Wrestling Hinokuni 2015

Promotional poster for the event, featuring various NJPW wrestlers

The **Wrestling Hinokuni 2015** was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on April 29, 2015, at the Grand Messe Kumamoto in Mashiki, Kumamoto, between the larger Invasion Attack and Wrestling Dontaku events. The event aired worldwide on New Japan Pro Wrestling World and featured nine matches, three of which were contested for championships. Wrestlers representing the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) took part in the event with both the NWA World Heavyweight and NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championships being defended. This was the first event under the Wrestling Hinokuni name.

## Production

### Background

The event was established in 2015 and took place in late April between the larger Invasion Attack and Wrestling Dontaku events. The event would be held in Mashiki, Kumamoto and its name refers to the nickname of Kumamoto Prefecture, "Land of Fire" (火の国, *Hinokuni*).

### Storylines

Wrestling Hinokuni 2015 featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

In the first title match, NWA representative Steve Anthony successfully defended the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship against NJPW's Jushin Thunder Liger. This was a rematch from a match in Las Vegas earlier in the month, where Anthony also defeated Liger to capture the title. The second title match saw NJPW's Hiroyoshi Tenzan make his second successful defense of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against NWA's Big Daddy Yum-Yum.

Several matches at the event also built to matches taking place at Wrestling Dontaku 2015 the following week. One of these matches saw Bullet Club's Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson and Kenny Omega defeat Alex Shelley, Tetsuya Naito and Tomoaki Honma in a six-man tag team match in the buildup to an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match between champion Omega and challenger Shelley.

Another match built to the main event of Wrestling Dontaku 2015, which would see Hirooki Goto challenge Shinsuke Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. At Wrestling Hinokuni 2015, Nakamura, Kazushi Sakuraba and Toru Yano defeated Goto, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuyori Shibata. In the main event of the show, Tomohiro Ishii defended the NEVER Openweight Championship against Togi Makabe. This was a rematch from January's Wrestle Kingdom 9 in Tokyo Dome, where Makabe defeated Ishii to become the new NEVER Openweight Champion. However, on February 14, Makabe was stripped of the title after he was forced to pull out of a scheduled rematch with Ishii due to influenza, which led to Ishii defeating Tomoaki Honma to recapture the now vacant title.

## External links

* The official New Japan Pro Wrestling website

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 *ja:真壁ＮＥＶＥＲ王座奪還の裏に浜ちゃんあり* (in Japanese). *Tokyo Sports* (2015-04-30). Retrieved on 2016-04-13. Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; name "WrestlingHinokuni2015" defined multiple times with different content
2. ↑ Overview of Kumamoto City . *Kumamoto International Foundation*. Archived from the original on 2016-04-13. Retrieved on 2016-04-13.
3. ↑ Caldwell, James 2015-01-04. Caldwell's NJPW Tokyo Dome show results 1/4: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of live Wrestle Kingdom PPV - Tanahashi vs. Okada, Bullet Club, Nakamura, Jim Ross, more . *Pro Wrestling Torch*. Retrieved on 2016-04-13.
4. ↑ *ja:石井がＮＥＶＥＲ“暫定”王者に* (in Japanese). *Tokyo Sports* (2015-02-16). Retrieved on 2016-04-13.
5. ↑ Rose, Bryan 2015-04-29. New Japan Pro Wrestling 4-29-15 house show report: Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii highlights three title matches . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved on 2016-04-13.
6. ↑ Error on call to template:ref web: Parameters **archiveurl** and **archivedate** must be both specified or both omittedMacklin, Matthew 2015-04-29. Quick 4/29 NJPW Wrestling Hinokuni results . *Pro Wrestling Insider*. Archived from the original on 2015-04-29. Retrieved on 2016-04-13.
7. ↑ Show results - 4/29 New Japan Wrestling Hinokoku [*sic*]: New NEVER champion, Bullet Club several matches, two NWA title matches, plus Shelley, Tanahashi, Okada, Nakamura, more . *Pro Wrestling Torch* (2015-04-29). Retrieved on 2016-04-13.