IWGP Global gold headlines first night in Fukuoka
The annual Dontaku festival hits Fukuoka across two nights Friday May 3 and Saturday May 4. On night one, the IWGP Global Championship takes center stage as Nic Nemeth defends for the first time against Hiroshi Tanahashi, while the NJPW World TV title is also on the line, and Yota Tsuji and David Finlay take out aggressive ill will in a special singles encounter.
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Main event- IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship’ Nic Nemeth vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
Nic Nemeth has been a man on a mission in 2024. Entering his first year competing on his own terms after over two decades in the WWE system, Nemeth was determined to show that he could out wrestle anyone on a global level, and in a bid to solidify his top tier status, immediately sought to prove himself on the Lion Mark.
After a brawl with then freshly crowned and inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion David Finlay at Wrestle Kingdom, Nemeth made his debut in Sapporo and captured the new white and gold belt on his first time between the ropes. Next on his agenda was a match with the enduring Ace and the icon of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and it was a mere 24 hours later that the challenge was issued to Hiroshi Tanahashi.
The Ace was injured, and with Nemeth true to his word, the first defence of the Global Heavyweight title was delayed. In the meantime, Nemeth was still eager to show he could take the hits in the king of Sports, doing so admirably against Tomohiro Ishii in Chicago in non title action. Can he maintain that same toughness under pressure of a title defence against one of the greatest big time performers of the 21st century? We find out in our main event.
8th Match: Yota Tsuji vs David Finlay
Yota Tsuji’s victory in the New Japan Cup this March was a key turning point not just in the career of Tsuji, but in the progress of his generation. With a proud declaration that he had ‘opened the gates to a new era’, Tsuji stood proud in Nagaoka after having defeated one of the proud gatekeepers of the generation before him in Hirooki Goto. Yet while many had Tsuji circled as a top contender in the tournament, Goto’s presence as his opponent was a surprise to most.
That included David Finlay, who had every intention of defeating Goto in the quarterfinals en route to Tsuji in Nagaoka. Yet health concerns would put him on the shelf, and stopped Finlay from bouncing back from a painful loss of his IWGP Global Championship in February to Nic Nemeth. With a chip on his shoulder, Finlay now faces Tsuji one on one on the 11th anniversary of BULLET CLUB, and the first anniversary of Tsuji’s impactful return from excursion.
7th Match- NJPW World TV Championship- Zack Sabre Jr. vs Jeff Cobb
The NJPW World TV Championship is still young, but it’s quite possible that years or decades from now, fans will still be linking the belt to Zack Sabre Jr.’s incredible inaugural reign. Holding the title for precisely one year with 16 defences, ZSJ did much to establish the fastest title in NJPW, but had designs to move on in 2024. Matt Riddle had other intentions, and persistently pressured the Frontman to battle over the TV gold; the result was Sabre becoming the fourth, and first two time champion at Windy City Riot.
Now Sabre will move on to big projects as he prepares for the second half of 2024, but he’ll do so with the TV belt in tow- unless he’s stopped at the first hurdle by Jeff Cobb. Exactly one year ago, Cobb was the only challenger in the title’s history to go the distance in an officially sanctioned title match, drawing with ZSJ. On year on, can the Imperial Unit stop the winningest champion in modern history at V0 of his second reign?
6th Match: El Desperado, Shota Umino & Jon Moxley vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita, EVIL & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
In the moments following a historic IWGP World Heavyweight Championship win at Windy City Riot in Chicago, Moxley invited Shota Umino to take ‘his final exam’ and face him as his first challenger. Ren Narita had other ideas, inserting himself, and his reinforced pushup board into the mix and laying down the challenge for Dontaku with Umino facing the winner May 11 at Resurgence in Ontario California.
The days that followed further muddied the championship waters, Don Callis sensing the opportunity to make a power grab from AEW and sending Powerhouse Hobbs in a failed attempt to snatch the gold. Now, Konosuke Takeshita has expressed his own interest, which adds a layer of intrigue to his presence opposite Umino in the main event of All Together May 6.
One day at a time, this sixth matchup sees Moxley teaming with El Desperado for the first time, making a dangerous trio with Umino opposite HOUSE OF TORTURE. The future of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, and the immediate future of night two’s main event landscape, will be shaped in what should be a wild trios bout.
5th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) vs War Dogs (Gedo, Drilla Moloney, Clark Connors & Gabe Kidd)
As LIJ and War Dogs wars continue their feud past Fukuoka and on to All Together May 6 in the Nippon Budokan, for BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi, and Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney, fallout from Satsuma no Kuni will also provide the backdrop for Shingo Takagi and Gabe Kidd’s last pre-NEVER Openweight Championship match preview.
4th Match: Tiger Mask, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto vs BULLET CLUB (Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens & KENTA)
It’s been a very difficult tour for thew IWGP Tag team Champions. May 4 challengers Chase Owens and KENTA have had a significant upper hand through the Road to series as Bishamon struggles to fight back with Young Lion partners. When Tiger Mask joined the side in Hiroshima this past weekend, the result was a brace of shots with the IWGP Tag team Championship gold KOing YOSHI-HASHI, Goto and Tiger center ring. On night two, we find out if the challengers can repeat the feat where it counts the most, but tonight, one more chance to drive the point home ahead of the title challenge.
3rd Match: Guerrillas of Destiny (Jado, El Phanatsmo & Hikuleo) vs TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls)
After retaining the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag team Championships in Hiroshima, Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls feel that their reign has now truly begun in earnest, with former champions vanquished. Hikuleo and ELP have other ideas though, and this six man match will see them trying to get back in the hunt while Kosei Fujita prepares for a big week, with a singles match against Kenoh at All Together May 7, and his first Best of the Super Jr. about to get underway.
2nd Match: Just Five Guys (Yuya Uemura & Taichi) vs United Empire (Callum Newman,& Great-O-Khan)
Six man action sees the new and the former KOPW 2024 title holders in Yuya Uemura and Great-O-Khan squaring off. Meanwhile, Francesco Akira will look to make a mark as Best of the Super Jr. gets set to start in just one more week.
1st Match: Just Five Guys (TAKA Michinoku & DOUKI) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (SHO & Yujiro Takahashi)
In fallout from Monday’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship clash, DOUKI and SHO meet in tag team action. Who will be celebrating victory, and who will be hungry for revenge?
Kickoff Match: Katsuya Murashima & Togi Makabe vs Shoma Kato & Boltin Oleg
Kickoff action sees Young Lions Murashima and Kato continue to battle with one another. Each prospect has brought hard hitting backup in the form of Togi Makabe and Boltin Oleg; which team will prove stronger?
