On Saturday, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) announced that their annual Dominion show will be moving dates from June 6 to Monday, June 7 due to the state of emergency policies in Japan. They also announced the card for the show and we now know who will contend for the vacant IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Kazuchika Okada, who was scheduled to battle Will Ospreay for the title at Wrestle Grand Slam inside the Tokyo Dome, will take on Shingo Takagi to crown the new champion.
NJPW also revealed that the postponed battle between IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado and YOH will take place at Dominion as well, along with Kota Ibushi taking on United Empire’s Jeff Cobb.
OFFICIAL for Dominion, Monday June 7!
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
Kauchika Okada vs Shingo Takagi!IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
YOH vs El Desperado!Kota Ibushi vs Jeff Cobb!https://t.co/KqyX5qMG9b
LIVE, English coverage on @njpwworld!#njpw #njdominion pic.twitter.com/VOIFBhexlY
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) May 29, 2021
Kazuchika Okada has not competed in a championship match since Wrestle Kingdom 14, where he lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Tetsuya Naito in the Double Gold Dash match. He not only seems more determined than ever to win gold now, but this would be his first time holding the newly created world title.
Shingo Takagi, on the other hand, failed to capture the champion in his 40-plus minute battle with Will Ospreay at Wrestling Dontaku. Considering his win over Okada in the first round of the New Japan Cup, it only made sense that he would get one more shot if Okada would still be getting his.
This match will be one of the biggest in NJPW history as the winner will be tasked with leading a new legacy for the company.
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