NJPW Power Struggle Results: Shingo Takagi Vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Multiple Title Changes

By Joshua Gagnon
shingo-takagi-zack-sabre Photo Credit: NJPW

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s live coverage of NJPW Power Struggle from Osaka Prefectural Gym in Osaka, Japan. Coverage begins at 4 am ET/1 am PT.

The main event features IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi taking on Zack Sabre Jr. The event will stream live on NJPW World with Japanese commentary (English audio to be added at a later date).

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Kosei Fujita and Ryohei Oiwa vs. DOUKI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru

Oiwa and DOUKIE get things started with Oiwa showing off his power to put his open quickly down. DOUKI with a strike to the throat, running double stomp, cover, two. Kanemaru tags in, gets his opponent to the corner, big boot, but gets run over by Oiwa. Fujita tags in, double shoulder tackle, followed by forearm strikes, dropkick, cover, two-count.

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Fujita locks in a boston crab on Kanemaru, but he's able to crawl his way to the ropes. Kanemaru with a suplex, another one, goes for a pin, two-count. Fujita with an inside cradle, two. Kanemaru hits a scoop slam and goes into a boston crab, keeps it in the center of the ring and Fujita eventually taps out.

Winners: Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI via Submission

Tiger Mask, Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe vs. Jado, Gedo, and Tanga Loa

Tiger getting beat up by multiple Bullet Club members as he's kept in their corner. Loa with a headbutt, then he and Gedo knock the other opponents off the apron. Tiger avoids a couple strikes and tries to fight his way out of three attacks, finally hitting a sit-out powerbomb. Makabe tags in and hits multiple clotheslines in the corner.

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Jado tries to get involved, but Makabe with a double clothesline on Jado and Loa. Honma heads into the match and goes for a diving headbutt, connecting successfully on Loa. Tiger with a second rope crossbody on Loa and then dropkicks Jado to the floor. Honma hits a couple lariats on Loa, light headbutt. He then gets dropped by Loa and Loa is able to hit his finisher, an over the shoulder reverse piledriver.

Winners: Jado, Gedo, and Tanga Loa via Pinfall

Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Yuji Nagata vs. BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, and SANADA

LIJ controlling the early stages of the match with Takahashi beating up on Wato. Takahashi and SANADA try out some mongolian chops on Taguchi. In comes BUSHI, eye gouges Wato into the corner and puts him to the mat. Wato up and lands a few spinning kicks. Nagata and SANADA tag in, they trade shots in the middle of the ring until Nagata kicks SANADA to the corner. Whips him to the other side, boot to the face, release overhead suples, cover, and Takahashi breaks that up.

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Takahashi with mongolian chops to Nagata and then takes a kitchen sink. SANADA and Nagata with a couple counters, Nagata fakes a punch and hits a low dropkick. Taguchi wants in, hip attacks to every LIJ member. Springboards in, nearly gets put into skull end. Everyone hitting big moves on each other now. Taguchi with a springboard hip attack on SANADA, ankle lock applied, SANADA able to reverse out of it for a tricky pin, 1-2-3.

Winners: BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, and SANADA via Pinfall

YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii, and Hirooki Goto (c) vs. SHO, Yujiro Takahashi, and EVIL with Dick Togo (NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship)

Bullet Club barely get in a "too sweet" before the action starts. Everybody starts brawling and Togo tries to get involved, but is quickly dropped and sent back to the floor. Takahashi bites Goto's hand and sends him into the corner just as EVIL pulls away the turnbuckle pad. More brawling on the outside as Bullet Club keeps the momentum up. EVIL tags in and chokes Goto with a towel, cover, two.

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Goto battles Takahashi and finally finds a window after a saito suplex, tagging in Ishii. SHO with a kick to the leg and gets a big shot to the face for his troubles. Ishii then runs over his opponent with a shoulder tackle, taunting kicks to SHO, who battles back in the corner. SHO with an eye gouge, EVIL with a cheap kick to the back of Ishii, which allows SHO to nail him with a spear. EVIL tags into the match. YOSHI gets into the match, blockbuster hits, cover, two. More strikes land on EVIL, he gets distracted by Takahashi and tripped up. Goto hops into the match, but is eventually thrown into that exposed turnbuckle.

