A NEVER Openweight Championship bout, plus a special singles match in the junior heavyweight division have been added to NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo.
EVIL will defend the NEVER Openweight title against Shota Umino on night one of the event on Friday, February 23. The promotion made the announcement late Wednesday.
EVIL defeated Tama Tonga to win the NEVER title at The New Beginning in Nagoya on January 20. Umino defeated Ren Narita in a singles match in the main event of Wednesday’s Road to The New Beginning show at Korakuen Hall.
Also added to the February 23 lineup, El Desperado will face SHO. Desperado, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, refused to put his title on the line against SHO, but agreed to a match after SHO and Bullet Club’s House of Torture stole Desperado’s mask in an angle on Wednesday’s show.
The New Beginning in Sapporo will feature Kazuchika Okada’s final NJPW appearances in matches yet to be announced on the two-night event.
The updated lineups:
NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo, Friday, February 23 —
Kazuchika Okada match TBA
IWGP Global Champion David Finlay defends against Nic Nemeth
NJPW World TV Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi defends against Matt Riddle
NEVER Openweight Champion EVIL defends against Shota Umino
El Desperado vs. SHO
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. SANADA, Taichi, Yuya Uemura, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku
Toru Yano & Tomoya vs. TBA
NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo, Saturday, February 24 —
Kazuchika Okada’s final NJPW appearance
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito defends against SANADA
Shingo Takagi vs. Taichi
Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura
Hiromu Takahashi vs. DOUKI
BUSHI vs. TAKA Michinoku
Nic Nemeth & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. David Finlay & Gedo
Kazuchika Okada is no longer one-third of the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions.
Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Okada defeated Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls, and Shane Haste to retain their titles on Wednesday in Korakuen Hall. Okada pinned Fujita after a Rainmaker in what was his final match from the historic venue before departing NJPW.
Okada then cut a promo after the match announcing he is vacating his belt (translation via NJPWGlobal on X):
I don’t want to cry. I’ve cried enough already. But thank you for all your support for 17 years.
Ishii put this belt on me, but today I vacate it. But this is the only team belt I’ve ever held in my career and I’m so thankful to Tanahashi and Ishii. This is the last match of my contract but I have three matches to go in Osaka and Sapporo. This isn’t the end, this isn’t goodbye and you still have the main event. Enjoy it.”
Thank you to NJPW wrestlers, staff and fans. I promise we will meet again, and I hope you’ll support the Rainmaker.
It is not immediately clear what this will mean for Ishii and Tanahashi as champions.
Okada is scheduled to wrestle Tanahashi at New Beginning in Osaka on Sunday, February 11. He is also booked for the New Beginning in Sapporo shows on Friday, February 23, and Saturday, February 24 despite his NJPW contract expiring at the end of this month.
Okada’s return to TNA Wrestling will also air this week. His match teaming with the Motor City Machine Guns against The System from TNA Snake Eyes is set for this week’s show on AXS TV.
Our own Dave Meltzer provided an update on the latest regarding Okada’s free agency yesterday. The report includes what sources close to Okada are saying regarding recent reports.
NJPW Road to The New Beginning on January 24, 2024 results:
EVIL, SHO, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi (BULLET CLUB House of Torture) defeated El Desperado, Tama Tonga, YOH & Tomoaki Honma
Alex Coughlin, Clark Connors, David Finlay, Drilla Moloney & Gabe Kidd (BULLET CLUB War Dogs) defeated Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan, HENARE, TJP, & Callum Newman (United Empire)
BUSHI, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji (Los Ingobernables de Japon) defeated Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura (Just 5 Guys)
DOUKI & SANADA (Just 5 Guys) defeated Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon)
NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship: Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, & Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste
Kazuchika Okada will wrestle for NJPW at Korakuen Hall for the final time on today’s Road to The New Beginning event.
In the show’s semi-main event, Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tomohiro Ishii defend the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles against TMDK’s Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste, and Kosei Fujita.
Okada finishes up with NJPW next month, so a title change today is a virtual lock.
Okada’s last stand in Korakuen Hall grabs the headlines, but today’s show will feature Shota Umino vs. Ren Narita in the main event in a matchup of two wrestlers vitally important to carrying the company in the wake of Okada leaving.
Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi vs. SANADA & DOUKI is second from the top today.
LIJ’s Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & BUSHI vs. Just Five Guys’ Taichi, Yuya Uemura & TAKA Michinoku is also set for the show.
United Empire faces Bullet Club War Dogs in another 10-man tag on today’s event.
Tama Tonga, El Desperado, YOH & Tomoaki Honma take on EVIL, SHO, Yujiro Takahashi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru of House of Torture.
Hikuleo, El Phantasmo & Ryusuke Taguchi face KENTA, Chase Owens & Taiji Ishimori in the second match of the main card.
Zack Sabre Jr. battles Tiger Mask in the main card opener.
The kickoff show match will feature the new Young Lions on opposite sides, with Katsuya Murashima teaming with veteran Toru Yano against Shoma Kato & Boltin Oleg.
Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tiger Mask
This was the exact match you would expect from this pair. TMIV landed a handful of strikes, but ZSJ repeatedly caught him. ZSJ led the match with several grappling sequences. TMIV would occasionally catch him in a hold of his own. In the end, ZSJ won out with an arm-based submission.
El Phantasmo couldn’t make tonight’s match for an unknown reason, so Jado took his place.
The BULLET CLUB team opened the match by jumping the babyfaces. From here, the heel worked over Taguchi, isolating him from his corner.
A hot tag to Hikuleo reversed momentum entirely. The BC team completely failed to answer Hikuleo. Even once Jado tagged in, the faces maintained this lead until the very end. Jado locked Ishimori into a crossfade, but Ishimori rolled into a pin to steal a win.
EVIL, SHO, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi (BULLET CLUB House of Torture) defeated El Desperado, Tama Tonga, YOH & Tomoaki Honma
YOH replaced an injured Master Wato in this match.
HoT opened the match by jumping the babyfaces. In the ring, the assault continued, with HoT focusing on Desperado. Once YOH tagged in, HoT launched into a full-fledged attack on the floor.
After a prolonged beatdown, YOH escaped to Tama. Tama took out all of HoT one by one. He survived being thrown into an exposed corner and dropped EVIL with a lariat before tagging out to Honma.
Honma fell to the pressure of HoT, but this prompted a full match breakdown. After the chaotic scrap, Honma squared off with EVIL again. EVIL won out in the exchange, dropping Honma with Everything is Evil to win the match.
After the match, HoT beat down Desperado and stole his mask.
