Wrestling Dontaku 2017

Promotional poster for the event, featuring caricatures of several NJPW wrestlers

## Information

### City

Fukuoka, Japan

**Wrestling Dontaku 2017** was professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event was scheduled to take place on May 3, 2017, in Fukuoka, Fukuoka at Fukuoka Kokusai Center and feature ten matches, three of which were contested for championships. The show was headlined by Kazuchika Okada defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Bad Luck Fale. This was the fourteenth event under the Wrestling Dontaku name.

## Production

### Storylines

Wrestling Dontaku 2017 featured ten professional wrestling matches that involve 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.

Wrestling Dontaku 2017 was headlined by Kazuchika Okada making his fifth defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Bad Luck Fale. This match was set up on April 9 at Sakura Genesis 2017, where Fale attacked Okada after he had made his fourth successful title defense against the 2017 New Japan Cup winner Katsuyori Shibata. Fale, who had lost to Shibata in the finals of the New Japan Cup, had defeated Okada on August 8, 2016, during the 2016 G1 Climax, but instead of a title shot, was granted a non-title match against Okada on September 22 at Destruction in Hiroshima, where he was defeated by the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion. The match at Wrestling Dontaku 2017 marks Fale's first shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

In the semi-main event, Kenny Omega takes on Tomohiro Ishii. Prior to challenging Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 11 in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2017, Omega stated that he wanted to defend the title against Ishii. After failing to capture the title, Omega and Ishii faced off in the first round of the 2017 New Japan Cup, where Ishii was victorious, derailing Omega's quest for another shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. On April 9, Omega pinned Ishii in a tag team match and afterwards requested a singles rematch with him, which was made official the following day.

Two more title matches will take place at Wrestling Dontaku 2017. In the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship match, Taguchi Japan (Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ricochet and Ryusuke Taguchi) defend against previous champions *Los Ingobernables de Japon* (Bushi, Evil and Sanada) in a rematch from April 4. Meanwhile, the IWGP Tag Team Championship will be defended in a three-way match with new champions War Machine (Hanson and Raymond Rowe) facing Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Roa) and Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima). After defeating Tencozy for the title on April 9, War Machine accepted a rematch challenge from the previous champions as well as another challenge made backstage by Guerrillas of Destiny, leading to NJPW announcing the three-way match the following day.

Other matches at the event include the returning Cody taking on David Finlay and CHAOS and Suzuki-gun facing off in a ten-man tag team match.

## External links

* The official New Japan Pro Wrestling website

## References

1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `WrestlingDontaku2017`
2. ↑ Grabianowski, Ed. How Pro Wrestling Works . *HowStuffWorks, Inc.*. Discovery Communications. Retrieved on 2017-04-10.
3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 ja:【5月3日（水・祝）福岡大会・全カード決定！】オカダvsファレ！ 石井vsケニー！ NEVER6人タッグ戦！ IWGPタッグ3Way戦！ Cody、タイガーマスクWも参戦!! (in Japanese). *New Japan Pro Wrestling* (2017-04-10). Archived from the original on 2017-04-10. Retrieved on 2017-04-10.
4. ↑ Rose, Bryan 2017-04-10. NJPW reveals cards for Wrestling Dontaku and Wrestling Toyonokuni . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2017-04-10.
5. ↑ *ja:ＩＷＧＰ王者オカダ　緊急手術の柴田に再戦約束「またやりましょう」* (in Japanese). *Tokyo Sports* (2017-04-10). Retrieved on 2017-04-10.
6. ↑ Macklin, Matthew 2016-08-08. 8/8 New Japan G-1 Climax report . *Pro Wrestling Insider*. Retrieved on 2017-04-10.
7. ↑ Rose, Bryan 2016-09-22. NJPW Destruction in Hiroshima results: Kenny Omega defends his title shot . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2017-04-10.
8. ↑ *ja:【新日本】５・３福岡でファレとＩＷＧＰ戦のオカダ 長期政権に自信* (in Japanese). *Tokyo Sports* (2017-04-11). Retrieved on 2017-04-11.
9. ↑ *ja:【新日ＮＪＣ】優勝候補筆頭ケニーまさかの初戦敗退* (in Japanese). *Tokyo Sports* (2017-03-13). Retrieved on 2017-04-10.
10. ↑ Rose, Bryan 2017-04-08. NJPW Sakura Genesis live results: Okada vs. Shibata . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2017-04-10.
11. ↑ Macklin, Matthew 2017-04-10. Complete 4/9 New Japan Sakura Genesis report including an amazing Okada vs. Shibata match . *Pro Wrestling Insider*. Retrieved on 2017-04-11.
12. ↑ Rose, Bryan 2017-05-02. NJPW Wrestling Dontaku live results: Okada faces Bad Luck Fale . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2017-05-03.