Wrestling Dontaku 2021 was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on two nights May 3 and 4, 2021, in Fukuoka, Fukuoka at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. Both nights featured six matches, one of which was contested for one championships and two contested for championships. The first night was headlined by Hiroshi Tanahashi defending the NEVER Openweight Championship against Jay White and the second night was headlined by Will Ospreay defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Shingo Takagi. This was the seventeenth event under the Wrestling Dontaku name.
Production[]
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic[]
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, other wrestling promotions began to cancel or postpone their shows in an attempt to prevent further spreading of the COVID-19 virus. At the end of February, following recommendations by the Japanese Ministry of Health regarding the coronavirus outbreak, NJPW canceled the events between March 1 and March 15 including the promotion's Anniversary Event and the first and the second round of New Japan Cup. On March 23, NJPW also canceled the 2020 Sakura Genesis event, which was originally scheduled to take place on March 31. On April 8, NJPW canceled more events from April 11 through May 4, leading to the cancelation of both nights of 2020 Wrestling Dontaku and would also cancel the whole Best of the Super Juniors tournament as a result of the pandemic. Various wrestlers such as David Finlay, El Phantasmo, KENTA, the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa), Jay White, Juice Robinson, Will Ospreay, Rocky Romero, and Robbie Eagles were unable to work on NJPW events due to pandemic travel restrictions. During this time, NJPW wrestlers and staff created the NJPW Together project in order to do bring content to NJPW World with interviews and old archived matches. On May 6, NJPW announced that their Wrestle Dynasty event would be postponed to 2021. On June 8, during an online press conference, NJPW Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi announced that the promotion would start to hold shows on June 15, starting with the Together Project Special and the return of the 2020 New Japan Cup between June 16 and July 11, with all shows being held behind closed doors. It was also stated that the finals of the New Japan Cup and the Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall would be the first shows to allow fans into the arena, but only a third of the venue's normal capacity, after the Japanese Government lifted some restrictions on many regions in Japan. Limited live attendance at NJPW shows continued into 2021, with fans being allowed only to applaud or use noisemakers but not cheer or chant for the wrestlers.
On May 4, 2021, it was announced that two wrestlers had complained of a fever at the beginning of the show, leading them to undergo examinations and a PCR test. As a precaution, the Dontaku card was changed, with the second match and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship being cancelled. Meanwhile, KENTA was replaced by Dick Togo in the semi main event.
Storylines[]
Both nights of Wrestling Dontaku 2021 featured 12 professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, the NEVER Openweight Champion, who defend his title against Jay White
The first night of Wrestling Dontaku 2021 was headlined by Hiroshi Tanahashi making his second title defense of the NEVER Openweight Championship against Jay White. On March 15, White eliminated Hiroshi Tanahashi from the 2021 New Japan Cup. Following the match, White challenged Tanahashi to a title match, vowing to become the first wrestler to holdthe IWGP United States, IWGP Intercontinental, IWGP Heavyweight and NEVER Openweight Championships. Afterwards, White claimed he would force Tanahashi to submit with the TTO-Tanahashi Tap Out, leading Tanahashi to refuse his challenge. However, on April 4 at Sakura Genisis, Tanahashi accepted his challenge, after forcing White to submit with the Texas Cloverleaf or the JTO-Jay Tap Out. The following day, NJPW oficially announced the title match.
Will Ospreay, the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, who defend his title against Shingo Takagi
The second night of Wrestling Dontaku 2021 was headlined by Will Ospreay making his first title defense of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Shingo Takagi. On April 4 at Sakura Genisis, Ospreay defeated Kota Ibushi. Following the match, Ospreay nominated Kazuchika Okada to be his first challenger. However, before Okada could answer Shingo Takagi challenged Ospreay to a title match, claiming that he had defeated Okada in the first round of the 2021 New Japan Cup, while also seeking revenge for losing to Ospreay in the finals of the tournament. This led to Ospreay accepting Takagi as his first challenger, with Okada being next in line. The following day, NJPW oficially announced the title match. On April 29 at Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni, Takagi and his Los Ingobernables de Japón stablemate Tetsuya Naito defeated Ospreay and his United Empire stablemate Great-O-Khan. Afterwards, Opsreay attacked Takagi, until Takagi lay him out with the Last of the Dragon, before posing with Ospreay's IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
El Desperado, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, who will defend his title against Yoh
On August 27, 2020, Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) were forced to vacate the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, after Yoh was sidelined with a knee injury. On March 21, 2021, Yoh made his return from injury, challeging Suzuki-gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) to a title match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on behalf of Roppongi 3K. This led to on April 4 at Sakura Genisis, Yoh and Sho defeating Desperado and Kanemaru to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for the fifth time. Following the match, Yoh challenged Desperado to a title match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, which Desperado accepted under condition that Roppongi 3K gave them a rematch for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. The following day, NJPW oficially announced the title match. On April 28 at Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni, Roppongi 3K defeated Desperado and Kanemaru to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.
