NJPW Destruction in Kobe result – IWGP US (UK) Hvt. Champion Will Ospreay vs. Yota Tsuji

Will Ospreay retained the IWGP US (UK) Hvt. Championship defeating Yota Tsuji after hitting a Hidden Blade and a Stormbreaker in the main event fo Destruction in Kobe.

Tsuji earned the match after pinning Ospreay in a tag match at the G1 Final event in August. The match was even throughout, as neither man was able to get a sustained advantage for long. Throughout the match Ospreay targeted Tsuji’s neck area with forearms to set up the Hidden Blade later in the match.

In his second straight NJPW PPV main event, Tsuji once again stepped up to the plate and delivered in a big spot. Much like he did when challening IWGP World Hvt. Champion Sanada. Tsuji impressed with his performance, especially given his experience level just coming off excursion to challenge Sanada at Dominion back in June and now Ospreay at Destruction in Kobe in September.

The crowd was split wtih Ospreay getting a slightly bigger reaction despite aligning with Don Callis in AEW recently. Ospreay very much acted like a face during the match as well, although the announcers tried to explain his actions saying he was using Callis to set up a bigger payday for himselff by working the biggest matches possible in AEW.

The action building to the finish saw Tsuji  hit Ospreay wtih his own Stormbreaker finisher for a nearfall. He also hit Ospreay with the Gene blaster, but Ospreay managed to get his foot on the bottom rope to break up the pin. Ospreay also hit a Gene Blaster of his own at one point, but Tsuji kicked out at one, which got a loud reaction from a sold out house of 4,212 at Kobe World Hall.

The finish saw Tsuji barely kick out of a Star Driver 93. He got up and smiled at Ospreay, who landed a Hidden Blade and then a Stormbreaker for the win.