Source: Press Release
Conway Makes History in Japan as New NWA Tag Champs Crowned
Osaka, Japan – NWA World Heavyweight Champion “Ironman” Rob Conway and Jax Dane captured the NWA World Tag Team Titles at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s “Power Struggle” event in Osaka by defeating NWA champions Killer Elite Squad, Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith, Jr., and defending IWGP Tag Team Champions Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan.
The match came about after a challenge was issued by the Killer Elite Squad at NWA’s “Alamo City Invasion” event in San Antonio, TX in October. The challenge was accepted by Tenzan on behalf of both he and Kojima before Conway and Dane declared their desire to compete for both titles.
The rules of the double-fall, double-title match stated that the winners of the first fall would be awarded the NWA titles, while the winners of the second fall would be awarded the IWGP titles. Conway won the first fall, pinning Kojima after using his Ego Trip finisher.
In doing so, Conway becomes the first person to ever hold the NWA World Heavyweight and World Tag Team championships simultaneously. The victory also marks the first time an NWA championship has changed hands in Japan since Dan Severn defeated Shinya Hashimoto in Tokyo on March 9, 2002.
The victory gives Dane, a former NWA Lone Star Heavyweight and NWA Branded Outlaw Heavyweight Champion, and long considered to be one of the top contenders for the NWA World Heavyweight title, his first major NWA championship.
In the second fall, Archer pinned Tenzan to regain the IWGP Tag Team Championships. KES had previously held the titles from October 2012 to May 2013.
