J1 SUMMIT 2018 (8/1/2018 - 8/31/2018)

Before a press conference of nearly 50 reporters in downtown Tokyo, MJPW General Manager Masaaki Sano made his announcement about the upcoming J1 SUMMIT.

Block A includes a number of fighters who competed in last year's J1 SUMMIT. The previous year's finalists ZENKI and Mike Musket, the current and a former MAX Heavyweight Champion, will have to go through one another this year if they want to make it through to the finals. Jacob Hammerstein and Mitsuo Shimada of the Dogs of War will both attempt to finish the job from last year, failing to make the finals, but both having achieved much success and growth over the last year. Finally, newcomer Daichi Kusumoto will make his official in-ring debut to much fanfare.

Block B features both halves of the World Tag Team Champions, GRIM and Tokyo Zombie of the Demon Brigade. James Edwards, a semifinalist in last year's J1 SUMMIT, will return to compete as a freelance star. PYRAMID GRAPPLING LEAGUE runner-up Shinjiro Nakama will look to keep his momentum going from a strong performance to show that he's the mightiest fighter in Japan. Finally, in a blockbuster agreement, Robb Daniels will represent the U.S.-based Seattle Pro. Daniels is an internationally known superstar and this will mark his first appearance

Over a period of five nights, each fighter will face all the other members of his block. The top two fighters in each block, based on accumulation of points, will advance to the semifinals held on 8/30. The final will occur on the 7th day of the tour 8/31. The cards for Day 6 and 7 will obviously be modified according to who advances into the semifinals, so GM Sano told us to stay tuned.

Here are the details and schedule of the SUMMIT. METAL HERO's opponent on 8/31 for the MAX Jr. Heavyweight title will be announced closer to the date of the match. GM Sano noted that it's possible for other matches to be added to these cards, but the tournament schedule itself is set.

5. GRIM

Date: 8/1/2018

Location: Mirai Dome, Yokohama, Japan

1. METAL HERO and Shensi Dashi vs. Tokyo Zombie and Mitsuo Shimada

2. Block A: Daichi Kusumoto vs. Jacob Hammerstein

3. Block B: Robb Daniels vs. Shinjiro Nakama

4. Block B: James Edwards vs. GRIM

5. Block A: Mike Musket vs. ZENKI

J1 SUMMIT: Day 2
Date: 8/5/2018
Location: Mirai Dome, Yokohama, Japan

1. METAL HERO and Shensi Dashi vs. Robb Daniels and Daichi Kusumoto

2. Block B: James Edwards vs. Tokyo Zombie

3. Block A: Mike Musket vs. Mitsuo Shimada

4. Block A: ZENKI vs. Jacob Hammerstein

5. Block B: GRIM vs. Shinjiro Nakama

J1 SUMMIT: Day 3
Date: 8/10/2018
Location: Mirai Dome, Yokohama, Japan

1. Mike Musket, James Edwards, and Lynx vs. METAL HERO, Jun Vegas, and Shensi Dashi

2. Block A: Mitsuo Shimada vs. Jacob Hammerstein

3. Block B: Tokyo Zombie vs. Shinjiro Nakama

4. Block B: Robb Daniels vs. GRIM

5. Block A: Daichi Kusumoto vs. ZENKI

J1 SUMMIT: Day 4
Date: 8/15/2018
Location: Mirai Dome, Yokohama, Japan

1. METAL HERO, Jun Vegas, Shensi Dashi vs. Shinjiro Nakama, Jacob Hammerstein, and Hiro Minamoto

2. Block B: GRIM vs. Tokyo Zombie

3. Block A: ZENKI vs. Mitsuo Shimada

4. Block A: Mike Musket vs. Daichi Kusumoto

5. Block B: James Edwards vs. Robb Daniels

J1 SUMMIT: Day 5
Date: 8/21/2018
Location: Mirai Dome, Yokohama, Japan

1. Jun Vegas vs. Lynx

2. ZENKI, GRIM, and Hiro Minamoto vs. METAL HERO, KOSUKE, and Shensi Dashi

3. Block A: Mituso Shimada vs. Daichi Kusumoto

4. Block B: Tokyo Zombie vs. Robb Daniels

5. Block B: James Edwards vs. Shinjiro Nakama

6. Block A: Mike Musket vs. Jacob Hammerstein

J1 SUMMIT: Day 6
Date: 8/30/2018
Location: Mirai Dome, Yokohama, Japan

1. Genji Ikeda vs. Shigeru Toyama

2. METAL Hero, Jack Tillman, and Hiro Minamoto vs. James Edwards, Lynx, and KOSUKE

3. GRIM, Jun Vegas, and Masanori Kawada vs. Mike Musket, Daichi Kusumoto, and Mitsuo Shimada

5. J1 SUMMIT Semifinals - Block B: Tokyo Zombie vs. Shinjiro Nakama

J1 SUMMIT: Day 7
Date: 8/31/2018
Location: Mirai Dome, Yokohama, Japan

1. Mitsuo Shimada and Genji Ikeda vs. Masanori Kawada and Shigeru Toyama

2. Jack Tillman, X, and Hiro Minamoto vs. Lynx, Y, and KOSUKE

3. Mike Musket vs. Jun Vegas

4. GRIM vs. Daichi Kusumoto

5. MAX Jr. Heavyweight Championship: METAL HERO (c) vs. James Edwards

6. J1 SUMMIT - Finals: ZENKI/Hammerstein vs. Zombie/Nakama