Wrestling Dontaku (レスリングどんたく, Resuringu Dontaku) is an annual professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). It was originally held from 1993 to 1995 and again from 2000 to 2001 in Fukuoka at the Fukuoka Dome. The event was revived in 2009 and has since been held at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center and aired as a pay-per-view (PPV). From 2013 to 2014, the event also aired outside Japan as an internet pay-per-view (iPPV). Since 2015, the event has aired worldwide on NJPW's internet streaming site, New Japan Pro Wrestling World. "Dontaku" is an obsolete Japanese word for holiday, derived from the Dutch word for Sunday, "Zondag".[1]
Events
# |
Event |
Date |
City |
Venue |
Attendance |
Main event |
Ref(s) |
01 !1 |
Wrestling Dontaku 1993 !Wrestling Dontaku 1993 |
000000001993-05-03-0000May 3, 1993 |
Fukuoka !Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Dome !Fukuoka Dome |
55000 !55,000 |
Antonio Inoki and Tatsumi Fujinami versus Genichiro Tenryu and Riki Choshu |
[2] |
02 !2 |
Wrestling Dontaku 1994 !Wrestling Dontaku 1994 |
000000001994-05-01-0000May 1, 1994 |
Fukuoka !Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Dome !Fukuoka Dome |
53500 !53,500 |
Antonio Inoki versus The Great Muta |
[3] |
03 !3 |
Wrestling Dontaku 1995 !Wrestling Dontaku 1995 |
000000001995-05-03-0000May 3, 1995 |
Fukuoka !Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Dome !Fukuoka Dome |
52000 !52,000 |
Shinya Hashimoto (c) versus Keiji Mutoh for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
[4][5] |
04 !4 |
Wrestling Dontaku 2000 !Wrestling Dontaku 2000 |
000000002000-05-05-0000May 5, 2000 |
Fukuoka !Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Dome !Fukuoka Dome |
25000 !25,000 |
Power Warrior (c) versus The Great Muta for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
[6] |
05 !5 |
Wrestling Dontaku 2001 !Wrestling Dontaku 2001 |
000000002001-05-05-0000May 5, 2001 |
Fukuoka !Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Dome !Fukuoka Dome |
25000 !25,000 |
Kazunari Murakami and Naoya Ogawa versus Manabu Nakanishi and Riki Choshu |
[7] |
06 !6 |
Wrestling Dontaku 2009 !Wrestling Dontaku 2009 |
000000002009-05-03-0000May 3, 2009 |
Fukuoka !Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Kokusai Center !Fukuoka Kokusai Center |
05500 !5,500 |
Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) versus Hirooki Goto for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
[8][9][10] |
07 !7 |
Wrestling Dontaku 2010 !Wrestling Dontaku 2010 |
000000002010-05-03-0000May 3, 2010 |
Fukuoka !Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Kokusai Center !Fukuoka Kokusai Center |
06000 !6,000 |
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) versus Togi Makabe for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
[11] |
08 !8 |
Wrestling Dontaku 2011 !Wrestling Dontaku 2011 |
000000002011-05-03-0000May 3, 2011 |
Fukuoka !Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Kokusai Center !Fukuoka Kokusai Center |
06500 !6,500 |
Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) versus Shinsuke Nakamura for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
[12] |
09 !9 |
Wrestling Dontaku 2012 !Wrestling Dontaku 2012 |
000000002012-05-03-0000May 3, 2012 |
Fukuoka !Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Kokusai Center !Fukuoka Kokusai Center |
06500 !6,500 |
Kazuchika Okada (c) versus Hirooki Goto for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
[13][14] |
10 !10 |
Wrestling Dontaku 2013 !Wrestling Dontaku 2013 |
000000002013-05-03-0000May 3, 2013 |
Fukuoka !Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Kokusai Center !Fukuoka Kokusai Center |
06800 !6,800 |
Kazuchika Okada (c) versus Minoru Suzuki for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
[15][16][17] |
11 !11 |
Wrestling Dontaku 2014 !Wrestling Dontaku 2014 |
000000002013-05-03-0000May 3, 2013 |
Fukuoka !Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Kokusai Center !Fukuoka Kokusai Center |
07190 !7,190 |
Kazuchika Okada (c) versus A.J. Styles for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
[18][19][20] |
12 !12 |
Wrestling Dontaku 2015 !Wrestling Dontaku 2015 |
000000002015-05-03-0000May 3, 2015 |
Fukuoka !Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Kokusai Center !Fukuoka Kokusai Center |
05180 !5,180 |
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) versus Hirooki Goto for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship |
[21][22][23] |
13 !13 |
Wrestling Dontaku 2016 !Wrestling Dontaku 2016 |
000000002016-05-03-0000May 3, 2016 |
Fukuoka !Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Kokusai Center !Fukuoka Kokusai Center |
05299 !5,299 |
Tetsuya Naito (c) versus Tomohiro Ishii for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
[24][25][26] |
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match |
1993
The first Wrestling Dontaku was held on May 3, 1993, in Fukuoka, Fukuoka, at the Fukuoka Dome. The event featured ten matches.[2] As part of working relationships between NJPW and American promotions World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Federation (WWF), WCW's Sting and WWF's Brutus Beefcake, Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart took part in the event.[2] The event featured a "dream match" between Hogan, the reigning WWF Champion, and The Great Muta, the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion.[27]
1994
The second Wrestling Dontaku was held on May 1, 1994, in Fukuoka, Fukuoka, at the Fukuoka Dome. The event featured thirteen matches; three of which were contested for championships.[3] Much like the previous year, the event featured wrestlers from World Championship Wrestling (WCW), with Rick Rude defeating Sting for the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship.[3] The decision was, however, later reversed due to Rude cheating to win the match.[28] The semi-main event saw Shinya Hashimoto defeat Tatsumi Fujinami to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the second time.[3]
