Wrestle Kingdom 18 will include a match between two of NJPW’s top up-and-coming stars.
Yuya Uemura vs. Yota Tsuji was set up for Wrestle Kingdom 18 at Friday’s Road to Tokyo Dome event. With a pinfall victory over Tsuji in a six-man tag bout, Uemura earned a singles match between the two.
Uemura, Taichi & SANADA defeated Tsuji, Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi in the main event of Friday’s show. It was the final NJPW event before Wrestle Kingdom.
Tsuji had said that he would only face Uemura in a singles match if Uemura scored a direct pinfall over him. Uemura won the match with a crucifix pin.
The match came back to Uemura and Tsuji, Heat Storm being willed on by his teammates as he escaped a Tsuji combination to hit an uranage. The match breaking down and LIJ getting involved, Tsuji mocked Uemura with a Young Lion esque Boston Crab; after Taichi made the save, Tsuji persisted with a Curb Stomp and set for the Gene Blaster but was surprised with an armdrag and crucifix pin.
Post match, Uemura made reference to a promise Tsuji had made the night prior- that for a singles match between the two to happen Uemura needed a direct pinfall. Uemura issued his challenge and Tsuji accepted for Wrestle Kingdom.
Wrestle Kingdom is NJPW’s biggest event of the year. It takes place from the Tokyo Dome annually on January 4.
Here’s the updated card for Wrestle Kingdom 18:
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA defends against Tetsuya Naito
Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson
Three-way match: Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley vs. David Finlay to determine the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi defends against El Desperado
NJPW World Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Hiroshi Tanahashi
NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi defends against Tama Tonga
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney defend against TJP & Francesco Akira
Winner-takes-all Tag Team title match: IWGP Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions Hikuleo & El Phantasmo
AEW is not currently considered a serious player to sign NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Giulia.
The 29-year-old is under contract to Bushiroad until March but WWE has expressed interest in signing her should she become a free agent. WWE has had Giulia on their radar dating back to 2019.
Our own Dave Meltzer addressed the latest on Giulia in today’s edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He wrote that there have been no talks between her and AEW and that she is either WWE-bound or will re-sign with Bushiroad.
Meltzer wrote:
Nothing new on Giulia past that AEW has never made a serious play for her and she’s had no conversations with AEW and is not considering them. It’s WWE or staying in Japan.
Giulia is set to defend her title against Megan Bayne at Stardom Dream Queendom on December 29. Should she successfully retain, her next challenger will likely be Trish Adora at Battle in the Valley in San Jose on January 13.
NJPW holds their final show of 2023 today at Korakuen Hall.
Today’s Road to Tokyo Dome event will feature previews of the main Wrestle Kingdom 18 bouts.
In the main event, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA and his Wrestle Kingdom challenger Tetsuya Naito will be on opposite sides of a trios bout, with SANADA, Taichi, & Yuya Uemura facing Naito, Shingo Takagi, & Yota Tsuji.
Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi will team against Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita in the semi-main. Okada faces Bryan Danielson at Wrestle Kingdom, while Tanahashi will challenge Sabre for the NJPW World TV Championship at the Tokyo Dome.
NJPW’s first-ever coffin match will be held on today’s show, as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney face TJP & Francesco Akira. The titles will not be on the line today, but the teams will meet again in a championship match at Wrestle Kingdom.
I’m such a sucker for these simple Young Lion tags. Both of the new guys looked good, given their limited experience.
This match opened with some Young Lion grappling. Murashima tagged out first, giving Kojima time to work over Kato. After being on the back foot for some time, Kato dropped Kojima with a drop kick, leading to a Makabe hot tag.
Makabe forced Kojima to tag out, setting up Murashima for defeat. Makabe beat down Murashima and locked in the Boston crab. Kojima tried breaking up the crab, but Kato hit the ring, occupying Kojima long enough for Makabe to secure the win.
The masked men tried opening the match with silliness, but we were out-maneuvered. Horse and Boltin took control back as CHAOS tried removing their masks, but Yano’s use of a whip allowed him to stay ahead.
Boltin interrupted YOH on the top rope, slamming him to the mat before using the whip himself and dropping his singlet straps. Boltin the suplexed YOH after rocking him like a baby. Horse tagged in to close, only for YOH to catch Horse in the Kido clutch, winning the match.
Tomohiro Ishii defeated Callum Newman
While a bit overindulgent for my liking, this very ambitious match aimed to establish Newman. At multiple points, I thought he was winning this one.
This match opened with a collar-and-elbow tie-up that turned into Ishii-favored striking. Newman attempted to match Ishii’s strikes, but Ishii repeatedly flattened him for trying. Over and over, as Newman would gain footing, Ishii would drop him with a stiffer strike, a slam, or a suplex.
Newman eventually landed a kick that sent Ishii to the floor. Newman capitalized with a moonsault to the floor. Back in the ring, Newman hit a forearm from the top rope, followed by a penalty kick for a nearfall.