Alex Coughlin, Clark Connors, David Finlay, Drilla Moloney & Gabe Kidd (BULLET CLUB War Dogs) defeated Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan, HENARE, TJP, & Callum Newman (United Empire)
This was another great New Beginning preview from this program.
This match opened with a melee in the isleway. The match normalized as HENARE and Kidd found the ring. Just as the match was gaining order, Kidd knocked HENARE to the mat, prompting another breakdown.
Moloney and Connors tried focusing Akira, but TJP hit the ring to make the save. An extended sequence between the two junior teams played out until Connors scored the win with No Chaser.
After the match, the fighting continued. The scuffle lasted for quite some time. The brawling was fierce and included the heavy use of weapons.
BUSHI, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji (Los Ingobernables de Japon) defeated Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura (Just 5 Guys)
A short brawl opened the match but was followed by an exchange between Shingo and Taichi. Yuya and Tsuji were next to enter the match. They had a brief back-and-forth favoring Yuya, leading to a period of J5G control.
BUSHI tagging into the match opened the door for a LIJ rally. LIJ was able to focus on TAKA while maintaining momentum through tags. In the end, Shingo won the match with a pumping bomber and a powerbomb.
After the match, Tsuji attacked Yuya on the outside. Yuya fired back, leading to a lengthy brawl that the young lions had to separate.
DOUKI & SANADA (Just 5 Guys) defeated Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon)
The match opened with a Naito/SANADA tease before handing the action off to the juniors. Hiromu gained control for his team, which he worked with Naito to maintain.
A reset left Naito and SANADA as the fresh men. SANADA unloaded on Naito, gaining a substantial lead, but tags back to the juniors allowed LIJ to retake the advantage.
A timebomb scored a nearfall on DOUKI. Hiromu landed a lariat but was then caught by DOUKI. DOUKI put Hiromu in a stretch muffler with Hiromu’s shoulders pressed against the mat. This resulted in a sudden pinfall victory for J5G.
NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship: Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, & Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste
This match was fantastic. It’s hard to imagine a better Korakuen send-off for Okada. Fujita was nothing short of amazing during here.
Fujita challenged Okada following the opening bell. He slapped Okada’s chest and tried for a dropkick, but Okada avoided Fujita’s follow-up. Okada then took Fujita to the floor and delivered a scoop slam. Back in the ring, Tanahashi tagged in and began his own attack on Fujita.
Ishii tagged in and began to focus on Fujita himself. Fujita stepped up to the plate, answering Ishii’s strikes with some of his own. Ishii overwhelmed Fujita before locking in a Boston crab. Once the hold was broken, Okada tagged back in. Okada mocked Fujita with an uncontested offense before passing the match back to Tanahashi.
Fujita came back to life after Tanahashi entered the match, delivering a dragonscrew of his own. Fujita escaped to Haste, who unloaded on Tanahashi with a flurry of moves. Tanahashi held on for a while before tagging out to Ishii.
Ishii put Haste on the backfoot before Nicholls entered the match. Nicholls aided Haste in delivering a top rope suplex to Ishii, re-establishing TMDK control. Okada hit the ring to answer, prompting Fujita to join the fray. Okada flattened Fujita and then turned his attention to Nicholls alongside his teammates.
Ishii tried for a brainbuster, but TMDK hit the ring again to make the save. Fujita landed a dropkick to knock Okada off the mat before hitting Tanahashi with a tope con hilo. Back in the ring, Nicholls and Haste hit Ishii with a tankbuster for a nearfall. After a short scuffle, they hit Ishii with another tankbuster, but again, Ishii kicked out.
Tanahashi interrupted a super tankbuster attempt with a dragonscrew. This led to TMDK focusing on him, giving Ishii long enough to recover. Ishii and Tanahashi reset the match with a dragonscrew.
A late double tag to Fujita and Okada set Korakuen on fire. Okada immediately dropped Fujita, drawing a smile from the rainmaker. Okada then slowed his offense, giving Fujita enough time to rally. Fujita landed a springboard dropkick and then began to taunt Okada with kicks to the head. These kicks infuriated Okada, but Fujita didn’t let up. Fujita locked in a hold, forcing Tanahashi to make the save.
Fujita tried for a deadlift German, but Okada reversed into the money clip. The rest of TMDK hit the ring to save Fujita, giving him space to hit the deadlift German for a nearfall. Fujita tried for another suplex, but Okada stuffed it. Okada landed a German of his own. Okada then tried for the rainmaker, but Fujita ducked. Okada hit a dropkick before Fujita could respond, followed by two lariats. Okada tried for the lariat again, but again, Fujita avoided the finish. Fujita then bridged into a pin for a convincing nearfall.
Tanahashi and Ishii joined Okada in the ring. Tanahashi hit Fujita with a sling blade and Ishii with a sliding lariat. Okada then landed another dropkick and an elbow drop from the top. Finally, Okada hit Fujita with a rainmaker and pinned him to retain the six-man belts.
After the match, Okada shook hands with all of TMDK (except for Fujita, who was out on the mat) and hugged ZSJ. Okada then cut a tear-filled send-off promo. He thanked Korakuen for 17 years of support. He then announced he would vacate the NEVER Six Man belts and thanked Tanahashi and Ishii.
On his way out, Okada shook hands with CHAOS members YOSHI-HASHI and Toru Yano.
Shota Umino defeated Ren Narita
This wasn’t awful, but compared to the dozens of other Korakuen matches based around brawling in the stands, it was nothing special; it was fine for what it was. The opening was hot, but I felt this lost a bit of its energy as it went on. The late House of Torture interfearance did nothing to help.
Umino launched into an attack as soon as Narita entered the ring. He landed a giant dropkick, sending Narita to the floor, which he followed with a slew of whips into the barricades. Back in the ring, Umino continued the attack, flooring Narita with a variatey of strikes.
Narita baited Umino outside the ring, buying him time to deliver a boot. Narita then returned the favor from earlier in the match, whipping Umino into the barricades himself. Narita drove Umino into the ring apron. To cement his lead while humiliating Umino, Narita pulled him up the Korakuen seats and slamed him into the section sign hanging against the wall.
Back in the ring, Umino was able to fire back. He landed a suplex and a dropkick to establish a short lead, but a knee from Narita brought it to an end. Narita then began to taunt Umino with light kicks to the head, both giving Umino time to recover while making him angry. Narita tried for a suplex from the top rope, but Umino reversed, delivering a kick followed by a flurry of strikes.
