NJPW DOMINION 2020 — STATISTICS, RESEARCH AND NOTES

IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT & INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Tetsuya Naito has been IWGP World Heavyweight Champion for 188 days during this reign and this will be his second defense. Of course, circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have stalled Naito’s reign, but the top champion in NJPW is traditionally a fighting champion. Naito’s one defense every 94 days currently stands as the highest days per defense in IWGP Heavyweight Championship history.
This will be Tetsuya Naito’s record 17th Intercontinental Championship Match. This will be EVIL’s 2nd opportunity at the white strapped belt.
EVIL has had one other IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match; a loss to Chris Jericho at Power Struggle in 2018.
The longest singles match (33:26) of EVIL’s career was is only other IWGP Heavyweight Championship opportunity at King of Pro Wrestling in 2017.

Tetsuya Naito is 3-4 in singles matches and 4-6 over all at Dominion. The annual Summer event has not been friendly to him in high-stakes matches. Naito has lost a Tag Team Championship Match (2010), Two IWGP Intercontinental Matches (2017-Tanahashi, 2018-Jericho), and his first IWGP Heavyweight Championshp Reign ended at Dominion with his loss to Kazuchika Okada in 2016. Naito did win the Intercontinental Championship from Kota Ibushi at last year’s Dominion for his first title win at the event.
EVIL is similarly unsuccessful at Dominion with just a 1-3 overall record, with an 0-1 record in singles matches. He has lost two IWGP Tag Team Championship Matches(2018, 2019) and one special singles match (Hirooki Goto, 2016). EVIL did successfully defend the NEVER Openweight Six Man Championship in a gauntlet match at Dominion in 2017.
The IWGP Intercontinental Championship has been defended 7 times at Dominion and it has changed hands a stunning five times, including the last four defenses at the event. Both 2017 and 2018 were unsuccessful Tetsuya Naito defenses (Tanahashi, Jericho)
The IWGP Heavyweight Championship has been defended at every Dominion event, dating back to 2009. The title has changed hands five times including Naito’s unsuccessful defense in 2016.

Tetsuya Naito has participated in half the number of singles matches that EVIL has participated in (EVIL: 6, Naito:3), yet his Total Match Length is only eight and a half minutes shorter. EVIL has shown he is fond of quick, bludgening matches while the Tranquilo Naito remains methodical.
EVIL completed his longest singles victory last night in the New Japan Cup Finals, defeating Kazuchika Okada in 31:50.
EVIL’s turn to the Bullet Club will make him the third Bullet Club Heavyweight to challenge Naito in a singles match 2020. Naito has prevously defeated Jay White (1/4) and KENTA (2/9) as well as Kazuchika Okada (1/5).

EVIL and Tetsuya Naito have only met in one prior singles match. Naito defeated EVIL in 21:28 during the 2016 G1 Climax.

The NEVER Openweight Championship has changed hands in 42% of the times it’s been defended. If Shingo is able to defend against SHO tonight, he will have as many or more title defenses than 14 of the 28 champions who held the title before him.
This will be SHO’s first singles title match in NJPW. His only other singles title opportunity came in his match last year in San Jose, California against ELP for the RevPro British Cruiserweight Title.

The NEVER Openweight Championship has been defended five times at Dominion. It has changed hands three times.
This will be SHO’s third match at Dominion. He is 1-1 overall historically. This will be his first singles match at Dominion.
This will be Shingo Takagi’s second appearance at Dominion. He made his official transition to the heavyweight division at last year’s Dominion by defeating Satoshi Kojima.

SHO earned this NEVER Openweight title shot by defeating Shingo in 17:06 in the first round of the New Japan Cup.

The IWGP Tag Team Championship has been defended at all 11 Dominion events. It has changed hands 5 times.
Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi have both been strong at Dominion. They are a combined 11-4 at the annual Summer Event.
Zack Sabre Jr and Taichi are a combined 4-7 at Dominion.
Neither pair has ever tagged with their partner at Dominion in any match layout.

Hiroshi Tanahashi’s +7 fall differential (winning falls – losing falls) is fourth best in NJPW in 2020 behind only Hiromu Takahashi, Togi Makabe, and Shingo Takagi.
Each team only has one two on two tag team match under their belt. Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi won their Tag Team Championship match against Gurrellas Of Destiny. Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr lost to Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay at New Beginning in Osaka.
In multi-person matches (more than 2 per team) in 2020, Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi are 7-5 when teaming with eachother. Zack Sabre Jr and Taichi are 5-8 when teaming in all match types.