New Japan Pro Wrestling sent out the following:
Three title matches highlight Dominion Card!
NEVER, IWGP Tag and Double IWGP Championship matches headline in Osaka July 12
After the events of July 3’s New Japan Cup semifinal card, two title matches have been made official for Dominion on July 12 in Osaka Jo Hall, joining the already confirmed main event.
That main event will see Tetsuya Naito defend both the IWGP Intercontinental and Heavyweight Championships against the winner of the New Japan Cup. Kazuchika Okada and EVIL have weathered a 32 man storm to reach the finals on July 11. Will EVIL’s ‘any means necessary’ attitude see him to an all LIJ main event in Osaka, or will Kazuchika Okada maintain his perfect attendance in the main event at Dominion in Osaka Jo Hall?
SHO will challenge Shingo Takagi for the NEVER Openweight Championship at Dominion. The New Japan Cup draw worked out perfectly for SHO, who faced his rival Takagi in the first round, and in one of the most thrilling clashes of the tournament thus far, struck with Shock Arrow to defeat the champion. Takagi denied SHO a title shot until July 3, when after a six man tag team victory, SHO staked his claim with an emphatic spear to the champion. Takagi now puts the title on the line in Osaka for his second defence.
Also official for Osaka, Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi, Golden?Ace defend the IWGP Tag Team Championships for the first time against Dangerous Tekkers, Kota Ibushi and Zack Sabre Junior.
Immediately after Ibushi and Tanahashi won the tag team championships in Korakuen Hall this February, Taichi and ZSJ seemed to jump to the front of the contendership line when they assaulted Golden?Ace. Then, whether by fair means or foul (usually both), Taichi was able to cement that claim by defeating first Tanahashi and then Taichi in the New Japan Cup.
On July 3, Taichi continued to press the issue after an opening eight man tag team match. Snatching the tag team belts, Taichi would toss them in Ibushi’s path, daring him to ‘pick them up, we’re challenging’. An angered Ibushi gave chase to Dangerous Tekkers, resulting in a brawl backstage. Now these issues will be settled in-ring in Osaka.
