Wrestling Dontaku 2023

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

## Information

### City

Fukuoka, Japan

**Wrestling Dontaku 2023** was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on May 3, 2023, in Fukuoka, Fukuoka at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. The event was headlined by SANADA defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Hiromu Takahashi. This was the nineteenth event under the Wrestling Dontaku name.

## Production

### Storylines

Wrestling Dontaku 2023 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.

Wrestling Dontaku 2023 was headlined by SANADA making his first title defense of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Hiromu Takahashi. On April 8, at Sakura Genesis, SANADA defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Following the match, SANADA's former *Los Ingobernables de Japón* stablemate Hiromu Takahashi challenged SANADA to a title match. However, before Takahashi concluded his challenge SANADA's Just 5 Guys stablemate Yoshinobu Kanemaru challenged him to a title match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Two days later, NJPW made the title match official. On April 27, Takahashi successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Kanemaru.

At Sakura Genesis, Bullet Club (David Finlay, El Phantasmo and KENTA) faced Tama Tonga, Hikuleo and Master Wato in a winning effort. Afterwards, Finlay brutally attacked Tonga with his NEVER Openweight Championship, before posing with the title, cementing his title challenge. KENTA also attacked Hikuleo with Strong Openweight Championship belt, as he was trying to stop Finlay from attacking Tonga. Shortly after, Finlay alongside KENTA and Taiji Ishimori turned on El Phantasmo, after months of Phantasmo questioning Finlay's authority over the leadership of Bullet Club. Two days later, NJPW announced that Tonga would defend his title against Finlay and KENTA would face Hikuleo both at Wrestling Dontaku. On April 15, at Capital Collision, KENTA defeated Eddie Edwards to retain the Strong Openweight Championship. Afterwards, in a pre-taped vignette, Hikuleo challenged KENTA to a title match, due to being the only member of Bullet Club holding a title. Three days later, NJPW made the title match official, marking the first time that the title was defended in Japan.

Also at Sakura Genesis, Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) defeated Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, in a post-match interview, as they were celebrating their title victory alongside their United Empire stablemates, they were confronted by Zack Sabre Jr., who challenged them to a title match on the behalf of his TMDK stablemate Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste, which they accepted since they previously lost to them during the 2022 World Tag League. However, since Sabre was issuing a title match for his stablemates, Aussie Open's United Empire stablemate Jeff Cobb decided to challenge also Sabre to a title match for the NJPW World Television Championship. Due to also having to defend the title against Tom Lawlor on April 15 at Capital Collision, Sabre promised Cobb that if he successfully defended the title, he would get the next title match. At Capital Collision, Sabre successfully defended his title against Lawlor, setting up the title match between him and Cobb at Wrestling Dontaku.

On April 3, after Strong Style (El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki and Ren Narita) successfully defended the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship against House of Torture (EVIL, Sho and Yujiro Takahashi), Narita declared that he wanted to face Kazuchika Okada. Afterwards, in a post-match interview, Suzuki asked Narita if wanted to face Okada or Okada to challenge them, which Narita revealed the he wanted him to face them. Seven days later, NJPW made the title match official, with Okada teaming alongside two mystery partners. On April 21, NJPW announced that Tomohiro Ishii would be one of Okada's two partners. Ishii had previously made an appeal to be Okada's partner at a recent non-televised live event. On April 30, Hiroshi Tanahashi announced on his *Twitter* page, that he would be Okada and Ishii's patner for Wrestling Dontaku, which Okada confirmed the decision hours later.