New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced matchups for the November 1st and November 2nd Road to Power Struggle tour, which includes two title matches in the main event. Check out the matches, along with a press release below.
NOVEMBER 1ST:
-Hiromu Takahashi/BUSHI versus Yoshinobu Kanemaru/El Desperado for the IWGP Junior tag team championship
NOVEMBER 2ND:
-Hirooki Goto/YOSHI-HASHI versus Zack Sabre Jr./Taichi
After a contentious start to the Road to Power Struggle tour on October 23, the cards for the remainder of the tour have now been finalised, with two title matches in back to back nights from Korakuen Hall on November 1 and 2.
The main event on November 1 will see the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships on the line as Hiromu Takahashi and BUSHI challenge Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado. During New Japan Road, Desperado and Kanemaru emerged victorious in a four team league, eventually defeating Hiromu and BUSHI in Korakuen Hall to lift the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships for the second time.
When Hiromu returned to action on October 18, he immediately struck a blow to Kanemaru with a Time Bomb, and made plans for he and BUSHI to challenge very clear. With no title match official, the LIJ duo took matters into their own hands on October 23, exploding with high impact offense to both champions before Shingo Takagi picked up the win for the Ingobernables side with a Pumping Bomber to Kanemaru. Post match Hiromu acknowledged that while he and BUSHI lost to the champions in the title deciding league, they didn’t get an opportunity at the Suzuki-Gun side as champions, adding that Desperado couldn’t say it would be no fun. Desperado begrudgingly accepted the challenge, and now the match is set for Sunday.
On November 2, Zack Sabre Junior and Taichi, Dangerous Tekkers, will put their IWGP Tag titles on the line against YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto. Buoyed with a final win in a stirring G1 Climax 30 campaign, YOSHI-HASHI said that the NEVER 6-Man titles had given him a taste for gold, but before he could move to build his collection, Suzuki-Gun struck. On October 18, through some controversial means, DOUKI led a charge to challenge for the NEVER 6-man titles, but Friday night saw the CHAOS side on top; after a thrilling back and forth battle saw DOUKI shine, YOSHI-HASHI came through with Karma for the victory.
Post match YOSHI-HASHI would state that like the NEVER 6-man belts, IWGP tag glory would be his and CHAOS’ ‘in an instant,’ and backstage Goto pledged that he would team with the Headhunter in his quest for more gold. Dangerous Tekkers certainly voiced their disapproval of the challenge in Korakuen, but will they be left speechless November 2?
The Road to Power Struggle has kicked off with Gedo on the BULLET CLUB side of KENTA and Jay White in six man tag action, but the tour didn’t start well for the Switchblade’s devious manager. A Kamigoye resulted in defeat for the BULLET CLUB side, but from November 1, a substitution will see Chase Owens return to Japanese action, while Gedo calls the plays from ringside.
Owens has an impressive record in recent weeks on NJPW STRONG, and will add an extra dimension to BULLET CLUB’s already deep tactical playbook. Will his presence throw Ibushi or Tanahashi off their games heading into big Power Struggle matchups on November 7?
Add Tetsuya Naito and EVIL, and Kazuchika Okada and The Empire of Great-O-Khan and Will Ospreay continuing to do battle on the road to EDION Arena on November 7, they too will clash on both nights in what’s sure to be intense tag team action: never has the Power Struggle name seemed more appropriate, and you can catch all the action on NJPW World!
