NJPW has announced the full lineup for Summer Struggle in Jingu on August 29.
Four matches were officially added to the card today. Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. are set for their first IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship defense. They will face former champions Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi in a rematch from last month’s Dominion event.
No team has made a successful defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag titles this year, as the belts have jumped from David Finlay and Juice Robinson, to Guerillas of Destiny, to Tanahashi and Ibushi to Taichi and Sabre.
NEVER Openweight champion Shingo Takagi will defend his title in Jingu against Minoru Suzuki. Takagi has made three successful defenses since winning the NEVER title at The New Beginning in Saporro in February. Suzuki has one prior reign with the NEVER title.
A four-way to decide the provisional King of Pro Wrestling Champion will be held. The winners of four first round matches on August 26 will face of on the 29th in Jingu.
The first round matches are Kazuchika Okada vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Satoshi Kojima vs. El Desperado, SHO vs. SANADA and Toru Yano vs. BUSHI. A fan vote will be held to determine special stipulations for the first round matches.
Master Wato vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru was also made official for Jingu. Wato has been feuding with much of Suzuki-gun since his return from excursion.
Here is the full card for Summer Struggle in Jingu, which will be held on Saturday, August 29. The show will air live on NJPW World at 4 a.m. Eastern time.
Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & DOUKI
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Master Wato
Report —
Korakuen Hall was the venue. They announced a sellout with 698 people in attendance.
Taiji Ishimori defeated Yuya Uemura (8:14)
Ishimori is still great but you can really see the toll of all of his injuries this year. He’s slowed down so much. Uemura had a better night tonight than he did with Nagata yesterday.
Uemura fired off some strikes at the opening bell. Ishimori responded by sending him outside and into the barricade. Ishimori used a chinlock as he slowly worked Uemura over.
Uemura came back with a dropkick and a variety of suplexes. Ishimori blocked a crab attempt and used a cradle for a near fall. Uemura got the crab on his second attempt but Ishimori forced a break.
Uemura ended up bleeding from the mouth here. He blocked a handspring Pele kick and hit a suplex. Uemura bridged into a near fall.
Ishimori used a jumping knee strike and a lungblower for near falls before using the Yes Lock for the submission.
This was really a terrible match. The Gedo/Yujiro team stands out in a bad way anyway, but when you see them three days in a row their pairing is even worse.
It sucks for the guys in there with Gedo too because they have to get whipped with his belt for real which can’t be fun.
They put over on commentary that Okada and Yujiro’s KOPW match could be a lumberjack match of some kind.
Kidd and Tsuji fought off an illegal double team at the outset. Gedo sent Tsuji outside with a handful of trunks and it was all Bullet Club from there.
Kidd started to make a comeback on Yujiro but ran into a kendo stick shot from Jado on the floor. Yujiro followed up with a fisherman buster and Pimp Juice for the pin.
Suzuki-gun attacked before the opening bell and cut Nagata off. Taichi choked him with a camera cable on the floor. Nagata came back with a dragon screw on Sabre and tagged Makabe. Makabe got some offense before tagging Honma.
Honma missed a kokeshi on Taichi. Honma’s teammates jumped in for a three-on-one on Taichi. Honma hit a diving kokeshi and a standard kokeshi. He made a cover but Sabre and Kanemaru broke it up.
Nagata, Makabe, Sabre and Kanemaru brawled to the floor, leaving Honma and Taichi in. They traded strikes. Honma hit a lariat. Sabre and Kanemaru jumped in. Nagata, Makabe, Sabre and Kanemaru brawled to the outside again.
Taichi hit an axe bomber but Honma no-sold it. Taichi hit a backdrop suplex and used a stretch plum for the submission.
Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & DOUKI (9:38)
Suzuki matches are pretty much a guaranteed recommendation from me. This was the best match on the show up to this point.
Tenzan and Desperado started out. DOUKI came in for a double team and Suzuki-gun cut Tenzan off. DOUKI and Desperado crotched Tenzan with the post. Suzuki used a kneebar. Kojima jumped in to break it up but he got caught in a kneebar too.
