IMPACT Wrestling Stars Set For Major Match At NJPW Destruction In Ryogoku

IMPACT Wrestling will have even more of a presence than first thought at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Destruction in Ryogoku event on Monday, October 9.

IMPACT X-Division Champion Lio Rush is already scheduled to challenge for Hiromu Takahashi's IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in a Three-Way with fellow IMPACT talent "Speedball" Mike Bailey at Destruction in Ryogoku. NJPW have now announced, though, that Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tomohiro Ishii will put the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Titles on the line against IMPACT World Champion Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, and Josh Alexander.

Tanahashi challenged IMPACT to send talents to NJPW for Destruction in Ryogoku following his, Ishii, and Okada's successful title defence on September 9 against Tiger Mask, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and Togi Makabe. Alex Shelley recently picked up a win over Tanahashi, defeating The Ace to retain the IMPACT World Championship at Multiverse United 2 in August. 

How the challengers will fare on October 9 remains to be seen but there is tension between Alexander and Shelley on IMPACT TV as The Walking Weapon never lost the IMPACT World Championship. He instead was forced to vacate the title earlier this year due to injury. Steve Maclin initially won the vacant title before Shelley captured the gold at Against All Odds in June. 

Other matches set for NJPW Destruction in Ryogoku are SANADA vs. EVIL for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, and David Finlay vs. Tama Tonga for the NEVER Openweight Title.