of which involve different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.

Destruction in Kobe was headlined by Will Ospreay making his first defense of the IWGP United Kingdom Heavyweight Championship against Yota Tsuji. On August 13, the final day of the 2023 G1 Climax, Will Ospreay and Yota Tsuji faced off in a eight-man tag team match, where Ospreay teamed with his United Empire stablemates Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan and HENARE and Tsuji with his *Los Ingobernables de Japón* stablemates Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi and BUSHI. Tsuji won the match for his team by scoring a surprise direct pinfall over Ospreay and afterwards held the IWGP United Kingdom Heavyweight Championship over the fallen Ospreay. Afterwards, in a post-match interview, Tsuji stated that the title belt was "just an extra" and what he wanted was Ospreay. On August 18, NJPW announced the title between Ospreay and Tsuji for Destruction in Kobe. Tsuji and Ospreay, and share connection through Gideon Grey, who at one time had Tsuji as one of his charges during his excursion.

Shortly after, in a post-match interview, O-Khan attacked Takagi, before forcing him to lick his boots, as he promiced an "execution" at the hands of the United Empire. O-Khan's difficult year dated to his failed title challenge for the proviosional KOPW Championship on January 22 at The New Beginning in Nagoya, followed by a disapointing G1 Climax run.

On August 13, Tetsuya Naito defeated Kazuchika Okada in the finals to win the 2023 G1 Climax, earning a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 18 in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2024. Following the match, in a post-match interview, Naito was challenged to a match by Jeff Cobb, who had previously defeated him on the first night of the tournament. The following day, during a press conference, instead of receiving a briefcase containing a contract for a title shot at Wrestle Kingdom, Naito was automatically inserted into the main event at the Tokyo Dome, instead of defending his title shot, a tradition that was broke by Kazuchika Okada the previous year. This led to Naito, questionign the point of wrestling with no stakes, threatening to "lie down in five seconds", while Jeff Cobb rightfully asserted his claim to challenge Naito for his title match. This controversy resulted in Naito sarcastically hand making a Tokyo Dome ‘contract’ and a ‘briefcase’ to put it in, which led to NJPW announcing that Naito would defend his contract at Destruction in Kobe. On September 15, in a interview, Tsuji suggested that if Naito won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship he should split the title back into the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships. Then, if Tsuji won the IWGP United Kingdom Heavyweight Championship, he would vacate the title and challenge for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.

At G1 Climax finals, Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) faced TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste) in an eight-man tag team match. The match ended with Haste winning the match for his team by scoring a surprise direct pinfall over one half of the IWGP Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto. Afterwards, Haste and Nicholls challenged Bishamon to a title match for the IWGP Tag team Championship at Destruction in Kobe. Earlier this year, on February 5 at The New Beginning in Sapporo, Nicholls and Haste were the first challengers for Bishamon for the IWGP Tag Team Championship after Wrestle Kingdom 17, but failed to win the titles.

Destruction in Ryogoku was headlined by SANADA making his fourth defense of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against EVIL in a rematch from 2023 G1 Climax. From July 15 to August 8, SANADA and EVIL took part in the 2023 G1 Climax, where he both managed to advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, on August 10, EVIL defeated SANADA to advance to the semifinals, before being eliminated by Kazuchika Okada. On August 13, EVIL and his House of Torture stablemates Dick Togo, Sho and Yujiro Takahashi scored a winning effort against SANADA and his Just 5 Guys stablemates Taichi, DOUKI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. After the match, EVIL attacked SANADA with the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship belt, before hanging him by his injured bicep. Afterwards, EVIL forced the ring announcer Makoto Abe to read a "company statement", which described SANADA as an inappropriate figure as champion and that he should turn his title over to EVIL, who proceeded to steal it anyways. On September 19, at a press conference, SANADA proposed their match to be changed to a Lumberjack match.

Meanwhile, Sho attacked Taichi with the provisional KOPW Championship, declaring that he would take it from its rightful holder, after pinning Taichi in the eight-man tag team match, setting up a title match at Destruction in Kobe. On September 13, both men presented their stipulations, with Taichi proposing a seconds handcuffed match, where there would be no time limit, with both members of the House of Torture and Just 5 Guys being handcuffed to one another, if either participant broke free, the match would be declared a no contest. Meanwhile, Sho proposed a 10 minute guaranteed decision match, where if the time finished, Sho would be declared the winner. Taichi would also be banned from using his *Black Mephisto* finishing move and Sho would retain to add any other rules on account of the weight difference between he and Taichi, or as circumstances demand. This led an angry Taichi being kept apart from Sho, who would make his exit, shortly after. Two days later, as part of Sho's 10 minute guaranteed decision match stipulation, Sho added that Taichi would also be banned from using his *Dangerous Backdrop* finishing maneuver. On September 17, it was announced that Taichi's stipulation won the fan poll.

