It’s sure to be an emotional night in Hiroshi Tanahashi’s hometown for NJPW’s Final Homecoming event featuring two title matches.
With just two months left in his in-ring career, Tanahashi will challenge Yota Tsuji for the IWGP Global Championship in what could be the Ace’s last opportunity to win a championship before he hangs up his boots at Wrestle Kingdom in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2026.
This will be the third career singles meeting between Tanahashi and Tsuji, with Tana winning the first two bouts — including a victory over Tsuji in this year’s G1 Climax tournament.
The IWGP World Heavyweight Championship will also be on the line today in Gifu.
Konosuke Takeshita will make his first IWGP World title defense since winning the gold from Zack Sabre Jr. at King of Pro Wrestling last month on tonight’s show, putting the title up against former champ Hirooki Goto.
Goto won the only prior singles match between the two in 2024’s G1 Climax tournament.
The Super Junior Tag League Finals are also set for the show.
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- Oleg Boltin, Shoma Kato, & Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated Katsuya Murashima, Masatora Yasuda, & Zane Jay
- TMDK defeated Daiki Nagai, Gedo, & Hiromu Takahashi
- Dragon Dia, Ryusuke Taguchi, KUSHIDA, & Yuki Yoshioka defeated El Desperado, Kuukai, Tiger Mask, & Yamato
- House of Torture defeated Toru Yano, Master Wato, Yoh, Yuya Uemura, & Shota Umino
- War Dogs & Shingo Takagi defeated United Empire
- Super Junior Tag League Final: House of Torture defeated War Dogs
- Yota Tsuji defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
- Konosuke Takeshita defeated Hirooki Goto for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
Main Card
Oleg Boltin, Shoma Kato, & Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated Katsuya Murashima, Masatora Yasuda, & Zane Jay
(I was hoping for Boltin and Murashima to have a beefy exchange, but hilariously, Boltin got the better of it, which makes sense; Boltin isn’t a Young Lion and he has experience.)
Jay and Matsumoto began the match, grappling to a stalemate. Kato eliminated Murashima and Jay so he and Matsumoto could work on a vulnerable Yasuda. Much to Yasuda’s misfortune, Boltin entered with woeful chops to the chest. Yasuda finally swung a comeback for his team following a dropkick to Kato. Murashima charged in an emphatic rage that blasted Boltin and Matsumoto to the outside. Boltin absorbed Murashima’s chops and slammed him to the mat. Coordinating their efforts, Yasuda and Jay double-dropkicked Boltin. Jay suffered a People’s Boltin and a Verdict, resulting in Boltin enjoying the pinfall victory for his team.
TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles) defeated Daiki Nagai, Gedo & Hiromu Takahashi
(Jackson’s girth made for a great comedic element to this match. Aside from that, I’m enjoying the dynamic Gedo has had with Takahashi, and in this instance, Nagai. The infusion of War Dogs and former LIJ members has potential for an entertaining story and I’m so here for it.)
Much to Gedo’s horror, he was left alone with the legal Jackson. Sympathetic to his fears, Jackson tagged in Fujita. This helped him little, for Fujita’s chops were vicious, as were his forearms. Eagles and Fujita pushed wind from Gedo’s breath with Sentons, but luckily he rolled away from a potentially devastating one from Jackson.
Takahashi mistakenly attempted a Flying Crossbody to Jackson and was caught; Naga added one of his own, but rather bounced off of Jackson instead. Changing his strategy, Takahashi targeted the feet and legs of Jackson, enough to topple his bulky opponent. Thanks to Takahashi, Nagai further softened the knee of Jackson, and with an assist from his partners, Nagai powerslammed Jackson. Eagles and Fujita broke up Nagai’s subsequent Boston Crab and took out Takahashi and Gedo. Jackson flattened Nagai with a Jagged Edge, earning his team the win.
Funky Carat (Dragon Dia & Ryusuke Taguchi), KUSHIDA, & Yuki Yoshioka defeated El Desperado, Kuukai, Tiger Mask, & Yamato
(The perfect early-card match to have variety in star power and comedy. Taguchi and Yamato were particularly exceptional in the latter’s regard.)
Yoshioka and Kuukai began the match with high-octane action,with the former gaining the upper hand. Dia assisted his partner, but Desperado joined Kuukai to drop both of them. Kushida and Yushioka twisted and cranked Desperado’s arm, to which Taguchi hoped to reap the benefits for; Kushida had to take point from there.
Desperado and Yamato dropped Kushida, but bickered and as a result, they fell to Dia and Yoshioka. Kuukai leapt in a huge moonsault to everyone outside, leaving Tiger Mask and Taguchi in the ring. Whlie everyone was distracted on the outside, Taguchi miraculously pulled out a roll-up to Tiger Mask, who sought to lift him up for some further damage. This roll-up provided Taguchi with the pinfall victory over the masked veteran.
House Of Torture (Dick Togo, Evil, Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Master Wato, Shota Umino, Toru Yano, Yoh & Yuya Uemura
(There’s nothing much of note here. Yoh, Wato, Uemura, and Umino were entertaining, however. Aaron Wolf’s involvement in the post-match solidifies how much faith NJPW has in this hot new prospect.)
