New Japan Showdown (2020)

Promotional card featuring David Finlay and KENTA

**New Japan Showdown (2020)** was a two-week professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling's sub-brand New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America (NJoA). The events took place on November 13, and November 20, 2020 at the Oceanview Pavilion in California, United States, being held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. These were the third and fourth shows under the New Japan Showdown name. The shows were also part of the *NJPW Strong* televisions series. This was the third event under the New Japan Showdown name.

## Production

### Background

On October 27, 2020, NJPW announced a second event under the New Japan Showdown name with two nights being held at the Oceanview Pavilion in California, United States. NJPW began usually promoting the New Japan Showdown events since 2019, as part of NJPW annually promoting events in the Unied States. On September 9, NJPW announced they would add a second night for the event on November 11 in Los Angeles, California at the Globe Theatre. The shows were also part of the *NJPW Strong* televisions series and were held behind closed doors without a live audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

### Storylines

New Japan Showdown (2020) featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.

In August, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, KENTA along with several other NJPW wrestlers were unable to work on NJPW events in Japan, leading him to take part in *NJPW Strong* series, in which he took part in the 2020 New Japan Cup USA, defeating David Finlay on August 21 in the finals to win the tournament. Following the match, KENTA was handed a contract, which gave him the right to challenge for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, in which he would have to defend it, similar to the Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate. On October 30, on the thirteenth episode of *NJPW Strong*, KENTA alongside his Bullet Club stablemates Hikuleo, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa faced Alex Zayne, David Finlay, Misterioso Jr. and PJ Black in a winning effort. Aftewards, in a post-match interview, Finlay challenged KENTA to a match for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate.

## Results

### Night 1

 2
 3
 4

* (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match
* – refers to the video of that match

### Night 2

 2
 3
 4

* (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match
* – refers to the video of that match

## References

1. ↑ NJPW STRONG Preview: Road to Showdown begins 【NJoA】 . *New Japan Pro Wrestling* (2020-10-27). Retrieved on 2020-10-27.
2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `NJS1`
3. ↑ NJPW coming to San Jose for New Japan Showdown  (in English). *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2019-08-24.
4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `NJS2`
5. ↑ New Japan Showdown in Los Angeles set for November  (in English). *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2019-09-09.
6. ↑ Grabianowski, Ed. How Pro Wrestling Works . *HowStuffWorks, Inc.*. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on 2013-11-18. Retrieved on 2017-06-12.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Knipper, Justin 2020-08-21. NJPW STRONG RESULTS: NEW JAPAN CUP USA FINALS . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2020-08-21.
8. ↑ Finlay, Rosser, Fredericks and more on the Road to Showdown! on YouTube

## Notes

1. ↑ The event was held without a live audience due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States.