NJPW Power Struggle Results

By Brie Coder

Welcome to Wrestling Inc's live coverage of NJPW Power Struggle 2020. This event will begin airing on NJPW World (with English commentary) at 3 AM EST! Be sure to chime in on your thoughts about today's show in the comments section below. Additionally, share our live coverage through social media. Make sure to click the REFRESH button to continue to get the most current up to date coverage. Above and below is what's on today's show:

Commentators Kevin Kelly, Rocky Romero and Chris Charlton welcome fans to NJPW Power Struggle! We kick things off with the first title match on the card.

KOPW 2020 Championship (No Corner Pad Match Stipulation): Toru Yano (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Toru Yano yells out at the NJPW ring crew for not removing the corner pads fast enough. The crowd all laughs in unison. Both men begin a test of strength after the bell rings. Yano goes right for Zack Sabre Jr.'s leg. They restart the match. Yano crashes into the corner twice and screams out in pain. Sabre Jr. keeps the hurt on Yano before he rolls out of the ring to take a breath. Sabre Jr. meets Yano on the outside only to be thrown into the guard rail. They both make their way back in the ring. Yano tries to stop Sabre from being held in the cobra twist. Yano finds himself again on the wrong end of Sabre Jr.'s ankle lock. Yano grabs the bottom rope for a break.

Outside the ring again, both men crash shoulder-first into each other. Sabre Jr. blasts Yano in the face with a strong European uppercut. Both men's battle continues on the outside up until the 18th count before they both make it back in. Sabre Jr. just drives Yano once more into the exposed turnbuckle. Sabre keeps the pain train rolling by cuffing Yano's ear. Yano sidesteps Sabre Jr and sends him on the mat with a belly-to-belly suplex. Sabre Jr. slams into the turnbuckle. Yano rolls him up but only gets a two count. He goes for it again, same results. Sabre Jr. plays dead for a moment to get a rollup on Yano. Yano gets his shoulders up at the 2 count.

A stalemate ensues as both men have each other in Achilles submissions. Yano is having a hard time crawling towards the bottom rope. He puts his hand out for the referee to grab before making it over to the bottom rope for another break. Both men make their way back out of the ring. Sabre Jr. locks Yano's leg in the guardrail. Yano grabs at Sabre Jr.'s boot laces up in the guardrail. He runs into the ring in time. Sabre Jr. can't break free from the guardrail and loses the match via count-out.

Winner and Still KOPW Champion: Toru Yano

Post-Match: A Young Lion comes over with scissors to help untie Sabre Jr. After breaking free, he runs to the back.

The NEVER Openweight Championship is on the line, next!

NEVER Openweight Championship: Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Shingo Takagi

Both men waste little time pounding each other with forearms as the match starts. Shingo Takagi and Minoru Suzuki reverse each other in and out of the corner with more forearms. Suzuki breaks the habit with a headbutt. Takagi returns the favor. Suzuki is fired up following the round for jabs Takagi sends his way. He puts him in a tightly held front chokehold. Takagi breaks free. Suzuki locks in an armbar off the apron. He then sends him crashing towards the announce table on the outside. Now, outside of the ring, Suzuki pushes Takagi into the guardrails. Suzuki pushes the referee away from him so he can smash a chair towards the lower portion of Takagi's back. Suzuki keeps on him with a half-Boston Crab. The referee pushes Suzuki off. Next, he tries to choke the life out of Takagi.

They both make their way back into the ring. Takagi picks back up with two forearms and a chop to make his way out of the corner. Suzuki rolls him over with a snapmare. He looks for a suplex, but it's a no go. Takagi takes his explosive power to new heights following a suplex where Suzuki lands right on his head. He continues with a dragon elbow. Suzuki laughs off Takagi's advances of forearm punches. The Osaka crowd claps in unison while both men exchange more forearm strikes. Takagi puts all his weight in his legs to avoid Suzuki's Gotch Style Piledriver. He reverses with a DDT. Both men collapse in pain. Suzuki has a big grin on his face.

As both men get back up, Suzuki flies in with a stomp to the face. Suzuki lights him with a flurry of slaps and chops. Takagi finds his offense again with a quick dropkick. Suzuki runs back over to lock in a Boston Crab. Just a few seconds later, Suzuki traditions it over towards a single Boston Crab. Takagi fights through the pain to dive over to the bottom rope for a break. Takagi falls into Suzuki's lethal rear-naked chokehold. Takagi gets swept up into the Gotch Style position again. Nothing comes out of it. Takagi blocks Suzuki from off the ropes with a hard elbow. Takagi cannot get Suzuki down following three big clotheslines. Takagi catches Suzuki in the back of the head with another clothesline. Rocky Romero mentions how rocked Suzuki looks following that hit.
Takagi has Suzuki up on his shoulders for Last of the Dragon. Takagi goes for a pin and becomes the new NEVER Openweight Champion!

