NJPW Power Struggle Tour 2021 Discussion Thread

[Chris]

Road to Power Struggle night 1 (October 24) Preview
Elimination main event; Aaron Henare returns

The Road to Power Struggle kicks off on October 24 in Korakuen Hall with a big lineup culminating in an elimination main event, as Zack Sabre Jr. and Shingo Takagi square off for the first time since their IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match at Power Struggle was made official.
Watch Road to Power Struggle live or in English on demand on NJPW World!

Main event: Elimination Match- Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi, SANADA, BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi) vs Suzuki-Gun (Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI)

Elimination tag team action will see Zack Sabre Jr. looking to make a statement heading into his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match with Shingo Takagi, now confirmed for Power Struggle on November 6. Meanwhile, as time ticks down toward Best of the Super Jr. in three weeks, five junior heavyweights will want to establish themselves as top contenders. In the always chaotic format of elimination tags, who will survive Sunday?

5th Match: Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe & Kazuchika Okada vs BULLET CLUB (Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado)

In two weeks at Power Struggle, Kazuchika Okada will defend his status as G1 Climax winner, whether that comes in the form of a contract, or the fourth generation IWGP Heavyweight Championship. That defence will come against Tama Tonga, who delivered the Rainmaker his sole loss in the G1 Climax tournament. An upset? Certainly, but Tonga will look to capture lightning in a bottle twice on November 6. For this six man though, he is decidedly in his wheelhouse, as the seven time IWGP Tag Team Champions the Guerrillas of Destiny team with their mentor Jado.

4th Match: Yuji Nagata & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs BULLET CLUB (Gedo & KENTA)

The fourth match of the evening will see KENTA seek to prove a point after challenging Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship at Power Struggle. As Tanahashi has struggled to get results in recent weeks, is KENTA in position to repeat his success from Power Struggle 2020 against the Ace?

3rd match: Satoshi Kojima & Toru Yano vs United Empire (Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare)

After over five months away, Aaron Henare returns to action tonight to team with Great-O-Khan as they face Toru Yano and Satoshi Kojima. O-Khan and Yano will face off in a KOPW 2021 match on November 6 at Power Struggle. Will this match be any indication of what rules the two might bring to the table? And will Henare make one of his opponents walk the Streets of Rage in Korakuen?

2nd Match: Kosei Fujita, YOSHI-HASHI, Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & EVIL)

A fortnight before they’re set to face off for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships in Osaka, HOUSE OF TORTURE and CHAOS will collide tonight in eight man action. Meanwhile Young Lion Kosei Fujita will get his first taste of the wild environment that is an eight man tag team match, and the full viciousness of HOUSE OF TORTURE on display.

1st Match: Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Ryohei Oiwa, Tiger Mask & Robbie Eagles

Six man action will kick us off Sunday. On Tuesday night the Flying Tiger team of Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask will be wrestling El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships, but tonight they will face a side that got the better of them in the Super Jr. Tag League in Team Six or Nine. With Tenzan and Young Lion Oiwa also in the mix, it’ll be a frenetic start to the action.​

 

[Chris]

Here are the full lineups:

NJPW Road to Power Struggle, Monday, October 25, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World --

• Elimination match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. KENTA, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi
• Robbie Eagles, Tiger Mask, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato vs. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI
• Shingo Takagi & SANADA vs. Satoshi Kojima & Tomoaki Honma
• Toru Yano & Togi Makabe vs. Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare
• Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Kosei Fujita
• SHO vs. Ryohei Oiwa

NJPW Road to Power Struggle, Tuesday, October 26, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World --

• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (c) vs. Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask
• Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI
• Kazuchika Okada, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado
• Hiroshi Tanahashi & Togi Makabe vs. KENTA & Gedo
• Toru Yano & Tomoaki Honma vs. Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare
• Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Master Wato vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo
• SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Yuji Nagata & Ryusuke Taguchi

