NJPW has confirmed a slate of title matches for Dominion 2026.
One of NJPW’s biggest events of the year, Dominion will be held at Osaka-jo Hall on June 14. A press conference was held overnight with NJPW making its first match announcements for the show. It was officially confirmed that the main event will be Callum Newman putting his IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line against Yota Tsuji.
Newman vs. Tsuji is a rematch from Sakura Genesis, where Newman defeated Tsuji to become the youngest IWGP Heavyweight Champion in history. Tsuji then earned another shot at the belt by pinning Newman in a tag team match earlier this week.
Among the other title matches set is the first defense for new IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Andrade El Idolo. The AEW star defeated Tsuji for the title at Wrestling Dontaku and will now defend in a three-way bout against Shota Umino and Drilla Moloney.
Six matches in total have been confirmed for Dominion so far, with five having championship stakes. The show will air live on NJPW World with English commentary.
NJPW Dominion 2026 (Sunday, June 14) —
IWGP Heavyweight Champion Callum Newman defends against Yota Tsuji
Three-way match: IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Andrade El Idolo defends against Shota Umino and Drilla Moloney
IWGP Tag Team Champions Yuto-Ice & OSKAR defend against Great-O-Khan & Henare
NEVER Openweight Champion Ren Narita defends against Aaron Wolf
NJPW World Television Champion Konosuke Takeshita defends against SANADA
Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Yuya Uemura & Taichi
The rest of the card will take shape in the coming weeks as NJPW is set to begin its Best of the Super Juniors tour this Thursday (May 14).
The main event of NJPW Dominion 2026 is now set with Yota Tsuji earning an IWGP Heavyweight Championship rematch.
At the June 14 event in Osaka, Tsuji will challenge Callum Newman for the IWGP Heavyweight title. That was confirmed when Tsuji pinned the champion in a tag team match at Ignition to Dominion today. Tsuji & Shingo Takagi defeated Newman & Jake Lee in a bout that had significant stakes. If Tsuji & Takagi had lost, neither would have been able to challenge Newman for his title again.
Tsuji had a three-month reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion before dropping the belt to Newman at Sakura Genesis this April. In today’s tag match, he connected with a Gene Blaster spear to get the pin on Newman after Takagi took out Lee. Tsuji then got on the microphone and promised to get NJPW back on the right track after the dark road Newman has taken the company down as champion.
This will be the second defense of Newman’s reign. The youngest IWGP Heavyweight Champion in history, he retained over Takagi at night two of Wrestling Dontaku earlier this week.
Dominion is traditionally one of NJPW’s biggest events of the year. Though not confirmed yet, an IWGP Tag Team title match is being built up with Yuto-Ice & OSKAR defending against Great-O-Khan & HENARE. Those teams needed to be separated after O-Khan & HENARE were on the winning side of a 10-man tag match at Ignition to Dominion.
NJPW Dominion 2026 (Sunday, June 14) —
IWGP Heavyweight Champion Callum Newman defends against Yota Tsuji
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including New Japan Dominion and AAA TripleMania Regia, all the big matches and title changes, Undertaker’s heart surgery, four-hour Dynamite ratings, Smackdown recap, upcoming shows and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps: Start: Rusty Blair passes away 2:33: NJPW Dominion recap, G1 Climax 35 participants announced 20:12: AAA Triplemania Regia notes 24:36: The Undertaker talks recent heart surgery, Mya Lesnar wins NCAA shot put championship 28:42: WWE SmackDown still at 3 hours, ratings notes 35:57: Lineups for this week 41:59: WWE SmackDown recap
Taking place in Osaka on Sunday, June 15, Dominion will be headlined by an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match with Hirooki Goto defending against Shingo Takagi. The show is airing live on NJPW World with both English and Japanese commentary.
Among the new additions to the card is an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team title match with YOH & Master Wato putting their belts on the line against SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru of House of Torture. YOH is coming off a run in NJPW’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament where he made it to the finals before falling short to Kosei Fujita. During block action in the tournament, SHO picked up a victory over YOH while Kanemaru defeated Wato.