Ishii fired back with a backdrop, resetting the match. A high German suplex and a lariat scored Ishii a nearfall. This led to a back-and-forth of tackles and kicks before Newman scored a nearfall with a Spanish fly. Another convincing nearfall for Newman followed an OsCutter.
Trying to close, Newman flipped from the top rope. Ishii avoided the dive, leading into a brief strike exchange. Ishii won out, leading to another big lariat from Ishii. After Newman kicked out, Ishii attempted a brainbuster, but Newman wiggled free. Another quick back-and-forth followed. Ultimately, Ishii won the match with another sliding lariat and brainbuster.
This was great. Leube has a fantastic energy about him, and Nakashima was on tonight. It was simple structurally, but the expected dynamic was flipped on its head, making for a very exciting match.
Young Blood opened the match by cornering Bishamon with strikes. Bishamon tried fighting back, but Youg Blood were able to win out early, establishing a solid lead while isolating Goto. Once the tag to YH came, Bishamon turned things around momentarily, but Young Blood didn’t take long to retake control. Young Blood’s lead survived multiple double-team attempts and tags. Nakashima eventually locked in a deep Boston crab, forcing a desperate rope break from YH.
After multiple attempts, Bishamon were finally able to rush the ring together, isolating Nakashima. Goto took out Leube on the floor, leaving Nakashima with no backup. Bishamon then hit Shoto, winning the match, but only after a prolonged struggle.
El Desperado & Master Wato defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi)
Heading into WrestleKingdom, this division feels ice-cold.
Hiromu and Desperado opened the match with some standard back and forth, and Wato continued this after he tagged in. To turn things around, BUSHI rushed the ring, leading to the first stint of LIJ control.
After a while on the back foot, Wato reached Desperado for a tag. Desperado turned things around for his team, gaining a substantial lead over the champion.
Eventually, Hiromu forced a double tag with a superkick, leading to an athletic struggle for control. BUSHI won out by utilizing a dive to the floor. Wato fired back with a couple of quick pin attempts. BUSHI tried to hold on, but a sudden jackknife pin from Wato secured the win.
Coffin Match: BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney) defeated Catch 22 (Francesco Akira & TJP)
There were some ideas in this match that I really enjoyed, but at times, the stipulation got in the way. Some of the violence was exhilarating, but it was interrupted by the awkward “place a guy in a box” win condition.
This was the first coffin match in NJPW history. To win, you only needed to place one opponent into the coffin and close the lid.
Before the match could begin, the War Dogs rushed Catch 22 from behind. The match spilled to the floor, where Catch 22 was actually able to gain the lead. They attempted to close Moloney in the coffin, but Connors cut them off with a pounce, allowing the War Dogs to take control.
A pair of spears from the War Dogs left them in a strong position. With their newfound lead, they attached a pair of dog collars to Catch 22. The War Dogs then beat down Catch 22 while strangling them with the collars at every opportunity.
Catch 22 used the chain from their collars to clothesline the War Dogs, gaining the upper hand for the first time in a while. TJP hit Moloney with a splash before calling for the coffin to be opened. After placing Moloney in the coffin, TJP tried closing the lid, but Connors used his body to block the door.
Connors hit TJP with a spear, sending him crashing into the coffin. Akira barely made the save before dropping Moloney with a cutter. Catch 22 followed up with an alley-oop and a pair of knees before rolling Moloney into the coffin. Connors saved Moloney again by attacking the referee before hanging Akira with the collar still attached to his neck.
Connors tied Akira to the post with his collar, freeing the War Dogs to focus on TJP. The Dogs landed Hit and Run and their tandem spear, incapacitating TJP long enough to place him in the coffin and close the door.
This match was awesome. Everything about it was on point. Okada’s motivation to punish the kids on the roster will never get old, and his Danielson prep with ZSJ here added a compelling layer. ZSJ and Tanahashi had incredible chemistry, as always. A great match in a vacuum, and even better considering the implecations for WrestleKingdom.
Tanahashi and ZSJ opened the match with focused grappling that spilled to the floor. Once they returned to the ring, they tagged out. Frustrated with his young challenger, Okada beat him in and out of the ring. Fujita eventually landed a dropkick that sent Okada to the mat, buying him enough time to tag out to ZSJ.
ZSJ out-grappled Tanahashi and Okada, gaining a lead in the center of the ring. Okada tried firing back with an air raid crash, but ZSJ reversed into another hold. Tanahashi tagged in and was able to turn things around for a moment, but ZSJ caught him on hold as well.
Okada tagged back in, giving his team the upper hand. ZSJ was forced to escape to Fujita, who tried unloading on Okada. Okada ate a ton of firey Fujita offense before turning the match back around with a flapjack. An air raid crash forced ZSJ to hit the ring. Tanahashi hit the ring to even the odds, leaving Okada alone with Fujita once more.
