New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) has announced two big matches for their Dominion event next month. While Tetsuya Naito will be defending both the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Titles against the New Japan Cup winner, Shingo Takagi will defend the NEVER Openweight Championship against SHO. Also, Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. will challenge Kota Ibushi & Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Tag Team Championships.
You can check out the full announcement below:
SHO will challenge Shingo Takagi for the NEVER Openweight Championship at Dominion. The New Japan Cup draw worked out perfectly for SHO, who faced his rival Takagi in the first round, and in one of the most thrilling clashes of the tournament thus far, struck with Shock Arrow to defeat the champion. Takagi denied SHO a title shot until July 3, when after a six man tag team victory, SHO staked his claim with an emphatic spear to the champion. Takagi now puts the title on the line in Osaka for his second defence.
Also official for Osaka, Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi, GoldenAce defend the IWGP Tag Team Championships for the first time against Dangerous Tekkers, Taichi and Zack Sabre Junior.
Immediately after Ibushi and Tanahashi won the tag team championships in Korakuen Hall this February, Taichi and ZSJ seemed to jump to the front of the contendership line when they assaulted GoldenAce. Then, whether by fair means or foul (usually both), Taichi was able to cement that claim by defeating first Tanahashi and then Taichi in the New Japan Cup.
On July 3, Taichi continued to press the issue after an o0pening eight man tag team match. Snatching the tag team belts, Taichi would toss them in Ibushi’s path, daring him to ‘pick them up, we’re challenging’. An angered Ibushi gave chase to Dangerous Tekkers, resulting in a brawl backstage. Now these issues will be settled in-ring in Osaka.
