Shota Umino vs. EVIL, El Desperado vs. SHO Added To NJPW New Beginning In Sapporo
NJPW continues to load up the card for NJPW New Beginning In Sapporo.
NJPW continues to load up the card for NJPW New Beginning In Sapporo.
NJPW has announced two new matches for the first night of NJPW New Beginning In Sapporo on February 23. EVIL will defend the NEVER Openweight Championship against Shota Umino. Plus, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado will face SHO in a non-title match.
From NJPW:
Two more big matches have been added to night one of the New Beginning in Sapporo card, February 23 in Hokkai Kita Yell!
In the main event January 24 in Korakuen Hall, Shota Umino battled Ren Narita in a highly physical, and at times dangerous war. Fired up in victory, Umino nonetheless wanted to give some of the spotlight to the departing Tama Tonga, who had one request for the young Shooter. Having had the NEVER Openweight Championship taken from him in Nagoya, Tama asked Umino to take EVIL out and to claim the NEVER gold. That match is now official, as Shota Umino and EVIL collide for the gold.
El Desperado will face SHO in a special singles match. Desperado retained the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in the main event of January 23’s Korakuen Hall card, only to be attacked by the Murder Machine backstage. SHO’s rampage had started earlier that night when he assaulted the already injured Master Wato with a wrench, and SHO continued his heinous actions in tag action by swiping Desperado’s mask.
In response, El Desperado got on the mic and addressed SHO’s challenge with a blunt ‘no’. Saying that a lot of champions are ‘soft’ on challengers demanding a shot, Desperado said that SHO ‘isn’t worthy,’ but that he would face the HOT member in a singles match to get his stolen mask back. Will SHO be put in his place, or will he put himself firmly on the radar of the junior heavyweight champion?
Catch New Beginning in Sapporo live in English February 23 and 24 on NJPW World!
The updated card for NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo on February 23 is below.
NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo (2/23)
- IWGP Global Championship: David Finlay (c) vs. Nic Nemeth
- New Japan World Television Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Matt Riddle
- NEVER Openweight Championship: EVIL (c) vs. Shota Umino
- El Desperado vs. SHO
- Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi, and BUSHI) vs. SANADA, Taichi, Yuya Uemura, DOUKI, and Taka Michinoku)
- Toru Yano & Tomoya vs. ???
Fightful will have coverage of NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo on February 23 and 24.
