All Japan Pro Wrestling’s (AJPW) upcoming show is the climax of the AJPW Super Deluxe Series 2021. This is a tour of shows that already featured two title changes in the tag team divisions. In the singles division, a story months in the making reaches to its conclusion as Jake Lee defends the Triple Crown Championship against the challenger, Suwama. Take a deeper dive into Jake Lee vs Suwama.
Finally tomorrow ❗️
Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship Match
Champion Jake Lee
🆚
challenger SuwamaSeptember, 21st (Tuesday) starting at 18:30 (JP)
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
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— AJPW International (@ajpwint) September 20, 2021
Jake Lee vs Suwama – What to Know
In the Beginning
The year 2021 started off in two drastically unique times for our combatants. Jake Lee was in the midst of a spiral downfall, while Suwama was the reigning and defending Triple Crown Champion. This was a title he held for over a year. Lee’s spiral, however, would be broken once he turned on his partner Koji Iwamoto and formed Total Eclipse. Lee would go into the Champion Carnival 2021 with a brand new attitude, defeating Suwama early on in this tournament.
Jake Lee’s success would go further in this tournament, ultimately winning the Champion Carnival by defeating Kento Miyahara in the finals. After winning the tournament, Lee was supposed to face off against Suwama at the Champions Night show. Due to contracting COVID-19, Suwama relinquished the Triple Crown Championship.
The Total Eclipse
There would be a brand new champion crowned on Champions Night via a triple threat gauntlet match. This match featured Yuma Aoyagi, Jake Lee, and Kento Miyahara; ultimately, Lee emerged victorious. While Suwama was recovering, Lee started a major focus by finishing unfinished business. Shotaro Ashino was the first person to fall to Jake Lee. From there, Lee entered the upcoming 2021 Royal Road Tournament under a massive high. In the Royal Road Tournament, both Suwama and Jake Lee went, with Ashino defeating Lee to eliminate the latter.
Suwama would go into the semifinals as well when he defeated Kento Miyahara. Suwama entered the finals of the tournament against Ashino, eventually wining the 2021 Royal Road. Now, Suwama challenges Jake Lee for the Triple Crown Championship. Suwama held the title multiple times. Meanwhile, this is Lee’s biggest title defense to date.
The Past vs The Now
Jake Lee and Suwama do not only represent the best of what AJPW has to offer but the changing tide within the company. While Suwama is the former ace of AJPW, Lee wants to establish his legacy by defeating one of the aces of this company. Suwama represents the past. Kento Miyahara represents the more recent era. Jake Lee represents the “now” of AJPW. Suwama saved the company in the 2000s, while Miyahara brought more eyes to the product in the late 2010s. Meanwhile, Jake Lee is considered the current era of this company, ready to establish himself as the new ace.
If Jake Lee loses, it would stop his ego. He may start to understand that he’s not invincible. It would be a massive blow in his career, losing the championship that he has only held for over 3 months to a person who’s been quite successful in this current tour. If Lee were to win, it would cement a major part of his rise of dominance as a force to reckoned with in this new era of All Japan Pro Wrestling. Meanwhile, for Suwama, it’s about getting back what he never rightfully lost.
If Suwama were to lose, it’s unlikely that he will fall far from the scene. He is still part of the reigning AJPW World Tag Team Champions with Shotaro Ashino. Suwama could be looking to accomplish what he did last year when he held the AJPW World Tag Team Championship and Triple Crown Championship at the same time. In terms of win/loss history. Suwama has an advantage, with 4 prior wins, while Jake Lee won 2 bouts. This also marks the second title defense for Lee. A second title is already an anomaly for Lee, so the match could be either way.
Jake Lee vs Suwama – In Closing
One must also consider the winner of the upcoming Zeus vs Kento Miyahara match. While it’s been predicted that Miyahara will win, both Jake Lee and Suwama have defeated him recently in tournament bouts. Nonetheless, this could finally awaken the Miyahara that dominated AJPW in the late 2010s, which itself is Lee’s biggest nightmare. The Miyahara that put Lee where he was that long ago must be noted. Will Jake Lee continue his reign by defeating Suwama or will we walk out with a brand new Triple Crown Champion? Everything will be known in the climax of the AJPW Super Deluxe Series 2021.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. Make sure to watch All Japan Pro Wrestling on AJPW.TV.
