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Wrestling Dontaku 2023

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Wrestling Dontaku
Official logo of the event
PromotionNew Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateMay 3, 2023
CityFukuoka, Japan
VenueFukuoka Kokusai Center
Attendance4,489[1]
Event chronology
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Wrestling Dontaku chronology
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2024

Wrestling Dontaku was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on May 3, 2023, in Fukuoka, at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center.[2] It was the 18th event under the Wrestling Dontaku name.

Storylines

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Wrestling Dontaku will feature professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[3]

Event

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The event started with the preshow Young Lion Hat-Trick challenge match in which Oskar Leube outmatched Ryohei Oiwa, Yuto Nakashima and Boltin Oleg. The first two matches of the event's main card were broadcast live on NJPW's YouTube channel. In the first bout, Toru Yano, Yoh, Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi picked up a victory over Evil, Yujiro Takahashi, Sho and Dick Togo, and in the second one, the IWGP Tag Team Champions and Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions Mark Davis, Kyle Fletcher and the Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion Great-O-Khan defeated Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste and Kosei Fujita.[4][5]

The first main card bout saw Shota Umino and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion The Jet Setters (Kushida and Kevin Knight) picking up a victory over the former junior tag team champions Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira and TJP)) and Aaron Henare in six-man tag team competition, following the events from Road To Wrestling Dontaku 2023 of April 27, event where Akira and TJP dropped the championship to Kushida and Knight.[6] Next up, Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Douki picked up a victory over Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi and Bushi in another six-man tag team action bout. In the sixth match of the night, Guerrillas of Destiny's Hikuleo defeated Kenta to win the Strong Openweight Championship, ending the latter's reign at 74 days and two consecutive defenses. Next up, Zack Sabre Jr. and Jeff Cobb battled into a fifteen-minute time limit draw for the NJPW World Television Championship which helped Sabre secure his fifth consecutive title defense in that respective reign. The eighth bout saw Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeating Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado and Ren Narita to win the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship. It was the first time in Okada's career when he won another title except the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship and IWGP Heavyweight Championship. After the match, Shota Umino stepped up to announce the return of Jon Moxley to NJPW. In the semi main event, David Finlay defeated Tama Tonga to win the NEVER Openweight Championship.[7][8]

In the main event, Sanada defeated the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi to secure his first defense in that respective reign. After the bout concluded, Yota Tsuji appeared as he returned from his foreign excursion and attacked Sanada, subsequently challenging him for the Heavyweight title on further notice.[9][10]

Results

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No.Results[11][12][13]StipulationsTimes[1]
1DOskar Leube defeated Ryohei Oiwa, Yuto Nakashima and Boltin OlegYoung Lion Hat-Trick challenge match2:33
2PChaos (Toru Yano, Yoh and Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi)) defeated House of Torture (Evil, Yujiro Takahashi, Sho and Dick Togo)Eight-man tag team match3:37
3PUnited Empire (Aussie Open (Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher) and Great-O-Khan) defeated TMDK (Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste and Kosei Fujita)Six-man tag team match5:28
4Shota Umino and The Jet Setters (Kushida and Kevin Knight) defeated United Empire (Aaron Henare and Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira and TJP))Six-man tag team match6:28
5Just 5 Guys (Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Douki) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi and Bushi)Six-man tag team match7:17
6Hikuleo defeated Kenta (c)Singles match for the Strong Openweight Championship9:45
7Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Jeff Cobb ended in a time-limit drawSingles match for the NJPW World Television Championship15:00
8Chaos (Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii) and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Strong Style (Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado and Ren Narita) (c)Six-man tag team match for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship19:36
9David Finlay defeated Tama Tonga (c)Singles match for the NEVER Openweight Championship25:01
10Sanada (c) defeated Hiromu TakahashiSingles match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship27:30
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
D – this was a dark match
P – the match was broadcast on the pre-show

References

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  1. ^ a b Kreikenbohm, Philip (May 3, 2023). "NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2023". cagematch.net. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  2. ^ "2023.05.03 Wrestling Dontaku 2023". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  3. ^ Grabianowski, Ed (13 January 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks, Inc. Discovery Communications. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  4. ^ New Japan Pro Wrestling (May 3, 2023). 【LIVE】5/3(水・祝)『レスリングどんたく 2023』福岡国際センター大会［2試合のみ配信］/ #njDONTAKU 5/3/23 [Only 2 matches]. youtube.com (in Japanese). Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  5. ^ Fritts, Chick (May 3, 2023). "NJPW Wrestling Dontaku live results: Five title matches. The IWGP World Heavyweight title is on the line in the main event". f4wonline.com. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  6. ^ Williams, Suit (April 29, 2023). "NJPW ROAD TO WRESTLING DONTAKU 2023 (APRIL 27) RESULTS & REVIEW". voicesofwrestling.com. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  7. ^ Heydorn, Zack (May 3, 2023). "5/3 NJPW WRESTLING DONTAKU 2023 RESULTS: Sanada vs. Takahashi, United Empire vs. TMDK, more". pwtorch.com. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  8. ^ Vetter, Chris (May 3, 2023). "5/3 NJPW "Road to Wrestling Dontaku 2023" results: Vetter's review of Sanada vs. Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Tama Tonga vs. David Finlay for the Never Openweight Title Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, and Ren Narita vs. Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, and Hiroshi Tanahashi for the Never Openweight Six-Man Titles, Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Jeff Cobb for the NJPW TV Title". prowrestling.net. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  9. ^ Thompson, Andrew (May 3, 2023). "Yota Tsuji returns to NJPW at Wrestling Dontaku, takes out Just 5 Five Guys". postwrestling.com. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  10. ^ Rueter, Sean (May 3, 2023). "New Japan Wrestling Dontaku featured multiple title changes, one returning challenger". cagesideseats.com. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  11. ^ "2023.05.03 Wrestling Dontaku 2023". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  12. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (April 10, 2023). "SANADA To Defend IWGP World Heavyweight Title Against Hiromu Takahashi At NJPW Wrestling Dontaku". Fightful. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  13. ^ Currier, Joseph (18 April 2023). "Two title matches added to NJPW Wrestling Dontaku". f4wonline. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
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