NJPW Road to Power Struggle, Wednesday, October 27 --

• Shingo Takagi, SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
• Kazuchika Okada, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado
• Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomoaki Honma vs. KENTA & Gedo
• Toru Yano & Yuji Nagata vs. Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare
• Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo
• Togi Makabe, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. Robbie Eagles, Tiger Mask & Ryohei Oiwa
• SHO vs. Kosei Fujita

NJPW Road to Power Struggle, Friday, October 29 --

• Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI
• Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, Satoshi Kojima & Tomoaki Honma vs. KENTA, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Gedo & Jado
• Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Tiger Mask vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo
• SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato
• Toru Yano & Yuji Nagata vs. Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare
• Robbie Eagles & Ryohei Oiwa vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
• Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Kosei Fujita

NJPW Road to Power Struggle, Saturday, October 30 --

• Shingo Takagi, SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
• Kazuchika Okada, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado
• Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yuji Nagata vs. KENTA & Gedo
• Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. EVIL, SHO & Dick Togo
• Toru Yano & Tomoaki Honma vs. Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare
• Togi Makabe, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. Robbie Eagles, Tiger Mask & Kosei Fujita
• Yujiro Takahashi vs. Ryohei Oiwa

NJPW Road to Power Struggle, Sunday, October 31 --

• Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI
• Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask vs. KENTA, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado
• Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Master Wato vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo
• SANADA & BUSHI vs. Togi Makabe & Ryusuke Taguchi
• Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare vs. Toru Yano & Tomoaki Honma
• Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
• Yuto Nakashima vs. Ryohei Oiwa

NJPW Road to Power Struggle, Monday, November 1 --

• Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI
• Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomoaki Honma & Master Wato vs. KENTA, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado
• Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo
• SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask
• Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare vs. Toru Yano & Togi Makabe
• Robbie Eagles & Ryohei Oiwa vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
• Yuto Nakashima vs. Kosei Fujita

NJPW Road to Power Struggle, Thursday, November 4 --

• Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI
• Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. KENTA, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado
• Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Tiger Mask vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo
• SANADA & BUSHI vs. Tomoaki Honma & Master Wato
• Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare vs. Toru Yano & Yuji Nagata
• Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
• Yuto Nakashima vs. Ryohei Oiwa

 

[Chris]

The lineup for the final Power Struggle event:

NJPW Power Struggle, Saturday, November 6, 4 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World --

• IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
• Right to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 16 briefcase: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga
• IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. KENTA
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Robbie Eagles (c) vs. El Desperado
• Provisional KOPW 2021: Toru Yano (c) vs. Great-O-Khan
• NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI (c) vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & SHO
• SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Yuji Nagata, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato
• Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Tiger Mask vs. Tanga Loa, Gedo & Jado
• Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita

ZSJ GONNA DO IT

 

[Kairi HoHo]

I can see a few Title changes during Power Struggle for sure. I see Despy getting back The Junior Heavyweight Title, O-Khan winning the KOPW as well. Now to Okada's comments after the G1 Climax Final Show had me like dude are you smoking? I guess he hasn't liked the direction New Japan took with the World Title and the IC Title unifying them and that is all well in good but the thought of I don't need to challenge Shingo for the World Title come on now. He considers already a World Champion and knowing New Japan they would kiss his ass and give him a World Title vs Shingo's World Title. I'm so hoping Shingo retains I don't want Okada no where near the IWGP World Heavyweight Title but with the chaos and bad luck with Ospreay and Ibushi this Year I'm guess Okada will be going over in that one.

 

[Chris]

Just realized how spoiled I got with live English commentary for all the G1 shows when I woke up this morning to see only Japanese commentary on NJPWWorld for the first tour show

Probably gonna be a few extra days than usual too if I had to guess since Kevin Kelly just got back to America ah well probably have 2 or 3 that I can binge out in one day when they get up so no big deal.

 

[Chris]

Reading results from today's show and I see:

Sabre won by submission with Yes! I am a long way from home!

