Post by Emperor on May 23, 2023 20:37:14 GMT
NJPW's second biggest show of the year is two short weeks away.
Will Ospreay will face Lance Archer in a number one contender’s match to Kenny Omega’s IWGP United States Championship. Archer advanced past Fred Rosser in Philadelphia last month, while Will Ospreay defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi at Resurgence to create this David and Goliath clash in Osaka Jo Hall. Both men have plenty of previous with Kenny Omega, and with one another going back to 2019. Who can walk out of Osaka with a shot at the red leather and gold?
The rarest of situations surround our main event as Yota Tsuji challenges SANADA for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. After SANADA defended his gold against Hiromu Takahashi at Dontaku May 3, his celebration was interrupted by Tsuji making his return from excursion and cleaving the champion in half with a spear. In the immediate aftermath, Tsuji’s poses in ring, and actions carrying Hiromu away from the backstage area seemed to indicate that he was aligned with Los Ingobernables De Japon, but the only thing that fans were clear on was that he would be next in line for the world title.
Any other mysteries remained just that, as Tsuji returned to Mexico after Dontaku, meaning that Tsuji’s first bout back from excursion will be in our main event, and for the richest prize in professional wrestling. While figures like Hiromu Takahashi, Jay White and Kazuchika Okada have returned from respective excursions as if fired from a cannon right to the top mix of their weight classes, not even those three can lay claim to what Tsuji is doing. The question is whether the big entrance can be followed up with the big prize.
Any other mysteries remained just that, as Tsuji returned to Mexico after Dontaku, meaning that Tsuji’s first bout back from excursion will be in our main event, and for the richest prize in professional wrestling. While figures like Hiromu Takahashi, Jay White and Kazuchika Okada have returned from respective excursions as if fired from a cannon right to the top mix of their weight classes, not even those three can lay claim to what Tsuji is doing. The question is whether the big entrance can be followed up with the big prize.
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship will be on the line when Hiromu Takahashi seeks his fifth defence of the title against Best of the Super Jr. 30 winner Master Wato. Wato’s eight match win streak en route to becoming the youngest Japanese wrestler to ever win the BOSJ trophy saw him round a corner on his path to Grand Master status. Yet his journey to the top is far from complete. There are more ‘new doors’ that Wato wants to break down for his division, with one being his first IWGP Junior Heavyweight title.
With the hottest of hands, and Dominion taking place in his home town of Osaka, it would appear that the stars are all aligning for the challenger, especially in contrast to Hiromu who has seen his three year streak of consecutive BOSJ successes come to an end. On the third time of asking, it could well be the time for Wato to get his first singles victory over the Time Bomb. It would certainly mirror the events of Takahashi’s first reign with the IWGP gold back in 2017, a title win earned at Wrestle Kingdom ended after four defences at Dominion by the very man he beat to win it in the first place. Six years ago it was KUSHIDA; will it be Wato that ends Hiromu’s quest of a record reign?
With the hottest of hands, and Dominion taking place in his home town of Osaka, it would appear that the stars are all aligning for the challenger, especially in contrast to Hiromu who has seen his three year streak of consecutive BOSJ successes come to an end. On the third time of asking, it could well be the time for Wato to get his first singles victory over the Time Bomb. It would certainly mirror the events of Takahashi’s first reign with the IWGP gold back in 2017, a title win earned at Wrestle Kingdom ended after four defences at Dominion by the very man he beat to win it in the first place. Six years ago it was KUSHIDA; will it be Wato that ends Hiromu’s quest of a record reign?
After winning NEVER Openweight 6 man Tag Team Championship gold at Dontaku from Strong Style, the champion team of Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii and Hiroshi Tanahashi seek their first defence at Dominion against an all star lineup. The Okada led team captured the titles thanks in no small part to the hubris of Ren Narita, who demanded the chance to take down the Rainmaker and paid the price. In his wake, Shota Umino stepped up, in rivalry to the Son Of Strong Style, but with a similar desire to attack for the next generation of NJPW.
Umino called on mentor Jon Moxley, and in a heated encounter at Resurgence in Long Beach took victory over a CHAOS trio of Okada, Ishii and Rocky Romero alongside Wheeler Yuta. Moxley has his own sights set on Okada, and has encouraged a harder edge to Umino, leading to vicious fights to close out the Best of the Super Jr. tour. Sunday in Ota, Umino hurled a table at the head of Okada, before making the challenge official for Dominion- a NEVER 6 Man title match with Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli as his partners.
The Forbidden Door once again opens as ROH Champion Castagnoli wrestles in the cerulean blue for the first time in his career. As Toronto on June 25 looms large, will the NEVER 6 man titles be a key part to NJPW and AEW’s massive joint event, and will Umino make good on his promise to pin Okada and score the biggest victory of his career tonight?
Umino called on mentor Jon Moxley, and in a heated encounter at Resurgence in Long Beach took victory over a CHAOS trio of Okada, Ishii and Rocky Romero alongside Wheeler Yuta. Moxley has his own sights set on Okada, and has encouraged a harder edge to Umino, leading to vicious fights to close out the Best of the Super Jr. tour. Sunday in Ota, Umino hurled a table at the head of Okada, before making the challenge official for Dominion- a NEVER 6 Man title match with Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli as his partners.
