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It's the second biggest non-tournament night in New Japan's yearly calendar - DOMINION IN OSAKA-JO HALL! IWGP WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP Challenger "The Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada vs. Challenger "The Dragon" Shingo Takagi Well, we sure found a roundabout way to get here. In fact, if you ask Okada, he'd tell you "the new belt is cursed", and claims that it's the old heavyweight title - the one he was a five-time holder of, the longest reigning champion of, the title that placed him as a true GOD of Wrestling, getting revenge for being put out to pasture. For those unaware, back at Wrestle Kingdom 15, on Night 1, having been gifted the first night's challenge by then IWGP double champion Tetsuya Naito after "Switchblade" Jay White stole the right to challenge in the Dome from Ibushi by cheating, became double champ and defended the belt successfully in one of the best matches of the year the next night against White. His intention as double champ? To fuse what he called "The Best" belt - the IWGP Heavyweight Championship - and "The Strongest" belt - the IWGP Intercontinental Championship - into a new belt that would be a true peak of wrestling, that would carry the legacy of both forward. And, after the traditional Jr. Heavyweight vs. Heavyweight champion bout at the Anniversary Show, this time with the Heavyweight and Intercontinental belts on the line for the last time - it was done. No longer were there two belts, but simply the International Wrestling Grand Prix World Heavyweight Championship, with a new design incorporating the legacy of IWGP Heavyweight title belts past - seriously, all four versions of those belts are represented on the medallion in the center - and the Intercontinental title represented on the side plates (at least if I remember correctly). It also looks like an anime. Like a whole damned 26 episode run of them smashed into something you strap around your waist. Anyway, Ibushi lost that belt on the first defense. Will Ospreay took it from him, and after a successful - barely - defense against Shingo Takagi, he was looking down the barrel at potentially getting his revenge on Kazuchika Okada in the Tokyo Dome, where the same night Ibushi won all the gold, he ticked off the Rainmaker and got a Rainmaker for his troubles, taking a big L on the biggest stage of them all. His chance for vengeance would be back in the Tokyo Dome, at the second of two baseball stadium shows in what New Japan was calling WRESTLE GRAND SLAM. Then COVID happened. Japan locked down Tokyo for like the fourth time this year, it feels like. Okada caught it, among others. The shows were postponed indefinitely, although techcnically this show is somehow part of the Wrestle Grand Slam tour. And then it turned out that Ospreay's years and years of doing stupid, stupid bumps caught up to him, as the discs in his neck were, well, in pretty ugly shape. He fled to his homeland to recuperate in a place where he knew the language fluently, but was forced to vacate the World Heavyweight title when he did. So here we are. The #1 contender to the title - Okada - and the man who beat him in the New Japan Cup, and who is coming off a 45-minute epic with Ospreay on the second night of Dontaku, Takagi. Okada is a five-time champ, three behind record holder for most reigns, Hiroshi Tanahashi. He has faced the best in the world, downed men who have held the top belts in promotions spanning the world. But ever since he went into 2020's Wrestle Kingdom 14, looking down on the Intercontinental title, he's been a little... off. The humility of losing hasn't quite straightened him out, whether it was failing to make Hiromu Takahashi tap out to his World Famous Money Clip in the 2020 New Japan Cup and winning by stoppage, failing to take down EVIL in the same tournament, getting rolled up by Toru Yano in a match he came up with for a title he made up (the King of Pro-Wrestling trophy), failing to make it to the G1 finals and being double-crossed by Ospreay along the way, or now this year getting absolutely thwacked by Takagi in the 2021 New Japan Cup. Takagi, on the other hand, is having a banner year, managing to successfully defend the NEVER Openweight Championship against Jeff Cobb in one of the best matches of the two nights of Wrestle Kingdom, having a Match of the Year candidate with Hiroshi Tanahashi where he dropped the belt, a New Japan Cup final against Will Ospreay that neared their 2019 Best of the Super Juniors finals, and a 45 minute smash mouth shot at the gold against the then-champ Ospreay at Wrestling Dontaku just last month. Now, through this twisted series of events, we find ourselves with a New Japan Cup rematch with the top of the mountain within reach for both men - will the man who has tasted similar gold before claim this new belt and add it to his legacy in what is technically his first shot at it? Or will the former Dragon Gate ace, maybe the best wrestler in the world right this moment, gaze upon the horizon, a dragon hording the most precious gold of them all?  