 

[Chris]

Road to Power Struggle night 2 (October 25) Preview
More elimination action, Kazuchika Okada teams with Hiroshi Tanahashi in main event

The second night on the Road to Power Struggle will see more seeds sown before the immense November 6 card in Osaka.
Watch Road to Power Struggle live and in English on demand on NJPW World!

Main event: Elimination tag: Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, YOSHI-HASHI, Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii vs BULLET CLUB (KENTA, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi)

A wild ten man main event will see CHAOS combine forces with Hiroshi Tanahashi to take on a stacked BULLET CLUB side with plenty to play for at Power Struggle. As HOUSE OF TORTURE seek the NEVER 6-Man titles in Osaka, so Tama Tonga wants to beat G1 CLimax winner Kazuchika Okada one more time, and KENTA wants IWGP US gold from the waist of the Ace. This is going to be an intense culmination to day two on the Road to Power Struggle.

5th Match: Master Wato, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Tiger Mask & Robbie Eagles vs Suzuki-Gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Desperado, DOUKI & Zack Sabre Jr)

24 hours before Flying Tiger challenge for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag team Championships, and 12 days before Eagles has to defend his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship at Power Struggle, an eight man tag with lots of title implications. Last night, Flying Tiger were opposite Master Wato and Hiroyoshi Tenzan, but tonight they will form a unified front. Enough to take down a determined Suzuki-Gun quartet?

4th Match: Tomoaki Honma & Satoshi Kojima vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (SANADA & Shingo Takagi)

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi will be in action in the fourth match of the night, getting ready for his title match with Zack Sabre Jr. at Power Struggle by facing two veterans in Kojima and Honma as he sides with SANADA. With SANADA short a tag partner for World Tag League as Tetsuya Naito is on the shelf with a knee injury, could Cold Skull seek to recruit a Dragon for the league?

3rd Match: Togi Makabe & Toru Yano vs United Empire (Aaron Henare & Great-O-Khan)

The returning Aaron Henare and Great-O-Khan, like any possible combination in the rapidly growing United Empire, make for an incredibly imposing team on any given night. As O-Khan and Yano count down to their November 6 KOPW clash, will the former Most Violent Players of Yano and Makabe be tough enough to overthrow the empire?

2nd Match: Kosei Fujita & Ryusuke Taguchi vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi)

After Power Struggle, focus will shift to Best of the Super Jr. Tonight, a chance for three top juniors to show what they can do, while Young Lion Kosei Fujita seeks to learn, and to prove that he can hang with the best of them.

1st Match: SHO vs Ryohei Oiwa
Singles record: 1-0 SHO

After G1 Climax 31 kicked off in Osaka with Ryohei Oiwa taking on SHO, he will see how far Oiwa has progressed over the last five weeks. Will Oiwa be able to put up a fight against the merciless Murder Machine?​

 

[Chris]

Road to Power Struggle night 3 (October 26) Preview
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag team Championships on the line

A triple header in Korakuen Hall will come to an end Tuesday with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships at stake, as NJPW’s best vie for control in the ongoing Power Struggle.

Watch Road to Power Struggle live or in English on demand on NJPW World!

Main event: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: Suzuki-Gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) vs Flying Tiger (Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask)
Direct tag record: 1-0 Flying Tiger

El Desperado and Yohinobu Kanemaru owe their fourth IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship reign, earned when they were finally able to make El Phantasmo’s Sudden Death backfire in the MetLife Dome this past September, to victory in the Super Jr. Tag League. It was an impressive, near unstoppable performance in the brief tournament this year, but Flying Tiger were able to create a blemish.

