The partnership between Impact and NJPW is bearing interesting fruit once again. They have shared talent back and forth in recent times, and the latest exchange will be dream team versus dream team.
Impact is sending Josh Alexander, Chris Sabin, & Alex Shelley to challenge Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, & Tomohrio Ishii for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship at the Destruction event in Ryogoku, Tokyo, Japan on October 9.
Okada, Tanahashi, & Ishii won the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship from Ren Narita, Minoru Suzuki, & El Desperado on May 3. The title reign currently stands at 131 days and counting. The champs have defended the belts twice in that span.
Alexander & the Motor City Machine Guns have only teamed up once in trios action within an Impact ring, and that result was victory over Eric Young, Joe Doering, & Deaner in June of 2022. Despite that, they do share experience as opponents and partners in larger matches over the years. The championship pedigree between the three is impressive. Josh Alexander is the star of Impact as a two-time world champ, two-time tag champ with Ethan Page, and former X-Division champ. The Motor City Machine Guns are three-time tag champs in Impact. Sabin is a nine-time X-Division champion. Shelley is the current world champ for Impact and also a former X-Division champion.
The card for Destruction in Ryogoku on October 9 includes:
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Sanada (c) vs. Evil
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. Lio Rush vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey
NEVER Openweight Championship: David Finlay (c) vs. Tama Tonga
NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship: Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, & Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Josh Alexander, Chris Sabin, & Alex Shelley
NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship: Bullet Club War Dogs (Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd) (c) vs. Guerillas of Destiny (Hikuleo & El Phantasmo)
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney) (c) vs. Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight & Kushida)
Master Wato, Shota Umino, & Yuji Nagata vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, & Ren Narita (Best of 7 series final)
Tanga Loa vs. Chase Owens