The Best of the Super Juniors winner usually gets a title shot against the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion at Dominion, but that won’t be the case this year. Fujita is waiting to challenge El Desperado until after Desperado faces Jun Kasai later this month. Fujita wants Desperado to be solely focused on him when they face each other.
Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement tour will continue at Dominion with a match against Yuya Uemura, which is their first time wrestling each other one-on-one since Uemura was a Young Lion.
Here is the complete lineup:
NJPW Dominion 2025 —
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Hirooki Goto defends against Shingo Takagi
IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji defends against Gabe Kidd
Dog collar chain deathmatch: David Finlay vs. EVIL
NEVER Openweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita defends against Oleg Boltin
IWGP Tag Team Champions Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman defend against Tomohiro Ishii & Taichi
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions YOH & Master Wato defend against SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yuya Uemura
Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa vs. El Phantasmo & Shota Umino
Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens, Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney vs. SANADA, Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi and a mystery partner
The Best of the Super Juniors finals are set to headline one of NJPW’s biggest events of the year.
It was confirmed today that the finals of Best of the Super Juniors 31 will be the main event of NJPW Dominion on Sunday, June 9. The show is taking place from Osaka-jo Hall and will air live on NJPW World.
The announcement means that the Best of the Super Juniors finals are going on last instead of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match between Jon Moxley and EVIL.
We don’t know who will be competing in the Best of the Super Juniors finals yet. There are still eight tournament shows left before Dominion. At the moment, Blake Christian has a 4-0 record and leads the A Block. KUSHIDA and Taiji Ishimori are tied for the B Block lead with 3-1 records.
Here’s everything that’s been confirmed for Dominion so far:
NJPW Dominion 2024 (Sunday, June 9) —
Best of the Super Juniors finals
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley defends against EVIL
NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi defends against Henare
KOPW 2024 title holder Yuya Uemura defends against Great-O-Khan
NJPW World Television Champion Jeff Cobb defends against Tomohiro Ishii
Four-way tornado elimination match for both the IWGP Tag Team titles and NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team titles: KENTA & Chase Owens (IWGP Tag Team Champions) vs. Hikuleo & El Phantasmo (Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions) vs. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls
New champions were crowned at NJPW Dominion on Sunday.
Francesco Akira and TJP regained the IWGP Junior Tag Team titles from KUSHIDA and Kevin Knight. Akira scored the win for his team, pinning Knight after both he and TJP connected with running knees. This is their second reign with the titles.
Later in the show, Bishimon (YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto) won the IWGP Tag Team and New Japan Strong Tag Team titles, defeating Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL and Aaron Henare & The Great-O-Khan after hitting their powerbomb/GTR combo on Takahashi. Bishimon won the vacant titles after Aussie Open were forced to vacate the titles last month due to Mark Davis suffering an injury.
After the match, Alex Coughlin and Gabriel Kidd came out wearing Bullet Club t-shirts, revealing they had joined the group. They attacked Bishimon, making it clear they were next in line for a title match.
Elsewhere on the card, SANADA retained the IWGP World Heavyweight title against Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi retained the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title against Master Wato, Zack Sabre Jr. retained the New Japan World Television title over Jeff Cobb, David Finlay retained the NEVER title over El Phantasmo, and the team of Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tomohiro Ishii retained the NEVER Six-Man Tag Team titles against Shota Umino, Jon Moxley, and Claudio Castagnoli.
An AEW star is heading to Japan to make his long-awaited NJPW debut.
At NJPW’s Best of the Super Juniors finals, it was revealed that Claudio Castagnoli will be in action at Dominion on Sunday, June 4. Castagnoli, Jon Moxley & Shota Umino are set to challenge Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles.
The announcement was made by Umino after an eight-man tag match at the BOSJ finals. Umino, Ren Narita, El Desperado & Mike Bailey defeated Okada, Tanahashi, Ishii & Ryusuke Taguchi when Narita submitted Taguchi.
Umino got on the microphone following the match and issued a challenge for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles at Dominion. Umino declared that his partners would be Moxley & Castagnoli.
In AEW, Castagnoli and Moxley are stablemates in the Blackpool Combat Club.