Suzuki tried a PK but Tenzan caught it. Tenzan hit a wheel kick and tagged Taguchi. Taguchi hit each member of Suzuki-gun with multiple hip attacks. Taguchi did his Nakamura poses and tried for one more hip attack but Suzuki caught him in a choke. Taguchi slid out, hit a hip attack and tagged Kojima.
Kojima hit Suzuki with machine gun chops. He went for a top rope elbow but Suzuki-gun cut him off. DOUKI tagged in and hit a double stomp for a near fall. DOUKI used a triangle. DOUKI tried to hit Kojima with a pipe but Kojima’s teammates saved.
Everyone jumped in for a big move as the match broke down. DOUKI tried a rolling cradle but Kojima kicked out. Kojima hit two lariats and got the pin.
**********
Kojima challenged Desperado in the KOPW tournament after the match. Desperado accepted.
**********
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team title tournament semifinal match: Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano & SHO defeated Shingo Takagi, SANADA & BUSHI by countout (13:07)
This was just okay. There was some decent wrestling but Yano’s involvement and the comedy finish didn’t help things.
SANADA and SHO started with a mat wrestling sequence. BUSHI and Yano tagged in for some comedy spots.
Shingo and Okada tagged in and locked up. Okada broke cleanly against the ropes. They traded strikes. Yano interfered from the apron. BUSHI then interfered and LIJ cut Okada off. Shingo worked on Okada’s left arm. SANADA tagged in and continued working on the arm.
Okada fought off a paradise lock attempt and hit a flapjack before tagging SHO. SANADA fought for Skull End but SHO escaped. SANADA blocked a spear and hit a rope-assisted neckbreaker.
BUSHI and YOH tagged in for some more comedy. Yano exposed a turnbuckle. Yano tried a schoolboy but BUSHI cradled him instead. BUSHI hit a missile dropkick. LIJ cleared the apron and went three-on-one on Yano.
SANADA, Shingo, Okada and SHO fought to the floor. BUSHI sent Yano outside. BUSHI missed a tope suicida and crashed to the floor.
Yano pulled a roll of tape from under the ring. Shingo got the tape away from Yano. Yano tied the laces of BUSHI’s mask to the barricade and beat the count back in for the countout victory.
**********
SANADA pointed at SHO after the match. This seemed to indicate that they’ll be facing off in the KOPW tournament.
**********
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team title tournament semifinal match: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Master Wato (w/ Hiroyoshi Tenzan) (17:12)
This was a fun main event.
All six guys jumped in early. Tanahashi and Ibushi hit tandem dropkicks on Goto and Ishii. Master Wato and Goto ended up the legal men. Goto tagged YH and YH and Wato had an even exchange.
Ibushi and Ishii tagged in and proceeded to beat the hell out of each other. They traded stiff strikes. Ibushi hit a suplex but Ishii no-sold it, hit a running tackle and a powerslam. Ibushi came back with a double Pele kick on Ishii and Goto.
Tanahashi got a tag and ran wild with dragon screws. He used a cloverleaf on Goto but YH broke it up. Wato nailed YH with a springboard uppercut. Goto came back on Wato and Tanahashi. Goto hit a wheel kick and backdrop suplex on Tana for a near fall.
Everyone jumped in again. Ibushi hit Ishii with a snap rana. Goto hit Tana with a misdirection lariat. Goto hit Tana with a headbutt and an inverted GTR. He tried another GTR but Tana blocked and hit two twist and shouts.
Goto went for an ushigoroshi. Ibushi saved and hit a high kick which allowed Tana to use a crucifix on Goto for a two count. Ibushi and Tanahashi hit the Golden Blade on Goto. Tana went for High Fly Flow but Goto rolled out of the way and Tana crashed to the mat.
Wato and YH got tags. Wato fell victim to a three-on-one. YH used a sit-out powerbomb and a stack cover for a near fall. YH hit a lariat for another near fall. They clearly wanted to make Wato look strong before they beat him.
