Wrestling Dontaku 2021

Wrestling Dontaku 2021 was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on May 3 and 4, 2021, in Fukuoka, at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center.[3]

Wrestling Dontaku 2021
PromotionNew Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateMay 3–4, 2021
CityFukuoka, Japan
VenueFukuoka Kokusai Center
AttendanceNight 1: 2,211[1]
Night 2: 2,367[2]
Event chronology
← Previous
Sakura Genesis
Road to Wrestling Dontaku 2021
Next →
Road to Dominion
Wrestling Dontaku chronology
← Previous
2019
Next →
2022

The event featured eleven matches, throughout both nights.[4] In the main event of the first night Jay White defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to win the NEVER Openweight Championship.[5] In the second night's main event, Will Ospreay defeated Shingo Takagi to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.[5] This was the seventeenth event under the Wrestling Dontaku name.

Production

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Other on-screen personnel
Role: Name:
English Commentators Kevin Kelly
Chris Charlton
Rocky Romero
Japanese Commentators Shinpei Nogami
Milano Collection A.T.
Katsuhiko Kanazawa
Kazuyoshi Sakai
Togi Makabe
Miki Motoi
Jushin Thunder Liger
Masahiro Chono
Ring announcers Makoto Abe
Kimihiko Ozaki
Referees Kenta Sato
Marty Asami
Red Shoes Unno

Background

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Since 2020, NJPW has unable to run events with a full arena capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions.[6]

Storylines

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Each night of Wrestling Dontaku 2021 will feature six 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.[7]

Results

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Night 1

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No.Results[1]StipulationsTimes
1Bullet Club (Evil, Yujiro Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori and Dick Togo) defeated Toru Yano, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Tiger Mask IV and Master WatoEight-man tag team match9:57
2Chaos (Kazuchika Okada, Sho and Yoh) defeated Suzuki-gun (El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki and Yoshinobu Kanemaru)Six-man tag team match10:31
3Los Ingobernables de Japón (Bushi, Sanada, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito) defeated United Empire (Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and Aaron Henare)Eight-man tag team match11:31
4Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tanga LoaSingles match
Since Zack Sabre Jr. won, Dangerous Tekkers received a future IWGP Tag Team Championship match.
15:12
5Taichi defeated Tama TongaLadder match for the Iron Finger from Hell27:11
6Jay White defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (c)Singles match for the NEVER Openweight Championship39:01
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match

Night 2

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No.Results[2][8]StipulationsTimes
1Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. and Douki) defeated Bullet Club (Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa and Jado) by submissionSix-man tag team match10:00
2Bullet Club (Yujiro Takahashi and Taiji Ishimori) defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Master WatoTag team match10:42
3United Empire (Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and Aaron Henare) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japón (Bushi, Sanada and Tetsuya Naito)Six-man tag team match14:54
4Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Bullet Club (Jay White, Evil and Dick Togo)Six-man tag team match12:14
5Will Ospreay (c) defeated Shingo TakagiSingles match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship44:53
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match

References

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  1. ^ a b "2021.05.03 Wrestling Dontaku 2021". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "2021.05.04 Wrestling Dontaku 2021". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  3. ^ "NJPW Announces Wrestling Dontaku As Two-Night Event In May 2021". Fightful. December 6, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  4. ^ Murray, Dylan (May 2, 2021). "Preview: NJPW – Wrestling Dontaku 2021 Night One and Two". lastwordonsports.com. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Rose, Bryan (April 5, 2021). "NJPW Reveals Cards For Wrestling Dontaku And Satsuma no Kuni". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  6. ^ Satin, Ryan (June 8, 2020). "NJPW To Resume Operations This Month, First Show With Fans Again Announced". Pro Wrestling Sheet. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  7. ^ Grabianowski, Ed. "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks, Inc. Discovery Communications. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  8. ^ Renner, Ethan (May 3, 2021). "NJPW WRESTLING DONTAKU NIGHT TWO LIVE RESULTS: OSPREAY VS. SHINGO". f4wonline.com. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
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