Dominion is an annual professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event has been held every June since 2009 as pay-per-view (PPV). Since 2013, viewers outside of Japan have also been able to view the event as an internet pay-per-view (iPPV). Dominion is the first major event following the Best of the Super Juniors tournament and usually includes a match, where the tournament winner challenges for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, assuming the champion has not won the tournament.
2009
The first Dominion was held on June 20, 2009, in Osaka, Osaka, at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. The event featured ten matches, two of which were contested for championships.[1] Go Shiozaki and Takashi Sugiura from Pro Wrestling Noah took part in the event as outsiders.[1] The event marked the culmination of a storyline rivalry between the fifth Black Tiger and the fourth Tiger Mask in a Mask vs. Mask match, where Tiger Mask was victorious. Post-match, Black Tiger was prevented from escaping by Koji Kanemoto, the former third Tiger Mask, and then unmasked by Tiger Mask, revealing veteran wrestler Tatsuhito Takaiwa.[2] American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) representatives Team 3D returned to NJPW at the event to successfully defend the IWGP Tag Team Championship against Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson.[1] In the main event, Hiroshi Tanahashi recaptured the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Manabu Nakanishi and was afterwards challenged by Sugiura, setting up his first title defense.[1] The original promotional poster for the event created some controversy due to its usage of Nazi symbols.[3]
2010
The second Dominion was held on June 19, 2010, in Osaka, Osaka, at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. The event featured nine matches, three of which were contested for championships.[4] Much like the previous year, Dominion 6.19 also featured wrestlers from Pro Wrestling Noah; namely Go Shiozaki, Mohammed Yone and Naomichi Marufuji.[4] The event also saw Shinsuke Nakamura make his return from a shoulder injury, facing the debuting former WWE wrestler and mixed martial artist Daniel Puder.[4] The match led to Nakamura and Puder teaming up for the 2010 G1 Tag League.[5] The event featured the culmination of a storyline rivalry between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toru Yano in a Hair vs. Hair match, where Tanahashi was victorious.[4] Following the match, Tajiri made a surprise return to the promotion, saving Tanahashi from Yano and Takashi Iizuka and helping him shave Yano bald.[4] This also led to Tanahashi and Tajiri teaming up for the 2010 G1 Tag League.[5] The event concluded with NJPW's Togi Makabe and Prince Devitt declaring the promotion's supremacy over Pro Wrestling Noah, with Devitt having captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship from Marufuji and Makabe retaining the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Shiozaki.[4]
2011
The third Dominion was held on June 18, 2011, in Osaka, Osaka, at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. The event featured ten matches, five of which were contested for championships.[6][7] The event featured a tag team match, where NJPW's IWGP Tag Team Champions, Bad Intentions, defeated Pro Wrestling Noah's GHC Tag Team Champions, Takuma Sano and Yoshihiro Takayama, to become double champions.[6] The event also featured the surprise debut of former WWE wrestler Brian Kendrick, who replaced Killer Rabbit as Gedo and Jado's partner.[6] During the event, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) wrestler Máscara Dorada regained the CMLL World Middleweight Championship from Ryusuke Taguchi to whom he had lost it at Fantasticamania 2011 the previous January, while Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) wrestler and winner of the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors Kota Ibushi captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship from Prince Devitt.[6] In the main event, Hiroshi Tanahashi successfully defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Hirooki Goto.[6] A post-match confrontation between Tanahashi and new double tag team champion Giant Bernard led to two title matches; Tanahashi and Goto challenging Bad Intentions for the IWGP Tag Team Championship and Bernard challenging Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.[6] Both champions ended up retaining their titles.[8][9]
2012
The fourth Dominion was held on June 16, 2012, in Osaka, Osaka, at the newly-renamed Bodymaker Colosseum. The event featured ten matches, four of which were contested for championships.[10][11] The opening match saw participation from the Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) trio of Daisuke Sasaki, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi as part of Ibushi setting up a challenge for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.[10] The third match was a decision match to determine the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. Jushin Liger and Tiger Mask defeated Taichi and Taka Michinoku to win the vacant title, when Liger revived his old Kishin Liger persona, after being unmasked by Taichi.[10] The event saw Low Ki successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against 2012 Best of the Super Juniors winner Ryusuke Taguchi, while two attempts were unable to determine the winner between IWGP Tag Team Champions, Takashi Iizuka and Toru Yano, and challengers, Ten-Koji.[10] As a result, four days later, the IWGP Tag Team Championship was declared vacant.[12] In the main event, Hiroshi Tanahashi recaptured the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Kazuchika Okada.[10] Tokyo Sports later named the main event the 2012 Match of the Year.[13][14]
2013
The fifth Dominion was held on June 22, 2013, in Osaka, Osaka, at the Bodymaker Colosseum. The event featured ten matches (including one dark match), four of which were contested for championships.[15][16][17][18] The event featured a special three-way tag team match, where IWGP Tag Team Champions Ten-Koji faced GHC Tag Team Champions Takashi Iizuka and Toru Yano and NWA World Tag Team Champions K.E.S., though only the IWGP title was on the line.[15] As part of the newly-revived relationship between NJPW and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the event featured the second time Rob Conway defended the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in a NJPW ring.[15] During the event, Tetsuya Naito wrestled his first match since King of Pro-Wrestling in October 2012, defeating former No Limit partner Yujiro Takahashi, who in storyline had caused his knee injury.[15] In the semi-main event, Prince Devitt defeated rival Hiroshi Tanahashi to earn his first shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, held by Kazuchika Okada, who retained the title against Togi Makabe in the main event.[15] Following his win, Okada accepted Devitt's challenge on the condition that he first defend his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Okada's manager Gedo.[15]
2014
The sixth Dominion is scheduled to take place on June 21, 2014, in Osaka, Osaka, at the Bodymaker Colosseum.[19]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 "Dominion 6.20". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ "Dominion 6.20". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ Meltzer, Dave (May 11, 2009). "Mon. update: White on ESPN; Nazi symbols on wrestling poster; Storm wrestling for ROH; Super Hulk". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 "Dominion 6.19". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Circuit2010 New Japan Truth ～G1 Tag League～". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.10 6.11 "Dominion 6.18". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "王者・棚橋がＶ５ 次は後藤とタッグ王座挑戦へ＝新日本プロレス". Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. June 19, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ "New Japan Soul 2011". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ "New Japan Soul 2011". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 10.9 10.10 "Dominion 6.16". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "新日本プロレス「Dominion 6.16」". Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. June 16, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ "7月シリーズ『Kizuna Road』最終戦7・22山形でIWGP 3大タイトルマッチ＆タッグ王座決定戦！". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). June 20, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ "「２０１２年度プロレス大賞」受賞者". Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). December 11, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ "【最年少タイ!!】オカダが『プロレス大賞』MVPを「あたりまえ」の初受賞!! ベストバウトはオカダvs棚橋！中邑は技能賞!!". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). December 11, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 15.8 15.9 15.10 15.11 "Dominion 6.22". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "新日本プロレス「Dominion 6.22」". Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. June 22, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Namako, Jason (June 22, 2013). "6/22 NJPW iPPV Results: Osaka, Japan (Okada/Makabe)". WrestleView. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Show results - 6/22 NJPW Dominion iPPV: Devitt vs. Tanahashi, NWA Title defended, Benjamin, Hoyt, Shelley, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. June 22, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ "【電撃決定!!】なんと今年の『G1 Climax』決勝は、“西武ドーム”に初進出!! 新日本プロレスが2014年上半期の予定をイッキに発表!!". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). January 4, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
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