Okada floored Fujita with dropkicks before attempting the rainmaker. Fujita ducked the finish attempt and landed a German in response, scoring a nearfall. Another dropkick left Okada free to grab Fujita’s wrist, but instead of hitting the rainmaker, he pulled Fujita into a snug trap pin to win the match.
Just 5 Guys (SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji)
The other points of focus were less than compelling, but Uemura and Tsuji were great throughout this match. I expect their match on the 4th to be something special.
The match opened with SANADA and Naito feeling each other out for a good minute. SANADA tried taking Naito to the mat, but Naito escaped to the floor and tagged out after returning to the ring.
Tsuji and Uemura were next to face off. Shingo hit the ring to help Tsuji establish the lead. LIJ then traded tags to isolate Uemura from the rest of J5G. Eventually, a fired-up Uemura knocked LIJ to the floor, buying time to tag out to Taichi. Taichi turned the match around for his team, challenging Shingo with heavy strikes and forcing a double tag.
With Naito and SANADA legal again, Naito gained control by taking the match to the mat. Once standing, SANADA landed a dropkick to take control, but Naito avoided the moonsault attempt. Naito tried for Destino but slipped. SANADA failed to follow up, leaving Naito free to hit a tornado DDT before another double tag.
Tsuji and Uemura entered the match again, with Uemura taking the lead. Again, Shingo hit the ring, leaving Uemura outnumbered. Shingo dropped Uemura with a pumping bomber, setting Tsuji up for a Boston crab in the middle of the ring. Taichi saved Uemura, but the rest of LIJ were quick to clear the ring again.
Tsuji crushed Uemura with a curb stomp, drawing blood. Tsuji attempted the Gene Blast, but Uemura reversed into an arm drag/crucifix pin combination that won the match, stealing the win right from under Tsuji.
After the match, Uemura grabbed the microphone to challenge Tsuji. Tsuji accepted the challenge. Tsuji asked where, and Uemura answered with “Tokyo Dome”.
Taichi followed Uemura with a year-end promo of his own. He plugged his YouTube and the success of his new faction in 2023.
SANADA closed the show with his promo. He announced an upcoming vinegar advertisement with J5G. He then told the crowd that DOUKI’s birthday was on the 24th, forcing him into the ring. The crowd sang Happy Birthday. SANADA closed by handing the microphone to TAKA, who promised 2024 would end the same way, with J5G on top.
On their way out of Korakuen, J5G went through the crowd and snow fell from the ceiling.
NJPW will hold its first-ever coffin match on the Friday, December 22 Road to Tokyo Dome event, the go-home show for Wrestle Kingdom 18.
Bullet Club’s War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney) will face Catch 2/2 (TJP & Francesco Akira) in a tag team coffin match on Friday’s Road to Tokyo Dome show. Catch 2/2 issued the challenge for the coffin match at Thursday’s Road to Tokyo Dome event, and the match has officially been added to Friday’s lineup in place of what were originally slated to be singles matches with Akira vs. Moloney & Connors vs. TJP.
Connors & Moloney hold the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships and will defend them against TJP & Akira at Wrestle Kingdom 18 at the Tokyo Dome on Thursday, January 4.
Here is the updated card for Friday’s Road to Tokyo Dome event, the Wrestle Kingdom go-home show. The event will air for free on NJPW World at 4:30 a.m. Eastern time:
Taichi is the NJPW King of Pro Wrestling for 2023.
He defeated Yashinobu Kanemaru in a Whiskey on a Poll match on today’s Road to Tokyo Dome show at Korakuen Hall.
Under KOPW rules, only the title holder at the end of a calendar year is considered to be KOPW Champion. Other title-holders throughout the year are considered Provisional Champions. Taichi now joins Toru Yano (2020 & 2021) and Shingo Takagi (2022) as the only wrestlers to be crowned KOPW Champion.
Today’s KOPW match saw plenty of interference from House of Torture and attempts from Just Five Guys to even up the score. In the end, Taichi hit Black Mafisto for the win.
“From needless interference, inconsistent selling, and pointless overindulgence, this match was a total slog,” our own Chick Fritts described the match. “Oh, and it went 30 minutes. If it wasn’t actively infuriating, it was horrifically boring.”
Taichi is officially the #KOPW2023 champion after chaotic, and cathartic closure with Kanemaru and a wild whiskey ladder match!
Also on today’s NJPW show, Drilla Maloney and Clark Connors and TJP & Francesco Akira set up a coffin match that will take place on Friday’s show. The Bullet Club War Dogs brought out a coffin before their match on Thursday and declared that Catch 2/2’s careers were dead.
‘We’ve been saying all year that Catch 2/2 is dead and you won’t stay down so we’ll just have to shit you in here,’ said Moloney.
However, TJP and Akira were not intimidated by the coffin’s presence and challenged Connors & Maloney to a first-ever NJPW coffin match on tomorrow’s show. The two teams will also meet at Wrestle Kingdom 18 for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag titles.
