NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Tour - April 20 - May 4, 2024

[Chris]

Two nights of title fights set for Fukuoka​

Dontaku to see two major nights of action to kick off May

May will kick off in a big way with two nights of Wrestling Dontaku from the Fukuoka International Center. May 3 and 4 sees the event back to its two night structure, with five big title matches across the weekend.
Watch Wrestling Dontaku LIVE in English on NJPW World!

May 3: IWGP Global, World TV titles! Finlay vs Tsuji!

The main event of night one will see the IWGP Global Championship on the line when Nic Nemeth defends the gold for the first time against Hiroshi Tanahashi. After Nemeth picked up the gold on his NJPW debut in Sapporo this past February, he suggested a dream matchup for himself and the Ace, but an ankle injury delayed the title fight. In the meantime, Nemeth sought to prove himself in the NJPW ring, and did so admirably against Tomohiro Ishii in Chicago at Windy City Riot. Now his first title defence is official, can the Wanted Man come away with the coveted gold?

The NJPW World TV Championship will be on the line when Zack Sabre Jr faces Jeff Cobb. After defeating Matt Riddle to lift the TV title a second time in Chicago, he was confronted by the Imperial Unit, who reminded Sabre that he was the only one in his initial reign to take ZSJ to the 15 minute time limit; poetically enough exactly one year prior in Fukuoka. Now, Cobb faces Sabre once again, and looks to get the job done in under 15 for the gold.

Also on night one in Fukuoka, Yota Tsuji takes on David Finlay in a special singles match. While Tsuji was victorious in the New Japan Cup in March, Finlay feels a major asterisk in Tsuji’s tournament win came from the fact that the Rebel was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a health concern. A recovered Finlay was quick to make that point to Tsuji after his loss to Tetsuya Naito at Sakura Genesis in a rant that turned into a backstage brawl between LIJ and the War Dogs. Now, will Finlay drive the point home in Fukuoka?

A six man preview of the next night’s main event sees an incredible trios combination of El Desperado, Shota Umino and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley against HOUSE OF TORTURE, all part of a huge card!

May 4: IWGP World Heavyweight, NEVER Openweight, IWGP Tag titles!

The main event on night two will see the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on the line as Jon Moxley defends for the first time against Ren Narita. Immediately after he completed a historic Global Grand Slam of WWE, AEW and IWGP World Heavyweight Championships at Windy City Riot, Moxley called out Shota Umino for his first defence, and Umino’s ‘graduation test’. No sooner had the words left his mouth though, then Narita hit the ring, and hit Moxley with his patented reinforced pushup bar. Moxley said that Narita had ‘graduated from young boy to dead man walking,’ but having put away Minoru Suzuki in Chicago, could Narita upset Mox and come away with the world title?

The NEVER Openweight Championship will be defended by Shingo Takagi against Gabe Kidd. Shingo reclaimed the NEVER title from EVIL at Sakura Genesis, only to be immediately attacked by the War Ready Kidd, who went on a controversial tirade on the microphone before issuing his challenge to Shingo. Declaring that the hard hitting title had become a ‘joke’ in recent months, and full of resentment toward NJPW at large, Kidd seeks to put his money where his mouth is May 4 in his first NEVER title challenge.

After a successful defence of the IWGP Tag team Championships in Taiwan, and days before heading to Australia for TAMASHII in Sydney and Melbourne, Bishamon put the gold on the line in Fukuoka. In the wake of his team’s Sakura Genesis defeat, KENTA was quick to blame his travel schedule and jet lag having flown into the building a mere 30 minutes before bell time. Fortune has favoured he and Chase Owens, who get a direct rematch, but will they get the gold?

With May 3 opponents Nic Nemeth and Hiroshi Tanahashi teaming to meet Taichi and SANADA and much more besides, it’s a pair of big time cards in Fukuoka!​

 

[Apoho Creed]

Kidd vs Shingo, and Sabre JR vs Cobb 2 will be the only 2 Matches that interests me especially Kidd vs Shingo. Kidd could be having a hell of a Week because he faces Kingston for the New Japan Strong Openweight Title literally a Week later if my memory is right.

