NJPW Summer Struggle results: Rocky Romero vs. El Phantasmo

NJPW’s Summer Struggle tour continued today with a show in Korakuen Hall. 

The top two bouts were singles match previews of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match set to take place at Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome on July 25. 

In the main event, Rocky Romero took on El Phantasmo in a rematch of a classic Best of the Super Juniors match from May 2019. In the semi-main, Taiji Ishimori faced Ryusuke Taguchi. Ishimori and ELP will defend the IWGP Jr. Tag titles against Romero and Taguchi at the Tokyo Dome. 

The undercard was made up of tag team previews of some of next week’s biggest bouts. 

Here are today’s results:

KENTA, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura (12:56)

Yujiro pinned Tsuji after hitting Pimp Juice. 

Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & Minoru Suzuki defeated Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI (13:29)

Taichi pinned BUSHI after he and Sabre hit Zack Mephisto. 

Robbie Eagles, SHO & YOH defeated El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI (12:55)

Eagles used the Ron Miller Special to submit DOUKI.

Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Taiji Ishimori (14:23)

Taguchi pinned Ishimori with a cradle after Ishimori failed in an attempt to cradle Taguchi by pulling his tights down. Taguchi then used a stinkface on Ishimori. This has to be seen to be believed. 

ELP then ran in and attacked Taguchi. Romero ran in for the save and the main event began. 

Rocky Romero and El Phantasmo went to a time limit draw (30:00)

Taguchi teased throwing in the towel for Romero. ELP intercepted the towel. ELP hit Sudden Death, but Romero kicked out as the time limit expired. 

Here are the lineups for the next week and weekend’s NJPW World events:

NJPW Summer Struggle in Osaka night one, Thursday, July 22, 4 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Taichi
  • SANADA vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Kota Ibushi & Master Wato vs. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI
  • Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto vs. Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. KENTA, EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi
  • Robbie Eagles, SHO & YOH vs. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI

NJPW Summer Struggle in Osaka night two, Friday, July 23, 1 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • SANADA vs. Taichi
  • Kota Ibushi & Master Wato vs. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI
  • Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. KENTA, EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi
  • Hirooki Goto, Ryusuke Taguchi & Rocky Romero vs. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Jado

NJPW Summer Struggle in Nagoya, Saturday, July 24, 4 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. KENTA
  • Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL
  • Kota Ibushi & Master Wato vs. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI
  • Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano vs. Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan
  • Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Ryusuke Taguchi & Rocky Romero vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Jado
  • Robbie Eagles, SHO & YOH vs. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI

NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome, Sunday, July 25, 3 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
  • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Tetsuya Naito & SANADA (c) vs. Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado (c) vs. Robbie Eagles
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo (c) vs. Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi
  • Pre-show New Japan Ranbo for the provisional KOPW 2021