New Japan Pro Wrestling returns to big shows, and slightly bigger crowds, as they present their first tentpole event since Japan began easing it’s COVID precautions while it winds down the recent State of Emergency. NJPW Power Struggle will feature 9 matches, 6 of which will be for titles (or at least awards that are either represented by a title, or defended like a title.)
The main event will see Shingo Takagi defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Zack Sabre Jr. Takagi is out to prove that, while Kazuchika Okada is running around with the v4 IGWP Heavyweight Title, and Will Ospreay beating up Young Lions while also brandishing a World Title of his own, it’s The Dragon that is truly the top star in NJPW.
Even his opponent is seemingly on the same page as Takagi. Sabre was recently interviewed by NJPW and was a bit annoyed at the traffic jam at the top.
It’s ridiculous, all these kids with their toys. At this rate, Tanahashi could show up with the old U-30 belt, call it the ‘Over 40’s’ belt. Why not bring them all back? But whether it’s a new title, or whether the fans like it or not, the IWGP World Heavyweight title is the top title in New Japan, Shingo is its rightful holder. So he’s who I’m aiming at.
Will Ospreay, he didn’t lose the championship, so he has every right to challenge for the title in the future. Whether he wants to run around in America with a stupid toy, that’s up to him. Okada, if he beats Tama Tonga then he’s the G1 so he has the right to challenge. Luckily Wrestle Kingdom is three nights this year…
Takagi has been using an STF lately, and has also promised a new submission move for the Technical Wizard. No matter who wins on Saturday, either man will have a long climb to January, where it seems the knot will finally be untangled.
Kazuchika Okada brought back the IWGP Heavyweight Title to represent his G1 Climax 31 win, but it’s not going to be an unobstructed road to the Tokyo Dome for The Rainmaker. He’ll face the one blemish on his G1 record, Tama Tonga. Tama has been laser-focused on proving himself as a singles competitors, and getting another win over The Rainmaker would certainly prove plenty.
Tama’s Bullet Club compatriot KENTA will also be looking to prove himself. He’ll face The Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi for Tanahashi’s IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. The US Title has been elusive for KENTA, going all the way back to the early days of NJPW STRONG. The first New Japan Cup USA winner was unable to beat then-champion Jon Moxley, and the itch for the big red belt has yet to be scratched for the former-GHC Heavyweight Champion.
Double champion Robbie Eagles will defend his IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship against El Desperado. Both men will be looking to be the top dog in the division as the junior heavyweights head into the Best of Super Juniors tournament. Desperado is already behind the 8-ball, having lost his IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championships to Eagles & Tiger Mask on the Road to Power Struggle. While Robbie Eagles is trying to wrestle his way out of the shadow of former mentor Will Ospreay, Desperado doesn’t want to head into BoSJ with two high profile losses. There is no doubt that this will be a show-stealer.
It’s not easy being the King. After spending 2020 undefeated for the KOPW 2020 trophy, Toru Yano has not had as easy a year as the provisional holder of the 2021 trophy. After briefly losing the trophy to Chase Owens, Yano now finds his reign in peril due to United Empire’s Great-O-Khan. Yano won the first victory, by getting the fans to vote for an Amateur Wrestling Rules match, as opposed to O-Khan’s “Kiss My Foot” stipulation, but with an opponent as dangerous as O-Khan, nothing is guaranteed for the King of Pro Wrestling*.
*It has never been confirmed that this is what KOPW stands for. KOPW has no official meaning. It’s a vibe. You just have to go with it. @RossWBermanIV on Twitter if you have a better name for it.
The final title match on the card is the dominant 6-man tag champs from CHAOS taking on the vicious Bullet Club sub-group House of Torture. The CHAOS trio has been the most successful team in the short history of the 6-man titles, but House of Torture asks no quarter, and no quarter do they give. The mutilate bodies and don’t play by any rules. It will be an uphill battle from the first bell for the champions.
SATURDAY
9⃣matches
6⃣titles
1⃣unbelievable struggle for powerPower Struggle is LIVE on @njpwworld this weekend!https://t.co/ZeTg1pbN5F
(English on demand)#njpw #njpst pic.twitter.com/YyUirG5rtD
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) November 5, 2021
Elsewhere on the card, Great Bash Heel teams up with Tiger Mask to take on Bullet Club, plus Los Ingobernables de Japon will face off against Master Wato and a tandem of NJPW Main Unit legends in Yuji Nagata & Ryusuke Taguchi. The show will kick off with Young Lions Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita battling Suzuki-gun.
Here is the full card:
11/6
NJPW Power Struggle
4am ET on NJPWWorld.com
- Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita vs. Suzuki-gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
- Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Tiger Mask vs. Bullet Club (Tanga Loa, Gedo & Jado)
- Yuji Nagata, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI)
- NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Championship Match: CHAOS (YOSHI-HASHI, Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii) (c) vs. Bullet Club: House of Torture (EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & SHO)
- Amateur Wrestling Match For The Provisional KOPW 2021 Trophy: Toru Yano (c) vs. Great-O-Khan
- IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match: Robbie Eagles (c) vs. El Desperado
- IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. KENTA
- IWGP World Heavyweight Challenge Certificate Match: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tama Tonga
- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