 

[Chris]

Frontier Zone action comes to Fukuoka!​

Kyushu Pro, PUZZLE get involved

Watch Wrestling Dontaku live in English on NJPW World!
Another match has been added to the card when Dontaku hits the Fukuoka International center on May 4, as the second of the two day festival will see us return to the Frontier Zone.

This time, Katsuya Murashima and Togi Makabe will represent NJPW in the face of new faces from Kyushu Pro-Wrestling. Kyushu pro have already been represented in the Frontier Zone before the World Tag League finals last December, but this time, new faces include Jet Wei, currently in his second excursion to Kyushu from his home in PUZZLE. With PUZZLE itself having been represented at Wrestling World 2024 this past weekend, how will Wei represent his host and home promotions, as well as his home country?

Wei’s partner will be Naoki Sakurajima. A 16 year veteran of the independent scene, Sakurajima brings a no nonsense hard hitting style to the ring, which has seen him compete in Osaka Pro, IGF, Wrestle-1 and others. Will he make a powerful mark on May 4? Don’t miss the Frontier Zone at Dontaku!​

 

[Mitch Buchannon]

God Gabe Kidd has such a punchable face

 

[Chris]

Yuya Uemura, Great-O-Khan present KOPW rules!​

Rural Revitalization vs Catch Rules poll starts April 19

A special press conference on April 18 saw Yuya Uemura and Great-O-Khan present their choices of rules for the KOPW 2024 title match on the Road to Dontaku in Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall on April 27.

As challenger, Uemura was first to present, proposing a Catch Rules Match. The match would be contested with a 61 minute time limit, best two out of three falls. No strikes will be allowed in favour of purely throws and submissions. ‘I chose these rules because O-Khan is the champion,’ Uemura stated, alluding to O-Khan’s proficient grappling background, before saying ‘I have other reasons too, but I’ll tell you that when I win the title.’ That drew the ire of O-Khan, who stated ‘you aren’t winning anyway, so you should say now’. O-Khan would sneer that Uemura had no chance of beating him in a Catch contest, but Uemura insisted that he wanted to challenge himself as he challenged his foe.

Great-O-Khan presented his own two out of three falls match, but under Rural Revitalization Rules. Similar to his bout with Tanga Loa in Shizuoka last month, O-Khan’s pledge to ‘unite the fiefdoms’ across Japan has seen him put a Hiroshima spin on his choice of three stipulations. ‘What’s famous in Hiroshima?’ O-Khan asked ‘Mazda! Mazda cars and their tires are famous. Whoever can bring four tires into the ring will be the winner of the first fall. We pledge to please the peasants of Hiroshima and make them proud of local industry’.

O-Khan went on to say the second fall would be an eating contest, but to Uemura’s surprise stated that it would be Hiroshima lemons that would be the subject of the fall. O-Khan vowed to make the lemons of the region the most famous in the world. In a bid to appease Uemura’s desire to wrestle the champion, O-Khan said that ‘if we go to the the third fall, and we won’t, then it will be a tables match. To win you have to use an offensive move to drive one’s foe through a table.’

O-Khan also stated that should Uemura be defeated, he must buy 100 lemons, and drive a Mazda car going forward. ‘This is a prize for you as a loser! An honour! We will buy 100 lemons and drive Mazda cars either way! We will make the Hiroshima people proud!’ In response to this added stipulation, Uemura proposed that under his rules, the loser should buy 20 of Hiroshima’s famed oysters for the winner.

O-Khan warned against such levity though, sneering that while Boltin Oleg had become NEVER 6 Man Champion while still a Young Lion in Taiwan, Uemura had lost his hair and lost a challenge to the IWGP Tag Team Champions. O-Khan promised total victory regardless of rules April 27.
Voting begins April 19 to determine the rules, with voting lasting for three days.

