Five title matches set for NJPW Wrestling Dontaku tour

NJPW has revealed the lineups for the Wrestling Dontaku tour, including five title bouts. 

New IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA will make his first title defense at Wrestling Dontaku on Wednesday, May 3 against Hiromu Takahashi. 

Following SANADA’s title win at Sakura Genesis, Hiromu was the first to step up to challenge his former Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemate, and the match is now official. 

Also set for May 3, Tama Tonga will defend the NEVER Openweight Championship against Bullet Club’s David Finlay. 

In another May 3 title match, Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Ren Narita will defend the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship against Kazuchika Okada, and two partners of Okada’s choosing. 

Hiromu will have another title bout earlier on the tour, as he defends the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Yoshinobu Kanemaru in Hiroshima on Thursday, April 27. 

The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles are also on the line on April 27, as TJP and Francesco Akira defend against KUSHIDA and Kevin Knight. 

Depending on the results of the NJPW Capital Collision event this weekend in Washington DC, there is the potential for a total of seven title bouts on the tour. 

KENTA will take on Hikuleo on May 3, and that match will be for the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship should KENTA defeat Eddie Edwards on Saturday in DC. 

Likewise, Zack Sabre Jr. will face Jeff Cobb on May 3, and the NJPW World Television Championship will be on the line should Sabre get past “Filthy” Tom Lawlor in DC.

The company also announced that they will reveal the Best of the Super Juniors lineup at Wrestling Dontaku on May 3.

The lineups for the key Wrestling Dontaku events: 

NJPW Road to Wrestling Dontaku, Thursday, April 27 —

  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: TJP & Francesco Akira (c) vs. KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. DOUKI
  • Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. SANADA & Taichi
  • Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Ren Narita & Shota Umino
  • Zack Sabre Jr., Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste vs. Aussie Open & Jeff Cobb
  • Tama Tonga, Hikuleo & Master Wato vs. David Finlay, KENTA & Taiji Ishimori
  • Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano & YOH vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo
  • Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare vs. Oskar Leube & Boltin Oleg

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku, Wednesday, May 3 —

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: SANADA (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi
  • NEVER Openweight Championship: Tama Tonga (c) vs. David Finlay
  • NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Ren Narita (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada & two partners TBA
  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Jeff Cobb
  • KENTA vs. Hikuleo
  • BOSJ lineup announced
  • Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
  • Shota Umino, KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight vs. Aaron Henare, Francesco Akira & TJP
  • Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita vs. Great-O-Khan & Aussie Open
  • Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano & YOH vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo
  • Pre-show match: Young Lion gauntlet match