EVIL looks to finish off YOSHI, blocked, eye gouge, YOSHI goes for a kick, caught, sent into the ref. Magic killer on YOSHI, cover, ref slow to make the count, two. YOSHI with a kick, throws EVIL into one of his guys, cover, Takahashi breaks it up. Everybody battling right now with both SHO and Takahashi taking neckbreakers. YOSHI with a snap dragon suplex, big lariat, fisherman's suplex, cover, two. Togo gets involved and chokes YOSHI while EVIL keeps the ref distracted. He punches Togo away, Takahashi brings in the cane, but is dropped. SHO hits Goto with a chair, Ishii drops him. YOSHI mistakenly drops Ishii during the chaos. Goto back up, superkick by YOSHI to EVIL. Triple team move on EVIL.

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YOSHI and Goto with an elbow drop/powerbomb combo, cover, Togo pulls the ref out of the ring. Double low blows on Goto and YOSHI. Ishii with a double clothesline on those BC members. Togo back in to choke Ishii. SHO with a wrench (so many weapons...) and smacks YOSHI with it, EVIL with everything is evil on YOSHI, cover, 1-2-3.

Winners: EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, and SHO via pinfall to win the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship

- Post-match, Bullet Club looks for more pain, but YOH runs out and drops everyone in the group, including his former tag partner, SHO.

Toru Yano (c) vs. Great-O-Khan (Provisional KOPW 2021 – Amateur Wrestling Match)

The amateur match will consist of two, three minute periods, and will be judged by mat chairman Kenta Sato, judge Yuji Nagata and referee Marty Asami. Nagata explains the rules as two other wrestlers show different takedowns and points they are worth. Khan comes out in a singlet for the match, a very different look than usually seen for him. Yano is also rocking typical attire for this match.

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Not much early on until Yano is backed into the ropes for a reset. Yano eventually is scored one point for his work that forces another reset in the middle of the ring. Khan tosses Yano down for a moment, but he's right back up. Yano tries for a single-leg takedown, which is blocked. Ref stands them up, Khan fakes up and down until he's able to take Yano's back for two points, then gets another two points (4-1 Khan). Period One comes to an end.

Yano able to score a quick point (4-2) as Period Two starts. Khan able to get control of Yano and force him into the ropes for a point (5-2). Yano with a big spinning slam that gets him up in a hurry (6-5). Khan tries to quicken the pace after that huge swing in the score. Yano blocks a takedown attempt as Period Two comes to an end.

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Winner: Toru Yano (6-5)

- Post-match, Khan gets back to pro wrestling and attacks Yano from behind. He and Henare with double team moves on Yano, double kicks drop the champion. Big chokeslam as the timekeeper bangs on that bell over and over. Nagata has finally seen enough and gets in the ring to stop the attack.

Robbie Eagles (c) vs. El Desperado (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship)

Back and forth action from each wrestler. Desperado out to the floor in frustration, Eagles tries for a baseball slide, nope, nearly sent into the ring post, but he flips away from that. He gets sent up to the apron, tripped down, Desperado with a huge flipping suicide dive on the champion. Desperado working over the leg now in the corner of the ring.

Eagles finally gets some offense in, multiple kicks to the chest, sliding elbow to the back of the head. Desperado out to the floor and Eagles with a flipping senton of his own. The champion is limping around though after all the damage inflicted by Desperado. Back in the ring, Eagles applies the Ron Miller Special as Desperado yells out in pain, but is able to claw his way to a rope break. Eagles with running double knees in the corner. Eagles pumps himself up, but ends up going into a spinebuster, cover, two. Desperado with a numero dos on that bad leg until Eagles gets to the bottom rope.

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Back-and-forth shots in the middle of the ring until Desperado boots that bad knee, Eagles returns the favor from the ground. Poinsonranna by Eagles, followed by a single leg running kick, cover, two-count. Desperado tries for a move, no, Eagles lands two thrust kicks, enziguri misses, but he goes for a roll-up, two, tries for another, two. Desperado then clocks the champ in the face with a kick. He lifts and drops Eagles to the mat, cover, two-count.

