It was a night of title changes in New Japan Pro Wrestling. In addition to the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships changing hands in the main event, Summer Struggle in Jingu also saw two other titles find their way to new owners.

First, Minoru Suzuki was able to knock off Shingo Takagi to win the NEVER Openweight Championship. It was the first time Suzuki had held the title since Wrestle Kingdom 12 in 2018. The two had an extremely physical war with Suzuki finally coming out on top. He weathered Takagi’s storm, eventually hitting the Gotch-Style Piledriver to win the match and the title.

In the very next match, Taiji Ishimori managed to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for the second time. He was able to defeat Hiromu Takahashi, taking advantage of the champion’s injured shoulder. Ishimori targeted the shoulder the whole match, eventually winning with the LeBelle Lock. Ishimori previously held the belt, losing it at G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden last year.

The show as a whole was top-notch, one of the best of the year. The company and the new champions will likely now turn their attention to the upcoming G1 Climax.

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