The Forbidden Door once again opens as ROH Champion Castagnoli wrestles in the cerulean blue for the first time in his career. As Toronto on June 25 looms large, will the NEVER 6 man titles be a key part to NJPW and AEW’s massive joint event, and will Umino make good on his promise to pin Okada and score the biggest victory of his career tonight?
David Finlay puts his freshly won NEVER Openweight Championship on the line in Osaka against El Phantasmo. Ever since attacking Jay White at Battle in the Valley in February, and assuming the lead of BULLET CLUB in March, Finlay has been keen to usher in a new ‘savages only’ era for the group. Always choosing crowd pleasing showmanship over savagery, El Phantasmo had stood in staunch opposition to Finlay from within BULLET CLUB, leading to Finlay removing the dissenting voice in the room at Sakura Genesis. ELP’s own allies in the group in Taiji Ishimori and KENTA would join in the expulsion, leaving Phantasmo with no clear allies, but with a clear desire for revenge.
As Finlay was victorious in Fukuoka to lift the NEVER Openweight Championship, destroying outgoing champ Tama Tonga in brutal form, ELP made a surprise appearance to ensure Finlay’s victory party didn’t last long. Though admitting he hasn’t considered his factional alliance, and that Hontai would have a hard time accepting the former agitator into their midst, Phantasmo has promised to eliminate every member of his former factional home, starting with Finlay. Will it be savagery or artistry that wins out over the NEVER title?
As Finlay was victorious in Fukuoka to lift the NEVER Openweight Championship, destroying outgoing champ Tama Tonga in brutal form, ELP made a surprise appearance to ensure Finlay’s victory party didn’t last long. Though admitting he hasn’t considered his factional alliance, and that Hontai would have a hard time accepting the former agitator into their midst, Phantasmo has promised to eliminate every member of his former factional home, starting with Finlay. Will it be savagery or artistry that wins out over the NEVER title?
One three way match will see two titles decided in Osaka Jo Hall, Bishamon, HOUSE OF TORTURE and United Empire teams facing off to fill the vacated IWGP and STRONG Openweight Tag team Championships. After Aussie Open retained their IWGP gold against TMDK at Satsuma no Kuni, Bishamon emerged to challenge the champions to a rematch from Sakura Genesis. EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi attacked from behind, and repeatedly interfered until Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis rlented and allowed the H.O.T duo to join a three way at Dominion.
In the interim though, disaster struck with Davis suffering a knee injury. At Resurgence, Fletcher vacated both of Aussie Open’s tag titles, leaving them to be decided by the two remaining teams in the three way. The situation didn’t sit right with the other United Empire members meanwhile with Great-O-Khan declaring that the three way match should proceed a before, with a UE team taking Aussie Open’s place. That team is Henare and O-Khan, who have promised to win the titles and defend them against Davis and Fletcher in a UE derby for the gold. Will that come to pass? Will Bishamon, who had a stirring run through the early part of 2023, get back to the top of the mountain? Or will EVIL and Yujiro cast a dark shadow over tag team competition?
In the interim though, disaster struck with Davis suffering a knee injury. At Resurgence, Fletcher vacated both of Aussie Open’s tag titles, leaving them to be decided by the two remaining teams in the three way. The situation didn’t sit right with the other United Empire members meanwhile with Great-O-Khan declaring that the three way match should proceed a before, with a UE team taking Aussie Open’s place. That team is Henare and O-Khan, who have promised to win the titles and defend them against Davis and Fletcher in a UE derby for the gold. Will that come to pass? Will Bishamon, who had a stirring run through the early part of 2023, get back to the top of the mountain? Or will EVIL and Yujiro cast a dark shadow over tag team competition?
One of the biggest surprises on the Road to Dontaku last month was a perceived upset victory for Kevin Knight and KUSHIDA in their first challenge to IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag team Champions TJP and Francesco Akira. Catch 2/2’s phenomenal run with the tag gold, the second longest in history was brought to a crashing halt, and none were more surprised than the champions. Yet in acknowledging their defeat to the Intergalactic Jet Setters, TJP and Akira both had to wonder how things might have been different had it not been a for a freak cut to the eye of TJP that shaped the remainder of the bout. Now at Dominion we get the chance to see whether this was a flash in the pan title win, or the basis for a lengthy run for this veteran and young prospect side.
Eight man action in the second bout of the evening will see Just Five Guys and LIJ collide. With SANADA’s defection from LIJ into J5G, antagonism between the two groups was always going to exists, but might this bout be just as much about our main event challenger as it is the champion?
Will Ospreay will face Lance Archer in a number one contender’s match to Kenny Omega’s IWGP United States Championship. Archer advanced past Fred Rosser in Philadelphia last month, while Will Ospreay defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi at Resurgence to create this David and Goliath clash in Osaka Jo Hall. Both men have plenty of previous with Kenny Omega, and with one another going back to 2019. Who can walk out of Osaka with a shot at the red leather and gold?
Jeff Cobb and Zack Sabre Jr. will square off in a rematch for the NJPW World TV Championship. It was a matter of sheer survival for ZSJ in Fukuoka, as he defended the TV gold, but only when the time limit ran out on a bout where the Imperial Unit had given Sabre a lot more than a run for his money. To the champion, a draw was as good as a loss, and ZSJ was quick to demand the match get run back in Osaka June 4.
