Junior Heavyweight and World Heavyweight titles at stake in Fukuoka
The Wrestling Dontaku tour ends in Fukuoka on May 4 with a pair of incredible championship matches. Not only will tonight’s action see the culmination of the Dontaku series, but after event cancellations, it’ll be the last chance for all concerned to set the table for Wrestle Grand Slam, coming up on May 15 in Yokohama Stadium. All eyes then will be on the Fukuoka International Center for a huge night of action.
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Main event: IWGP World Heavyweight Championship- Will Ospreay vs Shingo Takagi
Singles record: 2-1 Ospreay
In the main event of night two of Dontaku, the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship is on the line, as Shingo Takagi clashes with Will Ospreay for the fourth time in their respective careers.
Way back in 2004, Shingo Takagi made his professional debut in the town of Fukuoka. 17 years later, this could be the site of his reaching the very pinnacle of the profession he devoted his life to. Yet Will Ospreay shares that same devotion, a devotion mixed with a take no prisoners attitude that has seen him become the first Briton with heavyweight IWGP gold in history.
That championship gold, won from Kota Ibushi at Sakura Genesis, came after defeating Shingo Takagi in the New Japan Cup final. It was then, perhaps understandable that Ospreay should initially call out Kazuchika Okada as his first challenger, hoping as the Commonwealth Kingpin did to avenge the ghosts of Wrestle Kingdom 15 and his high profile defeat to the Rainmaker. Yet although Takagi didn’t beat the current champ in the Cup final, he was able to beat the man who beat the champ.
Shingo’s victory over Okada in the first round of the New japan Cup was reason enough, he stated, to be put at the front of the line of contenders. Ospreay consented, but realised quickly that he couldn’t afford to look past his opponent tonight. Takagi underwent the draw of hell in the New Japan Cup, exclusively battling tournament winners en route to the final, and his only fault was being so self confident that he was thinking more of the Ryogoku title match that lay beyond than the tournament final in Sendai.
Takagi had been left in a rare position after the New Japan Cup: defeated, and humbled. That’s a position the Dragon does not relish, and will be eager to make Ospreay experience. Can he level the score with Ospreay tonight, and take the richest prize in the game in the process?
5th match: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship- El Desperado vs YOH
The IWGP Junior heavyweight Championship is on the line in our semi main event. El Desperado has carried a lot of hatred for YOH for years now, but this remains their first singles meeting since the Roppongi 3K member has returned from excursion. While Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru have maintained a three year long tag team feud, Desperado has continually critiqued SHO, and more specifically, YOH.
An emotional distance and lack of fire from YOH is something Desperado has constantly slammed his challenger for in the press, but in the ring, YOH’s strategic acumen has helped RPG3K to its fair share of successes against the Suzuki-Gun tandem of Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Be it the Five Star Clutch or the impactful Direct Drive, YOH has a wide variety of moves at his disposal that could easily upset a champion that’s in danger of looking past his competition in Fukuoka. That said, Desperado’s fire in big time singles spots over the last several months can not be disputed, and the masked man will be looking for a convincing victory to set the standard for junior heavyweight competition before the world’s eyes turn to Wrestle Grand Slam.
4th Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs BULLET CLUB (Jay White, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori & Dick Togo)
After Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jay White meet in the main event of Day one of Dontaku, here they face off again in ten man action. All ten individuals in this bout will want to set themselves up in the best form possible for Wrestle Grand Slam, and as the ongoing balance of power shifts, who will be swinging for the fences in Yokohama Stadium and the Tokyo Dome?
3rd Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI & SANADA) vs United Empire (Great-O-Khan, Aaron Henare & Jeff Cobb)
Before Shingo Takagi and Will Ospreay lock horns in the main event for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, each combatant’s respective teams do six man battle in the third match of the card. United Empire’s teamwork has been second to none throughout the tour, but with all six men involved tonight hungry for big spots on big stages in Yokohama and Tokyo later this month, both factions will be fighting harder than ever today.
2nd Match: CHAOS (SHO & Kazuchika Okada) vs Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
As partner YOH challenges El Desperado in today’s semi main event, SHO goes after Yoshinobu Kanemaru on day two of Dontaku, while Kazuchika Okada provides backup against Minoru Suzuki. With Wrestle Grand Slam in Yokohama Stadium right around the corner, Suzuki will certainly be looking to make a big showing in his home town. What better way than to take out the Rainmaker, and guaranteed challenger to the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion on May 29 in the Tokyo Dome?
1st Match: Suzuki-Gun (Zack Sabre Junior, Taichi & DOUKI) vs BULLET CLUB (Jado, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)
A now familiar match will kick us off on night two of Dontaku, but a different dimension will be added when Suzuki-Gun and BULLET CLUB’s trios collide. As the first bell rings today in Fukuoka, the Iron Fingers will at last be at rest after the prior night’s ladder match, while we will know the future of Dangerous Tekkers as it relates to the IWGP tag Team Championships. Will this in fact be the first preview of a future tag team championship match? Or will this be G.o.D’s victory parade as they send Taichi and ZSJ packing from the championship scene?