Umino landed a DDT to the apron, taking the match back to the floor. Umino then grabbed a chair and drug Narita into the crowd. He slammed Narita into the chair before placing him in it to deliver a dropkick. Umino then picked up a table and set it up above a flight of stairs. Umino powerbombed Narita through the table, sending him crashing down the stairs.
After Umino pulled Narita back to the ring, he grabbed another table. Umino hit a few moves inside the ring and scored a nearfall. Narita escaped to the floor where he caught Umino with a sudden suplex through the table. Back inside, Narita hit a running knee, a low blow, and a German suplex for a nearfall.
A sudden DDT from Umino reset the match. A followup DDT from Umino brought him back to life, prompting all of House of Torture to hit the ring. They all beat down Umino together. Before SHO could deliver his wrench strike, the arena darkened and Tama Tonga appeared in the ring. EVIL hit him with a low blow. El Desperado then hit the ring and helped Tama clear off HoT.
Umino hit Narita with a half-and-half suplex for a two-count. Narita avoided the deathrider and locked in a sleeper. A gnarly belly-to-belly scored Narita a nearfall. Umino answered with a forearm and a swinging DDT for a nearfall of his own. Umino then hit deathrider to win the match.
After the match, Desperado grabbed the microphone. He denied SHO a shot at his title but offered him a special singles match.
Tama cut his last Korakuen promo with tears in his eyes. He thanked the crowd and asked Umino to take the NEVER belt from EVIL.
Finally, to end the show, Umino took the microphone. He told Narita and HoT to remember this result and praised Tama’s love for New Japan. To close, Narita used a metaphor of rain ending and skies clearing in New Japan. He promised to be the light to guide the new generation before declaring himself the “new ace”.
NJPW wrestler Master Wato is facing an extended period of time out of action.
Wato was supposed to face SHO in the semi-main event of Tuesday’s Road to the New Beginning show at Korakuen Hall. Instead, the event opened with Wato on crutches and announcing that he has a left knee injury that will require surgery. There was then an angle where SHO attacked Wato with a wrench. SHO taunted Wato until El Desperado made the save.
NJPW has confirmed that Wato’s injury is a torn left ACL. The injury happened during a tag team match where Wato & Desperado lost to SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru at the New Beginning in Nagoya on January 20.
Wato said: “I will come back better than 100 percent and when I do come back I will face SHO one on one.”
SHO didn’t wrestle at Tuesday’s Road to the New Beginning event after his scheduled match against Wato was canceled. The main event saw Desperado retain his IWGP Junior Heavyweight title against Kanemaru. SHO attacked Desperado during a backstage interview following the match and declared that he’ll be challenging for Desperado’s championship next.
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is on the line in the main event of today’s NJPW show at a sold out Korakuen Hall.
El Desperado will make the first defense of his IWGP Jr. title against former tag team partner Yoshinobu Kanemaru in the headline match. Desperado defeated Hiromu Takahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 18 to win the title for the third time.
Master Wato faces SHO in a special singles match in today’s semi-main event.
Los Ingobernables de Japon face Just Five Guys in a 10-man tag team match second from the top.
Tama Tonga, Shota Umino, and Togi Makabe take on House of Torture’s EVIL, Ren Narita, and Yujiro Takahashi in a six-man tag.
Kazuchika Okada will be in action for the next-to-last time as an NJPW wrestler at Korakuen Hall on the undercard, teaming with Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, and Tomoaki Honma against TMDK’s Zack Sabre Jr., Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste, and Kosei Fujita in a preview of tomorrow’s NEVER Six-Man title match.
GoD’s Hikuleo, El Phantasmo, and Jado take on Bullet Club’s KENTA, Chase Owens, and Taiji Ishimori.
Members of United Empire will face Bullet Club War Dogs in a 10-man tag in the second match tonight.
In the opener, new Young Lions will be on opposite sides of a tag team encounter as Katsuya Murashima teams with Ryusuke Taguchi against Shoma Kato & YOH.
Master Wato Addresses Korakuen Hall
The show opened with Master Wato walking to the ring on crutches. He injured his left knee and will be out of action. He needs surgery before he can return. After calling off his match with SHO, SHO hit the ring and attacked Wato’s injured leg with his wrench.
SHO taunted a grounded Wato with a promo. He bragged about hurting Wato and made fun of the crowd. Before SHO could continue the attack, El Desperado cut him off.
This was a rock-solid match. Both Lions looked good. I can’t wait to see what they have in store.
Taguchi and Kato opened the match with some fine grappling. Taguchi tagged out, giving the new Young Lions a chance to square off with each other. YOH and Murashima worked together shortly before passing the action back to the Kato.
The lions traded submissions in a grappling sequence of their own. The selling was excellent—the highlight of this match. YOH and Kato then worked together to gain a strong lead.
Eventually, Taguchi re-entered the match. He hit Kato with a running hip attack, but Kato kicked out. He then locked in an ankle lock, forcing Kato to tap out.
Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, TJP, HENARE, & Great-O-Khan (United Empire) defeated Drilla Moloney, Clark Connors, Gabe Kidd, Alex Coughlin, & David Finlay (BULLET CLUB War Dogs)
This was a hoot. While less exciting than their Jan 5 war, this was a big step up from their preview tag from a couple of days ago.
A full-on brawl opened this match. Kidd and Henare traded strikes on the inside while the others went to war on the outside. The match calmed down as HENARE established a lead, but another breakdown was just around the corner.
After the second brawl, the War Dogs emerged with the lead. The Dogs worked together to wear down Newman. The eventual tag to TJP led to a United Empire rally. O-Khan’s sequence was ended by Kidd, prompting HENARE to finish what TJP started. Finlay hit the ring to save Kidd before turning his attention to Newman; another breakdown followed. Akira secured a schoolboy pin on Moloney in the chaos to win the match.
Taiji Ishimori, KENTA, & Chase Owens (BULLET CLUB) defeated Jado, El Phantasmo, & Hikuleo (Gorillas of Destiny)
This match opened with neither team wanting to engage. Eventually, Owens and ELP locked up. BULLET CLUB established a lead and maintained it until the hot tag to Hikuleo. Hikuleo gained firm footing until BC began to focus his leg.
Jado tried to continue the advance Hikuleo started. He was fine for a while, but KENTA eventually caught him in a trap pin to win the match.
Fujita taunted Okada before the opening bell. Haste and Tanahashi actually opened the match. Haste focused Tanahashi’s arm, forcing Ishii to tag in. On his own, Ishii was proving to be a challenge for TMDK, so they worked together to wear him down while keeping him away from his corner.
