Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall (2020)

Promotional poster for the event featuring various NJPW wrestlers

**Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall (2020)** was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on July 12, 2020, in Osaka, Osaka, at the Osaka-jō Hall and was the twelfth event under the Dominion name and sixth in a row to take place at the Osaka-jō Hall. The event was headlined by Tetsuya Naito defending the IWGP Intercontinental and IWGP Heavyweight Championships against EVIL.

The event aired on NJPW's streaming service NJPW World. The event was originally scheduled to take place on June 14, 2020, but the event was rescheduled to July 11 due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with some restrictions in the attendance, after the Japanese Government lifted the State of Emergency.

The event also featured two other championship matches, with Shingo Takagi defending the NEVER Openweight Championship against Sho, and Golden☆Ace (Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi) defending the IWGP Tag Team Championship against *Dangerous Tekkers* (Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.) as part of the nine-match card.

## Production

### Background

Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall (2020) was officially announced on January 4, 2020, during Wrestle Kingdom 14 in Tokyo Dome. The event is NJPW's biggest between Wrestle Kingdom 14 and July–August's G1 Climax. The event aired through NJPW's internet streaming site, New Japan Pro Wrestling World, and featured English commentary.

#### Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The event was originally to take place on June 14, 2020. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, other wrestling promotions began to cancel or postpone their shows in an attempt to prevent further spreading of the COVID-19 virus. At the end of February, following recommendations by the Japanese Ministry of Health regarding the coronavirus outbreak, NJPW canceled the events between March 1 and March 15 including the promotion's Anniversary Event and the first and the second round of New Japan Cup. On March 23, NJPW also canceled the 2020 Sakura Genesis event, which was originally scheduled to take place on March 31. On April 8, NJPW canceled more events from April 11 through May 4, leading to the cancelation of both nights of 2020 Wrestling Dontaku and would also cancel the whole Best of the Super Juniors tournament as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on May 6. Various wrestlers such as David Finlay, El Phantasmo, KENTA, the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa), Jay White, Juice Robinson, Will Ospreay, Rocky Romero, and Robbie Eagles were unable to work on NJPW events due to travel restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, NJPW wrestlers and staff created the *NJPW Together* project in order to do bring content to NJPW World with interviews and old archived matches. On May 6, NJPW announced that their Wrestle Dynasty event would be postponed to 2021, due to the effects of the 2019-20 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On June 8, during an online press conference, NJPW Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi announced that the promotion would start to held shows on June 15, starting with the *Together Project Special* and the return of the 2020 New Japan Cup between June 16 and July 11, with all shows being held behind closed doors. It was also that the finals of the New Japan Cup and the Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall would be the first shows to allow fans into the arena, but only a third of the venue's normal capacity, after the Japanese Government lifted some restrictions on many regions in Japan. On July 11, it was announced that Minoru Suzuki would not be appearing at the event as a cautionary measure, after developing a fever, leading the match card to be changed. Suzuki had previously been tested negative for the virus and had since had no contact with any other wrestlers.

### Storylines

Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall (2020) featured 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.

Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall (2020) was main evented by Tetsuya Naito defending the IWGP Intercontinental and IWGP Heavyweight Championships against EVIL. On July 11, EVIL defeated Kazuchika Okada in the finals to win the 2020 New Japan Cup, when Gedo, Jado, Taiji Ishimori, and Yujiro Takahashi helped him win the match and earn a shot at the IWGP Intercontinental and IWGP Heavyweight Championships. Afterwards, EVIL called out Tetsuya Naito, before turning on him and the *Los Ingobernables de Japon* stable, defecting to Bullet Club. In the weeks leading to October's 2015 King of Pro-Wrestling event, Naito began teasing bringing in a *pareja* ("partner") to witness his match against Hiroshi Tanahashi, contested for Tanahashi's contract for a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome, which was later revealed to Takaaki Watanabe, who made his NJPW return after a two-year overseas learning excursion. In a post-match interview, Naito gave Watanabe his new ring name, "King of Darkness" EVIL. Soon after, EVIL and Naito formed the *Los Ingobernables de Japon* with BUSHI. Afterwards, Naito and EVIL entered the 2015 World Tag League, making it to the finals of the World Tag League, before losing to G.B.H. (Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma).

On June 16, Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. teamed with their Suzuki-gun stablemates Minoru Suzuki and Yoshinobu Kanemaru in a winning effort against Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Yuji Nagata and Yuya Uemura. Afterwards, Taichi and Sabre attacked Ibushi and posed with Tanahashi and Ibushi's IWGP Tag Team Championships. The following day, Sabre was defeated by Ibushi in the first round of the 2020 New Japan Cup. Later that night, Taichi defeated Tanahashi in the first round of the 2020 New Japan Cup. Afterwards, Taichi attacked Tanahashi, until Ibushi made the save. Taichi then attacked Ibushi with the help of his Suzuki-gun stablemate DOUKI. Following another eight-man tag team match on June 24, Taichi and Sabre teased attacking Ibushi and Tanahashi with their titles, until Ryusuke Taguchi recovered their titles. On July 1, Taichi eliminated Ibushi from the 2020 New Japan Cup in the second round. After the match, Taichi again posed with the IWGP Tag Team Championship belts, indicating a challenge to a title match. Another attack on Ibushi and Tanahashi followed on July 3, leading Ibushi to attempt to attack Taichi and Sabre in the backstage area, before being held back by the young lions. The title match was announced on July 3. Ibushi and Tanahashi returned the favor to Taichi and Sabre, after attacking them and posing with the IWGP Tag Team Championship belts.

On June 17, Shingo Takagi was defeated by Sho in the first round of the 2020 New Japan Cup. On July 2, Takagi and Sho faced off in a six-man tag team match, which Takagi's team won. Afterwards, Sho indicated that he wanted an opportunity for the NEVER Openweight Championship. Following another six-man tag team match, which Sho's team won, after Sho pinned Takagi's *Los Ingobernables de Japón* stablemate BUSHI, Sho layout Takagi with a spear, before posing with the NEVER Openweight Championship belt. The title match was announced on July 3.