Shingo Takagi beat Claudio Castagnoli at NJPW Destruction in Kobe on Sunday, while Callum Newman spoiled Jeff Cobb’s return singles match with a low blow and a pin. The two special singles matches gave the card a pair of very different finishes.
Castagnoli attacked Takagi before the bell and controlled stretches of their match with his power. Takagi survived the Ricola Bomb, escaped the Neutralizer and rallied with a Pumping Bomber and Burning Dragon before finishing the AEW wrestler with Last of the Dragon.
That victory followed weeks of build for the Takagi and Castagnoli singles match. NJPW’s report described Castagnoli using a gutwrench superplex and giant swing as he tried to put Takagi away, but neither move finished the job.
Newman and Cobb, former United Empire teammates, took their fight outside before Newman began favoring his knee. He still managed a German suplex, lariat and Kiss the Crown, but Cobb kicked out and answered with an F-5000 and Oklahoma Stampede.
Newman capitalized when the referee was distracted, struck Cobb below the belt and hit Make Way for the three-count. Cobb had returned to NJPW in August and joined Unbound Co. instead of reuniting with United Empire, putting the two former teammates on a collision course.
Source: NJPW’s official Destruction in Kobe report.
Featured photo: Jeff Cobb at wXw 16 Carat Gold in March 2020, photographed by Photos N Effect / Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 2.0.
