New champions crowned at NJPW Power Struggle

Multiple titles changed hands at today’s NJPW Power Struggle event in Osaka. 

KENTA defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi after sending him into an exposed turnbuckle and hitting a Go To Sleep to win the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. KENTA takes home the US title for the first time, plus captures his first title in NJPW since losing the NEVER Openweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom in January 2020. Tanahashi’s first reign with the US title ends after 84 days and a single successful defense. 

A new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion was crowned, as El Desperado defeated Robbie Eagles by submission to win the title. Desperado is now a two-time IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion. Eagles sees his first reign with the Junior title ended after 104 days and one successful defense. 

The NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship also switched, as EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi and SHO defeated Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI, ending the longest NEVER Six-Man reign in history. Goto, Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI’s run with the titles ends at 454 days and nine successful defenses. 

Two champions did retain their titles at Power Struggle. 

Shingo Takagi defeated Zack Sabre Jr. in the main event to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. After his win, Kazuchika Okada came to the ring and engaged in a back-and-forth with Shingo on the microphone. Okada retained his right to challenge Shingo at Wrestle Kingdom after defeating Tama Tonga earlier in the show. 

Toru Yano also retained the provisional KOPW 2021 title, defeating Great-O-Khan in an amateur rules match.