Summary

Tiger Mask raised the stakes for his upcoming IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship challenge by calling for a Lumberjack Deathmatch against DOUKI at NJPW Wrestling Hizen no Kuni on April 29.

The challenge came after New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Wrestling Redzone event on April 25, where Tiger Mask teamed with Togi Makabe, Oleg Boltin, and Aaron Wolf against HOUSE OF TORTURE's Ren Narita, Don Fale, DOUKI, and Dick Togo. The match broke down when HOUSE OF TORTURE members at ringside got involved, Hontai members ran out to even things up, and the referee threw the bout out.

During the chaos, DOUKI ripped Tiger Mask's mask off. Hontai members quickly covered Tiger Mask's face, but Tiger Mask still got hold of a microphone and proposed the stipulation for the title match.

How the DOUKI-Tiger Mask feud escalated

This adds another layer to a championship match that was already official when the Wrestling Hizen no Kuni card was finalized.

Mask removal is one of the clearest signs of disrespect in wrestling, so DOUKI tearing Tiger Mask's mask away gave the April 29 title bout a more personal edge than a standard defense. With Tiger Mask's retirement match already set for July 7, the stipulation also frames this challenge as one of the final major title shots of his run.

What the stipulation means for Wrestling Hizen no Kuni

A Lumberjack Deathmatch suggests Tiger Mask wants to limit outside interference after Wrestling Redzone ended in a brawl and a throwout. That matters in a feud involving HOUSE OF TORTURE, because the group has already shown it can tilt a match once numbers get involved.

For DOUKI, the stipulation now turns a scheduled defense into a match built around chaos and retaliation. For Tiger Mask, it gives him one more chance to chase the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship under conditions shaped by what happened on April 25.

Sources

As reported by Fightful