The hot tag to Okada led to him taking out all of TMDK. Fujita tried answering Okada, but Okada locked him in the money clip. The rest of TMDK made the save, leaving the door open for an offensive sequence from Fujita. Fujita dropped Okada with a dropkick and tagged out to ZSJ.
Okada cut off ZSJ’s advance with a dropkick of his own. Honma tagged in next and began to work over ZSJ himself. A short match breakdown interrupted the exchange, but once the fog cleared, ZSJ and Honma were left alone in the ring. ZSJ avoided a Kokeshi from the top, locked in an armbar, and forced Honma to tap out.
EVIL., Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita (BULLET CLUB House of Torture) defeated Togi Makabe, Shota Umino, & Tama Tonga
The match opened with a brawl on the floor. This continued for quite a while. In the ring, HoT slowly picked apart Tama. The eventual tag to Umino gave some life to the babyface squad, but Narita attacked Umino’s eyes to keep HoT on top.
A match breakdown allowed HoT to focus Makabe. Dick Togo hit his signature low blow. Makabe survived this onslaught, only for another to follow moments later. Narita hit Makabe with his reinforced pushup bar to win the match for HoT.
A brawl opened the match. Once things calmed down, Taichi and Shingo had a short exchange. SANADA and Naito were next, but again, only a little happened. The juniors, Hiromu and DOUKI, had a brief back-and-forth next before tagging out to Yuya and Tsuji. Tsuji and Yuya had a fine exchange before TAKA tagged in. BUSHI followed TAKA, and a match breakdown followed.
Once the ring was cleared, Taichi focused BUSHI. Shingo interrupted Taichi’s plum, leading to another breakdown. After the ring was emptied, Taichi and BUSHI were alone again. Taichi hit BUSHI with a superkick and pinned him to win the match.
After the match, Taichi cut a promo. He challenged LIJ to a gauntlet match on Feb 5. The winner stays in until only one team remains. The format seems to be identical to the legendary Team Inoki vs. Ishin Gundan gauntlet from 1984.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado (c) defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru
This match was not good before the HoT interference. It only went further downhill after the run-ins. The last 90 seconds were fine, I guess.
The opening exchange saw Kanemaru gaining the upper hand with basic wrestling. Kanemaru then took the match to the floor, using the ring and barricades to cement his lead. Back in the ring, Kanemaru continued wearing down Kanemaru with basic holds and strikes.
Desperado eventually landed a dropkick to Kanemaru’s leg, opening the door for a comeback. He continued to focus on the leg, utilizing leg whips and a stretch muffler to establish a lead. Kanemaru played chicken, baiting Desperado to approach.
Kaneamru’s follow-up was cut off by a spine buster, letting Desperado return to the stretch muffler. With Kanemaru in trouble, SHO walked from the back to distract the referee. The rest of HoT then hit the ring and attacked Desperado. Shota Umino and Hiromu Tanahashi hit the ring to run HoT off.
Once the ring was cleared, Kanemaru drove Desperado into an exposed corner. Kanemaru hit a rounding body press for a near fall and locked in a Boston crab after the kick out. Desperado found the bottom rope to break the hold. Kanemaru tried to follow up with a suplex, but Desperado stuffed it and delivered a suplex of his own.
Desperado dropped Kanemaru with a spinebuster. Desperado tried to lock in the stretch muffler three times, with the first two being reversed into pin attempts from Desperado. On the third attempt, Desperado locked in the hold, but HoT hit the ring again and beat down Desperado. This time, Tama Tonga hit the ring, helping Desperado hit EVIL with a low blow.
Desperado knocked the whiskey out of Kanemaru’s mouth. He tried for pinche loco, but Kanemaru reversed again. A quick back-and-forth followed. Desperado caught Kanemaru in the stretch muffler again, forcing Kanemaru to submit.
After the match, Desperado cut the show’s ending promo. He sent his regards to Wato. He then thanked Hontai for helping him out tonight.
In the post-match interview behind the curtain, SHO attacked Desperado.
Kazuchika Okada has not decided which wrestling promotion he will sign with next.
While the 36-year-old has announced he is officially leaving NJPW, it’s not clear whether he’ll land in AEW or WWE.
Our own Dave Meltzer addressed the latest on Okada during Saturday’s episode of Wrestling Observer Radio.
Meltzer said:
He’s going to go to whoever makes the best offer. I’ve heard from people and talked to people who know him very well who have talked to him in the last day or two, and he has not decided. It’s not like a secret, he just hasn’t decided yet.
Meltzer continued:
I know people in AEW who think they’ve got him. I know people in AEW who hope they’ve got him but don’t think they’ve got him. I know people in WWE who hope they’re going to get him.
AEW is believed to have made the stronger first offer to Okada. There are those in the company who feel they have a good shot of landing him.
Meltzer continued:
AEW is probably the favorite, in that sense, but anyone who says it’s a done deal, it’s not a done deal but I do know that there are people in AEW who are thinking they got him.
New champions were crowned at Saturday’s NJPW The New Beginning in Nagoya event.
EVIL defeated Tama Tonga in the main event to win the NEVER Openweight Championship in what might have been Tama’s NJPW swan song.
The main event originally ended in a double disqualification after Bullet Club, Guerrillas of Destiny, and Hontai members hit the ring as EVIL and Tama brawled. Tama then insisted that the match be restarted as a lumberjack match with the factions ringside. EVIL then pinned Tama in the restart after interference from Dick Togo and Ren Narita to win the title.
An emotional Tama cut a promo thanking the fans after the match after announcing earlier this month that he would be leaving NJPW at the end of January.
The provisional KOPW 2024 title was also switched on the show, with Great-O-Khan defeating Taiji Ishimori to claim that championship.
In the evening’s other title bout, El Phantasmo & Hikuleo retained the NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship by defeating KENTA & Chase Owens.
Saturday’s tour opener also featured Kazuchika Okada’s final NJPW match in Nagoya, as the star announced Thursday that he is departing NJPW after three dates next month.
Tama Tonga vs. EVIL headlines today’s NJPW The New Beginning tour opener in Nagoya.
Tonga defends the NEVER title against EVIL in the main event in his first defense since defeating Shingo Takagi for the title at Wrestle Kingdom 18.
The NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team titles are on the line in the semi-main as El Phantasmo & Hikuleo defend against KENTA & Chase Owens.
The provisional KOPW 2024 title is up for grabs as Taiji Ishimori defends against Great-O-Khan in a 10-minute time limit match with cardio breaks every three minutes.
Los Ingobernables de Japon face Just Five Guys in a 10-man tag, with Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI facing SANADA, Taichi, Yuya Uemura, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku.
