NJPW
Flickr photo by U.S. Army Garrison Japan shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND 2.0) license.

New Japan’s Dominion 2018: Preview and Predictions

Ahmed Shah·
NJPW
·1 Comment·

Dominion in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is the closest thing to SummerSlam in the WWE…

Arguably their second biggest show of the year, the pay-per-view promises to be one of NJPW’s best with some eagerly anticipated matches and could possibly be the start of a new era with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship changing hands after two years.

An event that is sandwiched between two of NJPW’s biggest tournaments of the year – the Best of the Super Juniors and the G1 Climax – without further ado, here are the preview and predictions for all the matches set for Dominion at the Osaka-Jo Hall:

IWGP Junior Tag Team Title Match: Desperado & Kanemaru © vs. Roppongi 3K (Sho & Yoh):

Expect a fast-paced, entertaining show-opener with the hard-working high-flyers, Sho and Yoh, looking to regain their Junior Tag Team title belts. No doubt this will be a good match but Desperado and Kanemaru have failed to impress with the championships. The build-up has been interesting, with both teams showing good chemistry between them during the Best of the Super Juniors tournament and Yoh pinning Desperado in a six-man tag at the finals.

This could be the first of a few title changes on the show.

Prediction: Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh), new IWGP Tag Team champions

Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Jay White & YOSHI-HASHI:

Juice Robinson, fka CJ Parker in NXT, and David Finlay, the son of legendary brawler Fit Finlay, take on the team of the NJPW United States champion, Jay White, and YOSHI-HASHI, representing Chaos.

All four men are extremely talented but the story is what’s important here. Juice and Finlay have been gunning for Jay White’s US title for a while now, and with David Finlay already getting his shot, I expect Juice to get the pin over ‘Switchblade’ Jay White to set up a championship match in San Francisco in July.

Prediction: Juice Robinson and David Finlay

Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr vs. Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii:

This match provides an excellent mix of different styles of wrestling, with ZSJ boasting his technical prowess and Minoru Suzuki and Tomohiro Ishii bringing their strong style. This has the potential to be brutal yet unforgettable encounter.

Build-up has been solid, set up after Suzuki’s team lost a six-man tag at the BOSJ event and the psychotic (please don’t kill me, Minoru) Suzuki seeking revenge.

Expect the CHAOS teammates to get the win to continue the feud between Suzuki and Ishii. The first heels to win on the show. I just need an excuse to listen to Suzuki’s ‘Kaze Ni Nare’ theme.

Prediction: Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr.

Rey Mysterio, Jushin Liger, & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Marty Scurll, Cody, & Adam Page:

Three of the best veterans in the business vs. three of the brightest young stars that New Japan, or the entire wrestling world, has to offer. This match provides multitudes of mouth-watering encounters in prospect. I would love to say each of these six competitors face off against each other in one-on-one matches but for now, this will have to do.

The build has been sort of random, but you won’t hear me complaining. Rey Mysterio was set to face Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger at Strong Style Evolved in March but had to pull out due to injury. I suspect the plan is to go back to that match with the Bullet Club members picking up the win due to dissension among the face team involving Mysterio and Liger. This will be Rey’s first match back in New Japan and his first anywhere since his surprise appearance at the 2018 Royal Rumble in January for WWE.

Cody, one of the biggest heels in the company, could do with getting the pin over Tanahashi, the ‘Ace’ of New Japan.

Prediction: Bullet Club (Cody, Scurll and Adam Page)

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Champion Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi:

I am half-scared and half-excited out of my mind for this match.

After what Hiromu and Ishimori did to each other in the final of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, it is anyone’s imagination what Will Ospreay might want to do with the ball now in his court. Ospreay and Hiromu, representing CHAOS and LIJ, last faced off one-on-one in February at the New Beginning show in Osaka, in what was the best match on the show. Anticipating similar fireworks and Hiromu winning the Junior Heavyweight title for the second time. Will Ospreay to move on to showdowns with Rey Mysterio and Taiji Ishimori.

Prediction: Hiromu Takahashi, new IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion

NEVER Openweight Title Match: Champion Hirooki Goto vs. Taichi vs. Michael Elgin:

Aside from decent title defences against EVIL and Juice Robinson, Hirooki Goto hasn’t really impressed with the NEVER Openweight title around his waist.

Michael Elgin’s involvement makes sense and he and Goto have the potential to blow the roof of the building. NJPW isn’t known for putting together a lot of multi-man matches so the involvement of Taichi came as a surprise. But with the G1 Climax about to start, they could be headed for a different direction for Goto and Elgin.

Prediction: Taichi, new NEVER Openweight champion