Yuya Uemura’s rules
61 minutes, best of three falls Catch Rules
No strikes allowed. Grapples, throws and submissions only for pinfall or submission.

Great-O-Khan’s rules
No time limit, best of three round Rural Revitalization Rules
First fall- Mazda Tyre Carrying Contest
Second fall- Hiroshima Lemon Eating Contest
Third fall- Table Match​

 

[Chris]

These guys are such trolls, a fucking lemon eating contest

 

[Chris]

Ryusuke Taguchi injured; to miss Dontaku series​

Thank you for supporting New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Ryusuke Taguchi, who was scheduled to compete this weekend on the Road to Dontaku, was involved in a bicycle accident, sustaining wounds to his face hands and knees as well as injuring his neck. As a result, he will be unable to compete in forthcoming events. We apologise to fans who were looking forward to seeing Taguchi wrestle, and appreciate your understanding.

Taguchi has issued the following statement:

“Hello to all 69 of my fans across Japan. Although I can’t remember the exact accident due to my concussion, I apparently fell off my bicycle while swerving to avoid a dog. I will rest, recover and be back better than ever!”

The following replacements will be made for Taguchi’s matches in the coming nights:

April 20, Machida, April 22 Korakuen: Shoma Kato
April 23 Korakuen: Katsuya Murashima
April 25 Fukui, April 26 Osaka : Hiroyoshi Tenzan
April 27 Hiroshima: Tomoaki Honma
April 30 Kumamoto: Katsuya Murahshima
May 1 Beppu: Shoma Kato
May 3, 4 Fukuoka: Tiger Mask

NJPW joins fans in wishing Taguchi a full, fast recovery.
​

 

[Chris]

Road to Dontaku night 3 (April 22) Preview​

Korakuen double header for the spring series

Japan enters late April on the countdown toward the Golden Week holidays, and wrestling fans are on the countdown to Wrestling Dontaku May 3 and 4. With plenty of key matches to look forward to, the first live NJPW World event of the series sees a faction warfare gauntlet main event.
Watch Road to Dontaku LIVE in English on NJPW World!

Main event: Faction Warfare Gauntlet Match- Just Five Guys (SANADA, Taichi, Yuya Uemura, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku) vs United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, TJP, Francesco Akira & Callum Newman)

Match starts as a ten minute singles match
Winner stays on, loser eliminated. Both members eliminated in the event of a draw
Should both teams go to their last member, deciding fall has no time limit
Order of entry not announced beforehand
Faction Warfare Gauntlet rules return in the main event in Korakuen Hall, as Just Five Guys and United Empire do battle in the unique match type. The last such gauntlet took place in February this year, and ended with Just Five Guys’ Yuya Uemura taking the final fall in a losing effort against Los Ingobernables De Japon. Yet defeat motivated Uemura to assert himself in recent weeks, and though he came up short alongside SANADA against Bishamon in Taiwan for the IWGP Tag team Championships, the unfazed Yuya is now seeking Great-O-Khan’s KOPW 2024 belt.

This match will serve as a preview of that affair, as well as of potential Best of the Super Jr. meetings between Francesco Akira, TJP and DOUKI. Meanwhile, although the gauntlet is determined as a series of singles matchups, the team nature of the match as a whole means eyes have to be on the United Empire’s performance. A string of losses for the faction continued this past weekend as TJP and Jeff Cobb were on the wrong end of Riot Rules in Chicago, while Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan and Akira all tasted defeat in Taiwan. Blame for poor performance has been placed at the feet of TJP in his self assigned role as captain, and the pressure for him to be the lynchpin of a successful side has to be palpable tonight.

