Dontaku to see two major nights of action to kick off May
May will kick off in a big way with two nights of Wrestling Dontaku from the Fukuoka International Center. May 3 and 4 sees the event back to its two night structure, with five big title matches across the weekend.
Watch Wrestling Dontaku LIVE in English on NJPW World!
May 3: IWGP Global, World TV titles! Finlay vs Tsuji!
The main event of night one will see the IWGP Global Championship on the line when Nic Nemeth defends the gold for the first time against Hiroshi Tanahashi. After Nemeth picked up the gold on his NJPW debut in Sapporo this past February, he suggested a dream matchup for himself and the Ace, but an ankle injury delayed the title fight. In the meantime, Nemeth sought to prove himself in the NJPW ring, and did so admirably against Tomohiro Ishii in Chicago at Windy City Riot. Now his first title defence is official, can the Wanted Man come away with the coveted gold?
The NJPW World TV Championship will be on the line when Zack Sabre Jr faces Jeff Cobb. After defeating Matt Riddle to lift the TV title a second time in Chicago, he was confronted by the Imperial Unit, who reminded Sabre that he was the only one in his initial reign to take ZSJ to the 15 minute time limit; poetically enough exactly one year prior in Fukuoka. Now, Cobb faces Sabre once again, and looks to get the job done in under 15 for the gold.
Also on night one in Fukuoka, Yota Tsuji takes on David Finlay in a special singles match. While Tsuji was victorious in the New Japan Cup in March, Finlay feels a major asterisk in Tsuji’s tournament win came from the fact that the Rebel was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a health concern. A recovered Finlay was quick to make that point to Tsuji after his loss to Tetsuya Naito at Sakura Genesis in a rant that turned into a backstage brawl between LIJ and the War Dogs. Now, will Finlay drive the point home in Fukuoka?
A six man preview of the next night’s main event sees an incredible trios combination of El Desperado, Shota Umino and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley against HOUSE OF TORTURE, all part of a huge card!
May 4: IWGP World Heavyweight, NEVER Openweight, IWGP Tag titles!
The main event on night two will see the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on the line as Jon Moxley defends for the first time against Ren Narita. Immediately after he completed a historic Global Grand Slam of WWE, AEW and IWGP World Heavyweight Championships at Windy City Riot, Moxley called out Shota Umino for his first defence, and Umino’s ‘graduation test’. No sooner had the words left his mouth though, then Narita hit the ring, and hit Moxley with his patented reinforced pushup bar. Moxley said that Narita had ‘graduated from young boy to dead man walking,’ but having put away Minoru Suzuki in Chicago, could Narita upset Mox and come away with the world title?
The NEVER Openweight Championship will be defended by Shingo Takagi against Gabe Kidd. Shingo reclaimed the NEVER title from EVIL at Sakura Genesis, only to be immediately attacked by the War Ready Kidd, who went on a controversial tirade on the microphone before issuing his challenge to Shingo. Declaring that the hard hitting title had become a ‘joke’ in recent months, and full of resentment toward NJPW at large, Kidd seeks to put his money where his mouth is May 4 in his first NEVER title challenge.
After a successful defence of the IWGP Tag team Championships in Taiwan, and days before heading to Australia for TAMASHII in Sydney and Melbourne, Bishamon put the gold on the line in Fukuoka. In the wake of his team’s Sakura Genesis defeat, KENTA was quick to blame his travel schedule and jet lag having flown into the building a mere 30 minutes before bell time. Fortune has favoured he and Chase Owens, who get a direct rematch, but will they get the gold?
With May 3 opponents Nic Nemeth and Hiroshi Tanahashi teaming to meet Taichi and SANADA and much more besides, it’s a pair of big time cards in Fukuoka!