Kazuchika Okada will have his final NJPW match in Nagoya in an eight-man tag, with Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii & Togi Makabe taking on Zack Sabre Jr., Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita.
El Desperado & Master Wato face Yoshinobu Kanemaru & SHO in tag team action.
United Empire will take on Bullet Club War Dogs in a 10-man tag, with Jeff Cobb, HENARE, TJP, Francesco Akira & Callum Newman vs. David Finlay, Alex Coughlin, Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney.
Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi kicks off the main card.
New Young Lions Shoma Kato & Katsuya Murashima go one-on-one on the pre-show at 2:30 a.m. Eastern time.
For a House of Torture match, I enjoyed this quite a bit. It wasn’t great, but the Narita/Umino teases left me wanting more, and the interference wasn’t over the top. This was a totally fine match.
The match opened with the babyfaces getting an early upper hand. A missed Kokeshi from Honma prompted Narita to hit the ring, leading to a short assault from HoT. Narita took care of Umino on the floor before working alongside Yujiro to wear down Honma.
Umino tagged in eventually and kicked off a solid offensive rally. Once Narita tagged back in, he retook advantage for HoT but spent time taunting Narita. The opportunity provided to Umino allowed him to land a DDT and tag out, leading to a double-team sequence with Honma.
Honma missed a lariat, which Narita capitalized on with a suplex. Honma fired back, landing a couple of strikes and a rocket Kokeshi. Narita finding himself on the back foot prompted a referee distraction. Yujiro hit Honma with his cane, leaving Narita free to land the double cross.
David Finlay, Alex Coughlin, Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney (BULLET CLUB War Dogs) defeated Jeff Cobb, HENARE, TJP, Francesco Akira & Callum Newman (United Empire)
This was solid, but compared to the insane brawl from Jan 5, it felt cold. It had its moments but lacked the intensity I’ve come to expect from the War Dogs.
This match opened with a UE-initiated brawl. On the outside, the War Dogs gained control. Once the match entered the ring, Cobb tossed around the Dogs before tagging out to HENARE. Kidd challenged HENARE to a continued strike-off, which they had started on the outside of the ring. HENARE took out Kidd and Connors before passing the match to Newman, who continued to make gains for UE.
Coughlin tagged in to meet Newman. He tossed Newman to the mat as the rest of War Dogs jumped their opponents on the outside. Finlay tagged in next, helping to further this newfound BC lead. Kidd and Moloney continued the trend, slowly wearing down Newman.
A double stomp to Moloney allowed Newman to tag out to a fresh TJP. TJP scored a nearfall with help from Akira, provoking BC to hit the ring. This distraction led to a match breakdown with a handful of one-on-one interactions. Once the fog cleared, the now-legal Finlay and Newman were left in the ring.
Newman tried his best against Finlay, countering a bit of offense and scoring a near fall from a trap pin. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough, as Finlay landed a powerbomb before pinning Newman.
After the match, the War Dogs beat down Newman before UE made the save.
Yoshinobu Kanemaru & SHO (House of Torture) defeated El Desperado & Master Wato
This was a by-the-book HoT match. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.
Wato opened the match with a bit of momentum, but a sneaky attack from Kanemaru led to a prolonged HoT control sequence. The eventual tag to Desperado resulted in a babyface rally. Wato continued this advance after tagging back in, but HoT’s focus on Wato’s knee left him less than fully effective.
SHO grabbed the referee, allowing Kanemaru to distract Wato. SHO then hit Wato with a spear. This wasn’t enough to close the match, so Kanemaru spat his whiskey in Wato’s face before SHO hit him with his wrench. This was sufficient, leaving SHO with the easy pin.
After the match, SHO continued to attack Wato with the wrench.
This was another solid match that left me excited for what is to come. Fujita was a star, and I imagine he will be a focal point in Okada’s final NEVER Six defense.
Ishii and Haste opened the match with a striking battle before Tanahashi tagged in. Tanahashi held his own before being challenged by Fujita. Fujita was able to get the best of Tanahashi, opening the door for a TMDK stint of control. After being dominated by TMDK, Tanahashi tagged out to Okada. Okada overwhelmed TMDK singlehandedly.
A stray strike from Fujita slowed Okada’s advance. Fujita then tagged in and began picking apart Okada. Okada eventually bucked off the young challenger before tagging out to Makabe. Fujita caught Makabe with a spinning kick before tagging out to ZSJ.
A match breakdown saw the dream team retake advantage, but again, Fujita reversed the flow of momentum for his team. Okada floored Fujita with a dropkick to stop his offense, leaving Makabe and ZSJ alone in the ring. Makabe tried his best to meet ZSJ but failed. ZSJ caught Makabe in a leg submission, forcing him to tap out.
After the match, Okada waved goodbye to the crowd as his music played.
This was a typical 10-man showcase tag. It was a rehash of Wrestle Kingdom’s previews without a looming Tokyo Dome.
Naito and SANADA opened the match. Naito taunted SANADA, prompting a back-and-forth sequence that left both men on equal footing. This led to a double tag, with Hiromu and DOUKI entering the match. An athletic sequence followed before another double-tag left Taichi and Shingo legal.
Shingo and Taichi traded heavy blows before tagging out to Uemura and Tsuji. Uemura gained control over Tsuji before tagging out to TAKA. TAKA was immediately overwhelmed by Tsuji. BUSHI tagged in next, which allowed TAKA to turn things around.
After knocking BUSHI to the mat, TAKA tagged out to SANADA, who began to isolate BUSHI from his corner. This led to a brief scuffle between teams, but J5G held onto their lead. Once the ring was clear, SANADA hit BUSHI with a shining wizard and locked in the skull end to win the match.
KOPW 2024 Ring Fit Match: Great-O-Khan defeated Taiji Ishimori (c)
As you probably expect, this was an odd KOPW match. There was a 10-minute time limit with breaks every 3 minutes. During the breaks, each man had to complete an intense round of cardio.
The match itself was a total stinker. The stipulation was bizarre, and O-Khan, who I typically enjoy, looked sad.
The first period opened with a back-and-forth, with both men gaining short leads. As the first break approached, Ishimori fled O-Khan, winding him before the first cardio session. Ishimori finished his cardio with ease, while O-Khan took a while longer.
During the second period, O-Khan took control with a suplex, but he was visibly struggling. O-Khan’s lead continued into the break, forcing the referee to pull him off. Ishimori sprinted through the second workout while O-Khan was doing squats until the allotted time ended.