4th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi & Yota Tsuji) vs BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, Gedo, Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney)

After incendiary comments from Gabe Kidd, and a backstage brawl in Ryogoku, War Dogs and LIJ will be doing battle through the Road to Dontaku, with this ten man bout being a triple preview of the IWGP Junior Tag titles on the line in Kagoshima, and the NEVER Openweight title, as well as Yota Tsuji vs David Finlay, in the Fukuoka series closer. Meanwhile, Tetsuya Naito returns to Korakuen Hall without the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship just lost to Jon Moxley in Chicago. How will El Ingobernable bounce back?

3rd Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, Boltin Oleg, Shota Umino & Tomohiro Ishii vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, SHO, Yujiro Takahashi, Ren narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

With the NEVER Openweight 6 man Tag Championships on the line the next night in Korakuen, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg seek to assert themselves in this ten man preview. Meanwhile Ren Narita is gunning for Jon Moxley’s IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on May 4 at Dontaku, while Shota Umino is expected to have next. While Umino may have dispelled the spectre of Jack Perry in Chicago, Ren Narita and H.O.T still loom for the Roughneck, and heat is on tonight, as it always is when the HOUSE are involved.

2nd Match: Hikuleo, El Phantasmo, Ryusuke Taguchi & Jado vs TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Kosei Fujita)

While a deaftet to DOUKI in Taiwan means that Kosei Fujita will have to wait in his quest for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, there’s a lot of hardware around TMDK. Zack Sabre Jr. is once again the NJPW World TV Champion, and Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls have the NJPW STRONG Tag Championships- much to the former champions’ chagrin. El Phantasmo and Hikuleo knew what the risks were when they proposed a four way open challenge match for the STRONG gold at Windy City Riot, and indeed GoD were not involved in the decision that brought TMDK to their first NJPW tag team gold this past weekend. Can they stay on the upswing, or will GoD (plus Taguchi) cut them off?

1st match: Katsuya Murashima, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto vs BULLET CLUB (Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens & KENTA)

With a tight travel schedule excuse for their V0 defeat at the hands of Bishamon with IWGP Tag team gold on the line back at Sakura Genesis, Chase Owens and KENTA are fortunate enough to have another crack at the whip at Dontaku May 4. Before that, a six man preview pits them against the champions and Katsuya Murashima as Dontaku action gets underway.​

 

[Chris]

Road to Dontaku night 4 (April 23) Preview​

NEVER 6 Man titles, plus LIJ vs War Dogs in a singles series

It’s a stacked card for the second night of our Korakuen double header on the Road to Dontaku, as the NEVER 6 Man titles are on the line, and a five match singles series between LIJ and the War Dogs headlines the event.
Watch live in English on NJPW World!

Main event: Hiromu Takahashi vs David Finlay

Our main event, and the final match of a five bout LIJ/War Dogs series pits Hiromu Takahashi against David Finlay in an openweight battle. The first and former IWGP Global Champion is on a warpath to Yota Tsuji and a route back to championship gold. For Hiromu, a quest alongside BUSHI to wrest IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag gold from Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney is a welcome reset button for a singles 2024 campaign that has been winless in NJPW to date. Can a big victory over Finlay turn the tide?

7th Match: Tetsuya Naito vs Drilla Moloney

Another openweight clash in strictest terms only, former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion tetsuya Naito cannot expect a massive power advantage over the largest of the junior heavyweight division in Drilla Moloney. Moloney’s impactful style is more than a match for El Ingobernable, especially as Naito seeks to recover from the setback of his world title loss back at Windy City Riot, and Naito will have his work cut out for him.

6th Match: Shingo Takagi vs Clark Connors

Another hard hitting clash pits NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi against Clark Connors. With a challenge for the STRONG Openweight Championship in his history, Connors is not one to shy away from NEVER styled competition; though Gabe Kidd is next in line for the NEVER gold, could Connors book himself a future title shot as well?

5th Match: BUSHI vs Gabe Kidd

Gabe Kidd will look to out power BUSHI in their singles contest. Kidd’s furious style and the ever deepening chip on his shoulder makes him a dangerous, mad, man, but BUSHI has been able to upset larger heavyweight competition like Zack Sabre Jr and Bad Luck Fale in the past. Could he stop Kidd tonight?

