Strong Style Spirit

Seven titles will be defended across two shows as New Japan presents “INVASION ATTACK” on 4/7 at Sumo Hall and “ROAD TO INVASION ATTACK” two days earlier at Korakuen Hall. At Korakuen, the Killer Elite Squad will make their V4 defense of the IWGP Tag Team Title against Nakamura & Ishii after accepting a challenge from the CHAOS team yesterday. Prince Devitt makes his V3 defense of the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title against Alex Shelley and like the tag match this also leads into another title match two days later. Another match of note at Korakuen is GHC Tag Team Champions, Yano & Iizuka, facing the all-star Suzuki & Takayama duo (non-title).

On to Sumo Hall and there will be a triple main event featuring three title matches! Of course the biggest of them all sees Hiroshi Tanahashi make his V8 defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Title against New Japan Cup winner Kazuchika Okada. Tanahashi’s previous reign lasted from 1/4/11 to 2/12/12 before Okada took the belt off him. But Tanahashi then won it back on 6/16/12 and has held it since, and looks to continue his domination of Japan’s most prestigious title in April. Nakamura makes his V7 defense of the IWGP Intercontinental Title against Davey Boy Smith Jr. in a direct sequel to the IWGP Tag Team Title match two days earlier, and of course he beat Smith’s tag partner Lance Archer in his previous defense. The NWA invasion begins with Rob Conway defending the historic NWA World Heavyweight Title against Satoshi Kojima, Kojima’s most high profile match for a while.

Nagata once again locks horns with Sakuraba but not in the singles match he requested, instead another tag as he and Goto face Saku & Shibata. In a rematch from the New Japan Cup second round, Minoru Suzuki looks to avenge his defeat to Toru Yano, while Tomoaki Honma makes his formal return by teaming with Makabe against Masato Tanaka & Yujiro Takahashi. The CMLL World Tag Team Title will be on the line as New Japan’s Tama Tonga and his partner El Terrible defend the belts against La Mascara & Valiente. Akebono and Bob Sapp return for the first time since 1/4 in another New Japan vs. CHAOS eight man tag, and the show opens with TIME SPLITTERS’ V3 defense of the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title against 4-time champions Apollo 55. This show should be on iPPV like most other important New Japan events these days, but nothing announced just yet.


NJPW “ROAD TO INVASION ATTACK”, 4/5/13 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Road to INVASION ATTACK I: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. KUSHIDA
2. Road to INVASION ATTACK II: Yuji Nagata & Hirooki Goto vs. Manabu Nakanishi & Captain New Japan
3. Road to INVASION ATTACK III: Togi Makabe, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Yujiro Takahashi, YOSHI-HASHI & Jado
4. Road to INVASION ATTACK IV: Minoru Suzuki & Yoshihiro Takayama vs. Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka
5. Road to INVASION ATTACK V: Hiroshi Tanahashi & BUSHI vs. Kazuchika Okada & Gedo
6. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Prince Devitt (c) vs. Alex Shelley
7. IWGP Tag Team Title: Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii


NJPW “INVASION ATTACK”, 4/7/13 (WPW)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley (c) vs. Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi
2. Special 8 Man Tag Match: Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Manabu Nakanishi, Super Strong Machine & Akebono vs. Takashi Iizuka, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Bob Sapp
3. CMLL World Tag Team Title: El Terrible & Tama Tonga (c) vs. La Mascara & Valiente
4. Special Tag Match: Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Masato Tanaka ZERO1 & Yujiro Takahashi
5. Special Singles Match: Toru Yano vs. Minoru Suzuki
6. Special Tag Match: Yuji Nagata & Hirooki Goto vs. Kazushi Sakuraba & Katsuyori Shibata
7. Triple Main Event I – NWA World Heavyweight Title: Ron Conway NWA (c) vs. Satoshi Kojima
8. Triple Main Event II – IWGP Intercontinental Title: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
9. Triple Main Event III – IWGP Heavyweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada

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