IWGP JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP Challenger YOH vs. Champion El Desperado You can't say El Desperado isn't a man who will go through hell and back to lay claim to being the best junior heavyweight out there. Having won the belt out of a short mini-tournament when champion Hiromu Takahashi, his opponent in the 2020 Best of The Super Juniors final, was forced to vacate it due to a pec tear, Desperado is carrying forward the wishes of Hiromu, wanting to prove that the belt is just as meaningful, just as vaunted, as the heavyweight division's top belts. And, coming off a case of COVID, you best believe he'll have to be mostly dead to have the belt escape his clutches. And across from him tonight is a man who got put on the shelf back in 2020 after tearing his ACL in a match against BUSHI. As much of a long road as it's been for El Desperado, the road back from injury for YOH was one long, hard year, recuperating in the middle of a pandemic, watching on as his fellow jr. tag team champion, SHO, tried to carve a path for himself. Having taken those tag belts from Desperado and Kanemaru, YOH now has a chance to strip the silver from Desperado's waist and be the top dog of Roppongi, and New Japan's junior heavyweight division. But Desperado, it has to be repeated, won't stop until you kill him. Will their night end hearing wild piano, or a mariachi guitar?  SPECIAL SINGLES GRUDGE MATCH "Golden Star" Kota Ibushi vs. "Eater of Worlds" Jeff Cobb Jeff Cobb is a dick (nobody tell him I said that, I like being alive). He put Kota on the shelf with a Tour of The Islands right after Kota lost his most precious, the World Heavyweight championship. And he sat at home, recuperating, letting the anger build. Setting his sights on the strongest man in all of New Japan, readying himaelf to kick his head off. Can he pull it off, or is Cobb just TOO STRONK TO BE STOPPED? We'll find out tonight.  LOS INGOBERNABLES DE JAPON vs. SUZUKI-GUN SANADA, BUSHI, y Naito vs. IWGP Tag Team Champions Dangerous Tekkers (Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.) and Douki Well, you gotta get guys on the show somehow. This is a bit of an odd one - LIJ is the most loved faction in Japan, even though they've been through the ringer over the last year, what with founding member EVIL taking Bullet Club's money and betraying Naito, taking the double gold from him in the process, and Hiromu, the little brother of the group, having to step off the tours due to injury. But Dangerous Tekkers have won the crowds over with the power of friendship guiding them, winning the IWGP Tag Team Championships multiple times and Taichi managing to wrest back his inherited Steel Fingers of Death from Tama Tonga in a ladder match. And now the fami;y's truly whole with the return of Miho Abe, she who is in thrall of the master of the Black Mephisto. How can you not love them? It'll be interesting to see who the crowd sides with more - Naito has a history with the building, but ever since his Intercontinental title loss to Chris Jericho in 2018, and an insane match against Ibushi in 2019, Osaka-jo Hall has seemed to turn a corner on him. But the Tekkers are the Tekkers, and they find it real easy to rally the crowd to their corner these days, an odd feeling for two guys (and their pal) who hang around with the Most Evil Man In The Universe, Minoru Suzuki.  CHAOS AND HONTAI TAKE ON THE B-B-B-B-BULLET CLUB "Once In A Century Talent" Hiroshi Tanahashi, NEVER Six-Man Tag Team Champions "Loose Explosion" Yoshi-Hashi, "Chokey" Hirooki Goto, and "Stone Pitbull" Tomohiro Ishii, and 1/2 of IWGP JR. Tag Team Champions SHO vs. "On The Case" Chase Owens, "Tokyo Pimps" Yujiro Takahashi, "King of Darkness" EVIL, "Bone Soldier" Taiji Ishimori, and "The Headbanger" El Phantasmo Oh god we gotta get even more guys on the card, gently caress it throw a ten-man tag match together TOGOFERENCE ODDS: PRETTY drat HIGH
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Jun 7, 2021 09:43
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| # ? Apr 29, 2024 01:53 |
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Gedo is going to panic and put the belt back on Okada because of the massive decline in NJPW interest and influence since he lost the belt to lowest drawing champion ever Tetsuya Naito.
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Jun 7, 2021 09:46
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A show of 3 MOTYCs and two "we're also here"s.
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Jun 7, 2021 09:48
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I am going to try to watch this but I've been really having trouble getting my eyes to focus on anything the past day so I imagine I'll end up either bailing like I did during Cyberfight Festival or alternatively be watching with one eye covered up Main event will rule, Gedo needs to not be a coward and put Takagi over though.
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Jun 7, 2021 09:49
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The main event is one of those fun ones where I'm entirely OK with either result and I know it'll be a banger to end all bangers. But yes, give The Dragon some gold Gedo you coward, you fool.
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Jun 7, 2021 09:52
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im telling jeff you said that
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Jun 7, 2021 09:53
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I think it's about as good a card as they could put together at the last minute Very keen
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Jun 7, 2021 09:54
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JOHN CENA posted:im telling jeff you said that  but I don't wanna be smashed into the shape of a cube!
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Jun 7, 2021 09:58
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Going to go out on a limb and say at least one of the matches tonight will be quite good
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Jun 7, 2021 09:59
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The Cameo posted:
hes gonna address you after he puts away kota ibushi tonight
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Jun 7, 2021 10:00
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here to see the rainmaker save NJPW
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Jun 7, 2021 10:01
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It's hiromu everyone
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Jun 7, 2021 10:01
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Jun 7, 2021 10:01
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Countdown to Hiromu's return
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Jun 7, 2021 10:02
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"Has anyone seen Abe? gently caress it, no time, Hiromu, get out there and run down the card."
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Jun 7, 2021 10:03
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HIROMU!
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Jun 7, 2021 10:03
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Come back soon Hiromu
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Jun 7, 2021 10:03
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whats hiromus injury again
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Jun 7, 2021 10:04
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Cerebral Bore posted:The main event is one of those fun ones where I'm entirely OK with either result and I know it'll be a banger to end all bangers. CAn you truly say you will be happy when Shingo taps out to the Money Clip?
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Jun 7, 2021 10:04
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JOHN CENA posted:whats hiromus injury again He lost his smile
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Jun 7, 2021 10:06
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forkboy84 posted:CAn you truly say you will be happy when Shingo taps out to the Money Clip? Shingo is literally the only man in the universe who makes the World Famous Money Clip look good, so maybe?
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Jun 7, 2021 10:06
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JOHN CENA posted:whats hiromus injury again Pec injury
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Jun 7, 2021 10:06
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man jo-hall is empty... is this covid restrictions or is njpw just this ice cold?
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Jun 7, 2021 10:06
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JOHN CENA posted:man jo-hall is empty... is this covid restrictions or is njpw just this ice cold? As GW Bushi said, it's on a Monday night, it's only 6pm, maybe people turn up as the show goes on
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Jun 7, 2021 10:08
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Not gonna lie I straight up forgot Yujiro's last name writing the OP up for a solid thirty seconds
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Jun 7, 2021 10:09
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I like most of the guys on the BC side, it's a shame it's where creativity goes to die nowadays
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Jun 7, 2021 10:09
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go ace
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Jun 7, 2021 10:10
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Hiroshi no mates has to team with CHAOS because no one else will have him, you hate to see it
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Jun 7, 2021 10:11
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Look at all these beautiful boys with all their gold and also poor no-belt ol' man Tanahashi.
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Jun 7, 2021 10:11
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does YOSHIHASHI just scream like he's falling off the building in a movie as his entrance now
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Jun 7, 2021 10:11
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GO ACE
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Jun 7, 2021 10:11
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look at his abs
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Jun 7, 2021 10:12
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Chris reveal yourself already, we all know you post here.
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Jun 7, 2021 10:12
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I’m having lunch with a friend right now but I will be joining all y’all Posting Pals in just a bit
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Jun 7, 2021 10:12
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Tonfa posted:does YOSHIHASHI just scream like he's falling off the building in a movie as his entrance now It's a yell of determination so he can continue his record breaking NEVER reign
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Jun 7, 2021 10:12
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its chase vs the ace
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Jun 7, 2021 10:13
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kevin kelly putting over the lineage of the texas heavyweight championship on the same show that threw away their world titles lineage lol
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Jun 7, 2021 10:14
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I love the dumb bullshit behind Chase's belt
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Jun 7, 2021 10:14
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is Chris Charlton commentating from inside a bathroom?
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Jun 7, 2021 10:15
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| # ? Apr 29, 2024 01:53 |
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and Rocky Romero sounds like hes doing Directors Commentary at gunpoint
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Jun 7, 2021 10:16
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