4th Match: Yota Tsuji vs Gedo

The first of the five singles match series tonight pits Yota Tsuji against Gedo in what could charitably be described as a long shot for Gedo. yet with Bloody Hands constantly in the machinery, might there be unpredictable tricks at play that Tsuji needs to be careful of?

3rd Match: NEVER Openweight 6 man Tag team Championships- Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano & Boltin oleg vs HOUSE OF TORTRUE (EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Young Lion Boltin Oleg pulled off a surprising victory over HOUSE OF TORTURE in Taiwan to lift the NEVER 6 Man Championships, Boltin becoming a notable Young Lion champion just over a year into his professional career. EVIL, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru were quick to appeal for a rematch, and will get it with Yujiro Takahashi in place of SHO, but will there be other H.O.T members waiting in the wings?

2nd Match: Hikuleo, El Phantasmo, El Desperado & Ryusuke Taguchi vs TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita)

Another tag preview of GoD vs Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls for later int he tour, TMDK face Hontai, while presumably El Desperado will still be scvouting for the Desper Invitacional coming on June 10.

1st Match: YOSHI-HASHI, Hirooki Goto & Shoma Kato vs BULLET CLUB (KENTA, Chase Owens & Taiji Ishimori)

Another preview of Bishamon’s impending IWGP Tag defence against Chase Owens and KENTA, six man action sees them swap out Katsuya Murashima for Shoma Kato tonight. Will the veteran and fresh blood combination be able to topple a well oiled BC machine?​

 

[Kross Rhodes]

I love that that final card has a bullet club member in every match. Really signifies that this event is their birthday.

 

[Chris]

Oh shit on a random road to

 

[Apoho Creed]

I did say multiple times New Japan needing a spark and Jake Lee is a spark for damn sure.

 

[Chris]

Road to Wrestling Dontaku night 7 (April 27) preview​

Two title matches and elimination main event

The Road to Dontaku hits Hiroshima Sun Plaza on April 27. As we enter the Golden Week holidays, there’ll be no time for relaxation for champions TMDK and Great-O-Khan as they defend their titles, and War Dogs and LIJ continue their feud into an elimination main event.
Watch LIVE on NJPW World! (English to follow on demand)

Main event: 10 Man Elimination Tag- Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi) vs BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney, Clark Connors & Jake lee)

The main event sees Los Ingobernables De Japon continue their tour long campaign against the War Dogs in ten man elimination. Four days after the two teams collide in a series of Korakuen hall singles matches, the elimination tag setting will see more unpredictable outcomes, and the chance for once side to show their dominance ahead of Hiromu Takahashi and BUSHI challenging Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors for tag gold Monday, and Shingo Takagi vs Gabe Kidd, and David Finlay vs Yota Tsuji at Dontaku weekend.

A new layer to this elimination main event came on April 23 in Korakuen, when Jake Lee made a shocking appearance from Pro-Wrestling NOAH. Declaring that he was in NJPW ‘to destroy Tetsuya Naito,’ Lee has become a powerful ally for the War Dogs. Will he steer them to victory?

7th Match: KOPW2024 Rural Revitalization in Hirshima Match- Great-O-Khan vs Yuya Uemura

Two out of three rounds:
Round 1- Mazda Tyre Carrying Contest
Round 2- Hiroshima Lemon Eating Contest
Round 3- Tables Match
Great-O-Khan and Yuya Uemura’s first ever singles meeting comes within the unique environment of the KOPW 2024 title. O-Khan’s retention of the title against Tanga Loa on the Road to Sakura Genesis has proven to be the lone bright spot in a spring to forget for the United Empire, and Hiroshima is another ‘fiefdom’ the Dominator would like to claim on his grass roots campaign across the nation. Uemura though is in high spirits after having pinned O-Khan with the Strom Clutch at Sakura Genesis, and despite coming up shy of the IWGP Tag Team Championships in Taiwan alongside SANADA, feels he can get the job done on his own merits tonight. Could KOPW be the first title Uemura can call his own?