Winner and New Champion: Shingo Takagi

A non-title bout is up next!

Kazuchika Okada vs. Great O-Khan (w/ Will Ospreay)

Kazuchika Okada doesn't even get his rope off before Great O-Khan drives himself into him before the bell rings. Will Ospreay claps at ringside. For several minutes, O-Khan drags Okada around the ring and tries to keep the big man down. Okada finds himself gaining traction after connecting a DDT. O-Khan slides in with a dropkick to the face of the hanging "Rainmaker." He goes for a pin right away. Okada kicks out at 2. O-Khan elevates Okada with a face place on top of the mat. O-Khan, again, gets a near-fall count of 2.

O-Khan keeps the hurt on Okada with several Mongolian chops. Okada breaks it up with a dropkick. Okada drops O-Khan on his head with his signature tombstone piledriver. Okada finds himself unable to lock in the Money Clip. O-Khan reverses it with the claw, followed by a reverse suplex. Both men make it to their feet. Okada slides in a dominator dropkick. Okada drives him down with a Rainmaker before successfully locking in the Money Clip. The referee stops the match after seeing O-Khan fade. "The Rainmaker" prevails!

Winner: Kazuchika Okada

Post-Match: Okada calls Will Ospreay into the ring. "The Aerial Assisian," asks for a microphone. At the beginning of his speech, he congratulates Okada for a successful match against his ally. He says since he's left Chaos, he is living the life of the rich and famous, but it's not enough. Ospreay ponders one question: what could happen if he ended "The Rainmaker's" career? He says what better way to end him than at the Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom 15! Okada grabs the microphone to respond to Ospreay's challenge. He says if he wants it, he's got it!
Back from the break, the New Japan contract matches begin with the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship!

IWGP US Championship Match Contract: KENTA (holder) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

The crowd claps with Hiroshi Tanahashi as the match gets going. KENTA messes with Tanahashi's hair during a lockup. KENTA throws a solid forearm towards Tanahashi's direction. Tanahashi comes at him with a dropkick. Tanahashi strums his air guitar while KENTA is laying on safety mats on the outside. KENTA grabs his briefcase and cracks it across Tanahashi's head. The referee calls KENTA out for using a closed fist following a cold-cocked punch. KENTA goes for a pin. Tanahashi kicks out at 2. KENTA has Tanahashi in a head scissors hold. Tanahashi rolls over to place his foot on the bottom rope for a break. Tanahashi gets fired up following three heavy kicks from KENTA. KENTA turns it around with a neckbreaker, then a pin. Tanahashi kicks out again at 2.

Tanahashi rocks KENTA with a flurry of forearms before getting hit with another kick. Tanahashi sends him flying over with a dragon screw. His momentum keeps going with a high flying punch off the ropes, followed by the somersault senton. Tanahashi hooks the leg for a pin. KENTA gets his shoulders up at 2. KENTA comes close with a rollup after connecting a sling blade. Tanahashi kicks out in time to keep himself alive in the match. Tanahashi puts his foot up on the bottom rope before KENTA could lock in his Game Over submission. A powerslam ensues right after from KENTA. He goes for two pins, and Tanahashi kicks out each time.

Tanahashi gets back into the match by connecting two Twists and Shouts. He continues the momentum after soaring through the air with a crossbody. KENTA tried to position him in the GTS. Tanahashi finds an opening out. KENTA goes in with his Game Over submission. Tanahashi powers out. KENTA rolls him over after being locked in the Clover Leaf to put the submission on him again. "The Ace" finds himself in a tough situation and taps out of the match. KENTA retains his IWGP US Championship contract.

Winner and Still IWGP US Championship Contract Holder: KENTA

Our co-main event is underway!

Wrestle Kingdom 15 Title Match Contract: Kota Ibushi (holder) vs. Jay White (w/Gedo)

Jay White and Gedo give the "Too Sweet" gesture to the crowd before the bell rings. Bell rings, White, runs out of the ring. He yells out that he needs to take a breather. He heads over to the table and grabs the briefcase to toy Kota Ibushi. White slams in several forearm strikes before Ibushi sends him down with a clothesline. Gedo gets involved in the match by holding on to Ibushi's legs. White takes advantage of Gedo's interference by smashing Ibushi's back onto the safety mats on the outside. We see a high impact fall following that. White stomps away on Ibushi once he rolls into the ring. White continues targeting Ibushi's midsection with shoulder tackles in the corner.