1995
The third Wrestling Dontaku was held on May 3, 1995, in Fukuoka, Fukuoka, at the Fukuoka Dome. The event featured eleven matches, two of which were contested for championships.[4][5] For the third year in a row, wrestlers from World Championship Wrestling (WCW) took part in the event.[4] The event saw Sabu capture the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship from Koji Kanemoto and Keiji Mutoh capture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Shinya Hashimoto, ending his reign which had started at the previous year's Wrestling Dontaku.[4][5]
2000
The fourth Wrestling Dontaku, first in five years, was held on May 5, 2000, in Fukuoka, Fukuoka, at the Fukuoka Dome. The event featured eight matches, two of which were contested for championships.[6] The event opened with the finals of the 2000 Young Lion Cup, where Kenzo Suzuki defeated Shinya Makabe,[6] who later became better known as Togi Makabe, winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.[29] In the semi-main event, Manabu Nakanishi and Yuji Nagata successfully defended the IWGP Tag Team Championship against Kazunari Murakami and Naoya Ogawa, while in the main event, Kensuke Sasaki, using his Power Warrior persona, defeated The Great Muta to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.[6]
2001
The fifth Wrestling Dontaku was held on May 5, 2001, in Fukuoka, Fukuoka, at the Fukuoka Dome. The event featured nine matches, one of which was contested for a championship.[7] In the title match, El Samurai and Jushin Thunder Liger defeated the Mexican brother tag team of Dr. Wagner, Jr. and Silver King to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.[7] The event also featured appearances by mixed martial artists Don Frye and Rainy Martinez.[7]
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
References
- ↑ "Hakata Dontaku Minato Matsuri". Asianbeat. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Wrestling Dontaku 1993". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Wrestling Dontaku 1994". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Wrestling Dontaku 1995". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Keller, Wade (May 3, 2015). "NJPW Flashback - Ric Flair headlines New Japan's "Wrestling Dontaku" 20 yrs. ago today, plus Great Muta in main event, Sabu, Benoit, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Wrestling Dontaku 2000". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Wrestling Dontaku 2001". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ レスリングどんたく 2009. New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 新日本プロレス「レスリングどんたく2009」. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). May 3, 2009. Archived from the original on May 7, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ↑ Golden, Hunter (May 4, 2009). "New Japan "Donkatu 2009" results!". Wrestleview. Archived from the original on May 6, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ↑ レスリングどんたく2010. New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ レスリングどんたく 2011. New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ "NJPW 40th anniversary レスリングどんたく 2012". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 新日本プロレス「レスリングどんたく 2012」. Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. May 3, 2012. Archived from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ レスリングどんたく 2013. New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 新日本プロレス「レスリングどんたく2013」. Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. May 3, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ "Show results - 5/3 NJPW Dontaku PPV: U.S. stars lose titles or title matches, Okada's first IWGP Title defense, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. May 4, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ レスリングどんたく 2014. New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved May 3, 2014.
- ↑ 新日本プロレス「レスリングどんたく 2014」. Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. May 3, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Show results - 5/3 New Japan "Wrestling Dontaku" PPV: A.J. Styles captures IWGP World Title, plus NWA & more title matches". Pro Wrestling Torch. May 3, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
- ↑ "レスリングどんたく 2015". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved May 3, 2015.
- ↑ "新日本プロレスレ「レスリングどんたく 2015」". Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. May 3, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
- ↑ Meltzer, Dave (May 3, 2015). "New Japan Dontaku live coverage 5-3 Fukuoka - RPG Vice vs. Bucks vs ReDRagon, Nakamura vs. Goto, Omega vs. Shelley and Maria teases Karl Anderson". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original on May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
- ↑ レスリングどんたく 2016. New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- ↑ Rose, Bryan (May 3, 2016). "NJPW Wrestling Dontaku results: Super Juniors lineups; IWGP champ Naito vs. Ishii". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- ↑ "5/3 NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Results – big title changes, big stars from New Japan, ROH, Bullet Club, Naito's faction". Pro Wrestling Torch. May 3, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- ↑ Johnson, Mike (September 3, 2010). "YouTube wrestling classic: when Hogan met Muta, champion vs. champion". Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
- ↑ ""WCW International" World Heavyweight Title". Puroresu Dojo. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 真壁 刀義. New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
External links