Ibushi hit an interfering Ishii with a springboard dropkick. Tana held YH up while Wato and Ibushi hit him with tandem high kicks. Wato went for the RPP but YH rolled out of the way. Wato hit a series of kicks and used a cool throw for a near fall.
Wato was again the victim of a three-on-one. Goto hit him with an ushigoroshi. Ishii hit a sliding lariat. YH hit a meteora for a two count as Tanahashi saved.
YH then hit Karma and got the pin.
**********
Ishii and Ibushi faced off after the match as tempers flared, so that looks to be a KOPW match as well. Tanahashi got involved as well. Ishii hit Ibushi with a chop. YH and Tanahashi pulled them apart.
Following two nights of action at Korakuen Hall, the semifinals are set for NJPW’s NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team title tournament.
Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano & SHO vs. SANADA, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI and Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Master Wato vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI are the semifinal matches for the tournament. Both will take place at this Saturday’s Summer Struggle show.
The tournament finals will then be held at Sunday’s Summer Struggle event. Both of this weekend’s shows are taking place at Korakuen Hall.
The NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles were declared vacant after EVIL left Los Ingobernables de Japon and joined Bullet Club. EVIL had held the titles with Shingo & BUSHI.
Okada, Yano & SHO defeated Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo & Jado in the first round of the tournament on Thursday, while SANADA, Shingo & BUSHI defeated Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & DOUKI. The first round then concluded today with Tanahashi, Ibushi & Wato defeating Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Ishii, Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeating Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Ryusuke Taguchi.
Hiromu Takahashi is off upcoming NJPW events due to a shoulder injury.
NJPW posted on their website tonight that their medical staff has determined that Takahashi has suffered an injury to his left shoulder. As a result, Takahashi is off tomorrow morning’s card in Shizuoka and the July 31 card at Korakuen Hall.
Despite the injury, NJPW wrote in their statement that they are still expecting Takahashi to return for his scheduled IWGP Jr. title match against Taiji Ishimori. That match is scheduled to take place at Summer Struggle in Jingu on August 29.
A six-man tag match pitting Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito, and BUSHI against EVIL, Dick Togo, and Taiji Ishimori was scheduled to take place both on July 29 and July 30. Both matches have now been changed into a tag team match, with Natio & BUSHI taking on EVIL & Ishimori.
Takahashi last wrestled on July 27, teaming with Tetsuya Naito & SANADA in a losing effort against Bullet Club’s EVIL, Taiji Ishimori, and Dick Togo.
A rematch between Minoru Suzuki and Yuji Nagata will headline night four of NJPW’s Summer Struggle tour.
NJPW revealed the card for the show overnight. It will take place at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan this Friday (July 31) and will air live on New Japan World starting at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.
Nagata knocked Suzuki out of this year’s New Japan Cup, defeating him in the first round of the tournament. They’ve continued to feud and have faced off in tag team matches since then.
Nights one and two of the Summer Struggle tour were also held at Korakuen Hall on Sunday and Monday. Night three is taking place in Hamamatsu this Wednesday, but that will be a non-televised event.
Here’s the full card for Summer Struggle night four:
Minoru Suzuki vs. Yuji Nagata
EVIL, Taiji Ishimori & Dick Togo vs. Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
Kazuchika Okada & SHO vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Gedo
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Master Wato & Yuya Uemura vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Shingo Takagi & SANADA
Satoshi Kojima, Ryusuke Taguchi, Yota Tsuji & Gabriel Kidd vs. Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI
Togi Makabe, Satoshi Kojima & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Gabriel Kidd
Report —
Togi Makabe, Satoshi Kojima & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Gabriel Kidd (9:14)
Kidd and Makabe were the focus of this match and they look to be building to a singles match between them at some point on this tour.
This gets a recommendation based on an amazing sequence between Ishii and Taguchi. After an opening volley between Kidd and Makabe, Taguchi tagged in and demanded Ishii tag in as well. They proceeded to have a comedy exchange where Ishii targeted Taguchi’s butt while Taguchi went after Ishii’s neck. Trust me, it was incredible.
