Hiroshi Tanahashi To Replace Kota Ibushi In NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam In Tokyo Dome Main Event

The Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome main event underwent a late change on July 25. 

Shingo Takagi was originally scheduled to defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Kota Ibushi on today's show, but The Golden Star was diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia earlier this week, putting his status for the match up in the air. 

Now, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has announced Ibushi will be unable to compete and his replacement in the main event will be Hiroshi Tanahashi. 

Tanahashi's addition to the match comes after his win against KENTA at Summer Struggle in Nagoya. The eight-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion declared following the match that he was ready to compete if NJPW needed him and the promotion ultimately took The Ace up on his offer. 

With the change, Tanahashi will main event a Tokyo Dome show for the 11th time and the first time since Wrestle Kingdom 13 in 2019. 

It will also be the second time Tanahashi and Takagi have faced off for a title in 2021. The two men previously went one on one for the NEVER Openweight Title in a match of the year candidate at New Beginning in Nagoya in January. Tanahashi came away with the win on that occasion.

Check out the updated Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome card below:
• El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
• El Desperado (c) vs. Robbie Eagles - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
• Kazuchika Okada def. Jeff Cobb
• Tetsuya Naito & SANADA (c) vs. Dangerous Tekkers - IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
• Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship