The second night of NJPW’s Wrestling Dontaku began on a disappointing note. Naoki Sugabayashi, the chairman of NJPW, announced at the start of the show that two wrestlers had come down with fevers. Out of an abundance of caution they and the wrestlers they have had matches against recently have been removed from the card and will undergo mandatory testing. The wrestlers are: El Desperado, Kazuchika Okada, Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO and YOH. The matches for tonight have been changed due to the unforeseen but necessary absences.
In the main event, Will Ospreay, the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, was successful in his second title defence beating challenger Shingo Takagi in a chaotic match which pitted Shing’s great strength against Ospreay’s speed and agility.
Things broke down minutes into the match with both men snatching tables and smashing them into each other. Ospreay got the worst of the collision. He toppled to the floor. Shingo bounced Ospreay’s head off one of the tables.
Two tables that were set up beside each other would come into play later on in the match. Shingo sent Ospreay through them with a Made in Japan off the apron. It took Ospreay until the count of 19 to get back into the ring.
Following a forearm slugfest in the middle of the ring, Ospreay would stun Shingo with a Hidden Blade, a Rainmaker Clothesline, another Hidden Blade and a Storm Breaker to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Talk about a hard day on the job.
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Night Two
Results
Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. and Douki) versus Bullet Club (Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga and Jado)
Douki misses a splash on Jado. He hits the arena floor with a splat! Jado throws Douki into the ringside barrier, bashes him with his kendo stick and hurls him into a steel post. Poor Douki takes a nasty fall on the floor when he attempts to launch himself from the apron over the ropes and Loa drop kicks him in the face. Sabre Jr. makes Jado submit. A ticked off Douki attacks Loa on the floor.
Winners: Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. and Douki)
Master Wato and Hiroyoshi Tenzan versus Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori and Yujiro Takahashi)
Not much to write home about. Ishimori pins Wato with his Bloody Cross finisher.
Winners: Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori and Yujiro Takahashi)
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, SANADA and Tetsuya Naito) versus United Empire (Aaron Henare, Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan)
Like the last 232 matches between these two teams Bushi is pinned by Cobb and his Tour of the Islands.
Winners: United Empire (Aaron Henare, Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan)
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Ryusuke Taguchi versus Bullet Club (Jay White, Dick Togo and Evil)
Really funny moment in which everyone is pulling everyone’s hair. Taguchi is the last to join in but Togo’s hair and beard are too short. He clotheslines Togo which knocks everyone down like a stack of dominoes. As Red Shoes is busying making sure the time keeper is okay after Evil knocked him over as per the running gag in NJPW, Evil chokes out Taguchi with a microphone cord. The Ace covers Togo with one of Yano’s hoods. Yano pushes Togo into Evil, hits the double punch to the groin and pins Togo with a roll-up.
Winners: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Ryusuke Taguchi
Shingo Takagi (challenger) versus Will Ospreay (champion) – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match
Winner: …and still IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Will Ospreay.