In the third period, O-Khan fell to his knees from exhaustion. Ishimori then drove him into the turnbuckle post before attempting a couple of quick pins. Ishimori locked in a bone lock in the final seconds of the period. O-Khan begged the referee to spare him from the cardio, which he struggled to do. O-Khan failed to finish the set, resulting in overtime cardio until he completed the 30 reps. Ishimori taunted O-Khan during his struggle, but he did ultimately finish his assigned lunges.
During the last period, Ishimori kept grounded until 10 seconds remained. O-Khan hit Ishimori with a chokeslam but fell forward onto the KOPW belt instead of Ishimori. Once the timer expired, O-Khan was announced as the winner, to the shock of everyone, including the English announcement team. Apparently, the winner was the last person to touch the belt, but no one but the referee and O-Khan knew.
Great-O-Khan now holds the KOPW 2024 championship.
NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship: El Phantasmo & Hikuleo (c) (Guerrillas of Destiny) defeated Chase Owens & KENTA (BULLET CLUB)
This was as dull as dishwater—a horrifically boring 20-minute match in which nothing happened. There is nothing I’m less interested in than the rematch scheduled for Feb 11.
This match started slowly, with neither team wanting to engage. Eventually, Hikuleo surprised a distracted BC, leading to a double-team sequence from GoD. It took another surprise attack, this time from KENTA, for BC to inch their way back into the match.
BC slowly picked apart an isolated ELP. After minutes on the back foot, ELP escaped to Hikuleo, who overwhelmed BC. It took KENTA and Owens together to challenge Hikuleo’s control. In tandem, BC slowed down Hikuleo, but he still flipped the match on its head.
After recovering for some time, ELP tagged in and landed a dive to the floor. KENTA responded with a boot and green killer for a nearfall. KENTA then led an unchecked offensive sequence for a while, but Hikuleo eventually made the save. This let ELP land UFO for a nearfall of his own.
Owens hit the ring to save KENTA, leading to another stint of BC control. ELP held off the advance, hitting Owens with a burning hammer variation. KENTA tried breaking up the pin with a double stomp but landed on Owens instead. ELP then hit Owens with CR2 to win the match and retain their STRONG belts.
NEVER Openweight Championship Lumberjack: EVIL defeated Tama Tonga (c)
This was bad. The false start only ensured a ton of unnecessary interference. The actual meat and potatoes of the match were uninteresting at best and infuriating at worst.
Tama opened the match by rushing EVIL. He downed EVIL before trying to cut his hair. All of HoT then hit the ring and began to beat down Tama. GoD then ran to the ring, as did a handful of others from Hontai. The units fought in the ring until the referee called for the bell.
Not wanting his final singles match in New Japan to end this way, Tama asked for a restart with the two factions acting as lumberjacks. The referee agreed, and the match began again.
The opening moments of the restart saw EVIL throwing Tama to the HoT lumberjacks, who slammed Tama onto the exposed floor. EVIL then drove Tama into the barricade before taunting Tama with a live microphone. Back in the ring, EVIL choked Tama with a shirt.
After minutes under EVIL’s control, Tama began to fight back. He landed a lariat before diving onto the lumberjacks. EVIL also found himself on the floor, where ELP twisted his nipples. Back in the ring, Tama landed supreme flow for a nearfall.
EVIL fought back by using the referee for an assisted Magic Killer. This did as much damage to the referee as it did EVIL, allowing another HoT beatdown on the floor. Back in the ring, the match reset after a double drop.
Tama shoved EVIL into an exposed corner, but EVIL kicked out of the follow-up pin. Tama ate a chair shot on the rebound, but Jado hit EVIL with a kendo stick to even the score. The factions began to brawl in the ring again until no one was left standing.
EVIL tried a belt strike, but Tama ducked it. EVIL stuffed the gun-stun twice, but Tama landed the third; EVIL kicked out. Tama then hit his driver, but Togo pulled the referee before Tama could win the match. Togo began choking Tama with his wire, forcing Jado to make the save. Narita then hit Tama in the back, leaving EVIL free to land Everything is Evil. Evil pinned Tama, winning the match and the NEVER Openweight championship.
After the match, a teary-eyed Tama Tonga said goodbye to Nagoya.
On Thursday night, massive news in the pro wrestling industry broke with it being announced that Kazuchika Okada is leaving NJPW.
Okada, the biggest star in NJPW, is departing the promotion when his contract expires at the end of January. He’ll still be working three February NJPW dates after that, appearing at the New Beginning in Osaka and New Beginning in Sapporo.
It’s expected that Okada will end up signing with either WWE or AEW. In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer confirmed that WWE and AEW have both made pitches for Okada. It’s believed that AEW has made the stronger first offer, but no contract has been signed yet.
Meltzer wrote:
Of course the big question is where is Okada going. Both WWE and AEW made pitches for him.
One person close to Okada ‘Nothing has started yet but seems both are gonna fight for him hard.’
It was believed that AEW has made the stronger first offer but no contract has been signed at press time.
As noted months ago, WWE was of the belief they had a strong shot at getting him, with the idea that they could convince him he had done all he could do in Japan and because of the economic differences in wrestling because sports rights fees just aren’t close to the same level in Japan, the American scene is far more lucrative.
Okada has made appearances for AEW before as part of AEW’s working relationship with NJPW.
NJPW has announced that a match between iconic rivals Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi will take place at the New Beginning in Osaka on Sunday, February 11.
Okada, Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii currently hold the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles together. They were originally supposed to defend against Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita at the New Beginning in Osaka. That Six-Man title match has been moved to NJPW’s Road to the New Beginning show at Korakuen Hall on Wednesday, January 24.
Okada is also set to appear at the New Beginning in Sapporo on Friday, February 23 and Saturday, February 24. NJPW hasn’t announced his matches for that event yet.
NJPW has booked the final singles match between career rivals Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi.
In light of the announcement that Okada is departing the company after his contract expires, NJPW has revealed changes to the upcoming The New Beginning tour, including one last Okada vs. Tanahashi battle for February 11 at The New Beginning in Osaka.
Osaka was the site of the first post-excursion Okada vs. Tanahashi singles match at The New Beginning in 2012 where Okada shocked the world by defeating Tanahashi to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Their last singles match will take place in the same building at the EDION Arena on Sunday, February 11.
The February 11 show is still scheduled to be headlined by a Bullet Club vs. United Empire 5-on-5 steel cage match, Will Ospreay’s final match for the promotion. Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. is also set for that card.
Okada’s final NJPW match in Korakuen Hall will take place on Wednesday, January 24, as Okada, Tanahashi, and Tomohiro Ishii defend the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship against TMDK’s Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls, and Kosei Fujita. That match was originally set to take place in Osaka.
