Nemeth retains his NJPW title against Tanahashi, immediately books his next defense

New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s first attempt to book a match between IWGP Global champion Nic Nemeth and its long-time star & current president Hiroshi Tanahashi had to be called off due to an injury to President Ace. But the 47 year old Tanahashi was good to go for Night One of Wrestling Dontaku today (May 3) in Fukuoka.

Their main event clash started tentatively, but built to big moves from each man. Both tried for their finishers on multiple occasions, and it was a counter to Tanahashi’s High Flow Fly that allowed Nemeth to hit Danger Zone twice to win the match.

Nemeth didn’t have long to celebrate, however. Bullet Club War Dogs leader David Finlay — the man fka Dolph Ziggler beat for the Global title back at February’s The New Beginning in Sapporo crashed the party to attack the champ. After the brawled, Nemeth threw down a challenge for a title match on Saturday’s second night of Wrestling Dontaku.

Both Nemeth and Finlay are booking in multi-man matches on the May 4 card, but it looks like they’ll be pulling double duty. For now, New Japan’s write-up of the today’s closing scene just asks if “a major change be made to the card in Fukuoka?”

Earlier on Friday’s show, Finlay picked up a Bullet Club-assisted victory over New Japan Cup winner Yota Tsuji. The show also saw Jeff Cobb take the TV title from Zack Sabre, Jr.

Here are the full results from Night One of Wrestling Dontaku:

• Oleg Boltin & Shoma Kato def. Katsuya Murashima & Togi Makabe

• House Of Torture (SHO & Yujiro Takahashi) def. Just 5 Guys (DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku)

• Just 5 Guys (Taichi & Yuya Uemura) def. United Empire (Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan)

• Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo, Hikuleo & Jado) def. TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste)

• Bullet Club (Chase Owens, KENTA & Taiji Ishimori) defeat Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) & Tiger Mask

• Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito) def. Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd & Gedo)

• House Of Torture (EVIL, Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) def. El Desperado, Jon Moxley & Shota Umino

• Jeff Cobb defeats Zack Sabre Jr. to win the NJPW World Television championship

• David Finlay def. Yota Tsuji

• Nic Nemeth def. Hiroshi Tanahashi to retain the IWGP Global title

Both nights of Wrestling Dontaku are available on New Japan’s NJPWWorld streaming service.