Preview: Taichi is undefeated in one single match against Kazuchika Okada. Heed the asterisk meanwhile; that match, six months after a pre-debut exhibition bout against Tetsuya Naito, was Okada’s first in an NJPW ring, and four years before the Rainmaker made himself known.

‘You’ve been dodging me for the last 12 years,’ runs Taichi’s narrative, though the Holy Emperor knows far too well not to let facts get in the way of a good story. Okada went on excursion and on his return shot to the top of the heavyweight ranks, while Taichi was a junior heavyweight for years; the 12 year separation also includes two years for Taichi in Pro Wrestling NOAH. Still, with Taichi having turned heavyweight in spring 2018, this remains an intriguingly fresh matchup.

Date: February 02, 2020

Venue: Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center

City: Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Match Card

Toa Henare vs Yota Tsuji

Manabu Nakanishi & Tiger Mask vs Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino

Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Ren Narita vs Suzuki-gun (TAKA Michinoku & Takashi Iizuka)

Eight Man Tag Team Match

Six Man Tag Team Match

Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & Shingo Takagi) (c) vs Suzuki-gun

Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) (c) vs Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.)

Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Taichi

Independent Wrestling Shows NJPW