Shingo Takagi 20th Anniversary - September 7, 2024

[Chris]

Shingo Takagi 20th Anniversary (September 7) Preview​

The Dragon comes home to Yamanashi

Shingo Takagi marks 20 years in professional wrestling on September 7. To celebrate two decades as a pro, he returns to his home of Yamanashi for an event that’s sold out weeks in advance!

Watch live in Japanese on NJPW World! (English to follow on demand)
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Main Event: Shingo Takagi, BUSHI & YAMATO vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji & Hiromu Takahashi)​

Echoing the Los Ingobernables De Japon derby six man tag that heralded BUSHI and Tetsuya Naito’s homecoming event earlier this June, a six man tag headlines in Yamanashi. It was a 30 minute draw on the New Japan Soul tour, but will we see a result this time?

At a DRAGONGATE event on August 24, Shingo Takagi made a special appearance and a special appeal. After spending more than half his pro-wrestling career in DRAGONGATE, Takagi wanted his partner to represent the promotion. Few represent better than Shingo’s ‘frenemy’ in YAMATO, the promotion’s Open the Dream Gate Champion, and with whom Takagi has won three Open the Twin Gate tag championships, despite, in YAMATO’s words, the two having a ‘cat and dog relationship’. Will they be on the same page to celebrate Takagi’s career tonight?
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7th Match: TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita) vs United Empire (Jakob Austin Young & Great-O-Khan)​

It’s a tag team match with a lot of intriguer in our semi main. Kosei Fujita is back in action after shoulder injury took him out of undercard tags during the G1 and now he teams back up with the G1 Climax 34 winner, mentor Zack Sabre Jr.

Sabre has declared that he will use his G1 victory to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship not at Wrestle Kingdom, but rather King of Pro-Wrestling October 14. That’s two weeks after Destruction in Kobe, where Great-O-Khan will have his own challenge to World Heavyweight gold, against Tetsuya Naito. Will this be a potential preview of the Ryogoku main event in October?

Plus, Jakob Austin Young will make his televised debut for United Empire. California native Young was a familiar face to NJPW STRONG viewers in 2022, where a friendly relationship was struck up with now United Empire leader TJP. Now the newest member of the United Empire seeks to make a mark on the Detsruction series.
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6th Match: Tiger Mask, Boltin Oleg, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)​

Before HOUSE OF TORTURE challenge NEVER 6 Man Tag team Champions Yano, Tanahashi and Boltin ion Hokkaido, an eight man preview pits H.O.T against Hontai. The war between the forces of justice and darkness in NJPW got more heated at Sumo Hall, when El Phantasmo was forced to make a decision, and did the right thing by not siding with the HOUSE. Retribution was swift from EVIL’s crew though- what steps might they take in Yamanashi?
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5th Match: Just Five Guys (DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku) vs BULLET CLUB (Gedo & Taiji Ishimori)​

Taiji Ishimori and DOUKI finally have a date for their IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship clash, September 11 in Sendai. A tag team preview sees veterans TAKA and Gedo joining the mix in our fifth match of the night.
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4th Match: Tomoaki Honma & Tomohiro Ishii vs Mad Bastards (Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee)​

The new Mad Bastards tandem of Jake Lee and Gabe Kidd were getting ready to make a big statement with a win over former IWGP Tag Champions Bishamon at the G1 final, but YOSHI-HASHI had other plans. As he defeated David Finlay to earn an IWGP Global title shot, Lee and Kidd are now forced to reset, and face a GBH reunion of sorts with Tomoaki Honma teaming with the reutrning Tomohiro Ishii.
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3rd Match: Jado & Shota Umino vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (SHO & Ren Narita)​

After El Phantasmo staunchly rejected HOUSE OF TORTURE in Ryogoku, and paid a physical price, Shota Umino played peacekeeper backstage with Jado in the wake of miscommunications between the Massive Heater and ELP. With Jado always holding the Guerrillas of Destiny label, Umino made a formal offer to Jado to join Hontai proper, but was met with silence. Tonight, maybe some answers in tag team action.
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2nd Match: Katsuya Murashima & Ryusuke Taguchi vs United Empire (HENARE & Jeff Cobb)​

It’s safe to say that HENARE and Jeff Cobb are not the biggest fans of Los Ingobernables De Japon right now, and both w

ill defend their NEVER and World TV Championships against LIJ members in Korakuen Hall against Hiromu Takahashi and Yota Tsuji repsectively. Tonight, they face a team headed up by Ryusuke Taguchi, whose latest scheme to get rich quickly is to brazenly rip off the LIJ trademarks. That’s likely not going to go unpunished in our second bout.
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1st match: Shoma Kato & Riiita vs United Empire (Callum Newman & Francesco Akira)​

Startng off the night, it’s a nod to Shingo Takagi’s DRAGON GATE past, as his original home promotion is represented by young prospect Riiita. Teaming with Shoma Kato, he faces United Empire’s Callum Newman and Francesco Akira to start.
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Kickoff Match: Daiki Nagai vs Masatora Yasuda​

Singles record: 0–0–4

We get started with Daiki Nagai and Masatora Yasuda resuming their Young Lion journeys. Nagai and Yasuda watched the best in the world compete in the G1 Climax from ringside, and now carry that inspiration to the ring. Will one or the other get their first victory?​