After a personal provocation from BULLET CLUB War Dogs, Catch 2/2 threw out an unprecedented challenge- for a Coffin Match, and tomorrow in Korakuen??
Today’s main event saw Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tomohiro Ishii successfully defend their Six Man Tag Team Championships against the United Empire team of HENARE, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb.
BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney & Gedo) defeated United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira & TJP)
House of Torture (EVIL, Ren Narita & SHO) defeated Master Wato, Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & Shingo Takagi) defeated El Desperado & Satoshi Kojima
Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA & Yuya Uemura) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji)
NJPW King Of Pro-Wrestling Championship Whiskey Bottle Ladder Match: Taichi (c) defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru
NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship: Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, & Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated United Empire (Great-O-Khan, HENARE & Jeff Cobb)
NJPW’s final title matches of 2023 will be held on today’s Road to Tokyo Dome event at Korakuen Hall.
In the main event, Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, & Tomohiro Ishii will defend the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship against United Empire’s Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, & HENARE.
The KOPW 2023 Champion will also be crowned on today’s show in a whiskey bottle ladder match, as provisional title holder Taichi defends against Yoshinobu Kanemaru in a match where a whiskey bottle will be suspended above the ring and can be used as a weapon.
Second from the top, a preview of the Wrestle Kingdom 18 main event will take place in a six-man tag, with IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA teaming with Yuya Uemura & DOUKI against SANADA’s Wrestle Kingdom challenger Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji, & BUSHI.
Holiday favorite Masked Horse will return on the show in the opening contest, teaming with Masked Boltin against Tiger Mask & Toru Yano.
Before the show began, Tanahashi stood in the ring, surrounded by the rest of the roster on the outside, for a tribute and 10-bell salute to Osamu Kido.
After the opening bell, Yano’s masked opponents rushed him, prompting Yano to remove the corner pads. Boltin ignored this antic, picking Yano up, rag dolling him before hitting a suplex. After TMIV tagged in, the beatdown continued for a while. TMIV attempted to rally, but Hourse caught him in the Kido clutch, winning the match for his team.
This match was excellent. Leube looked terrific in the final stretch. Young Blood seems to be the team to watch going forward.
Fujita and Nakashima opened the match with a strike-off that turned into a grappling battle. Nakashima then tagged out, allowing the Young Blood pair to double-team Fujita and ZSJ, establishing a solid lead. Unfortunately for the lion pair, their focus on ZSJ would open the door to being out-grappled, which they were as soon as the opportunity arose.
ZSJ, with help from Fujita, took control of the ring. Fujita let the lead slip eventually, opening the door to a hot tag into Leube. Leube and Nakashima then took out Fujita, forcing ZSJ to hit the ring, who they also beat down.
A sudden suplex from Fujita led to a double tag. What was an expected comeback from ZSJ ended up being a solid advance from Leube, who used his size to dominate while standing. After eating a PK, Leube dropped ZSJ with a strike but was caught in a choke when he attempted to follow up. The choke ended Leube’s control and the match, leaving TMDK with a win.
BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney & Gedo) defeated United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira & TJP)
Before the match could begin, Connors and Moloney came to the ring, escorting a casket. Moloney then cut a short promo on UE, prompting a brawl on the outside.
Once the match began, Moloney and Newman traded strikes in the middle of the ring. The War Dogs gained control by pulling Newman to the floor, using weapons on the outside to put him on the back foot. An isolation segment followed.
A hot tag to Akira and a follow-up tag to TJP led to a UE rally. Gedo eventually ended up legal, leaving him open to a prolonged beatdown from UE. Catch 22 then hit Gedo with their double knee and won the match.
Once the match was over, the War Dogs beat down the winners, hitting Akira with their finish before leaving the rings. After recovering, TJP cut a promo on the War Dogs, hyping their match for WrestleKingdom. Catch 22 then challenged the junior champions to a coffin match tomorrow, which is now official.
House of Torture (EVIL, Ren Narita & SHO) defeated Master Wato, Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma
Ren wore a hooded cape to the ring, confirming his embrace of evil.
HoT started the match by rushing their opponents, leading to a prolonged, disorderly beatdown. In the ring, Wato was on the receiving end of HoT’s wrath until he tagged out to Shota. Shota unloaded on the traitorous Ren with loud forearms and other snappy offense, forcing the rest of HoT to hit the ring. Shota also overwhelmed the rest of HoT, but this gave Ren enough time to sneak into the match.
EVIL tagged in, leading to a match reset. The babyface trio rallied, forcing the rest of HoT to get involved. Honma scored a nearfall with Kokeshi but became distracted by HoT antics. Ren struck Honma with a wooden pushup bar before EVIL won the match with Everything is Evil.
After the match, HoT attempted a beatdown, but Kaito Kiyomiya and Ryohei Oiwa made the save. Last night, HoT attacked Kaito and Oiwa on NOAH’s Star Navigation show. Once they ran off HoT, Kaito offered a handshake to Shota, who accepted after a moment of hesitation.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & Shingo Takagi) defeated El Desperado & Satoshi Kojima
Desperado and Hiromu opened their match with a lot of what they always do—some back-and-forth wrestling and some back-and-forth striking in the middle of the ring. Hiromu eventually hit a spinebuster, leading to a double tag.
