The NJPW 45th Anniversary Show is set to take place on Monday 6th March at the Ota Ward Gymnasium, live on New Japan World.
The show features no less than three Title matches and a main event match which features Okada taking on Kota Ibushi who will be under the Tiger Mask W mask.
It is also the debut of British wrestler Zack Sabre Jr who will be taking on Shibata for the RevPro British Heavyweight Title. It will be the third time the pair have competed and for me is one of the most exciting bouts on the card. I genuinely believe these two have every possibility of stealing the show. Sabre Jr has made a huge name for himself Stateside, recently winning the EVOLVE Title and certainly has the characteristics to make a very game opponent for Shibata. In a selfish way I want to see Shibata retain, simply for the reason that I then have an opportunity to see him defend the belt live at a RevPro show down the line. One thing which could make a huge impact on the match is whether or not Suzuki lets his recently started feud with Shibata pass, or whether or not he intends on ruining Shibata’s chance at retaining his RevPro belt.
We were teased to just what we can expect from Okada and Ibushi earlier in the week, albeit in a tag team match so not everything was given away. This match should be straight up fire and these two are really working at the very best of their abilities at the moment. The match isn’t a Title bout but I think it’s safe to assume that we will be treated to the very best from both men. Okada is likely to be working as a heel in this one, as he was in the tag match earlier in the week so expect some shady going on’s from him including him undoubtedly trying to rip the Tiger Mask off of the face of Ibushi.
Here is the full card for the NJPW 45th Anniversary Show;
Hirai Kawato & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Tiger Mask & Tomoyuki Oka
CHAOS (Gedo, Hirooki Goto, Jado & YOSHI-HASHI) vs. Suzuki-gun (Davey Boy Smith Jr., El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki & TAKA Michinoku)BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Kenny Omega, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Yujiro Takahashi) vs. TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima), David Finlay, Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title Match Roppongi Vice (Beretta & Rocky Romero) (c) vs. Suzuki-gun (Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
RPW British Heavyweight Title Match Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
IWGP Tag Team Title Match CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) (c) vs. Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma)
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, KUSHIDA & Michael Elgin vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, EVIL, SANADA & Tetsuya Naito)
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
Kazuchika Okada vs. Tiger Mask W