Okada vs. Tanahashi headlines NJPW Wrestling Dontaku tour

Coming out of Sakura Genesis, New Japan Pro Wrestling has revealed the cards for the Wrestling Dontaku tour.

Wrestling Dontaku nights one and two in Fukuoka and Wrestling Hinokuni in Kumamoto are the three biggest shows of the tour, and they’ll feature matches that were set up at Sakura Genesis. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi will headline Dontaku night two. Okada is going for his 12th consecutive title defense, which would break the record that he currently shares with Tanahashi.

The semi-main event for Dontaku night two is scheduled to be IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay defending against KUSHIDA, but the severity of the neck injury that Ospreay suffered at Sakura Genesis will determine whether he’s able to make the tour or not. Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Bad Luck Fale & Guerrillas of Destiny vs. Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, Marty Scurll & The Young Bucks is also set for the show.

Before that, The Bullet Club’s storyline will be the theme of the Dontaku night one card. Omega faces Hangman Page in the main event, Ibushi vs. Cody in a rematch from this year’s Tokyo Dome show is the semi-main, and The Young Bucks & Marty Scurll will challenge Bad Luck Fale & Guerrillas of Destiny for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles.

Four Los Ingobernables de Japon vs. Suzuki-gun matches are set for Wrestling Hinokuni. Tetsuya Naito is challenging for Minoru Suzuki’s IWGP Intercontinental Championship, EVIL & SANADA are defending their IWGP Tag Team titles against Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr., Hiromu Takahashi is facing Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and BUSHI is taking on El Desperado.

Three title matches have also been announced for smaller shows on the tour. Those are: Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI challenging for Kanemaru & Desperado’s Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles on April 23rd, IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Jay White defending against David Finlay on April 24th, and NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto putting his title on the line against Juice Robinson on April 27th.

The full lineups for Wrestling Hinokuni and both nights of Wrestling Dontaku are listed below:

Wrestling Hinokuni (April 29th in Kumamoto) —

  • IWGP Intercontinental Champion Minoru Suzuki defending against Tetsuya Naito
  • IWGP Tag Team Champions EVIL & SANADA defending against Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.
  • Hiromu Takahashi vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • BUSHI vs. El Desperado
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Michael Elgin & KUSHIDA vs. Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Will Ospreay
  • Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Takashi Iizuka, Taichi & Taka Michinoku
  • Togi Makabe & Toa Henare vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano
  • David Finlay, Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Jay White, Rocky Romero, Sho & Yoh
  • Yuji Nagata & Tetsuhiro Yagi vs. Tomoyuki Oka & Shota Umino

Wrestling Dontaku night one (May 3rd in Fukuoka) —

  • Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page
  • Kota Ibushi vs. Cody
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & KUSHIDA vs. Kazuchika Okada & Will Ospreay
  • Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA, BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado
  • NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa defending against The Young Bucks & Marty Scurll
  • Juice Robinson, David Finlay, Togi Makabe, Michael Elgin & Toa Henare vs. Hirooki Goto, Jay White, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI
  • Rocky Romero, Sho & Yoh vs. Lance Archer, Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Takashi Iizuka
  • Yuji Nagata, Tomoyuki Oka & Tetsuhiro Yagi vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV & Ryusuke Taguchi
  • Shota Umino & Ren Narita vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens

Wrestling Dontaku night two (May 4th in Fukuoka) —

  • IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada defending against Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay defending against KUSHIDA
  • Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. Cody, Hangman Page, Marty Scurll & The Young Bucks
  • Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA, BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado
  • Juice Robinson, David Finlay & Michael Elgin vs. Hirooki Goto, Jay White & YOSHI-HASHI
  • Togi Makabe & Toa Henare vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano
  • Rocky Romero, Sho & Yoh vs. Takashi Iizuka, Taichi & Taka Michinoku
  • Yuji Nagata & Tetsuhiro Yagi vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
  • Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Tomoyuki Oka, Shota Umino & Ren Narita