Changes to Power Struggle card as title matches are added and subtracted

We’re about a week and a half out from New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Power Struggle on Nov. 3 and there have been some twists and turns on the way, so let’s list the current card out and break it down!

Power Struggle (Nov. 3, 4AM Eastern / 1AM Pacific)

• ??? vs. ??? (Super Jr. Tag League 2018 Tournament Finals)
• Chaos (Beretta & Kazuchika Okada) vs. Firing Squad (Bad Luck Fale & “Switchblade” Jay White)
• David Finlay & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi)
• Minoru Suzuki vs. Tomohiro Ishii (c) (RPW British Heavyweight Championship)
• Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre, Jr.
• Chris Jericho (c) vs. EVIL (IWGP Intercontinental Championship)

So, bad news first, Will Ospreay’s NEVER Openweight Championship match against current champion Taichi is off the table due to a rib injury sustained in his match against Chris Ridgeway at Global Wars UK last weekend. New Japan officials were hoping he’d recover in time to have the match at Power Struggle, but alas, he’ll have to sit this one out, and we wish the Aerial Assassin a speedy recovery.

The good news is we’ve got another title match to slide right into the same spot as Minoru Suzuki is cashing in his rematch against Tomohiro Ishii for the RPW British Heavyweight Championship! The main title of New Japan partner promotion Revolution Pro, Ishii won it from fellow Suzuki-gun member Zack Sabre, Jr. back at RevPro’s WrestleCon show this April in New Orleans before dropping it to Suzuki at Strong Style Evolved UK and then winning it back at Global Wars UK just last weekend.

One more round at Power Struggle is certainly welcome!

Now, before we get out of here, let’s take a quick look at Super Jr. Tag League standings, shall we?

Super Jr. Tag League 2018

6 Points

• Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & Shingo Takagi)
• Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH)

4 Points

• Chris Sabin & KUSHIDA
• Firing Squad (Robbie Eagles & Taiji Ishimori)
• Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask IV
• Suzuki-gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

2 Points

• Soberano, Jr. & Volador, Jr.
• Taguchi Japan (ACH & Ryusuke Taguchi)

It’s no shocker here, folks, the new Los Ingobernables team and Roppongi 3K were the favorites and lo and behold, they’re in the lead. It’s interesting in that BUSHI and Shingo do have a win over RPG3K, but as this is a single block round robin, the two points leaders will meet in battle at Power Struggle regardless of who might have a tiebreaker win over the other, unless of course there’s a three-way tie or some other similar situation.

With four of seven matches in the can for each team, we’re not quite in the endgame yet, but it’s coming soon. Of interest, LIJ’s one loss so far has come at the hands of junior dads Jushin Liger and Tiger Mask, so clearly even after they came up short against Suzuki-gun at King of Pro-Wrestling, the old men still have a few tricks up their sleeve to apply to gunning for the gold.

There you have it, folks

It’s a bummer that we won’t be able to see the Aerial Assassin in action at Power Struggle, but are y’all excited to catch Suzuki and Ishii going at it at butt o’clock, Cagesiders?