Andrade El Idolo to Challenge Yota Tsuji for IWGP Global Heavyweight Title at NJPW Wrestling Dontaku

By Noah Leatherland

With Gabe Kidd out with injury, Andrade El Idolo gets a second bite of the cherry as it pertains to Yota Tsuji and the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship. After Tsuji’s match on the first night of Road to Wrestling Dontaku, a video played on the Korakuen Hall screen, confirming El Idolo’s challenge.

Once the video finished, Tsuji took the microphone and responded to the challenge. He stated that he would be waiting for El Idolo in Fukuoka on May 3rd, the first night of NJPW Wrestling Dontaku.

El Idolo previously challenged for the white belt at NJPW The New Beginning USA back in February, losing to Tsuji in the main event.

When the news of Kidd’s withdrawal hit, Taichi presented himself as a potential challenger instead. In Tsuji’s post match comments, he acknowledged Taichi’s appeal and also acknowledged the talent of El Idolo:

Taichi, I fully support your feelings towards New Japan and your views on AEW. But listen, remember what I said when I became a two-time champion regarding this IWGP Global title? … The man worthy of that IWGP Global Heavyweight title is Andrade. Still, I like your way of thinking.

(Quote translated via DeepL)

Here are the full results for NJPW Road to Wrestling Dontaku, Day 1:

• Yuya Uemura, Taichi & Masatora Yasuda def. YOH, Ryusuke Taguchi & Taisei Nakahara (8:23)
• Chase Owens, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO & Yujiro Takahashi def. Shota Umino, Master Wato, Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe (8:56)
• Jakob Austin Young, HENARE & Great-O-Khan def. Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Tatsuya Matsumoto (10:23)
• Toru Yano, Aaron Wolf & Boltin Oleg def. Dick Togo, Don Fale & Ren Narita (7:12)
• Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, Gedo & Daiki Nagai def. Callum Newman, Jake Lee, Francesco Akira & Zane Jay (13:04)
• OSKAR & Robbie X def. Kosei Fujita & Hartley Jackson
• Ryohei Oiwa & Robbie Eagles def. Taiji Ishimori & Yuto-Ice (13:26)