White throws Ibushi into the barricade twice. White rolls him back in for a pin. The referee refuses to count it. White takes it upon himself to do it, but nothing comes out of it. Ibushi counters Gedo's advances of trying to throw him into the barricade once more. He, instead, throws White's manager into them. Ibushi launches himself off the top rope to crash into White with a crossbody. Both men roll into the ring by the sixth count. Ibushi lands a moonsault before going for the pin. White kicks out at 2. White doesn't clear out of the way in time to be on the receiving end of a second rope moonsault. He gets up and sends Ibushi down with a powerslam. He only gets a 2 count.

White squares away with his Blade Buster. He still cannot get a pin on him. Ibushi rocks White with an Urangi followed by a forearm shot. White locks Ibushi with a front facelock. He uses the corner to weaken Ibushi. He puts his suplex on hold to punch shots towards Ibushi's midsection again. Ibushi just devastated White with his Bastard Driver. The fans all clap for Ibushi as he rises to his feet. He lands a thunderous kick to White's face. Both men counter each other's finishers. White uses the ropes to hoist himself up for a crucifix pin. The referee never saw it. The "Switchblade" is now the new contract holder.

Winner and New Contract Holder: Jay White

And now, the main event!

IWGP Heavyweight And Intercontinental Championships: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. EVIL (w/Dick Togo)

EVIL controls the first few minutes of the match with a side headlock on Naito. Both men make their way back up in a vertical base position. Naito sends EVIL off his feet with an arm drag/dropkick combination. Naito wraps his legs around EVIL's neck. EVIL's shoulders hit the mat. Referee Red Shoes goes for a pin count. EVIL kicks out at 2. Both men make their way outside of the ring. EVIL pushes Naito so hard into the barricade that one of New Japan's commentators falls backward and into the audience. Naito makes his way back into the ring by the 10th count. EVIL goes right away for a snap suplex but only grabs a near-fall at 2.

EVIL sends Naito crashing into the same New Japan commentator once more. EVIL puts Naito in a single Crab lock. Naito drags himself over to grab hold of the bottom rope. Naito pumps the breaks on a fisherman buster. Naito sends EVIL towards the corner with a hurricanrana, followed by an Esperanza. Naito only gets a two count. EVIL's right-hand man, Dick Togo, steps into the ring to interfere; Red Shoes kicks him out. On the outside again, EVIL swings for the fences with a chair shot. Back in the ring, EVIL lands his fisherman buster from before. He only gets a near-fall attempt. Naito finds his footing again with a DDT. EVIL blocks Naito's idea on the top rope with a backbreaker.

The fans are fully behind Naito, with claps ringing out throughout the arena. EVIL crashes Naito back-first into the turnbuckle. EVIL and Naito are hanging on the middle and top ropes. EVIL sends Naito flying off the highest angle with a superplex. EVIL rolls over to put Naito in a scorpion deathlock. Just in the nick of time, Naito gets his hand on the bottom rope. The announcer calls for the 20-minute mark. Naito charges toward EVIL with a spinebuster. EVIL clutches his back as he tries to get up. Naito keeps on him with a super hurricanrana off the top and his Gloria signature. Naito closes in with two Destinos. Naito grabs EVIL's leg for a cover. Dick Togo drags Red Shoes out of the ring.

Dick Togo wraps a cord around Naito's neck. SANADA comes in to save his friend following Yujiro Takahashi's interference. The match goes back to it being between both men. Red Shoes is taken out of the match following a violent swing kick. Naito kicks EVIL right in the groin following Red Shoes rolling out of the ring. Jay White makes his way down to the ring. He teases a betrayal towards EVIL by hoisting him up for a Blade Runner. Instead, White charges to the other side of the ring to lock Naito up in that said finisher. Kota Ibushi runs out to chase White out of the ring. The announcer calls for the 30-minute mark; Naito continues to hammer EVIL with his short elbow strikes. EVIL connects a low blow. He goes for a pin, but Red Shoes only counts 2. Naito gets one last Destino in to secure his victory and retain his championships! Naito wins!

Winner and Still IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Champion: Tetsuya Naito

Post-Match: Jay White and Gedo come out to show Naito his newly won briefcase. White grabs a microphone to tell him his Bullet Club brothers have failed to capture his titles as of late, but not him. He says that he's going to take the first night off from Wrestle Kingdom. But he says on the second night he's going to challenge him for both belts. He calls his new path towards Naito's titles his "Destino." Kota Ibushi walks down to the ring. White and Gedo get out of the ring. White reminds him that he has nothing; his game is up. Ibushi follows White up the ramp.

Naito apologizes to the crowd for those interferences. He tells the fans that he is excited to see the Osaka fans again. He informs them that he knows when NJPW will be coming back there, but he doesn't want to give away the surprise date. He pays homage to Los Ingobernables de Japon before the confetti rains down on him.

That concludes this year's Power Struggle. More information on the set matches for WK 15 will be released in the coming days. Thanks for watching!

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