Full card & ticket information:
February 2nd: https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/37893?showCards=1
February 3rd: https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/37894?showCards=1
You can enjoy NJPW matches on https://njpwworld.com/
“Native Son” Tachi challenges Naito’s IWGP Intercontinental Championship!
On February 3rd (Sunday), Hokkaido’s “Native Son” Tachi (Born in Ishikari) will participate in the main event. He will challenge Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.
Naito recaptured Intercontinental crown from Chris Jericho at Wrestle Kingdom 13 at the Tokyo Dome. However, the joy was short-lived, at Korakuen, in New Year Dash!!, the next day, he was brutally attacked by Taichi, finally succumbing to a shocking defeat from his Black Mephisto.
Taichi, looming over the body of the new IC champion demanded a title match, adding “If you don’t want this thing, just give it to me!”
The two fought last year on 23rd January in Korakuen Hall during the “Taichi’s Debut 15th anniversary special” in a singles match. At the time, Tachi was wrestling in the Junior Heavyweight division. This was to be the match where he made the decision to turn Heavyweight.
Following that, Naito was also victorious at the Anniversary event special on 6th March in a rematch, but since his coronation as the NEVER Openweight champion in Spetember last year, his popularity and abilities as a Heavyweight wrestler have been rapidly increasing.
This time, Naito vs. Taichi will take place on Taichi’s home turf of Hokkaido. Since it is also a title match, it seems like all the momentum is with Taichi at the moment. Naito, on the other hand, just wants to breeze past his first defense defense against a relative newcomer to the division after his bitter struggle for most of last year against one of the industry’s most feared and respected veterans, Chris Jericho.
Who can say what will happen in Sapporo?
In the seventh match, the IWGP tag championship is on the line. After recapturing the title in Wrestle Kingdom 13, during a Triple-Threat match, EVIL and SANADA face a challenge from Minoru Suzuki & Zack Saber Jr. The two have formed a partnership to challenge for the IWGP Tag Team Championship for the first time.
After New Year Dash!!, at the backstage, Minoru Suzuki issued his challenge, commenting “Can even you win with 2 vs 2?” “Zack Sabre Jr. and I will teach you how!”
Suzuki & Zack, two masters of the modern chain-wrestling style, have been a constant thorn in the champions’ side, repeatedly torturing and tormenting them throughout the recent months.
EVIL & SANADA have an excellent track record in the Heavyweight tag division, but with their first title defense against such a difficult opponent, it threatens to jeopardize all of their hard work throughout the WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018. Can they hold their nerve or will they submit?
The 6th match will be for the IWGP Junior Tag Championship. The former champions, Yoshinobu Kanamaru & El Desperado will challenge BUSHI & Shingo Takagi, who won their first titles together at during a Triple-Threat match at Wrestle Kingdom 13.
During this match, BUSHI & Takagi won the championship with victory over SHO & YOH. As you might imagine this has not sat well with the former champions. After their match in New Year Dash !!, El Desperado commented, “What amazing champions, congratulations new champs! How can you be new champions without beating us?”
For newly-crowned BUSHI & Takagi duo, this title match with the team of Kanemaru & Desperado pairs, who match a strong offense with underhanded cunning is likely to be a tricky first defense.