Moxley teamed with Umino and Blackpool Combat Club’s Wheeler Yuta at NJPW Resurgence in California last week, defeating Okada, Ishii & Rocky Romero.
While this will be his NJPW debut, Castagnoli did wrestle at AEW & NJPW’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view in 2022. In what was Castagnoli’s first match for AEW, he defeated Zack Sabre Jr.
Castagnoli is the current ROH World Champion.
Dominion will be the first time Moxley has wrestled in Japan since 2020. The event is being held at Osaka-jo Hall and will stream live on NJPW World.
Next month, Jon Moxley will wrestle on Japanese soil for the first time since 2020.
Moxley is returning to Japan as part of the card for NJPW Dominion. His match for the show has yet to be confirmed, but it appears that NJPW is building to Moxley challenging for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles.
Moxley told Sports Illustrated that returning to Japan is something that he’s “really stoked” about. He’s worked for NJPW in the United States since 2020, but it’s not the same thing to him as wrestling in Japan.
“I’m really stoked about going back to Japan,” Moxley said. “Now I don’t have to worry about going back and forth between New Japan and AEW. The working relationship is really good, and that makes it easy for me. I still work for New Japan Strong in the U.S., but it’s not the same as being over there in Japan. It’s been so long. I need it. There are still a lot of big matchups. I’m really excited about it.”
Moxley will be in action at NJPW Resurgence in California this Sunday, teaming with Wheeler Yuta & Shota Umino against Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & Rocky Romero.
Okada, Ishii & Hiroshi Tanahashi are the current NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions.
Moxley and Okada have never faced each other before, but Okada believes that Moxley’s charisma is “incredible.”
“Moxley is a wrestler with great charisma,” Okada told Sports Illustrated. “I can’t really speak to how good he is until I wrestle him, but I can definitely say that Moxley’s charisma is incredible. So yes, I’m very excited for Long Beach.”
Tanahashi is facing Will Ospreay in a singles match at Resurgence. The winner will advance to Dominion to face Lance Archer in the finals of NJPW’s IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship tournament. The wrestler who wins that match will be next in line for a shot at Kenny Omega’s title.
Dominion is being held in Osaka on Sunday, June 4.
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including Jeff Hardy’s DUI, AEW’s so far non-reaction to it, Paige’s future, Muto’s upcoming retirement, the All Atlantic Tournament update, New Japan Dominion top matches, ratings, RAW report from Monday night and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: Jeff Hardy arrested for DUI
10:20: WWE not renewing Paige’s contract
12:38: Keiji Mutoh announces retirement for next spring
17:23: NJPW announces details for their AEW All-Atlantic title qualifier match
20:30: Ratings
23:02: Speedball Mike Bailey vs. Konosuke Takeshita
26:20: The last two matches of Dominion
35:35: Raw report
54:48: NXT and AEW Dynamite lineups (contains NXT spoilers)
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including UFC coverage with help from Ryan Fredrick, New Japan Dominion with ramifications for both New Japan and AEW, Rampage, Smackdown, all the news from the weekend and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: UFC 275
35:10: NJPW Dominion (up to Shingo Takagi vs. Taichi)
50:25: NWA Alwayz Ready notes, FTR managed by Bret Hart
52:47: AEW Rampage recap
59:24: SmackDown recap
1:06:11: Tony D’Angelo reportedly hurt, ratings notes (contains Dominion main event spoilers)
Takagi will put his provisional KOPW 2022 title on the line against Taichi at Dominion this Sunday (June 12). It will either be a “Ten Minute Unlimited Pinfall Scramble Match” or a “No Time Limit, Limited Finishers Ten Count Match.”
The “Ten Minute Unlimited Pinfall Scramble Match” was proposed by Takagi as his stipulation option. In the match, the wrestler who has the highest total count on their pinfall attempts at the end of 10 minutes is declared the winner.
“It’s simple as can be. Whatever happens, ten minutes to settle it. Last time, we had no time limits and a 30 count. I think in the opening moments of that we took our time a little as a result. This time, it isn’t in the main event, and I think it’s pretty appropriate to try and get the win in ten minutes,” Takagi said. “That’s what’s going to put the two of us to the test, mentally and physically. It’ll be a different side to the both of us. We’ll be throwing bombs from the get go, trying to get the win as soon as possible. And even though it won’t be the main event, it’ll be the match that everyone remembers on this card. Well, if Taichi here carries his end of things anyway. Whatcha think, Taichi?”
