Big November card sees moves made ahead of Tokyo Dome
Just two months before Wrestle Kingdom 19 and Wrestle Dynasty in the Tokyo Dome, Power Struggle is traditionally the site of massive events that shape the rest of the year, and the biggest events to start the new one. Multiple title matches and the return of Kenny Omega highlight this year’s EDION Arena event.
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Main event: IWGP World Heavyweight Championship- Zack Sabre Jr. vs Shingo Takagi
Singles record: 3–2 Sabre
The main event for Power Struggle 2024 is a rematch from the same event in 2021 as Shingo Takagi and Zack Sabre Jr. collide for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, but this time the roles of champion and challenger are reversed.
In 2021, Takagi was at the top of the world, a position well earned. Takagi had claimed the IWGP World Heavyweight title in July, and would hold the gold through to the Tokyo Dome, becoming Tokyo Sports MVP in the process. Yet the flowers Shingo richly deserved did not come in the volume the Dragon would want. His time in the brightest of lights coming in the peak of the COVID pandemic, the roar of the crowd was denied Takagi during his peak main event run. Now Shingo wants another run, and his fifth NEVER Openweight Championship has become key to that chance. Shingo wants to carry his momentum as NEVER champion through Power Struggle and then on to the Tokyo Dome, where he plans to defend first the world title at Wrestle Kingdom 19 and then the NEVER belt at Wrestle Dynasty.
Certainly that would again cement Shingo Takagi as the world’s premier wrestler, but that’s a position that Zack Sabre Jr. currently holds. In February this year, ZSJ left the EDION Arena in Osaka having been labelled the best technical wrestler in the world by Bryan Danielson; now he returns to that building without the ‘technical’ qualifier. From the G1 to the World Heavyweight Championship to his homecoming at Royal Quest ‘it’s coming home’ has been a rallying cry since the summer, and one Sabre has delivered on with gusto. Yet now is the time for home to be wherever Sabre hangs his hat, and ZSJ wants to hang his own hat at the Tokyo Dome. Who will chart a path to the biggest weekend in professional wrestling as the field’s top champion?
8th Match: IWGP Global heavyweight Championship- David Finlay vs Taichi
It’s one year ago to the day since David Finlay destroyed the IWGP US and UK Championships, setting into motion the creation of a belt ‘made for him’, in the form of the IWGP Global heavyweight Championship. Despite doubt in the fanbase, Finlay has defined the young title throughout the year through a grittytitle win and in particular, a second reign of dominance. After defending against SANADA, he brought the title through the G1 with violent aplomb, before two more defences racked up against Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI saw his confidence and arrogance only grow.
It was in that arrogant state, fresh off mocking Goto’s children after they saw their father step up and fall short of the ‘Rebel King’, that Finlay called out someone who had no hope of challenging. Yuya Uemura, still out with a torn triceps and in no position to wrestle, could not answer Finlay’s call out, and the champion knew it- he did not expect Taichi to answer the call with a brutal Dangerous Backdrop. Now, after he encouraged his friend through injury and doubt to nearly take the title in the summer, the Holy Emperor will seek to do what SANADA did not at New Japan Soul, and become the fourth IWGP Global Champion.
7th Match: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship- DOUKI vs Master Wato
Singles record: 3–1 Wato
After capturing the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in June from El Desperado, and even before his title win, DOUKI has been able to defeat men he’s never beaten in the past, from Hiromu Takahashi to Taiji Ishimori to SHO. In so doing, he’s shaken any lingering perception of himself as an underdog, and is now set to truly define his era as junior heavyweight champion with a bold step into the future, but somebody else has the same goal.
After nine months away with a torn left ACL, Wato made his return to confront DOUKI after his latest defence at King of Pro-Wrestling. Wato has been tied to the junior heavyweight champion ever since his first appearance from excursion was interrupted by an attack from behind from Japones Del Mal- since then both men have stated that they feel responsible for building the next generation of junior heavyweight wrestling in New Japan. That will be done at Power Struggle, but who will take the helm?
6th Match: Super Jr. Tag League Final- Ichiban Sweet Boys (Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita) vs Catch 2/2 (TJP & Francesco Akira)
Tag record: 2–0 Catch 2/2
The finals of Super Junior Tag League 2024 pits A Block winner Kosei Fujita and Robbie Eagles against B Block winners Catch 2/2, TJP and Francesco Akira. While Fujita and Eagles had a relatively straightforward path to the finals with only one loss to former junior heavyweight tag champions Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors, it was a more complicated picture for Catch 2/2, who emerged from a six way tie heading into the final night to book their place to Osaka.
