Destruction in Kobe (2024) was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and will take place at Kobe World Memorial Hall in Kobe, Japan on September 29, 2024. It was the twenty-six event in the Destruction name and the only Destruction event produced in this year.
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. This was the only event produced in 2024 and was the first time since 2012, that Destruction was only featured once in that year.
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.
Tetsuya Naito, who defended the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at the main event
On August 12, Great-O-Khan scored an upset win over reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito, the final day of the 2024 G1 Climax, to advance to the A block play-off match to decide the semifinalists of the tournament. At the play-off match, on August 14, O-Khan was defeated by Naito's Los Ingobernables de Japón stablemate Shingo Takagi. Five days later, after a multi-man tag team match between L.I.J and United Empire, which United Empire won, O-Khan gestured towards the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, with Naito at backstage interview, accepting O-Khan's challenge. O-Khan claimed that his true vision as KOPW Champion, and as someone "to surpass Antonio Inoki" would be solidifed when he became IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
David Finlay, who defended the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
Also on August 19, Yoshi-Hashi and David Finlay faced off in a six-man tag team match, with Yoshi-Hashi winning the match for his team by scoring a shock direct pinfall over Finlay and afterwards grabbed the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship and challenge him to a title match, which he accepted. Destruction in Kobe was had also memorable events for where Finlay was scouted by Gedo to join Bullet Club in the future, after displaying a more aggressive and ruthless nature in a title match against Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. Meanwhile, in 2018, Yoshi-Hashi sprinted to the ring to assist a mugging from Jay White and Gedo on Kazuchika Okada as both betrayed CHAOS, however, he tripped on the entrance ramp and sustained a humiliating injury that sidelined him for months, a fact that Finlay later pointed out to humiliate him, despite Yoshi-Hashi holding a 2–1 singles record over him.
HENARE, who defended the NEVER Openweight Championship
On May 11, 2024 at Resurgence, HENARE in a video package, made his return from an head wound that had been sidelining him since February, making a challenge for the NEVER Openweight Championship, which reigning champion Shingo Takagi accepted. Their title match on June 9 at Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall ended in a draw. In a rematch on June 16, HENARE defeated Takagi to win the NEVER Openweight Championship. On September 9, after HENARE successfully defended the title against Hiromu Takahashi, his Los Ingobernables de Japón stablamate Takagi challenged him to a rematch at Destruction, which he accepted.
DOUKI, who defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
On September 11, DOUKI successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Taiji Ishimori, completing a hat-trick of 2024 singles victories over the "Big Three" in NJPW's junior heavyweight division (Hiromu Takahashi, El Desperado and Taiji Ishimori). With a win over the perceived toughest challengers, DOUKI no longer wanted to be perceived as a "paper champion", but following the match, he was attacked by Yoshinobu Kanemaru who proclaimed that he was still that, before challenging him to a title match. During DOUKI's tenrue in NJPW, Kanemaru served as a mentor to him, with both being part of Suzuki-gun and Just 5 Guys, before Kanemaru turned on the latter to join House of Torture.
On September 14, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg successfully defended the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship against House of Torture's EVIL, Dick Togo and Yujiro Takahashi. Following the match, their House of Torture stablemate Sho blamed their loss lost on the aprt of Japan they were and instead wanted a rematch up north, before failing to attack Tanahashi. Afterwards, Tanahashi accepted Sho's challenge, stating that he needed to find two partners.
Results[]
| # | Results | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shota Umino, Ryusuke Taguchi and Dragon Dia defeated Yuji Nagata, Tomoaki Honma and Tiger Mask | Six-man tag team match | 7:30 |
| 2 | Los Ingobernables de Japón (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi and Yota Tsuji) defeated United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Callum Newman and Francesco Akira) | Six-man tag team match | 7:25 |
| 3 | Hirooki Goto vs. Gabe Kidd ended in a no contest | Singles match | 1:44 |
| 4 | Hirooki Goto defeated Gabe Kidd | Singles match | 8:24 |
| 5 | TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Kosei Fujita and Ryohei Oiwa) defeated Just 5 Guys (SANADA, Taichi and Taka Michinoku) | Six-man tag team match | 6:30 |
| 6 | Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg (c) defeated House of Torture (EVIL, Sho and Yujiro Takahashi) (with Dick Togo) | Six-man tag team match for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship | 11:10 |
| 7 | DOUKI (c) defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru (with Dick Togo and Yujiro Takahashi) | Singles match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship | 20:08 |
| 8 | Shingo Takagi defeated HENARE (c) | Singles match for the NEVER Openweight Championship | 19:23 |
| 9 | David Finlay (c) (with Gedo) defeated Yoshi-Hashi | Singles match for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship | 21:38 |
| 10 | Tetsuya Naito (c) defeated Great-O-Khan | Singles match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship | 30:54 |
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