Kojima and Shingo went at each other to a raucous crowd. Kojima landed early, but a sliding lariat from Shingo left him far ahead. The follow-up pumping bomber scored Shingo a nearfall. Shingo attempted another, but Kojima ate it, forcing Shingo to try again. Finally, Shingo hit a pumping bomber while Hiromu and Desperado fought on the floor, scoring him a pinfall victory.
Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA & Yuya Uemura) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji)
Uemura and Tsuji opened the match fast. Uemura landed a few arm drags before focusing the arm on the mat. Once Uemura established a lead, he tagged out to DOUKI. DOUKI could not maintain control in the ring, leading to a LIJ-favored fight on the floor.
Back in the ring, LIJ worked to isolate DOUKI. SANADA tried to interrupt the isolation, prompting Naito to spit in his face before sending him to the floor. An awkward back spring elbow busted Naito’s brow and freed DOUKI to make the tag, leading to a SANADA rally. A quick neckbreaker allowed Naito to escape SANADA’s offense.
Tsuji and Uemura tagged in, leading to a desperate struggle for control in the closing moments. Both men traded momentum before a curb stomp left Uemura flattened. BUSHI and Naito then hit the ring, gaining an even more significant advantage before the other J5Gs made the save.
With help from the rest of J5G, Uemura regained his footing. SANADA then locked BUSHI in the Skull End before passing him to Uemura for the finishing suplex.
NJPW King Of Pro-Wrestling Championship Whiskey Bottle Ladder Match: Taichi (c) defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Ugh. From needless interference, inconsistent selling, and pointless overindulgence, this match was a total slog. Oh, and it went 30 minutes. If it wasn’t actively infuriating, it was horrifically boring.
A whiskey bottle ladder match is a ladder match with a bottle of whiskey hanging above the ring. The first person to climb a ladder and claim the bottle is allowed to use it. You win the match with a pinfall or submission. It’s basically a neutered coal miner’s glove match.
Once the match began, Kanemaru rushed Taichi before grabbing a ladder and attempting to grab the bottle. Of course, Taichi threw him off, but Kanemaru tried again seconds later. Once Kanemaru realized it wouldn’t be that easy, he removed the turnbuckle pad and whipped Taichi into the exposed corner and the ladder placed in the other.
Kanemaru tried driving Taichi into the corner with a ladder, but Taichi reversed; this, unfortunately, sent both men to the floor because ladders have two ends. Kanemaru then hit Taichi in the leg with the ladder, leaving him free to climb the ladder and retrieve the whiskey.
After taking a swig of the whiskey, Kanemaru spat a mouthful into Taichi’s face. Taichi got ahold of the bottle, but he was not allowed to use it due to the stipulation. Once the referee took the bottle from Taichi, Kanemaru poured it all over him and continued attacking the leg.
Eventually, Taichi landed an enziguri, giving him time to rip off his pants. The post-pants pause gave Kanemaru enough time to drop Taichi again. Kanemaru locked in the figure four and spat another mouthful of whiskey at Taichi, but Taichi survived by reaching the bottom rope.
A backfire from Kanemaru allowed Taichi to land a head kick, gaining a lead for the first time in a while. Taichi grabbed the whiskey bottle again, ignoring the referee’s warning. Even with all the theatre, Taichi decided not to use the bottle.
Taichi set up to win the match, only for the lights to go out. Once the lights came on, SHO, EVIL, and Dick Togo were in the ring. They took out the referee and beat down Taichi. Ren Narita and Yujiro Takahashi hit the ring with more whiskey, which they used to fill a bucket. After HoT tried to drown Taichi in the bottle of whiskey, the rest of J5G hit the ring to make the save. J5G ran off HoT, leaving Kanemaru and Taichi alone once more.
Even after the extended beatdown and surviving a murder attempt, Taichi was able to make it to his feet. He dropped Kanemaru with a lariat for a nearfall. Kanemaru responded with Touch Out, but Taichi kicked out. Kanemaru followed up with a moonsault onto a ladder; Taichi kicked out. Kanemaru, now desperate, climbed to the top of the ladder for Deep Impact, but Taichi interrupted him with a low blow on the descent.
After failing to close with three finisher attempts, Kanemaru needed help. Togo hit the ring to pass Kanemaru the bucket of whiskey, but Taichi interrupted him, violently spilling the whiskey into Kanemaru’s face. Taichi then hit a superkick and Black Mafisto to win the match.
NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship: Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, & Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated United Empire (Great-O-Khan, HENARE & Jeff Cobb)
Okada and Cobb opened the match with collar-and-elbow work. Once both men proved to be on equal footing, Cobb taunted Okada with Bryan Danielson’s old “Yes!” chants. Cobb then tossed Okada across the ring and stretched him. Okada’s team hit the ring, saving him from Cobb’s advance.
