IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at stake in Korakuen main event
Night five of the New Japan Road series sees the second of two nights in Korakuen Hall. The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is at stake in the main event, while
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Main event: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi vs Taiji Ishimori
Singles record: 4-2 Takahashi of which championship matches 1-1
Hiromu Takahashi made history mere days ago when he won his third consecutive Best of the Super Jr and twice overall. Yet the real work is only just beginning, as Hiromu seeks to convert that trophy victory into the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Hiromu is 2-1 in title conversions of his BOSJ trophy, including with a win over Ishimori himself at Wrestle Kingdom 15, and comes into the Korakuen Hall main event with added momentum earned by defeating the Bone Soldier in order to make the finals of BOSJ 29 in the first place.
Then it was a referee stoppage via his D submission that put him into the Nippon Budokan, the evolved version of a hold that he first created en route to his first BOSJ victory in 2018. Appropriately that tournament final was in Korakuen Hall, and was opposite Ishimori, starting a four year rivalry full of hard fought victories and bitter defeats from both parties. Seeking his fifth IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, Hiromu wants the title to be a symbol of NJPW’s post pandemic recovery in the same way the IWGP Heavyweight title was in the 2000s, and for the junior gold to pack out Korakuen Hall tonight. Will the crowd see a new champion crowned, or will it be Ishimori denying the Time Bomb?
6th Match: AEW All Atlantic Championship Qualifier: Clark Connors vs Tomohiro Ishii
After defeating Tomoaki Honma and Yoshinobu Kanemaru respectively, Clark Connors and Tomohiro Ishii will collide for a spot int he four way at Forbidden Door to crown the first AEW All Atlantic Champion. Both matches on Monday night clearly illustrated how badly both men want to be a part of thsi landmark event Sunday; who makes the final four?
5th Match: Kosei Fujita, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe & Kazuchika Okada vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, SANADA & BUSHI)
Eight man tag team action will see the past, present and possible future of G1 Climax greats collide. Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi and SANADA will all represent LIJ in the tournament of tournaments, while Kazuchika Okada will seek to ease the pain of his IWGP World title loss with a second consecutive G1 trophy. Meanwhile Tenzan and Makabe will show the might of former G1 Climax winners, and Young Lion Kosei Fujita will show why he’ll be part of the summer lineup in many years to come.
The G1 Climax 32 cards will be revealed midway through the evening on June 21! Where will your most anitcipated match fall on the schedule? Find out Tuesday night.
4th Match: Jado, Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi vs United Empire (Aaron Henare, Francesco Akira & TJP)
24 hours removed from the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships being defended in the June 20 main event, United Empire and Six or Nine meet again in Korakuen Hall. Will new champions be lauding their success, or will retaining champs be again showing their superiority?
3rd Match: CHAOS (YOH, Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (SHO, Dick Togo, EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi)
2022 started with CHAOS embroiled in warfare with HOUSE OF TORTURE, and the year reaches its midway point with the two teams colliding once again. Thoughts are on G1 Climax 32 in just a few days, but first, CHAOS would certainly relish a win over the NEVER 6 Man Champions.
2nd Match: Ryohei Oiwa vs Taichi
Singles tests for Young Lions Ryohei Oiwa and Yuto Nakashima will start the night in Korakuen Hall. Oiwa’s continuing upward trajectory will see him meet the difficult challenge of Taichi. After losing his KOPW 2022 ten minute scramble with Shingo Takagi in Osaka, the Holy Emperor is sure to be in a foul mood in Korakuen Hall; can Oiwa survive?
1st Match: Yuto Nakashima vs DOUKI
DOUKI returns to action in the opening bout as he faces Yuto Nakashima. Trending heavyweight, Nakashima will carry a size advantage into this bout with junior DOUKI, but with a wealth of experience in some dangerous environments, DOUKI will be ready to teach the younger man some valuable lessons.