6th Match: NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships- TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) vs Guerrillas of Destiny (Hikuleo & El Phantasmo)

Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls’ claim of being the best tag team to never hold NJPW gold came to an end at Windy City Riot, as the duo came out on top of a four way clash for the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag team Championships. It came with the territory that neither ELP nor Hikuleo were involved in the decision- Nicholls took advantage of a heated situation between the West Coast Wrecking Crew and Tom Lawlor to get a flash jackknife pin- but while the former champions will not be making excuses, they are making a claim.
TMDK have their own considerable pride to think of as well, and won’t truly be considering themselves champions until they can make their first proper defence two on two, and against the Guerrillas of Destiny. Will they stay on top, or will it be a case of return to sender when it comes to the STRONG tag gold?

5th Match: Just Five Guys (DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

Ahead of DOUKI’s challenge to IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion SHO at Satsuma no Kuni April 29, a preview tag sees him team with TAKA Michinoku against SHO and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. With two of wrestling wiliest veterans on the side of champion and challenger, this is sure to be an intriguing battle with more than a few corners cut on both sides.

4th Match: Tomoaki Honma & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Just Five Guys (Taichi & SANADA)

Tag teram actionpits Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomoaki Honma against Taichi and SANADA. On night one of Wrestling Dontaku, Tanahashi will take on Nic Nemth with the IWGP Global Championship at stake in the main event, with night two seeing a tag team combination of the Wanted Man and the Ace to face Taichi and SANADA. This will be a tune up and preview of sorts for that match then, as eyes go to Taichi and SANADA, who have been on the outside looking into the main event scene of late, and are looking to make moves.

3rd Match:　El Desperado, Shota Umino & Tomohiro Ishii vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita & EVIL)

With Ren Narita getting set to face Jon Moxley for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on May 4, and Shota Umino coming up next for the winner in Ontario May 11, this is a potential preview match for the main event of Resurgence. Meanwhile, Desperado, Umino and Ishii makes an impressive and intimidating six man combo, with plenty of unifnished business between Desperado and former protege Narita, and Ishii always enjoying tearing into the H.O.T.

2nd Match: TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita) vs United Empire (Francesco Akira & Jeff Cobb)

Tag team action sees a preview of May 3’s NJPW World TV Championship match between Zack Sabre Jr. and Jeff Cobb, as they get set to do battle with 15 minutes on the clock and the TV gold on the line. Meanwhile Francesco Akira and Kosei Fujita are preparing to enter Best of the Super Jr., and will be looking to make their own marks in Hiroshima.

1st match:　Tiger Mask, YOSHI-HASHI ＆Hirooki Goto vs BULLET CLUB (Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens & KENTA)

With Bishamon set to grant Chase Owens and KENTA in a rematch for the IWGP Tag Team Championships in Fukuoka May 4, another six man preview sees the champions trade Young Lion partners in Korakuen earlier in the week for the veteran and always salty Tiger Mask, who is sure to keep his junior heavyweight opposite number Taiji Ishimori in check.

Kickoff Match- Frontier Zone: Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano vs Rey Paloma & Hanzo

Rey Paloma and Hanzo step into the Frontier Zone to start the action off in Hiroshima. Long time veterans of the independent circuit, Paloma represents local indie Dove Pro, while the well experienced Hanzo will take his lucharesu influences from Universal and Michinoku Pro way back in the early 1990s into battle against two thirds of the NEVER Openweight 6 man Champions.​

 

[Sky]

Spoiler: Day 7

FUCK YEAH YUYA WINS HIS FIRST TITLE sort of

 

[Chris]

Good for Yuya, I hope this isn't the end of the rural revitalization tho