The champions traded tags, slowly working over Cobb with the preferred offense. Cobb held on, tagging out to O-Khan, who managed to retake the lead. UE then began to work together to isolate Ishii. The eventual tag to Tanahashi gave the champions a second wind, but a throw put UE right back in the driver’s seat.
UE took their time picking apart each of their opponents. UE went uncontested for minutes at a time. Even after tags and momentary momentum shifts, UE managed to hold on to control.
In a full-fledged match breakdown, both teams began to swing for the fences. Ishii crushed HENARE with a powerbomb and a lariat. UE responded with a triple powerbomb that forced Okada to break up the pin.
A pair of miscommunications from both teams left Ishii and HENARE alone again. HENARE hit a knee in the corner and a slam for a neafall. Streets of Rage was interrupted, leading to another breakdown. Tanahashi hit Cobb with a sling blade as Okada hit HENARE with a tombstone. Ishii landed a lariat, but Henare was able to kick out.
HENARE and Ishii began to trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Ishii tried running at HENARE, but HENARE caught him with a spine buster for a near fall. A headbutt and a kick led to another Streets of Rage attempt, but Ishii answered with a headbutt of his own. After HENARE kicked out of a sliding lariat, Ishii hit him with his brainbuster to win the match and retain his team’s belts.
New talent announcements have been made for NJPW Battle in the Valley 2024.
NJPW returns to the United States on Saturday, January 13 for Battle in the Valley. Taking place nine days after Wrestle Kingdom 18, it’s the first NJPW US show of the new year. The show is being held at the San Jose Civic in San Jose, California.
NJPW has confirmed that Shota Umino, Rocky Romero, TJP, Bad Dude Tito, David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, Alex Coughlin, Fred Rosser, Tom Lawlor, Jorel Nelson, and Royce Isaacs will be in action at Battle in the Valley.
The full list of announced talent can be seen below:
Kazuchika Okada
Will Ospreay
Zack Sabre Jr.
Eddie Kingston
Giulia
El Phantasmo
Hikuleo
Shota Umino
Rocky Romero
TJP
Bad Dude Tito
David Finlay
Gabe Kidd
Alex Coughlin
Fred Rosser
Tom Lawlor
Jorel Nelson
Royce Isaacs
This is NJPW’s second annual Battle in the Valley event. In February 2023, the first Battle in the Valley was headlined by a double main event of Okada vs. Tanahashi and Mercedes Mone vs. Kairi. It aired as a live pay-per-view on Fite TV.
The stipulation has been set for NJPW’s final KOPW Championship match of 2023.
Taichi will defend the KOPW title against Yoshinobu Kanemaru in a Whiskey Bottle Ladder Match at NJPW’s Road to Tokyo Dome show this Thursday (December 21). The show is being held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and will air live on NJPW World.
The Whiskey Bottle Ladder Match stipulation was proposed by Taichi and won a fan vote over Kanemaru’s proposed stipulation (low blows and removing corner pads would be legal but only for Kanemaru). Taichi’s stipulation won with 70 percent of the vote.
In the Whiskey Bottle Ladder Match, a whiskey bottle will be suspended from the ceiling and can be used as a weapon by the wrestler who retrieves it.
The winner of Taichi vs. Kanemaru will become the official KOPW Champion for 2023. A new provisional champion for 2024 will be crowned in the new year.
Taichi won the KOPW title from SHO last month, regaining the championship after having lost it to SHO at Destruction in Kobe in September. Kanemaru betrayed Taichi at Destruction in Kobe, leaving Just Five Guys and joining House of Torture.
Thursday’s Road to Tokyo Dome event is also set to include a NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team title match with Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii defending against Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan & Henare.
The network announced today that it has ordered 45 new episodes of NJPW on AXS TV to air in the new year.
Episodes in January will feature matches from Wrestle Kingdom 18:
January 11 episode: Will Ospreay vs. David Finlay vs. Jon Moxley for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
January 18 episode: Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson
January 25 episode: IWGP World Champion SANADA defends against G1 Winner Tetsuya Naito.
Additional matches for each episode will be announced at a later date.
In addition to episodes airing recent NJPW matches, classic episodes featuring bouts from Wrestle Kingdom 7 through 13 will air on Sundays at 9 a.m. Eastern time on AXS TV NOW. The first classic episode will air on Sunday, January 7.
January 7 classic episode: Highlights from Wrestle Kingdom 7, 8, and 9.
January 14 classic episode: Highlights from Wrestle Kingdom 10 and 11.
January 21 episode: Highlights from Wrestle Kingdom 12 and 13.