Tiger Mask and Robbie Eagles’ victory over the soon-to-be-champs instantly established the duo not as a thrown together pairing, but as an impressive and championship worthy tandem. It also helped Desperado in the long run, in creating a little bargaining chip. Ever since Robbie Eagles survived a devastating knee assault from the masked rudo to beat Desperado for the Junior Heavyweight Championship, the former champion has been hungering for a rematch. After the Sniper of the Skies submitted Hiromu Takahashi at Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife, Desperado was able to cash in that chip. Now there is a real possibility that Desperado could become a double champion by November 6- or that Eagles could become a double champ tonight.

6th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI & Shingo Takagi) vs Suzuki-Gun (DOUKI & Zack Sabre Jr.)

Zack Sabre Jr. and Shingo Takagi will once again face off in advance of their IWGP World Heavyweight Championship clash on November 6 in our semi main event. As their issues become more heated, what statements will DOUKI and BUSHI, two men with a lot of antagonism toward one another, make before Best of the Super Jr a few short weeks away?

5th Match: Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Kazuchika Okada vs BULLET CLUB (Jado, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)

The imposing three man force of Guerrillas of Destiny with ‘Massive Heater’ Jado will face another incredible force in six time IWGP Tag team Champions TenCozy with Kazuchika Okada tonight. Will Tama make another statement at the Rainmaker’s expense, or will TenCozy gan tag ground before World Tag League?

4th Match: Togi Makabe & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs BULLET CLUB (Gedo & KENTA)

Before Tanahashi and KENTA meet for the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship at Power Struggle, tag team action sees Tanahashi enlist the heavy hitting Makabe, while KENTA pairs with the wily Gedo. Who will stand tall on the last Korakuen card before Power Struggle gets on the road to Osaka’s EDION Arena?

3rd Match: Tomoaki Honma & Toru Yano vs United Empire (Aaron henare vs Great-O-Khan)

With time running out before Great-O-Khan and Toru Yano meet, and stipulations yet to be set for their KOPW 2021 battle, tag action sees two former GBH compatriots collide with O-Khan and Aaron Henare. Can Yano and Honma overcome United Empire’s tag team superiority?

2nd Match: Master Wato, YOSHI-HASHI, Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (SHO, Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL)

HOUSE OF TORTURE unite again against their future NEVER Openweight 6-Man Championship opponents in the second match of the evening. With Master Wato joining the CHAOS ranks, can the champions put the lights out on the BULLET CLUB sub faction, or will Korakuen be plunged into darkness by the November 6 challengers?

1st Match: Ryusuke Taguchi & Yuji Nagata vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & SANADA)

Exoploding out of the gates, SANADA will continue his on again and off again rivalry with Yuji Nagata in the openeing match of the night as he teams with Hiromu Takahashi against Nagata and Ryusuke Taguchi. This unpredictable evening will be kicking off in style!​

 

[Chris]

So the stipulations for O-Khan vs Yano have been announced but I can't see where the poll has been tweeted yet lmao

O-Khan wants a kiss my foot match and Yano wants amateur riles lmao which means Yano's is probably gonna win but I'm shocked those stips aren't flipped

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Yeah I'll probably watch tomorrow's Show I can't be bothered to watch all these Tour Shows. I did it before and it feels like I'm sleepwalking last time around. Yano wants Amateur Rules ha unless he ties up both of O-Khans Arms he ain't winning no way no how.

 

[Chris]

 

[Chris]

Oh shit just saw Eagles and Tiger Mask won the junior tag titles, good for them

 

[Chris]

So SHO's new nickname is "Murder Machine"

 

[Kairi HoHo]

So SHO's new nickname is "Murder Machine"

Yeah SHO ain't that guy. He does look like he's on something when it comes out with BC Cocaine Machine sounds more like it. I'm watching today's Show right now I need to get my shit together I'm 3 Shows behind on Stardom that is a no no more for me.

 

[Chris]

Yeah SHO ain't that guy. He does look like he's on something when it comes out with BC Cocaine Machine sounds more like it. I'm watching today's Show right now I need to get my shit together I'm 3 Shows behind on Stardom that is a no no more for me.

Yeah I'm like halfway through with the first show so im two behind lol