Kidd and Makabe had another intense exchange of power moves. Kojima tagged in and went for a top rope elbow but Ishii saved for Kidd.
The match broke down from there before Kojima hit Kidd with a lariat for the pin.
Shingo Takagi & SANADA defeated Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI (9:00)
Shingo and SANADA just beat poor YH to death here. Goto and Shingo was teased as a NEVER title program but not strongly.
Shingo and YH opened up with an exchange of strikes. SANADA jumped in for the illegal double team and SANADA and Shingo cut YH off in their corner. YH came back with a low dropkick to Shingo’s left knee which he was still selling from last night.
Shingo made a comeback on YH. SANADA and Shingo hit some cool tandem offense. The finish saw Shingo use a lariat for a near fall, then hit Made in Japan for the pin.
Suzuki and Nagata went after each other before the bell rang, then just decided to have their own match on the floor while DOUKI and Uemura worked in the ring. The match on the floor was much better.
Suzuki and Nagata pounded on each other with strikes and sent each other into the barricade. Uemura took a nasty bump over the top and hit his back on the apron on the way to the floor. All four brawled around ringside. DOUKI used his steel pipe on Uemura.
Suzuki and Nagata had another striking exchange in the ring. Suzuki and DOUKI cut Uemura off. Nagata saved and Uemura hit Suzuki with a dropkick and a double underhook suplex for a near fall. Uemura escaped a kimura by using a small package for another near fall.
The finish saw Suzuki hit a big boot and a Gotch-style piledriver for the pin.
Suzuki and Nagata then brawled to the back.
**********
There was an intermission as they cleaned the ring.
**********
Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato (13:35)
A brawl broke out at the opening bell. Tanahashi and Taichi were left the legal men as everyone else fought to the floor. Tanahashi got the better of the exchange. Wato tagged in and hit a weak hook kick before being cut off.
On the floor, meanwhile, Taichi attacked Tanahashi with a hammer. He jammed the hammer up Tanahashi’s nose and raked it across his forehead. Sabre joined in on the attack.
Wato finally managed a tag to Ibushi. Ibushi hit a double backflip kick on Desperado and Kanemaru. Sabre tagged in for a striking battle that ended with Ibushi hitting a high kick into a double down.
Tenzan tagged in for the closing sequence. Sabre sold like crazy for him. Wato hit a springboard elbow and Tenzan covered for a near fall.
Everyone jumped in for a big move. Suzuki-gun went four on one against Tenzan. Desperado hit a low blow and Kanemaru hit Tenzan with a whiskey bottle before Sabre slapped an armbar with a headscissors on Tenzan for the submission.
Sabre and Taichi left Tanahashi and Taichi laying after the match to further their program. They don’t really have any challengers ready for Taichi and Sabre’s tag titles so I would expect they will run that match back.
I know that circumstances and travel bans have forced NJPW’s hand but this is such a waste of Okada. Yujiro is beyond limited and Gedo is a manager and here they are working a semi-main with Okada.
Okada and Yujiro started out. SHO tagged in and got cut off. They brawled outside where Okada tried to save SHO and got posted instead. Yujiro hammered Okada with punches from the mount.
Gedo and Yujiro isolated SHO in their corner and worked him over. SHO hit a double spear and made the big hot tag to Okada. Okada went for a flapjack but Yujiro hit a hot shot and dropped him on the top rope. Gedo and Yujiro doubled up on Okada. Gedo hit a superkick for a near fall.
Yujiro took the ref. Gedo grabbed brass knuckles. SHO made the save. Okada then hit a dropkick and used the cobra clutch for the submission.
They had an entertaining main event brawl but nothing you need to go out of your way to see.
LIJ used some misdirection and attacked at the opening bell. BUSHI choked Ishimori with his shirt and used a chinlock. Hiromu tagged in and got cut off. Ishimori hit some hard shots to the neck.