Taichi proposed the “No Time Limit, Limited Finishers Ten Count Match” as his stipulation option. There is no time limit for the match and the first wrestler who reaches a total 10 count on their pinfall attempts is declared the winner. But Takagi can only use the Ground Cobra for his pinfall attempts and Taichi can only use the Gedo Clutch.
“I know you’re an idiot, so I’ll explain it to you. The ‘No Time Limit’ part means that there isn’t a limit on how long the match goes. Now, ‘Limited Finishers. ‘I pinned you with a Gedo Clutch and you tried to have your little get back on me with the Ground Cobra. So that’s fine. Only my Gedo Clutch and your Ground Cobra will count. Other moves, whether it’s a lariat, a brainbuster, or a DDT, you can’t score a pin from,” Taichi said. “And the ‘Ten Count,’ whoever gets to a total of ten first wins. Last time it was thirty, and although I can humiliate you and pin you for 30 in one go, I won’t because I’m nice. So ten it is. How’s that?”
It’s been announced that Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto in an interim AEW World Championship eliminator match has been added to Dominion. The winner of that match will advance to compete for the interim AEW World Championship at Forbidden Door.
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NJPW has released the full card for Dominion that will take place later this month.
The card will take place June 12 at Osaka-Jo Hall. New championship matches have been added in addition to the IWGP World Heavyweight title match between champion Kazuchika Okada and challenger Jay White.
Juice Robinson will be defending the United States title against Will Ospreay, who issued a challenge, and SANADA, who returned at the Best of the Super Junior finals after recovering from injury. Tama Tonga will defend the NEVER Championship against Karl Anderson, Shingo Takagi will face Taichi for the KOPW 2022 provisional trophy, and Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale will defend the IWGP Tag Team titles against the United Empire’s Jeff Cobb and The Great-O-Khan.
Hiromu Takahashi, who won the Best of the Super Juniors, will not get his championship match against Taiji Ishimori at Dominion. That will instead take place June 21 at Korakuen Hall.
The full card is as follows:
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
Interim AEW World Championship eliminator match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto
Juice Robinson vs. SANADA vs. Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States Championship
Tama Tonga vs. Karl Anderson for the NEVER Openweight title
Shingo Takagi vs. Taichi for the provisional KOPW 2022 trophy
Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale vs. Jeff Cobb & The Great-O-Khan for the IWGP Tag Team titles
EVIL, SHO, and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and El Desperado for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man titles
Toru Yano vs. Doc Gallows
Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, and Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Phantasmo, Ace Austin, and Taiji Ishimori
TJP, Francesco Akira, and Aaron Henare vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Master Wato, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan
A new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion was crowned today at NJPW Dominion in Osaka-Jo Hall.
Shingo Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the title in the show’s main event.
Shingo hit Okada with a dragon suplex, a diving forearm strike and a Last of the Dragon to win the title in 36:00 of a battle that saw both repeatedly use Okada’s Rainmaker finisher.
After his title win, Shingo called out Kota Ibushi. Ibushi beat Jeff Cobb in an unofficial number one contender’s match earlier in the evening and was the first IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Shingo challenged Ibushi and the challenge was accepted. No date was announced for the match.
Shingo becomes the third IWGP World Heavyweight Champion since the title’s inception in March of this year.
NJPW’s former top two titles, the IWGP Heavyweight title and IWGP Intercontinental title, were put on the line in a winner take all match won by Tetsuya Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in January 2020. Following Naito’s win, both titles were on the line in each IWGP Heavyweight Championship match, with one exception. That exception was an Ibushi Intercontinental title defense against Naito at Castle Attack in February 2021.
Following Ibushi’s defense of both the Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles at the NJPW Anniversary Show on March 4, they were officially retired. Ibushi was then recognized as the first IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and presented with the new title belt at the March 30 Road to Sakura Genesis event.
