Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling held its Power Struggle show today in EDION Arena Osaka.
The full results were:
• DOUKI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru def. Kosei Fujita and Ryohei Oiwa
• Gedo, Jado and Tanga Loa def. Tiger Mask, Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma
• BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi and SANADA def. Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi and Yuji Nagata
• NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships: EVIL, SHO and Yujiro Takahashi def. Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI (c)
• KOPW 2021 trophy: Toru Yano (c) def. Great-O-Khan
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado def. Robbie Eagles (c)
• IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: KENTA def. Hiroshi Tanahashi (c)
• IWGP World Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate: Kazuchika Okada (c) def. Tama Tonga
• IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) def. Zack Sabre Jr.
EVIL, SHO and Yujiro Takahashi defeated Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI to win the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships. YOH, who has not wrestled since losing to SHO at New Japan’s second Wrestle Grand Slam show on September 4, in the MetLife Dome returned after the match to fend off the new champions.
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI will attempt their tenth defense of the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships against EVIL, SHO and Yujiro Takahashi.
Toru Yano made his first successful defense of the KOPW 2021 trophy against Great-O-Khan. The match took place under amateur wrestling rules, with three three-minute rounds and Kenta Sato, Marty Asami and Yuji Nagata officiating. Aaron Henare and Great-O-Khan attacked Yano after the match.
El Desperado defeated Robbie Eagles to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
KENTA defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to win the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.
Kazuchika Okada made his first successful defense of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate (which Okada either does not have or simply does not want) against Tama Tonga. Speaking backstage after the match, Okada accepted Buddy Matthews’ challenge for a match at New Japan’s Battle in the Valley show on November 13 in the San Jose Civic.
Shingo Takagi made his third successful defense of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Zack Sabre Jr. in the main event.
After the bout, Okada came to the ring and claimed it was the turn of the “G1 Champion” (a title he gave himself after substituting the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate for the retired IWGP Heavyweight Championship) to take over from the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship holder and carry the company forward.
Okada said holding the retired IWGP Heavyweight Championship is his “contract” (the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate). Takagi accepted Okada’s proposal to a match and suggested the bout should take place at the first night of Wrestle Kingdom 16 on January 4, 2022, in the Tokyo Dome.
To summarise, Okada first said he should be recognised as the holder of the retired IWGP Heavyweight Championship thanks to winning G1 Climax while speaking backstage at the final G1 Climax show on October 21 in the Nippon Budokan. He also claimed he was not interested in challenging Takagi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and that Takagi should have to challenge him since he is/was the champion.
Okada then formally requested to hold the retired IWGP Heavyweight Championship instead of receiving a IWGP World Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate as his reward for winning the G1 Climax at a press conference on October 22. Okada said he wanted to hold the retired title until Kota Ibushi recovers (Ibushi dislocated his shoulder during the G1 Climax 31 final against Okada, causing the bout to end early due to referee stoppage) and that holding it instead of the traditional briefcase containing the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate would be proof of his promise to Ibushi to face him again.
Okada continued at the press conference that he was willing to defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate – which, again, he requested to substitute for the retired IWGP Heavyweight Championship as proof of his promise to Ibushi – against Tama Tonga since Tonga had challenged Okada on October 21, but he wanted to be the “G1 Champion” to fire up New Japan in his own way.
Just to be 100 per cent clear, Okada’s exact words at the press conference were: “Usually (the G1 winner) gets a contract and defends that. But maybe I can- in fact, since the chairman is here today, I’m asking- to have the fourth IWGP Heavyweight belt in place of a contract. Is that okay, chairman?”
Okada was specifically asked by New Japan chairman Naoki Sugabayashi twice if he wanted the retired title in place of a contract (the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate), which Okada confirmed.
Okada then competed on the Road to Power Struggle tour, spanning from October 24 to November 4, carrying the retired IWGP Heavyweight Championship en route to defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate, an item he does not have or simply does not want, against Tonga today.
Then, after making his first successful defense of an item that he literally does not possess today, Okada challenged Takagi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, despite previously claiming he had no interest in challenging Takagi, citing the retired IWGP Heavyweight Championship as his “contract” (IWGP World Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate), despite previously requesting to hold the retired IWGP Heavyweight Championship instead of receiving a IWGP World Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate as his reward for winning the G1 Climax.
The entire saga is utterly baffling. The destination was always clear, Okada challenging Takagi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at the first night of Wrestle Kingdom 16 on January 4, 2022, in the Tokyo Dome, but the route taken has been devoid of almost any logic. Not to mention, Okada fought Takagi for the then-vacant IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Dominion on June 7 in Osaka-j? Hall, making his sudden apathy towards the title (though he is obviously not apathetic enough to not challenge Takagi for the title at Wrestle Kingdom 16) even more baffling.
DDT Pro-Wrestling
DDT Pro-Wrestling held its second D-Oh Grand Prix show today in Yokohama Radiant Hall.
The full results were:
• Kazuki Hirata, Saki Akai and Yusuke Okada def. Akito, Antonio Honda and Yukio Naya
• Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata and Yuki Ueno def. Soma Takao, Toi Kojima and Yuki Ishida
• Daisuke Sasaki and MJ Paul def. Hideki Okatani and Yuya Koroku
• B block: MAO def. Kazusada Higuchi
• B block: Chris Brookes def. HARASHIMA
• A block: Bodyguard def. Naomi Yoshimura
• A block: Yuji Hino def. Jun Akiyama
DDT will hold its third D-Oh Grand Prix show tomorrow in Niigata. The full card is:
• Hideki Okatani vs. Yuki Ishida
• Antonio Honda and Toi Kojima vs. Danshoku Dieno and Yuki Iino
• Kazusada Higuchi and Yuki Ueno vs. Yuji Hino and Yuya Koroku
• A block: Naomi Yoshimura vs. Tetsuya Endo
• Akito, HARASHIMA and Super Sasadango Machine vs. Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya and Yusuke Okada
• B block: MAO vs. Yuji Okabayashi
• B block: Chris Brookes vs. Konosuke Takeshita
Dragon Gate
Dragon Gate held its second The Gate of Evolution tour show today in Fujisan Messe.
The full results were:
• Ben-K and Dragon Kid def. Jacky Funky Kamei and King Shimizu
• Genki Horiguchi and Susumu Yokosuka def. Naruki Doi and Takashi Yoshida
• Dragon Dia, Jason Lee, Kota Minoura and Shun Skywalker def. Dia Inferno, KAI, Kaito Ishida and SB KENTo via DQ
• Kzy and U-T def. Kagetora and YAMATO
• Don Fujii, Masaaki Mochizuki, Shuji Kondo and Ultimo Dragon def. BxB Hulk, Diamante, Eita and H.Y.O
Dragon Gate will hold its third The Gate of Evolution tour show tomorrow in Fukui Sangyokaikan. The full card is:
• Ben-K and Kagetora vs. Genki Horiguchi and U-T
• Gamma, Ultimo Dragon and Yosuke Santa Maria vs. Masaaki Mochizuki, Naruki Doi and Takashi Yoshida
• Dia Inferno, KAI and SB KENTo vs. Dragon Dia, Kota Minoura and La Estrella
• Dragon Kid and YAMATO vs. Jason Lee and Shun Skywalker
• BxB Hulk, Eita, H.Y.O and Kaito Ishida vs. Jacky Funky Kamei, King Shimizu, Kzy and Susumu Yokosuka
GLEAT
GLEAT held a show today in Shinjuku FACE.
The full results were:
• KAZMA SAKAMOTO and Quiet Storm def. Jun Masaoka and Shigehiro Irie
• Madeline def. Ayako Sato & Michiko Miyagi
• Minoru Tanaka def. Keiichi Sato
• CIMA, Kaz Hayashi and MUSASHI def. El Lindaman, Issei Onitsuka and T-Hawk
• Hayato Tamura, Nobuhiro Shimatani and Ryuichi Kawakami def. Atsuki Aoyagi, Takanori Ito and Yu Iizuka
GLEAT has announced the full card for its empty arena show on November 18. The full card is:
• El Lindaman, Issei Onitsuka and T-Hawk vs. Jun Tonsho, Minoru Tanaka and Yu Iizuka
• Akane Fujita and Michiko Miyagi vs. Thekla and Yappy
• Hayato Tamura vs. Jun Masaoka
• Kaz Hayashi and Takanori Ito vs. Ken45° and Quiet Storm
• CIMA and KAZMA SAKAMOTO vs. Nobuhiro Shimatani and Ryuichi Kawakami
Yukari Hosokawa will make her GLEAT debut against Michiko Miyagi at GLEAT’s show on December 8 in Shinjuku FACE.
Big Japan Pro Wrestling
Big Japan Pro Wrestling held a show today in Osaka.
The full results were:
• Yuichi Taniguchi def. Masaaki Morihiro
• Akira Hyodo def. Kazumasa Yoshida
• Yuya Aoki def. Takuho Kato
• Kazuki Hashimoto and Kota Sekifuda def. Kosuke Sato and Yasutaka Oosera
• Fuminori Abe and Takuya Nomura def. Hiroaki Taniguchi and Yosuke Takii
• Daichi Hashimoto and Hideyoshi Kamitani def. Katsumi Oribe and Kazumi Kikuta
• Daimonji So, Kazuaki Mihara and Yasufumi Nakanoue def. Daisuke Sekimoto, Yuji Okabayashi and Yuki Ishikawa
• Deathmatch: Abdullah Kobayashi, Drew Parker and Ryuji Ito def. Isami Kodaka, Jaki Numazawa and Kankuro Hoshino
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
