10 Biggest Stories From NJPW's Wrestling Dontaku And What They Mean Going Forward
9. Taichi Regains NEVER Championship From Jeff Cobb
Friday night saw the always exciting Jeff Cobb defend his recently won NEVER Openweight Championship for the first time since winning the belt from Will Ospreay at G1 Supercard. Unfortunately, the defense was unsuccessful as Taichi managed to once again capture the gold.
Cobb fought hard, hitting a series of brutal suplexes--including a deadlift variation off the ropes. Still, Taichi's ever-underhanded tactics along with the aid of his Suzuki-gun stablemates and valet Abe Miho proved too much for the former Olympian as a Black Mephisto ultimately sealed the deal.
Taichi will now embark on his second reign with the NEVER belt--having similarly lost it in his first defense last year to Hirooki Goto. This time around, he will undoubtedly look to keep hold of it for longer, and with Suzuki-gun behind him, Taichi will likely fulfill that goal. Though the stable has so far failed to make a major impact in 2019, Taichi may offer a course correction as the new NEVER Champion and also become Suzuki-gun's de facto ace in the process.