Junior heavyweight singles action to headline in Korakuen Hall
The Summer Struggle series continues on July 17 in Korakuen Hall, and with just one week separating competitors from Wrestle Grand Slam right next door at the Tokyo Dome, big matches are on the table for the weekend.
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Main event: Rocky Romero vs El Phantasmo
Singles record: 2-1 Phantasmo
Headlining in Korakuen Hall, Rocky Romero will take on El Phantasmo one on one. One of the highlights of the Summer Struggle in Sapporo was Romero’s return to Japanese action, and the reformation of the Mega Coaches. Wasting little time, Rocky and Taguchi seized an opportunity to go after tag gold on night two July 11.
Romero gutted through a punishing kick to the bread basket from Phanatsmo’s allegedly loaded boot, before countering a CRII attempt with a Hurricanrana to secure a pinfall win in six man action. Romero immediately took to the mic to demand that the Mega Coaches challenge for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships, and the match is now made for the Tokyo Dome on the 25th.
Before Romero can go for his ninth tag title however, he must face ELP one on one tonight. ELP has a 2-1 edge one on one with Mr. Azucar, having first taken Rocky on in RevPro in 2018; before he came into NJPW and BULLET CLUB. As Phantasmo made a disgusting display of disrespect to opposition and fans through the following year’s Best of the Super Jr., Rocky put a stop to ELP’s winning streak in an all time classic Korakuen Hall performance.
Although Romero would lose a subsequent rematch to Phantasmo in Melbourne that summer, all who watch it still fondly remember the incredible Korakuen performance. Will Romero put out another one on the 17th and send an emphatic pre-title match message in the bargain? Or will he be shutdown by the Headbanger?
4th Match: Ryusuke Taguchi vs Taiji Ishimori
Singles record: 3-0 Ishimori
The semi main event will see the other half of the Tokyo Dome’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight title match hit the ring as Ryusuke Taguchi looks to take on Taiji Ishimori. The singles record between the two is one handed in the favour of the Bone Soldier, with Ishimori defeating Taguchi once in the 2010 Best of the Super Jr. tournament, before two more victories since plying hsi trade full time in BULLET CLUB. Yet the scoreline belies the fact that few bring out the best of ‘big match Taguch’ than Ishimori.
When the two met over the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in February of 2019, Taguchi played to his fun side, and the two’s common upbringing in Miyagi prefecture, mocking Ishimori’s time in Toryumon unit ‘Sendai Sailor Boys’. Yet when the bell rang, it was all business for Taguchi, who pulled out all the stops, and almost pulled out a victory. Tonight, with momentum for the Tokyo Dome at stake, and trying to recover from his own hard fought IWGP Junior Heavyweight challenge loss to El Desperado in Sapporo, Ishimori will be in no mood for fun and games. Who picks up the W?
3rd Match: CHAOS (SHO, YOH & Robbie Eagles) vs Suzuki-Gun (DOUKI, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado)
CHAOS and Suzuki-Gun’s juniors collide in the third match of the evening, on a junior heavyweight themed night. In another of Wrestle Grand Slam’s championship clashes, Robbie Eagles will challenge for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title held by El Desperado. Now back in NJPW action for the first time since December’s Best of the Super Jr., what will the Sniper of the Skies do tonight to make an impact? Meanwhile, Roppongi 3K will be taking on the team in Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado that they seized junior tag gold from back in the spring. With the ever unpredictable DOUKI in the mix as well, it’ll be a wild affair.
2nd Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI) vs Suzuki-Gun (Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi & Minoru Suzuki)
LIJ and Suzuki-Gun collide in the second bout of the evening. Naito and SANADA have been paired opposite Dangerous Tekkers several times over the last few weeks, but not as IWGP Tag Team Champions. With singles bouts in Osaka, and an IWGP Tag Team Championship rematch in the Tokyo Dome to come, how will the teams interact tonight?
1st Match: Yuya Uemura, Yota Tsuji, Tomohiro Ishii & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs BULLET CLUB (EVIL, KENTA, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo)
Eight man action will kick us off in Korakuen, and things will be wild from the opening bell. Young Lions will be caught in the middle of Tanahashi and Ishii’s feuds with KENTA and EVIL respectively before two big time singles matches in Nagoya, as fireworks will fly right from word go!
