NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING

NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING

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JUL.16.2020

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The Social Round-Up: Shockers in Osaka

The world is still reeling from the events of New Japan Cup final and Dominion this past weekend. The first NJPW events with fans present in months was expected to be a massive celebration of the best pro-wrestling in the world, but while the action was certainly great in Osaka, there were stunning and unhappy endings on both nights that have turned NJPW completely upside down.  

Let’s start with Saturday’s New Japan Cup final, and EVIL turning his back on Los Ingobernables De Japon to join BULLET CLUB. It wasn’t just the Japanese wing of BULLET CLUB welcoming the King of Darkness, but those members in the US as well, KENTA among those tweeting his welcome:

Meanwhile EVIL’s former LIJ partners were left stunned, Shingo Takagi asking the pertinent question of ‘oi, what about the NEVER 6-Man Tag belts?’

 

The New Japan Cup final card also saw the official in-ring debut of Master Wato. After some vicious footwork and a gorgeous RPP finish, Wato was victorious over DOUKI, commenting afterward ‘Master Wato’s journey has begun! It looks like Suzuki-Gun are coming after me, so I’m excited for (Dominion) tomorrow!’

Still, it was Suzuki-Gun again preventing a Wato celebration, as Yoshinobu Kanemaru attacked the young master before being driven off by Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Post match Kanemaru commented ‘Got a nice warm-up in before my match tonight. That little punk has a blue head and an (inexperienced) blue ass to match. I’ll teach him something you don’t learn on foreign excursion. And as for that guy who got in my way, I’ll beat him up too’ 

One would have to assume we aren’t far away from seeing the Grand Master and the Heel Master one-on-one. 

The next night, Dominion saw more action and more controversy, starting after the NEVER Openweight Championship match. Shingo Takagi outfought SHO in a thriller, leaving the challenger to rethink his approach, stating ‘I can’t forget this disappointment, but it’s a new day. Time to reset’

 

A rematch won’t be immediately forthcoming, however. El Desperado instantly put himself to the front of the line, making a challenge, accepted by Shingo, for Sengoku Lord on July 25. Of course, Desperado forced Shingo’s hand somewhat when he took The Dragon’s belt, responding to Takagi’s admission that he was missing something with a glib ‘what, this?’

 

‘This’ prompting Takagi to tell his July 25 challenger ‘If you want a title shot, get a garbage truck ready because I’m going to throw you out like oversized trash’

That NEVER Championship match will take place under a main event in Nagoya of EVIL against Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP Intercontinental and Heavyweight Championships. Yes, you read that right. Takahashi’s challenge came after EVIL leveraged the assistance of Dick Togo to defeat Tetsuya Naito, his post match post of ‘The ruling King’s three crowns’ pointedly shunning Shingo’s question as to the NEVER 6-Man gold. 

 

And what of Dick Togo himself? As covered here, EVIL’s new pareja arriving in the same faction as his on again-off-again career running buddies Jado & Gedo seems more than mere coincidence. The Master Heater was among the first to welcome Togo into BULLET CLUB online, remarking ‘It’s like I’ve travelled back in time 30 years! Nowadays I don’t look at price tags for anything, but back then we were flat broke’, refrencing the start of their respective careers in Universal. 

 

Togo responded that ‘back then we didn’t have two pennies to rub together’, prompting Jado to reply ‘we’re gonna make it rain from now on’. 

Um, Jado, we think that catchphrase is taken. Maybe reconsider? 

 

You know what? Never mind. 

 

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