New Japan Pro Wrestling sent out the following:

Big matches set for Dontaku May 3!

Three titles already official, Young Lions face Hat-Trick Challenge

May 3 will see Wrestling Dontaku return to its home of the Fukuoka International Center. Always one of the biggest events leading into the early summer, Dontaku presents a wrestling counterpart to Fukuoka’s Dontaku festival, currently celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Before even a match was announced, the building was fast approaching a sellout, and with big titles on the line, that goal seems a certainty!

Topping the Dontaku card is the first defence of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, SANADA taking on his one time Los Ingobernables De Japon teammate and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion at time of writing, Hiromu Takahashi. Moments after SANADA converted his New Japan Cup win into world title success in the main event of Sakura Genesis opposite Kazuchika Okada, Hiromu would hit the ring and challenge the new title holder. SANADA accepted on the condition that Hiromu defend his junior heavyweight title against Yoshinobu Kanemaru and the match was on.

Will SANADA get over the tough first defence barrier? Or could Hiromu live his dream of being the first reigning junior champion to capture world heavyweight gold?

On the tenth anniversary of BULLET CLUB, David Finlay will be looking for NEVER Openweight Championship gold at the expense of Tama Tonga. At Sakura Genesis, a shot with the title ot the head of the champion cemented the Rebel’s challenge, and Finlay would go on to underscore those actions by forcibly expelling El Phantasmo from BULLET CLUB. With Finlay looking to reinforce his status at the head of the group, especially as former leader Jay White competes in AEW Dynamite supposedly under the BC banner, gold equals power, and results are all important, over core four founder member especially.

NEVER Openweight 6 Man gold will also be on the line at Dontaku as Strong Style seek their second defence. After putting HOUSE OF TORTURE in their rear view mirror, it was Ren Narita that voiced a desire to face Kazuchika Okada with the NEVER 6 man belts at stake. A tag match for Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi against Narita and Shota Umino during the New Japan Cup saw a convincing victory for the Dream Team, but now the prospect is a match in Narita’s wheelhouse; the only question remains who Okada might enlist as his tag partners.

Zack Sabre Jr. will go one on one at Dontaku with Jeff Cobb. Backstage at Sakura Genesis, Sabre made a challenge to newly crowned IWGP Tag Team Champions Aussie Open on behalf of his TMDK mates Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls, but was cut off at the pass by Jeff Cobb, who wanted a shot at ZSJ’s NJPW World TV Championship. Sabre was in no position to accept, with a defence coming up on April 15 against Tom Lawlor in DC. Yet should the Briton get past the Filthy one, it seems likely that Cobb will be banging on the champ’s door.

KENTA will face Hikuleo one on one. When David Finlay clobbered Tama Tonga at Sakura Genesis, KENTA joined the party with a STRONG Openweight belt shot to Hikuleo, delivered moments before he stabbed his friend El Phantasmo in the back to boot him from BULLET CLUB. Now Hikuleo will want revenge, and it seems very possible that should KENTA get past Eddie Edwards at Capital Collision, the STRONG title as well.

A unique kickoff bout for Dontaku will see the first ever Young Lion Hat-Trick challenge match. One of four Young Lions- Ryohei Oiwa, Yuto Nakashima, Oskar Leube or Boltin Oleg, to be announced at a later date, will compete in three five minute matchups. Should they be able to run the gauntlet and win all three, they will be granted a future shot at the NJPW World TV Championship, as well as 200,000 Yen of Yakkiniku barbecue courtesy of CS Asahi- rich and delicious prizes indeed.

With plenty more action, and the announcement of Best of the Super Jr. cards as well, a loaded night on deck for Dontaku May 3!