Taichi, who faced Tama Tonga in a ladder match
Since December 2020, Dangerous Tekkers (Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.) began feuding with the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa), after the Guerrillas of Destiny won the 2020 World Tag League, culminating on January 4, 2021, on the first night of Wrestle Kingdom 15 in Tokyo Dome, the Guerrillas of Destiny defeated Dangerous Tekkers to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship for the seventh time, after Tonga used Taichi's Iron Fingers From Hell, that he inherited from the retired Suzuki-gun stablemate Takashi Iizuka. After working exclusively against each other in multi-man tag team matches for the last part of January, Tonga would steal the Iron Fingers From Hell from Taichi and usually use against him, which infuriated Taichi. On Febraury 10, at The New Beginning in Hiroshima, Dangerous Tekkers faced the Guerrillas of Destiny in a rematch for the IWGP Tag Team Championship, which ended by disqualification, after Taichi, who furious at Tonga’s control of the prized fingers, hit Tonga for the loss. However, Taichi regained control of fingers. At Sakura Genesis, during a match involving both teams, when the fingers seemed to be a distraction for Tonga and Taichi, referee Kenta Sato took the fingers away and passed them to NJPW Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi, who announced a ladder match for the fingers in order to settle the issue. This was NJPW second ever ladder match, with the first being Michael Elgin against Kenny Omega for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship on June 19, 2016 at Dominion 6.19 in Osaka-jo Hall.
The Guerrillas of Destiny and Dangerous Tekkers angle also led to a match between Zack Sabre Jr. and Tanga Loa, after Sabre pinned Loa in a match at Sakura Genesis, before challenging the Guerrillas of Destiny to a match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship, which Tonga would consider if Sabre defeated him in a match. On April 20, Sabre pinned Loa during a six-man tag team match. Afterwards, Bullet Club attacked Sabre, Loa stated that if Sabre Jr. defeated Loa, Dangerous Tekkers would be granted a title opportunity against the Guerrillas of Destiny. However, if Loa win, Dangerous Tekkers would be banned from challenging again for the IWGP Tag Team Championship. The stipulation for the match was announced on the next day.
Results[]
Night 1[]
| # | Matches | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bullet Club (Dick Togo, EVIL, Taiji Ishimori and Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Master Wato, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Tiger Mask and Toru Yano | Eight-man tag team match | 9:57 |
| 2 | CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Sho, and Yoh) defeated Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) | Six-man tag team match | 10:31 |
| 3 | Los Ingobernables de Japón (BUSHI, SANADA, Shingo Takagi, and Tetsuya Naito) defeated United Empire (Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and Will Ospreay) | Eight-man tag team match | 11:31 |
| 4 | Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tanga Loa | Singles match | 15:12 |
| 5 | Taichi defeated Tama Tonga | Ladder match for the Iron Fingers From Hell | 27:11 |
| 6 | Jay White (with Gedo) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) | Singles match for the NEVER Openweight Championship | 39:01 |
| |||
Night 2[]
| # | Matches | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suzuki-gun (DOUKI, Taichi, and Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated Bullet Club (Jado, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) | Six-man tag team match | 10:00 |
| 2 | Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori and Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Master Wato and Hiroyoshi Tenzan | Tag team match | 10:24 |
| 3 | United Empire (Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japón (BUSHI, SANADA, and Tetsuya Naito) | Six-man tag team match | 14:55 |
| 4 | Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Bullet Club (Dick Togo, EVIL, and Jay White) (with Gedo) | Eight-man tag team match | 12:14 |
| 5 | Will Ospreay (c) defeated Shingo Takagi | Singles match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship | 44:53 |
| |||