EVIL tagged in and worked on Hiromu’s left shoulder which was all taped up. Hiromu got sent into an exposed turnbuckle. Hiromu got a couple of hope spots working with Togo before hitting a superkick and tagging Naito.
Naito demanded that EVIL tag in. EVIL obliged. They traded shots before Naito hit a neckbreaker, a dropkick and another neckbreaker. EVIL used a scorpion deathlock while Ishimori put Hiromu in the Yes Lock. They teased a submission but BUSHI saved. Ishimori tagged in. Naito hit an inverted atomic drop and a dropkick into a double down.
BUSHI tagged in for the closing sequence. He hit a missile dropkick on Ishimori and a suicide dive on both EVIL and Togo before using a spinning neckbreaker for a near fall.
BUSHI went up top for the MX but EVIL shoved him off. Ishimori hit a lungblower but Naito saved. EVIL dropped Naito with Darkness Falls. Ishimori then hit the Bloody Cross for the pin.
After the match, Ishimori hit another Bloody Cross on Hiromu. Bullet Club posed over the fallen LIJ and Ishimori cut a promo on Hiromu to close the show.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced the first two cards for their Summer Struggle tour.
Night one airs on Sunday morning starting at 5:30 a.m. ET. Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, and Hiromu Takahashi will take on EVIL, Dick Togo, and Taiji Ishimori in the main event. Naito confronted EVIL last night and made the save for Hiromu Takahashi after Hiromu was beaten up by EVIL, Togo and Ishimori.
Kazuchika Okada and SHO will team in the co-main event, facing Yujiro Takahashi and Gedo. Okada defeated Yujiro at Sengoku Lord this weekend in a singles match.
Night two features the same top two matches from night one, with the exception of SANADA taking BUSHI’s place in the main event. Some matches in the midcard have also been altered.
Here are the full cards for the first two nights of the Summer Struggle tour, both which take place at Korakuen Hall:
Night one:
Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, and Hiromu Takahashi vs. EVIL, Dick Togo, and Taiji Ishimori
Kazuchika Okada and SHO vs. Yujiro Takahashi and Gedo
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Master Wato vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Yuji Nagata and Yuya Uemura vs. Minoru Suzuki and DOUKI
YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto vs. SANADA and Shingo Takagi
Ryusuke Taguchi, Satoshi Kojima, and Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, and Gabriel Kidd
Night two:
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and Hiromu Takahashi vs. EVIL, Dick Togo, and Taiji Ishimori
Kazuchika Okada and SHO vs. Yujiro Takahashi and Gedo
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and Master Wato vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and DOUKI
Yuji Nagata and Yuya Uemura vs. Minoru Suzuki and El Desperado
YOSHI-HASHI and Toru Yano vs. Shingo Takagi and BUSHI
Ryusuke Taguchi, Satoshi Kojima, and Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, and Gabriel Kidd
The promotion will return to Korakuen Hall in Tokyo for a New Japan Road event on Monday, July 20. Sengoku Lord will then take place at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Nagoya on Saturday, July 25. NJPW will be back at Korakuen Hall on Monday, July 27 and Friday, July 31 for Summer Struggle 2020 shows.
Sengoku Lord took place for the first time last year and was headlined by then-champion Kota Ibushi defending the IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Zack Sabre Jr.
Fans will be allowed to attend the four shows, but the venues will be at a reduced capacity. “All events will take place with strict measures to counteract the spread of COVID-19. Thoroughly check our event policy,” NJPW wrote.
NJPW noted that further events will be announced upon careful monitoring of the developing global situation with the coronavirus pandemic.
The New Japan Cup began this morning and has eight more events. All of those except for the finals will be held without fans in attendance. The New Japan Cup finals on July 11 and Dominion on July 12 are both taking place at Osaka-jo Hall. Fans will be able to attend those two shows with the arena limited to one-third capacity.
The winner of the New Japan Cup will challenge double champion Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and IWGP Intercontinental Championship in the main event of Dominion.
