Today, New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that EVIL has vacated his part of the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship. In a press conference following Dominion, the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental champion said he had no interest in retaining his third title. As a result, NJPW has stripped his former Los Ingobernales de Japon teammates Bushi and Shingo Takagi of the titles as well. NJPW also announced that eight teams will compete in a tournament for the now vacant championships.
ICYMI
Next week, brand new NEVER 6-Man Openweight Tag Team Champions will be determined!
A four night tournament from Korakuen Hall, all on @njpwworld!https://t.co/i1tvQAvjpV#njpw #njsst pic.twitter.com/bjMa4cFQdB
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) August 1, 2020
The NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament will take place during the August 6-9 Summer Struggle events. The new champions will be crowned after the finals on August 9th. The teams NJPW announced are CHAOS, Bullet Club, Los Ingobernales de Japon, Suzuki-Gun, Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Ryusuke Taguchi, and finally the team of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Master Wato. Of all the teams, Los Ingobernales de Japon is the most decorated. Having held the now vacant titles 8 times. However, they may be a little worse for wear after they were betrayed by EVIL.
EVIL Vacates NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Championship
EVIL shocked the wrestling when he defected to Bullet Club at Dominion in July. Members of Bullet Club interfered in his New Japan Cup finals match against Kazuchika Okada. However, EVIL did not notice, as he was was seemingly unconscious at the time. After the match, LIJ stablemate Tetsuya Naito came out to congratulate him. However EVIL would not accept. Instead, EVIL attacked Naito, and the members of Bullet Club came out to join him. The next day at Dominion, with Bullet Club’s help, EVIL defeated Tetsuya Naito to become IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion. With this act, he ended his 5-year membership of the famed NJPW stable. EVIL is also the first person to leave Los Ingobernales de Japon.