Ibushi would lose the IWGP World title to Will Ospreay in his first defense at Sakura Genesis on April 4. Ospreay made one defense of the title, beating Shingo at Wrestling Dontaku on May 4. Ospreay officially vacated the title on May 20, citing a neck injury.
The vacant IWGP World Heavyweight Championship is on the line tonight at NJPW Dominion in Osaka-Jo Hall.
Kazuchika Okada will face Shingo Takagi for the title vacated by Will Ospreay last month due to a neck injury. Okada and Shingo have met twice before in singles matches. Okada beat Shingo in the 2020 G1 Climax tournament, while Shingo was the winner in the 2021 New Japan Cup tournament.
In the semi-main, Kota Ibushi will face Jeff Cobb. These two had a crazy pull-apart at a Road to Dominion event last week in Korakuen Hall.
El Desperado will defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against YOH. This match was scheduled for Wrestling Dontaku last month, but was postponed due to COVID protocols.
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI, plus Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & SHO vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Chase Owens, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo round out the undercard.
Our live coverage begins at 5 a.m. Eastern time.
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Hiromu Takahashi opened the show with a promo. He said he’s recovering well from his injury and will challenge for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship soon.
This was a solid opener that really could have used a few more minutes.
Tanahashi and Owens began. Owens mocked Tana’s air guitar. Tana hit a second rope crossbody. Ishimori tried to interfere from the apron, but SHO jumped in to even things out. Bullet Club turned this into a brawl around ringside and gained the upper hand.
YOSHI-HASHI ended up the legal man and cut off in Bullet Club’s corner. YH made a comeback on EVIL, then tagged Ishii. Goto and SHO jumped in for some spots, including a double spear from SHO on ELP and Ishimori. Togo distracted Ishii and EVIL hit a fisherman buster for a near fall.
SHO and Ishimori tagged in for the closing sequence. Everyone jumped in for a big move. Tana hit Ishimori with slingblade. Ishimori and ELP doubled up on SHO and got a near fall. EVIL took the ref, Togo choked Ishii. Ishimori hit SHO with a Bloody Cross and pinned him.
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Bullet Club continued attacking after the bell. EVIL, Yujiro and Togo went after Goto, Ishii and YH, so that looks to be a NEVER Six-Man Tag title match for the next tour.
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Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI defeated Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI (11:32)
It looks as though they’re positioning Naito and SANADA as the next challengers for Taichi and Sabre’s IWGP Heavyweight Tag titles. Naito and Taichi began here. Naito shot for a single-leg takedown on the referee. Things turned serious and Sabre and SANADA jumped in. They did a couple of cool four-way spots.
Suzuki-gun turned this into a brawl around ringside. DOUKI choked BUSHI with his steel pipe on the floor. DOUKI and BUSHI ended up the legal men. BUSHI was beaten down, then managed a DDT.
Taichi and Naito tagged back in. Naito hit a neckbreaker and his Tranquilo pose. SANADA tagged in for a double hip toss and a sliding dropkick to Taichi for a two count. Taichi hit an axe bomber, then tagged Sabre.
Sabre used a cobra twist. SANADA teased a paradise lock, but Sabre blocked and hit a neck twist. Suzuki-gun went 3-on-1 against SANADA. Sabre hit a PK for a two count. Taichi and Sabre teased Zack Mephisto. Naito saved. BUSHI hit a tope suicida to Taichi. DOUKI hit a tope to BUSHI.
Sabre tried to turn a SANADA O’Connor roll into a European clutch. SANADA blocked, then trapped Sabre’s shoulders and pinned him.
Naito, SANADA, Taichi and Sabre had a long staredown after the match and taunted each other.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado defeated YOH to retain the title (23:40)
This was very good. Both guys are super workers. The psychology was simple work a body part, but sound.
They opened with some chain wrestling. Neither man got a clear advantage over the other. YOH reversed a whip and hit a dropkick, sending Desperado outside. Desperado pulled YOH to the floor and whipped him into the barricade to take control of the bout.
Desperado grabbed a bucket from under the ring and threw it inside to distract the referee. Desperado then used a chair on YOH’s left leg. Back in the ring, Desperado continued to target the left leg. Desperado hit a splash to the leg for a near fall.