Press release announcing NJPW on AXS TV 2024 programming:
NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING RETURNS TO AXS TV WITH 45 ALL-NEW EPISODES IN 2024, BEGINNING THURSDAY JANUARY 11 AT 10 PM ET
Highlights Include Iconic Matchups from Wrestle Kingdom 18, Featuring Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Kazuchika Okada and SANADA
LOS ANGELES (December 18, 2023) – AXS TV, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc., has renewed its fan-favorite New Japan Pro-Wrestling series with 45 all-new episodes in 2024. The upcoming season kicks off with four weeks of exclusive coverage from Wrestle Kingdom 18, beginning Thursday, January 11 at 10 p.m. ET. All episodes are presented in English and feature expert play-by-play commentary from NJPW’s own Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton.
Additionally, AXS TV NOW viewers will be able to enjoy classic episodes in English of NJPW every Sunday, starting January 7 at 6 a.m. PT and repeating throughout the day. The AXS TV NOW January slate includes unforgettable bouts from Wrestle Kingdom 7 through 13.
Nine promotions in Japan have formed a new industry group, United Japan Pro Wrestling.
The purpose of the organization will be to “further the presence of pro-wrestling and its cultural merit in Japanese society at large, allow professional wrestling to contribute further to cultural and sporting sectors, and work toward continued health and prosperity of the industry,” according to a press release.
United Japan Pro Wrestling member companies:
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (New Japan Pro-Wrestling Co. Ltd.)
All Japan Pro-Wrestling (All Japan Pro-Wrestling Co. Ltd.)
Pro-Wrestling NOAH (Cyber Fight Co. Ltd.)
DDT Pro-Wrestling (Cyber Fight Co. Ltd.)
Ganbare ☆ Pro-Wrestling (Cyber Fight Co. Ltd.)
Big Japan Pro-Wrestling （Yotsuba Industries Ltd.)
DRAGONGATE (DRAGONGATE Co. Ltd.)
STARDOM (BushiRoad Fight Co. Ltd.)
Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling (Cyber Fight Co. Ltd.)
A joint event featuring all nine promotions will be held on May 6, 2024, at the Nippon Budokan. The show will be held under the United Japan Pro Wrestling banner.
📣 OFFICIAL – 9 major pro wrestling organisations will establish the ‘United Japan Pro Wrestling’ group:
New Japan Pro-Wrestling today announces that it is one of nine organizations that will constitute United Japan Pro-Wrestling, a new industry group representing professional wrestling in Japan.
Without an industry wide group for professional wrestling in Japan, the unprecedented crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic made it all the more clear that there was a need to consolidate and express accurate information and best operating practices between promotions, as well as to communicate effectively with national and municipal governments. In a bid to better anticipate and adapt to societal changes in the future, nine Japanese promotions at the forefront of pro-wrestling in the country will be be part of a collective industry group (henceforth ‘the Group’).
The members of the Group will maintain their individual business identities and competition in the marketplace, but the Group will provide a space to discuss issues that concern the industry at large, and to exchange information with an interest in maintaining its growth. The formation of the Group will be marked by an event on May 6 2024 in Nippon Budokan under the banner of United Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Mission statement
To further the presence of pro-wrestling and its cultural merit in Japanese society at large, allow professional wrestling to contribute further to cultural and sporting sectors, and work toward continued health and prosperity of the industry.
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic made it apparent that there was a lack of communication and unified approach to event guidelines, and no common point of contact between the industry and national and municipal governments. There was also a desire to discuss issues surrounding wrestler health and safety (including in their online presence), to create a pipeline to other sporting organizations and to further the image of professional wrestling through issues of corporate social responsibility. There was a shared desire between members of the Group to continue existing competition within the marketplace while also sharing relevant information and know-how on these and other socio-economic issues.
Core tenets
Unity and integrity. The Group will be the representative spokesgroup for all of professional wrestling in Japan.
Representation. The Group will be the public facing symbol for the collective whole of professional wrestling in Japan.
Continuity. The Group will have a continuous presence and activity in the future.
As a result, the existence of the Group will be made known worldwide, and its members will be actively engaged in actions of merit.
Activities
Governmental communication and requests
Strengthening connections to other industries and sectors
Sharing resources and practices
Including those related to wrestler health and safety, such as the provision of financial support for wrestlers while injured, and to offer compliance training. Group members will also consolidate event data for historical archive purposes.
Monetization Any proceeds from the monetized use of iconography shall be split among the Group members. Joint events and festivals will be held.
Founding chair: Seiji Sakaguchi
Executive office: New Japan Pro-Wrestling Co. Ltd.
Executive chief: Naoki Sugabayashi (Chairman: New Japan Pro-Wrestling Co. Ltd.)
Osamu Kido, a member of the original New Japan Pro-Wrestling roster, has passed away at 73 years old.
Kido’s death was announced by his family on Thursday. He passed away on December 11, with Nikkan Sports reporting that Kido had been suffering from cancer for several years and had been receiving treatment.
Kido was part of NJPW when the company launched in 1972. In 1986, he held the IWGP Tag Team titles alongside Akira Maeda. They were the second team to ever hold the belts.
A protege of Karl Gotch, Kido wrestled for the original UWF from 1984-1985.
WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura was trained by Kido at the NJPW dojo. Early this morning, Nakamura paid tribute to Kido by posting a photo of them together.
NJPW sent its condolences to Kido’s family, friends, and fans after his passing:
Former NJPW wrestler Osamu Kido passed away on December 11 2023. He was 73.
Kido made his professional debut for JWA on February 21 1969, before wrestling on the first ever NJPW event in March 1972, and on his excursion to the US, received guidance and instruction from Karl Gotch.
In September 1984, Kido moved to the first incarnation of UWF, adding a formative martial arts style to his in-ring approach. Kido returned to NJPW in 1985, and on August 5 1986, teamed with Akira Maeda to capture the IWGP Tag Team Championships.
The technical expertise Kido exemplified, passed directly from the revered Karl Gotch earned him the nickname of ‘Ibushi silver,’ meaning a subtly refined artisanal work of brilliance. All of New Japan Pro-Wrestling is deeply saddened by Kido’s passing, and expresses the deepest of sympathies to Kido’s family, friends and fans.
KUSHIDA’s relationship with NJPW will not change in the wake of his signing with TNA Wrestling.
The six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion appeared on the Battleground podcast on Wednesday and clarified that he will continue to work for both promotions.
“The relationship between me and New Japan Pro Wrestling can remain, there is no need (for) change,” KUSHIDA said during the interview.
KUSHIDA continued to say his friendship with Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin helped motivate him to sign with TNA.
“One of the reasons I choose TNA is because of my good friends, Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin. These two people have influenced my life,” he continued.
“Sabin, Alex Shelley, KUSHIDA all signed to the same company, I can’t believe it!”
KUSHIDA also listed some of his goals in TNA Wrestling now that he’s officially signed with the company.
“I believe I need to win the TNA title in 2024 to further advance my career. I want to become a world champion, X-Division Champion, and break down the borders that exist in this world.”
KUSHIDA has yet to win a title with TNA Wrestling. He’s challenged once for the Impact World title (Rebellion 2023) and once for the X-Division title (Victory Road 2023).
Tokyo Sports has revealed its award winners for 2023.
The complete list of winners was announced on Tuesday. The awards have been presented annually since 1974, with Dave Meltzer noting that they are the most talked about pro wrestling awards in Japan and are historically the most important as far as legacy for Japanese wrestlers.
Tetsuya Naito was named the recipient of the 2023 MVP Award. This is the fourth time that Naito has won MVP in his career. He also took home the award in 2016, 2017, and 2020.
Naito was the winner of this year’s NJPW G1 Climax tournament. At Wrestle Kingdom 18 on January 4, he’s challenging SANADA for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
Here are all of this year’s Tokyo Sports Award winners:
MVP: Tetsuya Naito
Best Match: The Great Muta vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Women’s Grand Prize: Tam Nakano
Outstanding Performer: Hiromu Takahashi
Fighting Spirit Award: Kenoh
Technique Award: Yuma Aoyagi
Best Tag Team: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI
Rookie of the Year: The Saito Brothers (Rei & Jun Saito)
NJPW’s English-language website published in-character comments from Naito, Goto & YOSHI-HASHI, and Takahashi about their wins.
Goto said he’s “hugely happy” about winning a Tokyo Sports Award for the first time.
“Thank you for this award. Apropos of nothing, I’ve been doing this 20 years now, and this is my first award, so I’m hugely happy,” Goto said. “I’m very grateful to my partner Yoh-chan, and to all the fans for their support. Bishamon will keep tearing it up in the wrestling world.”
NJPW has revealed the lineups for their final events of 2023, the Road to Tokyo Dome tour.
A NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship match & the final KOPW 2023 Championship bout headline the first night of the tour, while tag team previews of Wrestle Kingdom 18 bouts comprise the night two lineup.
Holiday favorite Masked Horse will also return to action on both nights of the tour.
Here are the cards:
NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome, Thursday, December 21, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii defend against Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & HENARE
KOPW 2023 Champion Taichi defends against Yoshinobu Kanemaru
A double Tag Team title match has been added to the lineup for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18.
IWGP Tag Team Champions and World Tag League 2023 winners Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI will face Tag League runners-up and NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions Hikuleo & El Phantasmo at Wrestle Kingdom. The company made the official announcement at a Monday press conference.
Hikuleo & ELP own a victory over Goto & YH after defeating them in the block portion of the Tag League, before dropping the tournament final to them on Sunday.
Wrestle Kingdom 18 takes place Thursday, January 4 at the Tokyo Dome and streams live on NJPW World beginning at 2:30 a.m. Eastern time. The card for the show:
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA defends against Tetsuya Naito
Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson
Inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship match: Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley vs. David Finlay
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi defends against El Desperado
IWGP Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions Hikuleo & El Phantasmo for both titles
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney defend against TJP & Francesco Akira
NJPW World Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Hiroshi Tanahashi
NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi defends against Tama Tonga
