Dominion is arguably the second biggest show of the New Japan Pro Wrestling year and is on a rare Monday night in its traditional Osaka home. With the Pandemic sadly raging in Japan, the card is the smallest in Dominion history. We only have five matches on this very important night. The main card will have just two titles on the line, a special singles match, and some big chaotic tag team matches. After the unique start to 2021, it will be interesting to see New Japan how it gets its summer season started. Here is the preview of NJPW Dominion 2021 :
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Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, SHO, YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii vs. BULLET CLUB (EVIL, Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo, Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi)
We open Dominion with a huge and chaotic ten-man tag team match. Hiroshi Tanahashi will be joining CHAOS to fight against BULLET CLUB. Can EVIL and Hiroshi Tanahashi get back into title contention? A victory on Monday night would help with this goal.
As we have a Junior Heavyweight Championship match later in the night, we also have three possible future contenders in this match with SHO, El Phantasmo, and Taiji Ishimori. Can one of them stand out in this opening match? It will be a fun match to start Dominion.
Suzuki-Gun (Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi & DOUKI) vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI)
The Dangerous Tekkers finally did it! They won the IWGP Tag Team Championship back from Guerrillas of Destiny on a recent Road to Dominion show. It is their second reign with the tag titles. Can the Suzuki-gun team build on their recent success? They seem to have an interesting challenger emerging.
Tetsuya Naito has mentioned recently that he was interested in winning non-singles gold. On June 2nd’s Road to Dominion, he and the other LIJ members lost a highly competitive match and lost a chance at the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles. Can LIJ pull off a victory at Dominion? If they can, Naito might get a Tag Team title shot in the very near future.
NJPW Dominion 2021
El Desperado (c) vs. YOH
(IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship)
El Desperado won the Junior Heavyweight Championship at NJPW Castle Attack back in February. He has been involved in feuds with the likes of Kota Ibushi since then. He will finally defend the Junior Heavyweight Championship for the first time against a familiar foe.
YOH and SHO won the Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship from El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru at Sakura Genesis. YOH offered a Tag Team rematch at Satsuma no Kuni in exchange for a future Junior Heavyweight title chance. Roppongi 3K won the rematch, and now YOH gets his big chance. Can YOH get his first-ever singles glory? We know El Desperado will do anything to retain his gold.
Kota Ibushi vs. Jeff Cobb
At Sakura Genesis, Kota Ibushi lost the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Will Ospreay. To add insult to injury, Jeff Cobb attacked Kota Ibushi after the match. Ibushi has been looking for revenge and a test against the talented Cobb ever since. He finally gets his chance in a special singles match against Jeff Cobb.
Can Ibushi keep up with the power and athleticism of Cobb? In the months leading up to Dominion, Cobb has gotten the better of Ibushi at every turn. Can Ibushi get back on track and back into the title hunt? Or will the United Empire pick up a huge victory? It will be a fun match to find out the important answer.
NJPW Dominion 2021
Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi
(IWGP World Heavyweight Championship)
It is time to determine the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion! Kazuchika Okada was going to face his old rival Will Ospreay for the World Heavyweight Championship in the huge Wrestle Grand Slam main event at the Tokyo Dome. Sadly, COVID-19 and Will Ospreay’s injury put that match on the shelf. However, “The Rainmaker” will have his chance at his first-ever IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at NJPW Dominion.
His opponent for the vacant title is Shingo Takagi. Shingo Takagi just had a chance at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, facing Ospreay at Wrestling Dontaku on May 4th. It was a grueling 45-minute match where Ospreay won. But Will Ospreay had to give up the title shortly after. Did Shingo help cause this injury that forced Ospreay to vacate the title? He will get another shot at the title on Monday night.
This is a rematch from the first round of the New Japan Cup 2021. Shingo won that day in an epic match. Can Takagi build on that momentum in the main event and win his first Heavyweight title? Or will Okada regain his throne as the best of New Japan? It will be fun to find out.
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