NJPW Road to Castle Attack concluded with a major title bout.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori will defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles on the February 25 Road to Castle Attack event against Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI.
On February 28, Takahashi will defend his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title against El Phantasmo at night two of Castle Attack.
The last event on the intense Road to Castle Attack will end where it starts in Korakuen Hall. Atop a card full of previews of the action we’ll see in Osaka Jo Hall on February 27 and 28 will be a championship match that sees the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles on the line.
During the Road to The New Beginning in Ota on January 23, El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori captured the tag titles from Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado. In an out of control out that ripped out every single page in the rule book, multiple downed referees and all around carnage came to an end when El Phantasmo struck Sudden Death for he and Ishimori to lift the titles for the second time.
Sudden Death has been the subject of controversy for months now, as those hit by the move have insisted that there is foul play afoot in the shoes of Phantasmo. ELP has protested his innocence, but fair or foul, the move is undeniably effective. It’s also a move that Phantasmo hopes to use to score his first singles championship in NJPW, but there is one condition on his challenge to Hiromu Takahashi on February 28.
When Phantasmo hit the ring to challenge Hiromu Takahashi in Nagoya this past Wednesday, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion eagerly accepted, but he insisted that ELP put something on the line first. Stating that he could not simply give a title shot to a man he’d already beaten on January 4 at Wrestle Kingdom 15, Hiromu promised to face Phantasmo if the tag titles were put up for grabs first.
Takahashi and BUSHI have been gunning for junior heavyweight tag gold for years, and the one achievement Hiromu is missing in his junior heavyweight career has remained steadfastly elusive. Can he and BUSHI take tag gold in Korakuen Hall and make himself a double champion February 25?
NJPW also announced Yuto Nakashima will debut as a Young Lion during Road to Castle Attack. Nakashima is 24 years old and has a background in MMA, judo and jiujitsu, as well as water polo. He spent a year in the Fale Dojo before it became the NJPW New Zealand Dojo and then entered the Noge Dojo in June 2020.
You can view the full Road to Castle Attack card at NJPW's Schedule page.
You can also check the full cards for both nights of Castle Attack by clicking here.