YOH hit a sunset flip for a hope spot near fall. Desperado came back with an Indian deathlock, but YOH forced a rope break. YOH tried a suplex, but his leg gave way. YOH hit a series of back elbows and a flying forearm.
YOH began to target Desperado’s right leg. He used an inverted figure four. Desperado forced a rope break. YOH hit a dropkick to the right leg. Desperado reversed a whip and hit a spinebuster. He went for Numero Dos. He got the hold, but YOH quickly made the ropes.
Desperado hit a stiff forearm shot, but YOH refused to go down. Desperado hit a back suplex and a vertical suplex for a near fall. YOH escaped a Guitarra de Angel, but sold his leg on landing. They fought to the floor. YOH hit a shotgun dropkick into the barricade.
YOH hit a plancha and a tope con giro. YOH threw Desperado back in after a countout tease. YOH hit a missile dropkick and a falcon arrow for a two count. Desperado came back with a dragon screw in the corner.
They traded forearms, then traded kicks to their respective bad legs. YOH hit a flatliner. Desperado hit an Angle slam and Guitarra de Angel for a near fall at the 20 minute call.
Desperado went for Pinche Loco. YOH blocked with a jumping knee. YOH reversed Numero Dos into a cradle for a two count, then slapped on his Stargazer submission hold. YOH rolled through and blocked one rope break, but Desperado crawled back to the ropes to force the break.
YOH hit a dragon suplex for a two count. Desperado blocked Direct Drive. YOH blocked a right hand, but Desperado hit a headbutt. YOH blocked Pinche Loco and used a roll-up for two. YOH hit a superkick. Desperado hit a straight right hand.
Desperado then hit Pinche Loco and got the pin to retain the title.
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SHO came to the ring to tend to YOH. El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori ran in. ELP said they’l be challenging SHO and YOH for the Junior Tag titles on the Kizuna Road tour.
Ishimori then addressed Desperado and said it’s now his time to challenge him for the Junior Heavyweight title. Desperado accepted the challenge.
***** Intermission *****
Kota Ibushi defeated Jeff Cobb (w/Great-O-Khan) (19:53)
This was a great match. These guys have super chemistry and I’d like to see this again.
They didn’t touch for nearly the first full minute. After posturing, Ibushi landed a dropkick. Ibushi tried to land some strikes, but Cobb covered up. Cobb used a double-leg takedown and hit some strikes from Ibushi’s guard.
Ibushi rolled outside, but Cobb went out after him to keep the pressure on. Cobb hit some heavy strikes on the floor. Cobb powered Ibushi up and posted his lower back. Back inside, Cobb hit a headbutt, then went back after Ibushi’s back.
Ibushi came back with a flying mid kick. Cobb quickly cut him off again and used a variety of strikes. Cobb continued to target Ibushi’s back with knees, then stood on Ibushi’s back. Ibushi hit a kick from his back on the mat, but Cobb stayed on the attack with power strikes.
Cobb hit a short-arm lariat. Cobb went for a standing moonsault, but Ibushi got his knees up. Both missed a charge into the corner. Ibushi hit a standing moonsault for a two count. Cobb ducked a high kick and hit a back suplex, then landed his own standing moonsault for a near fall.
Ibushi sent Cobb to the floor. He went for a plancha, but Cobb caught him. Ibushi fought Cobb off and made it back to the apron, then hit an Asai moonsault from the top rope to the floor. Cobb made it back in after a countout tease.
Ibushi tried for a German off the second rope, but Cobb blocked. They fought on the top rope. Ibushi hit a reverse rana off the top for a two count. Ibushi hit a bomaye for another near fall.
Ibushi called for the Kamigoye. Cobb blocked and hit a release overhead belly-to-belly for a double down. Cobb hit a running uppercut and a back suplex for a near fall. Cobb powered Ibushi up for an F-5 and a near fall.
Ibushi escaped Tour of the Islands and hit a high kick. Ibushi hit Kamigoye, but Cobb kicked out at two. Cobb blocked a second Kamigoye. Ibushi blocked Tour of the Islands. Cobb hammered Ibushi with the Cobbgoye, but couldn’t follow up in time. He covered for a near fall.
