Tag: summer struggle in sapporo

Kota Ibushi to miss another NJPW event due to vaccine side effects

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Kota Ibushi will miss his second consecutive NJPW event due to COVID-19 vaccine side effects. 

NJPW has announced that Ibushi has been pulled from Sunday’s night two of Summer Struggle in Sapporo event. Ibushi was also pulled from night one on Saturday for the same reason. 

Ibushi had been scheduled to semi-main event Sunday’s show, teaming with Master Wato against IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi and BUSHI. That bout has been changed to Shingo vs. Master Wato in a singles match. 

NJPW said in a statement that Ibushi’s health and status will continue to be monitored and that decisions will be made as to his future bookings. There are seven more Summer Struggle events scheduled between Tuesday and the time Ibushi is currently slated to challenge Shingo for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on Sunday, July 25 at Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome.

The Summer Struggle tour continues after the Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome event with sixteen shows to be held between July 27 and August 27.

Full cards revealed for NJPW Summer Struggle in Sapporo

Posted on by Ethan Renner

NJPW has announced the full cards for both nights of Summer Struggle in Sapporo. 

Already announced, an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match will headline night one, as El Desperado defends against Taiji Ishimori. On night two, Tetsuya Naito and SANADA will challenge Dangerous Tekkers (Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.) for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. 

A series of tags will fill out the undercards, with those matches potentially pointing to future plans for singles programs. 

Most notably, Kazuchika Okada and Jeff Cobb will be on opposite sides of tag matches on both nights. Also, following Friday’s show-closing angle where EVIL and Dick Togo attacked Tomohiro Ishii, EVIL and Ishii find themselves on opposite sides in tag matches on both nights as well.  

Here are the lineups: 

NJPW Summer Struggle in Sapporo night one, Saturday, July 10, 5 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori
  • Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
  • Kazuchika Okada & SHO vs. Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Rocky Romero vs. KENTA, Yujiro Takahashi & El Phantasmo
  • Tomohiro Ishii & YOH vs. EVIL & Dick Togo
  • Kota Ibushi & Master Wato vs. Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura

NJPW Summer Struggle in Sapporo night two, Sunday, July 11, 1 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA
  • Kota Ibushi & Master Wato vs. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI
  • Kazuchika Okada & YOH vs. Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yota Tsuji vs. KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi
  • Tomohiro Ishii, Ryusuke Taguchi & Rocky Romero vs. EVIL, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
  • SHO & Yuya Uemura vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru

Two title matches to headline NJPW Summer Struggle in Sapporo

Posted on by Ethan Renner

NJPW has announced the main events for their July 10 and July 11 Summer Struggle in Sapporo events. 

On July 10, El Desperado will defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Taiji Ishimori. This will mark Desperado’s second Jr. Heavyweight Championship defense. He previously defeated YOH in his first title defense at Dominion on June 7. 

The July 11 main event will see the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on the line, as Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. defend those titles against Tetsuya Naito and SANADA. SANADA pinned Sabre at Dominion in a six-man tag to set up this bout. A follow-up angle took place at a Kizuna Road event in Korakuen Hall this week. 

No other matches have been announced for the two-night Summer Struggle in Sapporo event. 

The Saturday, July 10 event will take place at 5 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World, while the Sunday, July 11 show will begin at 1 a.m. Eastern time.