Eagles reverses a powerbomb into a pinning hurricanrana for two. He then just double stomps the challenger's knee. Eagles rolled up for two and then put right back into numero dos. He almost gets to the ropes, but is rolled back into the middle of the ring, his arms are no trapped and he verbally submits.

Winner: El Desperado via Submission to win the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship

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Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. KENTA (IWGP US Championship)

Bit of a feeling out process as things get started. The two end up in the ropes a couple times. KENTA struggles as Tanahashi beats him up in and outside the ring. KENTA takes a moment on the floor, then takes his title and tries to head to the back. Tanahashi decides to go after him and hits him from behind, but KENTA plants him on the ramp and makes his way back to the ring.

Ref starts up his 20-count, Tanahashi gets back into the ring at 19. KENTA keeps the pressure on, goes for a cover, two-count. KENTA fires up the champ with some taunting attacks. Strikes from Tanahashi, second rope crossbody, slams him down, cover, two. KENTA drapes Tanahashi over the top rope, second rope dropkick, cover, two-count.

The two end up on the apron, KENTA looking to put Tanahashi through a table that's been set up on the floor. Tanahashi reverses, but KENTA slips back into the ring and boots the champ a couple times. KENTA with a draping DDT. Tanahashi sent out to the floor near the table. He swings away and puts Tanahashi on the table. KENTA heads up to the top rope, but Tanahashi rolls off the table. KENTA with a double stomp off the apron. He then tries to whip Tanahashi into the barricade, but the champ reverses that into a sling blade. KENTA now put on the table, Tanahashi goes up top and crushes him with high fly flow!

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Ref finally starts up his count, but Tanahashi tosses KENTA into the ring. Sling blade in the center of the ring, cover, two. He heads up to the top rope again, high fly flow to a standing KENTA. He goes up for a third time, but KENTA gets his knees up this time. KETNA with a crossface applied, but Tanahashi gets his foot on the rope fairly quickly. KENTA looks for GTS, countered into a dragon leg screw, and then another one. GTS countered into another sling blade. Tanahashi sent head-first into the exposed turnbuckle that lost the turnbuckle pad earlier in the night. KENTA cracks him with GTS, cover, 1-2-3. New champ!

Winner: KENTA via pinfall to win the IWGP US Championship

Kazuchika Okada (holder) vs. Tama Tonga with Jado (Rights To Tokyo Dome Contract)

Both go right after each other with Tonga getting sent out to the floor. Okada looks to fly, but fakes out Tonga and tells him to get in the ring. Back and for battle with Okada eventually getting knocked out to the floor. Tonga follow and stomps away at his opponent. He beats up Okada some more and Red Shoes starts up his 20-count, Okada gets in at 17 and Tonga is immediately on him.

Tonga continues to beat on Okada, applies a sleeper hold, but Okada is able to fight out of it and land a big kick to drop Tonga. Huge flapjack by Okada, cover, two-count. Dropkick sends Tonga out to the floor. DDT to Tonga on the floor. Back in the ring, Okada applies a submission on Tonga, although he's able to get a foot on the rope for the break. Tonga out to the floor, Okada follows, Okada looks for a move, but Tonga hits a twisting neckbreaker out near the ramp.

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Tonga trying to put Okada down for good, tries to lift him up, ends up jamming him into the corner. Okada applies money clip over and over, before finally getting Tonga down and locking it in. He ends up dragging Tonga away from the ropes, he's fading and at the last moment stretches out for the break. Okada goes up top for the elbow drop. He calls for rainmaker, misses, tries for a dropkick, nobody home. Alabama slam by Tonga, death valley driver, flies up to the top rope, big splash, cover, 1-2-no. Tonga looks for gun stun, no, tombstone piledriver by Okada, no, Tonga finally hits a brainbuster. He looks for gun stun, nope, runs into a dropkick.