Ibushi turned a Tour of the Islands into a lateral press for a two count. Cobb went for a pop-up powerbomb. Ibushi blocked and hit a knee strike on his way down, then hit another Kamigoye for the pin.
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the title (36:00)
This was everything you would expect. Shingo especially was incredible in this match. Okada may have been battling his wind a bit in his first singles match back after battling COVID, but he was great as well. Shingo’s selling and facial expressions were on another level throughout the match.
They opened with some mat wrestling. Both worked hammerlocks on the mat. Shingo missed on a senton attempt. Okada tried a senton, but Shingo got his knees up. Okada sold his back on landing and that became the story of the match.
They fought on the outside. Shingo got the upper hand and threw Okada back in. Shingo used a body scissors on the mat and continued to go after the back. Okada tried to end it quickly with a tombstone, but Shingo escaped and hit a powerslam.
Okada made a comeback. He ducked a lariat and hit a running back elbow and a DDT. Okada went for the air raid crash neckbreaker, but Shingo blocked and drove his elbow into Okada’s back. Shingo went to the top rope, but Okada hit a dropkick and sent him crashing to the floor.
Okada hit a draping DDT off the barricade. Back inside, Okada hit heavy rain and went for the Money Clip. Shingo quickly forced a rope break. Okada hit a slam. He teased a missile dropkick, but Shingo popped up. Okada rolled through and ran into a lariat.
Okada got the Money Clip again. Shingo elbowed out. Okada tried a backslide, but Shingo turned it into Noshigami. Shingo hit a wheel barrow German into the corner pad. Shingo used a torture rack, then hit two gutbusters. Shingo hit a massive corner clothesline Okada fired up and hit a shotgun dropkick.
Okada got the Money Clip applied yet again, but Shingo was in the ropes. Okada was forced to break right away. Okada missed a dropkick. Shingo missed a sliding lariat. Okada used the Money Clip to set up a spinning tombstone, then went back to the Money Clip. They did a long submission tease, but Shingo fought to the ropes.
Shingo rolled outside. Okada fought for a tombstone on the floor, but Shingo blocked by grabbing the barricade. Shingo hit Made in Japan on the floor. Both made it in after a double countout tease. Shingo hit a corner lariat and a stay dream for a close near fall. Shingo hit a series of strikes, then ran off the ropes into an Okada dropkick at the 30 minute call.
Okada hit a tombstone, then tried a Rainmaker. Shingo ducked and hit his own Rainmaker. They traded strikes from their knees, then standing. Shingo blocked a spinning Rainmaker and hit a DVD. Okada ducked a pumping bomber, then used a backslide to set up two Rainmakers. Shingo blocked another Rainmaker and hit a Rainmaker of his own.
Shingo hit a pumping bomber for a great near fall at the 35 minute call. They reversed each other’s finishers, then Shingo hit a dragon suplex. Shingo hit a diving forearm strike.
Shingo hit Last of the Dragon and got the pin to win the title.
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Shingo cut a promo after the match. He said he lost to Will Ospreay when he challenged for this title, but his heart was still beating. He said that this is only the start of what he has planned. Shingo said we’re still going through a lot, but he’s here to inspire us and bring us energy.
Shingo called out Ibushi and challenged him. Ibushi accepted. No date was announced for the match.
Two new matches have been added to next week’s NJPW Dominion event.
A ten man tag will kick off the action in Osaka-jo Hall. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, and SHO will face EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Chase Owens, Taiji Ishimori, and ELP in a ten-man elimination match. Another match, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and BUSHI will face Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., and DOUKI of Suzuki-gun in a six-man tag team match.
Three other matches have already been announced for Dominion, which takes place on June 7. YOH will challenge El Desperado for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title. That match was originally scheduled to take place at the second night of Wrestling Dontaku back in May, but was pushed to Dominion after both men were taken out of the show due to COVID protocols. Desperado has since confirmed he has been recovering from COVID-19.
The two other matches scheduled for next year include Kota Ibushi facing Jeff Cobb in a special singles match and Kazuchika Okada facing Shingo Takagi for the vacant IWGP World Heavyweight title.