On September 24 at Destruction in Kobe, Taichi lost the provisional KOPW Championship to Sho in a seconds handcuffed match, after Yoshinobu Kanemaru turned on him and Just 5 Guys and joined House of Torture. Afterwards, Taichi, who was hurt by Kanemaru's took a leave of absence, whilst the was renamed back to Just 4 Guys, before returning on September 30, demanding that he be added to the night’s action alongside his stablemates against House of Torture. On October 1, SANADA, who had been greeting fans at a special signing session, was attacked by House of Torture. Later night, after facing House of Torture in a winning effort, SANADA announced the stable would continue forwards as "Just 5 Guys" again, while teasing a potential new member to the stable. The following day, NJPW announced that they added a new match to card, with Just 5 Guys newest member bing revealed at Destruction in Ryogoku.

On April 8, at Sakura Genesis, David Finlay brutally attacked Tama Tonga with his NEVER Openweight Championship, before posing with the title. On May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku, Finlay defeated Tonga to become the new champion after he visciously beat Tonga. Both wrestlers would meet again on July 26, where Tonga handed Finlay his first loss in the 2023 G1 Climax. On August 12, Finlay and the Bullet Club War Dogs (Alex Coughlin and Gabe Kidd) confronted the Guerrillas of Destiny's Tonga, Hikuleo and El Phantasmo, with Hikuleo and Phantasmo, who newly reunited after being expelled from Bullet Club the same way they were, setting their sights on Coughlin and Kidd's Strong Openweight Tag Team Championships. The following day, Tonga, Hikuleo and Phantasmo faced Bullet Club War Dogs in a eight-man tag team match in a winning effort. Afterwards, Bullet Club attacked them, but the Guerrillas of Destiny managed to overpower them in their attack. Afterwards, due to Chase Owens being pinned by Tanga Loa in the eight-man tag team match, he demanded a singles match against Loa.

On August 19, at All Star Junior Festival USA, Mike Bailey defeated Kevin Knight in the finals to win the All Star Jr. Festival USA tournament, earning a shot at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Following the win, Bailey called out reigning champion, Hiromu Takahashi, and challenged him to a title match, which he accepted. The following day, at Multiverse United 2, reigning Impact X Division Champion Lio Rush pinned Takahashi in a tag team match, after Rush cheated to get the win. This led Rush challenging him to a title match, citing that he wanted to be a double champion, despite Bailey's displasure due to Takahashi already offering him a title match. On August 23, NJPW announced a three-way match between Takahashi, Bailey and Rush for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at Destruction in Ryogoku. On October 4, it was announced that Rush would miss the last days of the Road to Destruction tour, due to illness. Meanwhile, Bailey would be absent from the tour, due to his international commitments, meaning he would only arrive in Japan hours before his title match, raising questions over the status of the title match. On October 7, Rush's partner Yoh picked up a victory over Takahashi in match, before challenging the winner of the three-way match to a title match. The following day, in a press conference, Takahashi crashed the public contract signing, before being interrupted by Yoh, who requested to replace Rush in the three-way match, which NJPW Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi accepted.

At All Star Junior Festival USA, Kevin Knight eliminated Clark Connors in the semifinals of the All Star Jr. Festival USA tournament. Afterwards, Connors attacked Knight with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship belt, setting up a title match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship between Connors and Drilla Moloney and Knight and KUSHIDA at Destruction in Ryogoku.

Destruction in Ryogoku also featured the end of the Best of Seven Series Yuji Nagata, Master Wato and Shota Umino and and Strong Style (Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado and Ren Narita). Their feud dates to the G1 Climax finals, when Narita and Generation rival Umino rivalry's escalated after a heated brawl, between both sides. Both Nagata and Suzuki have regularly faced each other, ever since Suzuki's return to professional wrestling in the early 2000s. Meanwhile, Desperado stated that he "hates everything about" Master Wato.

On September 9, in a backstage interview, after successfully defending the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship, one-half of the reigning champions Hiroshi Tanahashi appealed to Impact Wrestling to sent a trio to face them for the titles. Four days later, it was announced that Impact Wrestling's Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin and Josh Alexander would face Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii for the titles at Destruction in Ryogoku. Earlier this summer, Tanahashi unsucessfully challenged Shelley for the Impact World Championship at Multiverse United 2. Sabin and Shelley had previously shown a good deal of hospitality both to Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada on their respective excursions to Impact Wrestling.