At Sakura Genesis on Saturday (April 8), SANADA finally won the big one. By pinning Kazuchika Okada in Tokyo, he not only became IWGP World Heavyweight champ, but also staked his claim to a spot in the New Japan Pro-Wrestling main event scene.
Now what?
His old teammate (SANADA left Los Ingobernables de Japon to join the new Just Five Guys stable as part of his quest to finally reach the top of the New Japan card) Hiromu Takahashi called first at the end of last weekend’s event, and it was announced today that he’ll get it at Dontaku on May 3 in Fukuoka.
Takahashi is the reigning IWGP Junior Heavyweight titleholder, and he’ll also be paying attention when the line-up for NJPW’s annual Best of the Super Juniors tournament is announced on May 3. That show also features Aussie Open defending their newly won IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team championship. Hiromu also has to defend his current belt on the tour leading up to Dontaku.
All that was revealed along with the cards for four big shows the promotion has coming up in Japan over the next month.
Hirooki Goto 20th Anniversary Event on Sat., April 22 in Tsu:
o Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & YOH vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & SHO
o Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. SANADA, Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
o Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii & Togi Makabe vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Ren Narita & Tiger Mask
o David Finlay, KENTA, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo vs. Tama Tonga, Hikuleo, Master Wato & Shota Umino
o Aaron Henare, Jeff Cobb, Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Kosei Fujita
o Hiroyoshi Tenzan, KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight vs. Great-O-Khan, TJP & Francesco Akira
o Toru Yano & Oleg Boltin vs. Oskar Leube & Ryohei Oiwa
NJPW Road to Wrestling Dontaku on Thurs., April 27 in Hiroshima:
o Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight championship
o TJP & Francesco Akira (c) vs. KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag titles
o Tetsuya Naito vs. DOUKI
o Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. SANADA & Taichi
o Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Ren Narita & Shota Umino
o Zack Sabre Jr., Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste vs. Aussie Open & Jeff Cobb
o Tama Tonga, Hikuleo & Master Wato vs. David Finlay, KENTA & Taiji Ishimori
o Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano & YOH vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo
o Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare vs. Oskar Leube & Boltin Oleg
Satsuma no Kuni on Sat., April 29 in Kagoshima:
o Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Taichi for the Provisional KOPW 2023 trophy/title
o Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) (c) vs. TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team championship
o Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. SANADA, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
o Tama Tonga, Hikuleo, Master Wato & Jado vs. David Finlay, KENTA, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
o Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Ren Narita & Yuto Nakashima
o Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita vs. Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan
o Tomoaki Honma, KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight vs. Aaron Henare, TJP & Francesco Akira
o Shota Umino & Oskar Leube vs. EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi
o Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Toru Yano & Boltin Oleg
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku, Weds., May 3 in Fukuoka:
o SANADA (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP World Heavyweight championship
o Tama Tonga (c) vs. David Finlay for the NEVER Openweight title
o Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Ren Narita (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada & two partners TBA for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team championship
o Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Jeff Cobb
o KENTA vs. Hikuleo
o BOSJ lineup announced
o Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
o Shota Umino, KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight vs. Aaron Henare, Francesco Akira & TJP
o Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita vs. Great-O-Khan & Aussie Open
o Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano & YOH vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo
o Young Lion gauntlet match (pre-show)
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