Dominion’s NEVER Openweight Championship bout would get off to a fast start on June 12. Champion Tama Tonga would not wait around to unleash a dropkick on his challenger and former mentor Karl Anderson, and it was all the Machine Gun could do to cover up as he was sent to the floor with an impactful lariat.

 

Continuing the offensive, Tonga withstood a slam on the entrance ramp to shove his challenger off the stage area before continuing to dominate. Yet Anderson had not come to the ring on his own in Osaka, and tag team partner Doc Gallows would make his presence felt with a tug of the heel. That alone was enough to allow Anderson to hand his foe over the ropes throat first, but a chokeslam on the apron from the big man compounded the damage.

 

 

Anderson was more than happy to take a countout win, but instead had to work to earn his keep as Tama refused to lose on the outside. With Jado’s assistance, Gallows would be taken care of out of the ring via the ring post, but Anderson was more than capable of taking care of business inside, a spinebuster garnering a near two and seeing the Machine Gun look for a TKO.

 

Instead it would be Tonga firing back, and attempting a Gunstun. Neither it nor an Anderson attempt at a Bernard Driver paid off, but a neckbreaker did score for the challenger as he caught Tama charging into the corner. Now it was Anderson trying the Gunstun, sparking a series of frantic counters over the hold; the Machine Gun would call a Bernard Driver audible but this only got two.

 

Tama still refused to taste Gunstun, landing the SRC and Supreme Flow for two, but he couldn’t follow through. As Anderson backdropped out of Tonga’s piledriver attempt, he drew the referee for Gallows to enter the ring; the big man was dropped with a Gunstun from Tama, but the distraction was enough for Anderson to hit a Gunstun of his own and walk out with the NEVER Openweight Champion. 

 

Not part of the G1 Climax 32 lineup, Anderson would declare he was taking the NEVER Openweight gold with him to the US, where the door was open to challengers from IMPACT, AEW and beyond. Tonga will be part of the G1 lineup, with the tournament beginning July 16.