New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that Hiroshi Tanahashi will be teaming with Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii for this week’s NJPW Wrestling Dontaku event in Fukuoka.
Tanahashi took to social media to confirm that he’s been medically cleared and is ready to compete this week. Okada’s status for the match was recently in question after he suffered a rib injury at NJPW Capital Collision.
Hence, the matchup will now be Team Strong Style (El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki, and Red Narita) vs. Okada, Ishii, and Tanahashi for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championships.
You can check out the full announcement below:
7th Match: NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Championships- Strong Style (El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki & Ren Narita) vs Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & Hiroshi Tanahashi
When Ren Narita and Shota Umino faced Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada on March 11 in a special tag attraction match during the New Japan Cup, few were too surprised when age and experience triumphed over youthful enthusiasm. Yet while the Son of Strong Style felt burned at losing alongside a Dojo classmate in Umino, his confidence as a NEVER 6 Man Champion has only continued to be buoyed. Alongside his Strong Style partners, Narita picked up a victory and defended against HOUSE OF TORTURE, and had revenge on his mind immediately afterward.
Narita called out Okada and dared the Rainmaker to find two partners to face Strong Style in Fukuoka. While pundits suspected the inclusion of Tomohiro Ishii and Hiroshi Tanahashi, the subsequent Road to Dontaku was rather complicated. Ishii battled El Desperado in Washington DC, and their battle proved to be a flashpoint of an intense war that was waged through the rest of the tour, but the Stone Pitbull made a point of saying he wouldn’t team with Tanahashi, wanting anm all CHAOS team to challenge.
Meanwhile Tanahashi’s path to inclusion was made challenging by injury. At Capital Collision, the Dream team of Okada and Tanahashi were unsuccessful in their attempt to win the STRONG Openweight Tag team Championships, and the Ace would also leave with a broken rib. On April 30, Tanahashi announced on social media that he was cleared and would be in Fukuoka to take the open spot; hours later, Okada confirmed the decision in Kumamoto. That prompted Ishii to storm out in anger; will Ishii accept the Ace, and will this team of three be on point enough to beat a well oiled machine in the championship side?
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku takes place on May 3 at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center in Fukuoka, Japan, and will be streamed live on NJPW World.
I am X.
福岡行きます。 #njpw
— 棚橋 弘至 (@tanahashi1_100) April 30, 2023
In other news, AEW Rampage will move to Saturday yet again in a few weeks as the TNT website schedule currently lists Rampage as airing during the 10:00 PM EST timeslot on May 13th due to the NHL Playoffs airing on Friday night.
AEW Rampage has been shifting regularly due to the NBA and NHL Playoffs, and will air at 5:30 PM EST on Friday this week.
