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7/1/2025, 8:26:00 PM
>As expected, Yota Tsuji's words were sharp as ever. Backstage in Nagoya on June 29th, he bluntly declared:"President Tanahashi, how about we stop calling it a 'Double Main Event'? It's disrespectful to the wrestlers fighting in the semi-main. If you trace it back, the 'Double Main Event' that left the strongest impression on me was your Intercontinental match with Nakamura. You’re the one who should bring this to an end." He was referring to January 4th, 2014, at the Tokyo Dome. Back then, the match order between the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito) and the IWGP Intercontinental Championship (Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi) was decided by fan vote. Although it was officially called a "Double Main Event," the Intercontinental title match ended up being the final bout of the night. By bringing up that history, Tsuji pressed Tanahashi to abolish the concept of the "Double Main Event."
>Fans who actually watched this "Double Main Event" probably understand: regardless of the match order, the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match between Hirooki Goto and Zack Sabre Jr. produced a "top-tier battle," standing out by far in terms of pure match quality at the June 29th Nagoya event. At the same time, Tanahashi emphasized the event's overall concept by taking the final slot on the card. His intentions were clear — the collaborative moment with Naomichi Marufuji during the finish brought great excitement to the arena. In the end, "both were good," no question. However, that doesn’t mean Tsuji’s argument should be ignored. The issue originated with this year's two events in the United States, where the so-called "Double Main Event" saw the IWGP World Heavyweight title placed in the semi-main spot. At the root of Tsuji's stance lies his skepticism toward holding events in the U.S. in the first place.
>Fans who actually watched this "Double Main Event" probably understand: regardless of the match order, the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match between Hirooki Goto and Zack Sabre Jr. produced a "top-tier battle," standing out by far in terms of pure match quality at the June 29th Nagoya event. At the same time, Tanahashi emphasized the event's overall concept by taking the final slot on the card. His intentions were clear — the collaborative moment with Naomichi Marufuji during the finish brought great excitement to the arena. In the end, "both were good," no question. However, that doesn’t mean Tsuji’s argument should be ignored. The issue originated with this year's two events in the United States, where the so-called "Double Main Event" saw the IWGP World Heavyweight title placed in the semi-main spot. At the root of Tsuji's stance lies his skepticism toward holding events in the U.S. in the first place.
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