New Japan Pro Wrestling issued the following press release announcing two title matches for the July 12th Dominion pay per view from Osaka-jo Hall in Japan. Top company stars Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi will defend the IWGP tag team championship against Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi. Los Ingobernables member Shingo Takagi will then put his NEVER Openweight title on the line against SHO. Details can be found below.
SHO will challenge Shingo Takagi for the NEVER Openweight Championship at Dominion. The New Japan Cup draw worked out perfectly for SHO, who faced his rival Takagi in the first round, and in one of the most thrilling clashes of the tournament thus far, struck with Shock Arrow to defeat the champion. Takagi denied SHO a title shot until July 3, when after a six man tag team victory, SHO staked his claim with an emphatic spear to the champion. Takagi now puts the title on the line in Osaka for his second defence.
Also official for Osaka, Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi, Golden☆Ace defend the IWGP Tag Team Championships for the first time against Dangerous Tekkers, Kota Ibushi and Zack Sabre Junior.
Immediately after Ibushi and Tanahashi won the tag team championships in Korakuen Hall this February, Taichi and ZSJ seemed to jump to the front of the contendership line when they assaulted Golden☆Ace. Then, whether by fair means or foul (usually both), Taichi was able to cement that claim by defeating first Tanahashi and then Taichi in the New Japan Cup.