Surprise title match main event, a request from Honma, demand from SHO and hints from Tsuji

November 11 would see Anjo Rainy Days, Kazuchika Okada’s homecoming event, sell out the Tosho Arena in Anjo city. There was no broadcast and no video of the event, designed for Okada’s home town crowd to witness an extra special card announced on the day and in person only. 

The main event would see a surprise defence of the NEVER Openweight 6 man Tag Team Championships, with Okada, Tomohiro Ishii and Hiroshi Tanahashi putting the titles on the line against Just Five Guys’ SANADA, Yuya Uemura and Taichi. Going over the thirty minute mark, one of the most gripping matches of the year not to make tape would see Okada putting away Uemura for the team to record their sixth successful defence. 

Post match, the champions would be confronted by Tomoaki Honma, Ren Narita and Ryusuke Taguchi. Friday in Yamagata, Honma’s own homecoming will see the three face the champs, and the request was made for this to be a NEVER title match. Taguchi left the backstage area convinced that the title match was on, but an official announcement is yet to be made. 

Taichi will have his own runin with SHO this week. In Yamagata Friday, the two will face off for the KOPW 2023 title. SHO declared that his challenger wouldn’t have the right to make is own rules and there will be no fan vote, with SHO deciding ‘completely fair’ rules for their contest. Quite what this will entail, we will have to wait and see before the match. 

Speculation doesn’t just surround New Japan Road on Friday, but also World Tag League, which gets underway in Korakuen Hall Monday November 20. Many assumed that Yota Tsuji would be teaming with Shingo Takagi for the tournament, but with the Dragon seemingly set to face Tama Tonga for the NEVER Openweight Championship January 4 in the Tokyo Dome, Tsuji admitted he needed an alternate. Tsuji would state that he was bringing someone he ‘knew from his days on excursion,’ that his partner was ‘not a pareja, but a friend,’ indicating that they were not part of Los Ingobernables De Japon, and that though their name is as yet unknown, they are not an ‘X’ but a ‘Z’. Just who could it be?