NJPW confirms the upcoming defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship

After his victory at Forbidden Door against Nigel McGuinness, Zack Sabre Jr. already knows his next opponent. New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion will face Ren Narita on September 28 at Destruction in Kobe. Narita earns this opportunity after defeating ZSJ during the G1 Climax group stage.

Furthermore, the winner of Zack Sabre Jr vs. Narita will have to defend the title against Konosuke Takeshita, the reigning winner of G1 Climax 35. The showdown will take place at King of Pro Wrestling on October 13, marking the second consecutive year that the G1 winner decides to cash in their opportunity before Wrestle Kingdom.

It was also confirmed that the NEVER Openweight Championship will be on the line at the same event. Boltin Oleg, the current champion, will defend against Don Fale, whom he already defeated in the first round of the New Japan Cup last March.

With these announcements, NJPW strengthens a calendar full of important events that range from special shows produced by Yuji Nagata to stops on the Road to Destruction tour. Among them are standout matches like Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Master Wato, junior title defenses, and the clash between El Sky Team and the Guerreros Laguneros.

The grand finale will come in Kobe, where in addition to the world and NEVER championships, the IWGP tag team belts, the Global title, and other featured matches will be on the line, promising to ignite the final stretch of the NJPW season.