10 Biggest Stories From NJPW's Wrestling Dontaku And What They Mean Going Forward
Chris Jericho has a message for The Rainmaker, an unknown newcomer declares "Time's Up", and more.
With two nights of competition last Friday and Saturday, New Japan Pro Wrestling presented one of its last stops on the road to next month's Dominion--the promotion's second biggest event of the year.
Not to be overlooked, however, Wrestling Dontaku offered a sizable shift in the landscape as championships were defended--some more successfully than others--while new and returning competitors also made their presence felt.
Friday's event was headlined by two title matches with the Junior Heavyweight and NEVER Openweight prizes on the line, but a mysterious video message intended for the reigning United States Champion captured most of the attention. Similarly, Saturday saw the IWGP Heavyweight title defended, but the returns of Hiroshi Tanahashi and the All Elite Wrestling-contracted Chris Jericho stole the show.
With incredible matches and a wealth of major news, Wrestling Dontaku may not be the company's grandest event of the year, but it certainly made its mark. From Jericho's shocking challenge and El Phantasmo's impressive debut, to The Stone Pitbull's hard-fought win and the multiple marquee bouts signed for 9 June, here are all of the major stories from Wrestling Dontaku.
10. Minoru Suzuki Continues To Spoil Jushin Liger's Farewell Tour
Two months ago Jushin "Thunder" Liger announced he will retire at 2020's Wrestle Kingdom. Since then, the beloved veteran has begun to say his final goodbyes to fans across the world--from New York City to his hometown of Fukuoka. Unfortunately, however, his farewell tour has been constantly spoiled by Minoru Suzuki who has insisted that Liger should quit and go away immediately.
As part of eight-man tag action on Friday, Liger's squad fell to Suzuki-gun following a signature driver from Taka Michinoku on Tiger Mask IV. However, the war between Minoru and the masked legend continued on the entrance ramp after the final bell. With steel chairs in each of their grasp, the two were quickly separated, but its evident their rivalry is growing more serious with every interaction.
Suzuki has seemingly made it his mission to dampen his foe's final year of competition and hopefully end it early. So far Minoru's constant harassment has worked, causing Liger to lose focus in the midst of what should be a cheerful goodbye. At this point, the question isn't if they'll meet in singles action but when--perhaps fittingly on the final night of Liger's career at Wrestle Kingdom.