As announced on Thursday, Okada’s final NJPW dates will be at The New Beginning in Sapporo on Friday, February 23 and Saturday, February 24. NJPW says that more details regarding those final appearances will be released at a later date:
Okada will be making his final NJPW appearances in Sapporo on February 23 and 24. More details will be released at a later date.
Okada’s NJPW contract expires on January 31, 2024, but he will work the three announced dates in February.
NJPW’s full announcement regarding changes to The New Beginning:
In the wake of the announcement earlier today that Kazuchika Okada will be leaving NJPW at the conclusion of his contract on January 31, with his final appearances scheduled for February 11 in Osaka and 23 and 24 in Sappoto, changes have been made to the New Beginning series cards.
January 24 will see Okada in his last NJPW match in Korakuen Hall. There, the NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag team Championship match, previously scheduled for New Beginning in Osaka will take place, Okada teaming with Tomohiro Ishii and Hiroshi Tanahashi to face TMDK’s Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls and Kosei Fujita. The TMDK side, and the impetuous Kosei Fujita in particular will not be looking to let a symbol of NJPW for the last decade leave with a title in his grasp. Yet with the vice like grip the champions have had over the gold to date, is this too tall of a mountain for TMDK to climb?
The freed up Zack Sabre Jr will now be facing Tiger Mask in a unique singles match to start the night’s main card action, while the scheduled opening bout pitting Katsuya Muraashima and Toru Yano against Shoma Kato and Boltin Oleg is now a special bonus kickoff.
February 11 will see the New Beginning in Osaka, and a special singles matchup for Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi. New Beginning in the EDION Arena in 2012 was the start of it all for the Rainmaker and the Ace. 12 years on, they face off one last time on a night that will be full of emotion.
Okada will be making his final NJPW appearances in Sapporo on February 23 and 24. More details will be released at a later date.
One of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time is entering free agency.
It was announced on Thursday night that Kazuchika Okada, the top star in NJPW, will leave the promotion when his contract expires at the end of January. Okada’s next destination has not been revealed. Sports Illustrated reported in December that the 36-year-old Okada was seriously entertaining the idea of signing with WWE or AEW.
“Kazuchika Okada will be leaving New Japan Pro-Wrestling after the conclusion of his contract on January 31 2024,” NJPW wrote. “We apologize to fans for the abrupt nature of this announcement, but join them in wishing Okada the very best in his future.”
NJPW shared the following statement from Okada:
I have nothing but gratitude for having been a part of New Japan Pro-Wrestling since 2007, and for NJPW bringing me from a 19 year old kid off the plane in Mexico to the Rainmaker I am today. Thank you to the best of companies in NJPW, to the best of opponents that I’ve been able to face here, and to the best of fans that have cheered and booed over the years. I promise to make it rain in every match I have left, so keep watching.
Despite the announcement, Okada will still be competing at three NJPW shows in February. Okada will appear at the New Beginning in Osaka on Sunday, February 11 and the New Beginning in Sapporo on Friday, February 23 and Saturday, February 24.
“As the New Beginning series begins this weekend, Okada will appear on February dates on February 11 in Osaka, and February 23 and 24 in Sapporo,” NJPW noted. “Changes will be made to forthcoming cards with an announcement to follow.”
Okada currently holds the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles with Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii. They were scheduled to defend against Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita at the New Beginning in Osaka.
Okada is a five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and a two-time IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
Okada recently defeated Bryan Danielson and Will Ospreay in matches at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 and Battle in the Valley.
In 2021, Okada was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.
NJPW has announced lineups for their annual tour with CMLL talent.
Fantasticamania 2024 kicks off February 12 in Osaka and will end with two nights at Korakuen Hall on February 18 & 19. The first night will headline with Hiroshi Tanahashi teaming with Mistico & Mascara Dorada to take on Ultimo Guerrero, Stuka Jr., and Francesco Akira.
On February 16 in Nagoya & February 17 in Makuhari, a Faction Tag Team Tournament will take place. Ultimo Guerrero & Stuka Jr. will face Titan & BUSHI of Los Ingobernables de Japon, while Stigma & Pegasso will take on Volador Jr. & Magnus. The winners of these matches will advance to the finals the following day and the two losers will face off in a third place match.
KAMAITACHI, Hiromu Takahashi’s masked persona while wrestling in CMLL, will also be appearing on the tour in tag matches.
Highlights for the last two nights at Korakuen Hall include Rocky Romero facing Volador Jr. and Soberano Jr. taking on Templario on February 18. The final day of the tour will have Mascara Dorada vs. Stuka Jr. and Mistico vs. Ultimo Guerrero.
Here are the full lineups for this year’s tour:
February 12 in Osaka
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Mistico, and Mascara Dorada vs. Ultimo Guerrero, Stuka Jr., and Francesco Akira
Relevos Increibles: Templario, Atlantis Jr., and Volador Jr vs. Hechicero, Rocky Romero, and Soberano Jr.
Dark Panther, Pegasso, and Satoshi Kojima vs. Master Wato, YOH, and OKUMURA
Ryusuke Taguchi, Brillante Jr., El Desperado, and Stigma vs. BUSHI, KAMAITACHI, Tetsuya Naito, and Titan
Tiger Mask vs. Magnus
Difunto & DOUKI vs. Gedo & Taiji Ishimori
Febuary 13 in Osaka
Relevos Increibles: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Templario, and Volador Jr vs. Rocky Romero, DOUKI, and Soberano Jr.
