New Japan "SUMMER FIGHT SERIES" lineups

[Guest Stuart]

Information was released for New Japan's "SUMMER FIGHT SERIES" tour. Tenzan will return from his eye injury on 7/4. Katsuyori Shibata has cancelled appearances due to an operation to an eye. Jado remains out injured, so will also miss shows. Tadao Yasuda will not participate, as he has finally been banished from New Japan by Chono. Tiger Mask 4 will work every show of the one month tour. Yoshihiro Takayama will work the 7/20 show (his match isn't announced yet). Chono will work 13 of the shows. The returning Katsushi Takemura will have a 7 match trial series against juniors. Rob Rage and GOKU-DO will work the entire tour. Scott Norton and Super J will work from 6/20-7/8. Dan Devine will work from 6/27-7/10. Rick Steiner and Dr. Wagner Jr. (returning, finally!) will work 7/7-7/20. Giant Singh (also returning) will work 7/14-7/20. And despite rumours, Scott Steiner will only work 7/19-7/20 (probably wise, given his back injuries in the past). Kensuke's new faction also starts on the tour. Here are major matches for the series already announced. No ISM tapings, which means we can assume that show is deceased (making way for NJTV Internet, which has most of it's tapings announced the day before the show takes place)

 

NJPW, 6/20/02 (SXW)

Utsunomiya City Gymnasium

 

1. Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Blue Wolf vs. Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton, Hiro Saito & Tatsutoshi Goto.

2. Yuji Nagata & Super J vs. Manabu Nakanishi & Yutaka Yoshie

 

NJPW, 6/21/02 (TV)

Tokyo Korakuen Hall

 

1. Katsushi Takemura Jr. Trial Series 1st: Katsushi Takemura vs. El Samurai

2. Super J vs. Scott Norton

3. Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Blue Wolf vs. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Osamu Nishimura & Yutaka Yoshie

4. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Minoru Tanaka © vs. AKIRA

 

NJPW, 6/23/02

Nagaoka Welfare Hall

 

1. Katsushi Takemura Jr. Trial Series 2nd: Katsushi Takemura vs. Tiger Mask 4

2. Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Blue Wolf vs. Manabu Nakanishi, Shiro Koshinaka, Super J & Yutaka Yoshie

3. Yuji Nagata & Minoru Tanaka vs. Masahiro Chono & Koji Kanemoto

 

NJPW, 7/4/02 (TV)

Hyogo Prefectural Budokan

 

1. Katsushi Takemura Jr. Trial Series 3rd: Katsushi Takemura vs. Masayuki Naruse

2. Yuji Nagata & Super J vs. Scott Norton & Hiroyoshi Tenzan

3. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Jushin Thunder Liger & Minoru Tanaka © vs. Koji Kanemoto & AKIRA

 

NJPW, 7/8/02

Gifu Industrial Hall

 

1. Katsushi Takemura Jr. Trial Series 4th: Katsushi Takemura vs. Minoru Tanaka

2. Kensuke Sasaki & Kenzo Suzuki vs. Masahiro Chono & Scott Norton

 

NJPW, 7/10/02 (SXW)

Tokyo Korakuen Hall

 

1. Katsushi Takemura Jr. Trial Series 5th: Katsushi Takemura vs. Dr. Wagner Jr.

2. G1 Climax Participation Battle Royal (time intervals between entrances)

 

NJPW, 7/11/02 (SXW)

Kuki City Gymnasium

 

1. Manabu Nakanishi & Rick Steiner vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Tatsutoshi Goto

 

NJPW, 7/16/02

Iwate Prefectural Gymnasium

 

1. Katsushi Takemura Jr. Trial Series 6th: Katsushi Takemura vs. Masahito Kakihara

 

NJPW "SAPPORO FIGHTING SPIRIT MEMORIAL DAY 1ST", 7/19/02 (TV)

Hokkaido Sports Center

 

1. Katsushi Takemura Jr. Trial Series 7th: Katsushi Takemura vs. Jushin Thunder Liger

2. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Winner of Tanaka/AKIRA © vs. Koji Kanemoto

3. IWGP Tag Team Title: Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan © vs. The Steiner Brothers

 

NJPW "SAPPORO FIGHTING SPIRIT MEMORIAL DAY 2ND", 7/20/02 (TV)

Hokkaido Sports Center

 

1. Kyoko Inoue , Yoshiko Tamura & Misae Genki vs. Mima Shimoda , Etsuko Mita & Chaparrita ASARI

2. Kensuke Sasaki vs. Blue Wolf

3. Kenzo Suzuki & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. The Steiner Brothers

4. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Yuji Nagata © vs. Bas Rutten

[Guest Black Tiger]

Tadao Yasuda will not participate, as he has finally been banished from New Japan by Chono.

THANK YOU CHONO!!!

[Guest Stuart]

Here's the tour poster. I dig the picture of Nagata there. He looks like such a champion. Meanwhile, the super-cool tag champions are also featured, and Tiger Mask, who I hope Liger has secretly signed (rumours of MPro collapsing).