That being as it may, the 2023 tournament winners now have a chance to go back to back, becoming the first team to do so since Roppongi 3K. Fujita and Eagles will look to put a stop to that, with Fujita hungry to score the biggest accolade of his career. It could be a dominant night for TMDK across heavyweight and junior tag teams, and the IWGP World Heavyweight title to boot, but it should be noted that Ichiban Sweet Boys have never beaten Catch 2/2 in their two prior outings. Will it be third time lucky?
Adding to a tremendous event, Kenny Omega will make a special appearance. having recently reunited with Hiroshi Tanahashi, and being a key part of the huge event that will be Wrestle Dynasty on January 5, what will Omega say in his first NJPW event since New Year’s Dash 2023?
5th Match: IWGP Tag Team Championships- TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) vs United Empire (Great-O-Khan vs HENARE)
Tag team record: 1–1
Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls have been the models of fighting double champions as they hold both IWGP and NJPW STRONG tag titles. After defences in Ryogoku and London in October, the TMDK side must prepare for the Grizzled Young Veterans in Lowell on Friday, but first is a formidable task in Osaka on Monday.
Previoous World Tag League matchups have seen HENARE and Great-O-Khan beat the current IWGP Champions in the past. As the tag tournament is around the corner, O-Khan has declared that they and HENARE are ready to shwo their own fearsome tandem strength. Will the team of the KOPW 2024 Champion and former NEVER title holder take the IWGP gold?
4th Match: Shota Umino vs SANADA
Singles record: 2–0 SANADA
While no championships are on the line between Shota Umino and SANADA in this special singles match, pride and the future just well might be. In the wake of Zack Sabre Jr. winning the IWGP World Heavyweight title at King of Pro-Wrestling, SANADA and Shingo Takagi both stepped up to challenge. While Takagi gets the main event spot tonight after SANADA fell short in London, the Roughneck has the confidence of the man who beat both of tonight’s main eventers in the G1, but the Ryogoku audience and potentially the IWGP committee are not convinced. Boos in Sumo Hall would be rendered irrelevant with a win feels Umino, but only if SANADA is sufficiently in the game.
Umino has decried SANADA’s radio silence and his traditional stoic nature for the last several weeks. While SANADA has never been the most talkative of competitors, one has to wonder whether his big gamble of challenging ZSJ for the IWGP World Heavyweight title at Royal Quest not paying off has hurt or changed the Just Five Guys member on a fundamental level. In flashes during the Super Jr. tag League, SANADA has snapped at his opponent, with a Skull End on the floor after a six man tag one night being followed by a post match brawl the next. It all comes down to this night in Osaka, but will SANADA retain his 2–0 record over Shota, and chart a different path to the Tokyo Dome?
3rd Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Boltin Oleg vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL & Ren Narita)
As Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement road beckons, the Ace has a date on January 4 2025 with EVIL in the Tokyo Dome. The King of Darkness and self proclaimed ‘President’, EVIL has declared he will make Tanahashi’s retirement come one year earlier than planned, and looks to start that process tonight alongside the freshly minted NJPW World TV Champion Ren Narita. Yet Tanahashi has big time backup in NEVER 6 Man Champion partner Boltin Oleg- can he deliver a powerful message to H.O.T tonight?
2nd Match: Dragon Dia, Ryusuke Taguchi, Tomoaki Honma & Toru Yano vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji & Tetsuya Naito)
Eight man tag team action will see the Skateboard Bros ride once more, for perhaps the final time for a while as Dragon Dia turns his attention back to home promotion DRAGONGATE. They’ll join Tomoaki Honma and Toru Yano to face an all star Los Ingobernables De Japon lineup. With World Tag league fast approaching, it’ll be interesting to see what teams LIJ fields this year and we might get an idea of that in this matchup or in post match comments.
1st Match: Katsuya Murashima, Paris De Silva, Jude London, Kevin Knight & KUSHIDA vs BULLET CLUB (Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney, Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori)
A rabid BULLET CLUB side will form for ten man action in our opening tag match, and one with all eyes on the Super Junior Tag League final to come. Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori won’t live down their loss to Catch 2/2 that eventually knocked them out of contention on tiebreaks, while Connors and Moloney will hold that they beat the Ichiban Sweet Boys early in the tournament, so a win for the TMDK side will not sit well with them. Nor will it sit well with Gabe Kidd, who faces Kosei Fujita for the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship Friday night in Lowell MA. What violent pace may be set in our first main card bout?
Kickoff Match: Shoma Kato, Capitan Suicida & Tiger Mask vs Ninja Mack, the DKC & YOH
A special early kickoff at 2:30 PM JST will see some of the high flying stars of Super Jr. Tag League back together for a six man bout that also sees a big opportunity with fresh opposition and partners for Shoma Kato.
