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[Complete Results]
The annual summer tour returned, with "SUMMER STRUGGLE 2000" running from 6/25 to 7/20, a grueling twenty shows. The tour began at Tokyo Korakuen Hall, before concluding with a big event at Hokkaido Sports Center, New Japan's first advance on the facility. With the G1 Climax nearing, the series would serve as a heated lead-in, with each wrestler looking for momentum from success. The focus of the tour was the inclusion of four titles matches, with each IWGP throne defended. IWGP Jr. Tag Team Champions, Shinjiro Otani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa, would defend against Koji Kanemoto & Minoru Tanaka on the opening day. The final event of the tour in Hokkaido would see Takaiwa attempt to pry the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title away from Jushin Thunder Liger, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima challenge Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata for the IWGP Tag Team Title, and Kensuke Sasaki defend the IWGP Heavyweight Title against an on-form Takashi Iizuka.
Foreign participation:
Dan Devine (WCW): 6/25 to 7/5
Mike Enos: 6/25 to 7/5
Rob Rage: 7/8 to 7/20
Scott Norton (Team 2000): 6/25 to 7/5
Super J (Team 2000): 6/25 to 7/5
Special participation:
Gran Hamada (Michinoku Pro): 7/9 only
Great Sasuke (Michinoku Pro): 7/9 only
Minoru Tanaka: 6/25 to 6/28
Points of note:
(6/25) Before a rabid Korakuen Hall crowd, Kanemoto & Tanaka dethroned Otani & Takaiwa in a thrilling match to become the 5th IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. It was the young upstart, Tanaka, who made the difference, taking Otani down into a cross armbreaker for the submission win.
(6/29) Under half a year into his career, Kenzo picked up an important singles victory, pinning Yasuda following a tackle. The rookie continued to take big steps towards stardom, on the day that he announced he would be in the 2000 G1 Climax.
(7/3) After risking his IWGP Heavyweight Title shot following provocation from Tenzan, Iizuka took on the buffalo in an important singles clash. Although overpowered by the T2000 star, Iizuka's brilliant technique shone through, and he put Tenzan away with a sleeper hold to solidify Kensuke vs. Iizuka for 7/20!
(7/6) A big main event six man tag saw the elite native force of Team 2000, Chono, Tenzan & Kojima, defeat G-EGGS, Nakanishi, Nagata & Yoshie, when Tenzan dropped a diving headbutt on Nagata. There was major trouble in G-EGGS, with Yoshie arguing and rebelling against the leadership of Nagata and Nakanishi, hinting at a possible split soon.
(7/9) The New Japan junior force of Liger & Kashin defeated the Michinoku Pro duo of Great Sasuke & Gran Hamada in a featured tag match, Kashin surprisingly making Sasuke tap out to a cross armbreaker. Former New Japan wrestler, Kazuyuki Fujita, watched, and appealed to New Japan to let Kashin fight at PRIDE 10 on 8/27, after a recent refusal from President Fujinami.
(7/16) En route to his title match with Kensuke, Iizuka rejected Yoshie impressively, beating the power fighter in under 5 minutes with a sleeper hold.
(7/20) The first of the IWGP3 to be defended was Liger's IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title, which was challenged by Takaiwa. And finally, after mowing through challengers left and right, Liger succumbed to a threat, falling to Takaiwa's Death Valley bomb. Takaiwa's win meant that he had captured the Best of the Super Jr. and IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title one after another, and had he not dropped the IWGP Jr. Tag Title at the beginning of the series, this win would have meant a complete junior monopolization from him.
(7/20) Tenzan & Kojima became the 40th IWGP Tag Team Champions when they defeated generation rivals, Nakanishi & Nagata. TenKoji managed to overcome the G-EGGS peers, Kojima lariating Nakanishi after 21 1/2 minutes of great action to begin their second reign with the belts.
(7/20) With three IWGP belts changing hands on the tour, Iizuka hoped to continue that trend when he faced reigning champion and dominant New Japan ace, Sasaki. Iizuka put up perhaps the greatest fight of his career, taking Kensuke past 20 minutes in an excellent struggle. He fell short in the end, Sasaki making a successful V5 defense following a Northern Light bomb, but Iizuka's popularity rose even more after his performance.
Back to: "BEST OF THE SUPER JR. VII" (5/19/00 to 6/9/00)
Forward to: "RIKI CHOSHU REVIVAL!" (7/30/00)
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