New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Road to King of Pro-Wrestling tour continued on October 10 at Horinouchi Gymnasium in Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture, with a show built around the company’s increasingly heated faction rivalries. The most notable development of the evening came after Unbound Co. defeated United Empire in an eight-man tag team match, when Will Ospreay made a surprise appearance and confronted Unbound Co. alongside United Empire.

Ospreay’s appearance provided a major jolt to a card that featured several interconnected multi-man contests. Unbound Co. was heavily involved throughout the night, picking up victories in two earlier faction matches before Shingo Takagi and Yota Tsuji closed the card with another win for the group. The confrontation with Ospreay and United Empire ensured that the closing stages of the Road to King of Pro-Wrestling event carried consequences beyond the result of a single bout.

The October 10 show was the third night of the Road to King of Pro-Wrestling series. With the tour moving forward, NJPW presented a lineup showcasing established faction conflicts, rising names getting ring time, and multiple combinations that could shape the atmosphere heading into King of Pro-Wrestling.

Will Ospreay confronts Unbound Co.

The key moment came in the penultimate match, where Unbound Co.’s Gedo, Jeff Cobb, OSKAR, and Yuto-Ice defeated United Empire’s Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, HENARE, and Zane Jay. The result alone was significant given the presence of Cobb on the Unbound Co. side against his former United Empire allies, but the post-match scene elevated the rivalry further.

For more background on this topic, read Cody Rhodes Explains the ‘Cody Lie’: Truth Comes First, Then ‘A Little Sauce’.

Will Ospreay made a surprise appearance following the match and confronted Unbound Co. alongside United Empire. NJPW did not need a lengthy in-ring match involving Ospreay for his presence to make an impact; the confrontation directly connected him to the ongoing issues between the two sides and added another major figure to the situation.

United Empire entered the match with a wide mix of experience and momentum. Great-O-Khan and HENARE have been important presences within the faction, while Newman and Zane Jay rounded out the team. Across the ring, Unbound Co. fielded a powerful lineup with Cobb joining Gedo, OSKAR, and Yuto-Ice. The win gave Unbound Co. another notable result on a night when the group was repeatedly positioned at the center of the action.

Ospreay standing with United Empire against Unbound Co. was the defining visual from Uonuma City. The surprise appearance also made clear that the tension between the groups is not likely to be contained to one tour match.

Unbound Co. collects multiple wins

Unbound Co. began its successful night in the second match. Daiki Nagai and Taiji Ishimori defeated Master Wato and Tatsuya Matsumoto, giving the group an early victory over a team that combined Wato’s established NJPW experience with Matsumoto’s opportunity to compete on the Road to King of Pro-Wrestling tour.

The faction’s final representatives on the card, Shingo Takagi and Yota Tsuji, also emerged victorious in the main event. Takagi and Tsuji defeated TMDK’s Hartley Jackson and Ryohei Oiwa, ending the show with another Unbound Co. win. Takagi and Tsuji brought considerable star power to the closing match, while Jackson and Oiwa represented a physical TMDK pairing capable of putting pressure on any opponents.

With victories from Nagai and Ishimori, the eight-man squad featuring Cobb, and the main-event team of Takagi and Tsuji, Unbound Co. left Horinouchi Gymnasium with a strong collective night in the ring. Yet the post-match arrival of Ospreay ensured that the group’s success was immediately met by a fresh challenge.

House of Torture splits its matches

House of Torture competed twice on the October 10 card, splitting its results across two eight-man tag team matches. In the first of those bouts, DOUKI, Shun Skywalker, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and Yujiro Takahashi defeated Masatora Yasuda, Oleg Boltin, Shota Umino, and Toru Yano.

That victory gave House of Torture a lineup that included veterans in Kanemaru and Yujiro, as well as DOUKI and Skywalker, a winning result against a varied opposing side. Umino and Boltin were joined by Yasuda and Yano, creating a team with several different styles and roles, but House of Torture secured the decision.

Later in the evening, however, a different House of Torture unit fell short. Dick Togo, Ren Narita, SANADA, and SHO lost to El Desperado, KUSHIDA, Taichi, and Yuya Uemura. The winning quartet was an especially intriguing combination, with Desperado and KUSHIDA bringing junior heavyweight credentials, Taichi supplying his veteran presence, and Uemura adding another significant name to the successful side.

The result allowed Desperado, KUSHIDA, Taichi, and Uemura to gain ground over a House of Torture group that featured several of the faction’s most recognizable members. Narita, SANADA, and SHO have each been central figures in the group’s matches, while Togo remains a constant presence in its tactical approach. Even so, the four-man opposition earned the win in Uonuma City.

Aaron Wolf, Hechicero and YOH defeat TMDK

Another notable six-man match saw Aaron Wolf, Hechicero, and YOH defeat TMDK’s Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, and Zack Sabre Jr. The bout placed a distinctive trio against one of NJPW’s most technically capable units.

Sabre and Eagles are proven competitors with extensive experience in high-level NJPW competition, while Fujita continued to represent TMDK alongside the more established members of the group. Their opponents brought an equally unusual blend: Hechicero’s technical expertise, YOH’s speed and junior heavyweight pedigree, and Wolf’s presence made for a diverse winning team.

The result was particularly meaningful within the context of a card filled with faction-oriented action. TMDK had multiple teams in action during the evening, including Jackson and Oiwa in the main event, but the unit did not leave the show unbeaten. Wolf, Hechicero, and YOH delivered one of the card’s key victories over the group.

Opening match sets the tone

The event opened with Taisei Nakahara defeating Yushin Hatazawa in singles action. The bout gave both wrestlers a spotlight before the show moved into its run of tag team and faction contests. In a tour setting packed with established names and multi-man rivalries, the opener offered a straightforward one-on-one result to begin the night.

From there, the card steadily expanded in scale, moving from the two-man tag involving Nagai, Ishimori, Wato, and Matsumoto to a succession of eight-man, six-man, and featured tag matches. That structure made the Ospreay appearance stand out even more. The show had already emphasized alliances and faction strength, and the surprise confrontation added a larger presence to the United Empire side of the developing conflict.

NJPW Road to King of Pro-Wrestling results – October 10

  • Taisei Nakahara defeated Yushin Hatazawa.
  • Unbound Co. (Daiki Nagai and Taiji Ishimori) defeated Master Wato and Tatsuya Matsumoto.
  • House of Torture (DOUKI, Shun Skywalker, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Masatora Yasuda, Oleg Boltin, Shota Umino, and Toru Yano.
  • El Desperado, KUSHIDA, Taichi, and Yuya Uemura defeated House of Torture (Dick Togo, Ren Narita, SANADA, and SHO).
  • Unbound Co. (Gedo, Jeff Cobb, OSKAR, and Yuto-Ice) defeated United Empire (Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, HENARE, and Zane Jay).
  • Will Ospreay made a surprise appearance and confronted Unbound Co. alongside United Empire.
  • Aaron Wolf, Hechicero, and YOH defeated TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, and Zack Sabre Jr.).
  • Unbound Co. (Shingo Takagi and Yota Tsuji) defeated TMDK (Hartley Jackson and Ryohei Oiwa).

The October 10 Road to King of Pro-Wrestling event gave NJPW a clear focal point heading deeper into the tour. Unbound Co. accumulated victories, United Empire found reinforcement in the form of Ospreay’s surprise appearance, and several of the company’s other major groups continued to trade results. The aftermath of the Ospreay confrontation now adds another layer of interest to the matches and alliances still to come.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.