Tonga misses a splash in the corner. Okada trying for the tombstone again, nope, single-leg running dropkick by Okada lands. He hits a couple european uppercuts on Tonga, tombstone piledriver, reversed by Tonga and he hits one of his own. Tries for a move, Okada reverses, but runs into a dropkick. Tonga tries for a move, no, looks for a roll-up, Okada just sits down on him for a two-count. Gun stun, no, dropkick on Tonga, Another gun stun that gets kind of messed up. Okada with a german suplex, holds on. Gun stun, no, rainmaker, no, just so many reversals from these two. Okada finally lands rainmaker, cover, 1-2-3.

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Winner: Kazuchika Okada via Pinfall

Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (IWGP World Heavyweight Championship)

Both trading a number of holds as the champion look to stay away from Sabre's submissions. Takagi and Sabre playing games when it comes to a clean rope break. Big chop from Takagi and another one drops Sabre. He goes for a third, blocked and nearly put into a cross armbreaker. Takagi tries for a wheelbarrow suplex, and it's reverses into a heel hook. The champ fights out of it and works a couple submissions until Sabre gets to the rope and takes a breather on the floor.

Lots of trash talking from both wrestlers. Sabre chokes Takagi on the ropes, he falls out to the floor, Sabre with a big penalty kick from the apron that lands flush. Back in the ring, Sabre works the neck until Takagi gets the break. Back and forth action until Takagi lands a big DDT, cover, two. Very fast sequence that ends with a lariat from Takagi and a boot from Sabre. Both wrestlers down for a moment. Takagi with a dragon leg screw in the ropes.

Takagi twists Sabre's neck with his feet. Takagi with some big power moves, hits made in japan, cover, two. Pumping bomber clocks Sabre, but he's holding his arm after all the damage from Sabre. He's decides not to go for a pin, lifts Sabre and climbs up to the second rope. Sabre fights back and gets to the mat. He then runs up and locks in a flying armbar, transitions to a triangle choke, goes into a cross armbreaker, but Takagi is right in the ropes. Kicks by Sabre, followed by a huge penalty kick, Zack driver lands, cover, two!

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He applies a sleeper on Takagi, who decides to climb up to the second rope and just falls back on Sabre. Takagi lifts Sabre on his shoulders, last of the dragon! Takagi still doesn't try for a pin. He throws forearms to Sabre. Sabre returns fire and here we go with the big shots.Sabre with a spinning kick, first missed, second connects, but Takagi is right there with a sliding forearm to the back of the head. Sabre with european clutch for a two-count. Takagi looks for something, Sabre slips out the back, but Takagi reverses that and hits a draping elbow drop. Standing pumping bomber hits, cover, two-count. Made in Japan hits, cover, 1-2-3.

Winner Shingo Takagi via Pinfall 

- Post-match, Taichi is out to check on his tag partner. Sabre says something to Takagi and then rolls out of the ring. Takagi is given his title, poses for a few photos, and holds his arm from the damage inflicted from Sabre. Kazuchika Okada strolls out to the ring. Okada takes the mic to talk with the champion. The live feed only has Japanese commentary, but the NJPW Global Twitter feed has Okada saying: "Takagi, congratulations on your defense. And thanks for the hard work. From here on out, it's time for the G1 Champion to take over from the world champ and carry this company. This belt is my contract. The G1 Champion. The IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Who's the real deal? Let's find out. So come on, champ, or should I say the G1 dropout Shingo Takagi?"

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Takagi takes a mic: "I didn't think you'd be out here, I thought I would have to call you out. Are you still carrying that toy around? You like that thing huh. But you are the G1 champion. I do still have this belt. The G1 Champion and the World Champion? Let's find out who the strongest is, and let's do it January 4 in the Tokyo Dome!" Okada seems to be game and makes his way to the back.

"I'm not going to end this half assed. This is the last big Osaka event of the year, so let me speak! Here we go! Today was tough. REALLY tough. I thought I would give up so many times. ZSJ was the best possible challenger. So you know what that means right? I beat the best challenger, making me the best wrestler in the world right now. Give me more applause! But I am only looking on and up. Like a Dragon, I'm heading to the Tokyo Dome!" Takagi said.

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