Mistico, Mascara Dorada, and El Desperado vs. Ultimo Guerrero, Stuka Jr., and Francesco Akira
Master Wato, Dark Panther, and Atlantis Jr. vs. Hechicero, OKUMURA, and Gedo
Stigma, Brillante Jr., Satoshi Kojima, and YOH vs. Titan, Tetsuya Natio, KAMAITACHI, and BUSHI
Tiger Mask & Pegasso vs. Taiji Ishimori & Magnus
Ryusuke Taguchi & Difunto vs. SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
February 14 in Kagawa
Mistico, Atlantis Jr., and El Desperado vs. Ultimo Guerrero, Hechicero, and Francesco Akira
Volador Jr., Mascara Dorada, and Templario vs. Rocky Romero, Soberano Jr., and Stuka Jr.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Satoshi Kojima, Tiger Mask, and Stigma vs. Tetsuya Natio, Titan, KAMAITACHI, and BUSHI
Master Wato, Pegasso, and Dark Panther vs. DOUKI, Magnus, and OKUMURA
YOH & Difunto vs. Gedo & Taiji Ishimori
Ryusuke Taguchi & Brillante Jr. vs. SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
February 16 in Nagoya
Faction Tag Team Tournament semifinal: Ultimo Guerrero & Stuka Jr. vs. Titan & BUSHI
Faction Tag Team Tournament semifinal: Stigma & Pegasso vs. Volador Jr. & Magnus
Relevos Increibles: Mistico, Mascara Dorada, and Templario vs. Rocky Romero, Soberano Jr., and DOUKI
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Atlantis Jr., and YOH vs. Hechicero, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Master Wato
El Desperado & Brillante Jr. vs. Tetsuya Naito & KAMAITACHI
Satoshi Kojima & Dark Panther vs. OKUMURA & Francesco Akira
Tiger Mask & Difunto vs. SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
February 17 in Makuhari
Faction Tag Team Tournament finals
Faction Tag Team Tournament third place playoff
Relevos Increibles: Mistico, Mascara Dorada, and Francesco Akira vs. Rocky Romero, El Desperado, and Tiger Mask
Soberano Jr. & Brillante Jr. vs. DOUKI & Templario
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Atlantis Jr., Dark Panther, and YOH vs. Hechicero, OKUMURA, SHO, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji, and KAMAITACHI Vs. Satoshi Kojima, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Difunto
La Jarochita & Lluvia vs. X & X
February 18 at Korakuen Hall
Rocky Romero vs. Volador Jr.
Soberano Jr. vs. Templario
Black Cat memorial match: Mistico, Mascara Dorada, El Desperado, and Stigma vs. Ultimo Guerrero, Stuka Jr., Francesco Akira, and Difunto
Atlantis Jr., Dark Panther, and Master Wato vs. Hechicero, OKUMURA, and DOUKI
Challenge match: Titan vs. Brillante Jr.
Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji, KAMAITACHI, and BUSHI vs. SHO, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi, and Magnus
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Satoshi Kojima, and Pegasso vs. Tomoaki Honma, Tiger Mask, and YOH
February 19 at Korakuen Hall
Mascara Dorada vs. Stuka Jr.
Mistico vs. Ultimo Guerrero
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Rocky Romero, Soberano Jr., and Tiger Mask vs. Volador Jr., Templario, El Desperado, and Master Wato
Atlantis Jr. vs. Hechicero
Dark Panther vs. OKUMURA
Tetsuya Naito, Titan, KAMAITACHI, and BUSHI vs. SHO, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Difunto, and Magnus
Relevos Increibles: Ryusuke Taguchi, Brillante Jr., and YOH vs. Francesco Akira, Pegasso, and Stigma
NJPW has issued an update on the lineup for New Beginning in Nagoya.
On Sunday, the promotion announced the Hikuleo & El Phantasmo vs. KENTA & Chase match scheduled for the show will now be for the Strong Tag Team titles. The announcement follows ELP & Hikuleo successfully defending the titles against Alex Coughlin & Clark Connors on Saturday at Battle in the Valley. The IWGP Tag Team Championships, also held by TJP & Hikuleo, will not be on the line.
NJPW has also announced the rules for the KOPW match at New Beginning in Nagoya. The voting saw Taiji Ishimori’s proposed Ring Fit match beat out Great-O-Khan’s Bullrope Deathmatch rules with 77% of the votes. The match stipulation requires both wrestlers to do 30 seconds of high-intensity circuit training every 3 minutes.
Ishimori will defend his KOPW 2024 belt against Tanahashi in a 10 minute Ishimori Ring Fit Match. Ten minutes will be on the clock, with the last title holder at the end of the time limit the victor. Additionally, at three minute intervals, the two must stop for 30 seconds of high intensity circuit training. Who will have the wind to prevail in this demanding match type?
The event takes place at Dolphin’s Arena in Nagoya on Saturday, January 20.
Here is the full card for NJPW New Beginning in Nagoya:
NEVER Openweight Title: Tama Tonga defends against EVIL
KOPW 2024: Taiji Ishimori defends against Great-O-Khan in a Ring Fit match
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi, and BUSHI) vs. Just Five Guys (SANADA, Taichi, Taka Michinoku, DOUKI, and Yuya Uemura)
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, and Togi Makabe vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste, and Kosei Fujita
NJPW Strong Tag Team Champions Guerillas of Destiny (Hikuleo and El Phantasmo) defend against Chase Owens & KENTA
El Desperado & Master Wato vs. SHO and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, TJP, Henare, & Jeff Cobb) vs. Bullet Club War Dogs (David Finlay, Drilla Moloney, Clark Connors, Gabe Kidd, and Alex Coughlin)
Tomoaki Honma & Shota Umino vs. House of Torture (Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi)
Kazuchika Okada has filed to trademark “Rainmaker.”
On January 12, Okada submitted a filing to the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the name of his finishing move. Michael E. Dockins is listed as the attorney of record.
The purposes of the filing are listed as:
Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, televised appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network
Okada filing trademarks in the United States comes amidst reports he is “seriously considering” signing with a company other than NJPW when his contract expires at the end of the month.
Our own Dave Meltzer wrote about WWE’s recent renewed interest in Okada in the November 20, 2023 edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
“Obviously they’ve had interest in him for years. But he’s always been loyal to New Japan,” Meltzer wrote. “The pitch is that he’s now 36 and he’s close with Nakamura and Nakamura has worked years in WWE and it’s far easier on his body.”
“The idea is that WWE is the one thing Okada has never done and he’s done everything he can do in New Japan,” Meltzer continued.
Jon Moxley has called out the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
After defeating Shingo Takagi in a no DQ match at Saturday’s NJPW Battle in the Valley event, Moxley took the microphone and challenged the current IWGP World Champion Tetsuya Naito to a match at Windy City Riot in Chicago on April 12. Moxley said that he has only one thing on his mind for wrestling in 2024, and that is Naito.
NJPW confirmed the match for Chicago in a later social media post and on the pay-per-view broadcast.
Naito defeated SANADA to win the IWGP title at Wrestle Kingdom 18 in Tokyo Dome on January 4. Naito is scheduled for his first title defense against SANADA at The New Beginning in Sapporo on Saturday, February 24. Assuming Naito retains, the Moxley vs. Naito bout would be for the IWGP World title.
Earlier in the evening at Battle in the Valley, Mustafa Ali challenged Hiromu Takahashi for Chicago, and NJPW confirmed that match as well.
The current lineup for the Windy City Riot pay-per-view on Friday, April 12:
