New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is returning to the Tokyo Dome for the first time since Wrestle Kingdom 15 for Wrestle Grand Slam on Sunday. The first-time-ever event will carry a Wrestle Kingdom type feel with title matches running up and down the card as well as featuring the first title defense of IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Shingo Takagi. Despite a postponement and health scare for the main event, this still looks to be a special event.
Here’s a look at the Wrestle Grand Slam card in what should be one of the biggest shows in all of pro wrestling this year with a preview breakdown of the show’s most important matches.
NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam Full Card
— IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi
— IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado (c) vs. Robbie Eagles
— Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
— IWGP Tag Team Championship: SANADA & Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi
— IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Kota Ibushi or Hiroshi Tanahashi
NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam Predictions & Analysis
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Kota Ibushi or Hiroshi Tanahashi
Originally, the main event of Wrestle Grand Slam inside the Tokyo Dome was supposed to feature Will Ospreay defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada. Once the show was postponed, a number of unexpected scenarios came into play with Ospreay getting injured and being forced to relinquish the championship. Shingo Takagi would instead defeat Okada for the vacant world title and now we approach Wrestle Grand Slam with more uncertainty surrounding the main event. Kota Ibushi, the first IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, was scheduled to be Takagi’s first challenger but has contracted aspiration pneumonia which leaves the planned match in doubt.
NJPW has yet to officially announced if Ibushi will be facing Takagi or not, but we do know who will be replacing “The Golden Star” if he’s unable to go. Following the conclusion of the final Summer Struggle show ahead of Wrestle Grand Slam where he defeated KENTA in the main event, 8-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi said that he’s ready to go if needed. This gives an entirely different look at the match as Tanahashi defeated Takagi for the NEVER Openweight Championship at The New Beginning in Nagoya back in January. Seeing that Tanahashi already has shown he can take out “The Dragon” in a title match, perhaps he can add the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to his list of accolades on Sunday.
No matter who Takagi faces, it will be an incredibly tough first defense for him in the end.
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