NJPW announces two top matches for Declaration of Power
Jay White’s next defense of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship is officially set.
NJPW has announced that White will put the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Tama Tonga at Declaration of Power on Monday, October 10. The event is being held at Sumo Hall in Tokyo.
Tonga challenging White for the title was set up by Tonga defeating White when they faced off in the G1 Climax.
Kazuchika Okada was crowned the winner of this year’s G1 Climax and is set to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 17 next January. At Declaration of Power, Okada will face off with JONAH in a special singles match.
Okada vs. JONAH was also set up by JONAH defeating Okada in the G1. The winner of the G1 usually has to defend their Wrestle Kingdom title shot on the road to the Tokyo Dome, but Okada stated that he wants to elevate the prestige of the G1 by guaranteeing that the winner of the tournament gets their Wrestle Kingdom title match without having to defend the rights.
White vs. Tonga and Okada vs. JONAH are the first two matches set for Declaration of Power. NJPW noted that the show name is making its return as part of the company’s 50th anniversary celebration.
“October 10 will see NJPW return to Ryogoku Sumo Hall, with a traditional national sports day holiday event back on the calendar,” NJPW wrote. “This time, as NJPW continues to revive classic tour names from our 50 year history, Declaration of Power is back from being a regular series through the late 1990s and early 2000s.
NJPW Declaration of Power (October 10) —
- IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White defends against Tama Tonga
- Kazuchika Okada vs. JONAH
- More matches to be announced