EVIL has turned evil on Los Ingobernables De Japon. Here is the NJPW Dominion 2020 preview.
NJPW Dominion is usually the second biggest show of the New Japan calendar. This year, like everything else, it has been dramatically changed. It is coming on the heels of the month-long and delayed New Japan Cup. It will also be only the second show with fans since the Pandemic began.
The stakes are still pretty high for NJPW Dominion. We have four titles defended throughout the course of the three announced matches. The three feuds have been building for months. In the case of the main event, it is a feud for nearly five years in the making. We may not know the entire card but it should be an excellent show.
Let us look at the NJPW Dominion 2020 card. What will occur this time around and how will it set up the rest of New Japan’s summer?
Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Gabriel Kidd vs. Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata & Ryusuke Taguchi
The opening match is a lot of New Japan veterans to get the crowd into the show. The one wildcard is Gabriel Kidd. This will be his chance to see what he can do with true five veterans of New Japan. And who doesn’t love Nagata?
Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Yota Tsuji vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA & BUSHI)
The main storyline of the match is LIJ. Can they get over a series of disappointments? Will they be able to focus after the shocking betrayal of EVIL at New Japan Cup Final? It is hard to say.
Master Wato, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Yuya Uemura vs Suzuki-Gun (El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI)
It is really all about Master Wato. He had a unique debut at New Japan Cup final defeating Douki. His celebration was cut short by Suzuki-gun. Can that change at Dominion?
CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & Kazuchika Okada) vs. BULLET CLUB (Yujiro Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori)
It is revenge time. Okada lost the New Japan Cup final with some interference by Yujiro. Can he focus on the Bullet Club and get his momentum back at Dominion?
NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi vs SHO
This is a heated rivalry that is now over two years in the making in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Shingo Takagi made his New Japan debut in a match involving SHO in October of 2018. He defeated SHO to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. In last year’s excellent Best of Super Juniors match, Shingo defeated SHO yet again.
Shingo has gone onto success in the heavyweight division when he won the NEVER Openweight Championship match in February 2018. He seemed to riding high as he had SHO as his opponent in the first round of the New Japan Cup. In one of the biggest shocks of the tournament, SHO defeated his long time rival. Naturally, that set up SHO for a chance at the title.
Can SHO overcome the odds and prove his victory over Takagi wasn’t a fluke? If SHO can win, he would become only the second Junior Heavyweight to win the NEVER title. The series is tied between the two one to one in singles matches. Who will win on the biggest stage?
NJPW Dominion 2020
IWGP Tag Team Championships: Golden☆Ace (Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi) vs Dangerous Tekkers (Zack Sabre Junior & Taichi)
Tanahashi and Ibushi surprised the New Japan world when they demanded a shot at the Tag Team Championship back at New Year’s Dash. This new team got their wish when they won their first Tag Team Championship at New Japan Road on February 21st. After they won the title, they were immediately attacked by Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. It seemed to be setting a title match, then the Pandemic happened.
The New Japan Cup heated up the rivalry yet again. Taichi defeated both Tanahashi and Ibushi in the New Japan Cup. Sure it involved a lot of cheating, but it was still a victory over both members of the Tag Team Champions. He quickly demanded a match against the Tag Team Champions at Dominion.
The challengers do have a big advantage. They have competed as a team for quite some time. They had some success in World Tag League last year. Will their experience overcome the two popular babyfaces of New Japan? And will the rest of Suzuki-gun be a factor as well?
NJPW Dominion 2020
IWGP Heavyweight/Intercontinental Championships: Tetsuya Naito vs EVIL (New Japan Cup winner)
It was November 21, 2015, when Naito introduced EVIL to the world and begun the faction of Los Ingobernables De Japon. It quickly became one of the most popular factions in the World and led to a lot of in-ring success for both Naito and EVIL. However, it seemed that tag team success wasn’t enough for EVIL.
EVIL seemed to be a different man in this year’s New Japan Cup. He used underhanded tactics and brutal chair shots to defeat his opponents. He even cheated to defeat his long time tag team partner, SANADA in the semifinals. The biggest shock was still to come after he cheated to defeat Okada, in the New Japan Cup Final.
As Naito joined his friend and ally to celebrate, EVIL flashed the Bullet Club sign. EVIL, one of Naito’s oldest friends, had joined another group. After a vicious attack, EVIL left with his New Japan Cup and with his new Bullet Club friends. The match-up had just become a lot more personal.
Will Naito be able to keep his emotions in check at Dominion? It seems EVIL will stop at nothing to win now. Will the Bullet Club play a factor? It has all the making of one of the most personal main events in Dominion history.
