Today, one of two impossible scenarios would happen in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Due to EVIL betraying his partners in Los Ingobernables De Japon, the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championships would become vacant. Looking to crown new champions, a tournament was made for the Summer Struggle tour, with the finals seeing Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Kazuchika Okada, SHO & Toru Yano.
It was CHAOS vs. CHAOS, but the real story laid in two men on opposing sides. Either Kazuchika Okada was going to win another championship that wasn’t the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, or for the first time in his twelve year career, YOSHI-HASHI would be champion.
After being called worthless by EVIL just a few weeks back, many felt NJPW were going to just scrap these titles. They’re hardly an important championship at any given time, with many often forgetting who is champion at any given moment. After 21 reigns though, NJPW found a way to make them feel important.
YOSHI-HASHI Makes The NEVER Openweight Six-Man Champions Feel Important For A Moment
The post match was a huge feel good moment for YOSHI-HASHI. While he wasn’t the one to end the match, as Tomohiro Ishii pinned SHO after a Vertical Drop Brainbuster, the spotlight was on him. Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI returned to NJPW on the same night, and while Okada was IWGP Heavyweight Champion the very next month, YOSHI-HASHI instantly settled into an undercard role. On this night though, Okada personally put the belt around the waist of his old friend.
In that moment, these belts finally meant something. While winning a six man tag championship is hardly a coronation for most, it was for YOSHI-HASHI. He’d take the microphone and address the crowd like he was standing in the Tokyo Dome, while Goto & Ishii rolled their eyes in the background. “I’m not here to be cool. I’m not going out there to say I’m tough, respect me. I just want to say I always have the strength to face tomorrow, that’s enough!” is a tiny excerpt of his promo translated by Chris Charlton.
Now YOSHI-HASHI has to remain champion however. It won’t hurt that he has two of the heaviest hitters in the business by his side, but he must prove that he isn’t the weak link of this unit. How long do you think Goto, Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI will reign as champions? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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