Naturally, this match began with House of Torture jumping their opponents all at once before the bell. Yano, isolated by Evil, immediately removed the turnbuckle (which Evil slingshot him into). Kanemaru followed up with a dropkick. After dispatching Uemura, Narita swung away after Umino hit him with a Tornado-DDT. Isolating Wato, the House of Torture ran a train of forearms on him.
Kanemaru spat whiskey in Wato’s eyes after a failed rescue attempt from Yoh. Evil dragged Togo’s body on top of Wato for the victory.
Post-match: House of Torture abused their fallen foes, declaring that Yano, Wato, and Yoh didn’t deserve their NEVER Openweight 6-Man Championship. Aaron Wolf stood up to House of Torture, to which they dispersed.
War Dogs (Clark Connors, Oskar & Yuto-Ice) & Shingo Takagi defeated United Empire (Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, Jakob Austin Young & Templario)
(A little less hype in this War Dogs + Unafilliated team-up, but still I see promise. Takagi did stick out like a sore thumb amongst his new allies, however.)
Templario and Connors began the match, with the former’s Sasuke Special swung away into the barricade by the more prepared latter. The War Dogs and Takagi brawled in the crowd with Khan, Newman, and Young. Oskar and Newman clobbered each other on the entrance ramp. Mongolian Chops courtesy of Khan and his sit-down on the top rope tenderized Connors. Newman pummeled Connors on the mat with unforgiving elbows. Pandemonium ensued, ending with Newman obliterating Yuto-Ice with an elbow.
Takagi fired off with chops and elbows to Newman, followed by a German Suplex to Templario. A sliding lariat by Takagi left Neman flat. Newman survived a DDT, but dropped to a stiff lariat by Takagi. Yuto-Ice and Young kept wrestling to standstills, which Oskar finally broke up with his size. Khan and Templario combined their efforts to the German goliath with an assisted hurricanrana. Yuto-Ice finished off Young with a Shining Wizard.
Post-match: War Dogs and Takagi brawled with the remaining members of United Empire left standing. An irate Newman struck Young Lion Shoma Kato before departing.
Super Junior Tag League Final Match
House Of Torture (Douki & Sho) defeated War Dogs (Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori)
(The wins may not be clean, but Douki and Sho make the most of their matches. The lack of other House of Torture members interfering strengthens these matches and I’m glad I softened my view of them as a tag team at this juncture. As for Robbie, he’s impressed me this year in NJPW, including Forbidden Door.)
House of Torture and War Dogs brawled into the crowd; Robbie hurled Douki into some chairs. Douki struck Robbie with an umbrella. Sho joined him to stretch and target Ishimori’s right arm and leg. Robbie obliterated Sho with a tope suicida. He followed up with a standing moonsault. Douki trapped Ishimori in a triangle armbar. Robbie blasted Douki and Sho with a double Pele Kick.
An X Express by Robbie almost gave the pin to Ishimori, but Sho pulled the referee at the last second. Sho grew overconfident, striking Robbie with a wrench, but denied by Ishimori. Ishimori rejected Sho’s black mirror. The Bone Soldier then grounded Douki with a crossface. Douki spat red mist in Ishimori’s face and pulled him in for the pinfall with his hand full of his opponents tights to further lock it in.
Yota Tsuji (c) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
(The heart in this match pumped with so much emotion. That sheer weight of everything in Tsuji’s journey coming to this moment with Tanahashi had to be overwhelming, but Tsuji overcame all of that—all of it—for an intense and passionate performance. As an art form, that’s an emotional peak that pro wrestling delivers so well.)
Tsuji grappled with Tanahashi, but the Ace gained a slight advantage after a flying crossbody. Nevertheless, Tsuji would fire back, with a Marlowe Clutch weakening the veteran. Tanahashi crushed Tsuji with a senton from the ropes to puncture air from Tsuji’s lungs. He fired back with a Reverse-STO and a Bicycle Knee. Tanahashi twisted a comeback with a Dragon Screw Legwhip. Tsuji delivered a nasty chop to Tanahashi’s chest, leaving a gnarly grimace on the Ace’s face. A Twist and Shout followed by a Slingblade momentarily dazed Tsuji. Superplex by Tsuji, transitioned into a Boston Crab put the Ace fully in the grasp of bleakness as bittersweet passion adorned Tsuji’s expression.
Tanahashi’s spirit refused to be dimmed, even after a German Suplex. At the last moment, in one single instant, he dropkicked Tsuji’s knee mid-Gene Blaster. A Gene Blaster thrust the champion across the ring. From the heavens, Tsuji dove from the top rope missing Tanahashi completely. The Ace stole Tsuji’s Gene Blaster. A High-Fly Flow landed with success, as did a Flying Crossbody, but the last Flow missed completely. Tsuji wasted no time in capturing Tanahashi with a Gene Blaster. Seeking one more Gene Blaster, Tsuji instead fell victim to an inside cradle. He raised his knees to circumvent a High-Fly Flow to penetrate the Ace with a Gene Blaster, this time ending Tanahashi for good.
Post-match: Tsuji thanked Tanahashi for the match and for the words of encouragement before he even became a professional wrestler. Tanahashi responded with his own gratitude toward Tsuji. Holding back tears, Tanahashi thanked his hometown of Gifu for being there in his last match there. Yuto-Ice strutted to the ring next, demanding a match at New Japan Road in Anjo on November 8, 2025.
Main Event
Konosuke Takeshita (c) defeated Hirooki Goto for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
(A top notch main event. Wrestlers of the hard-hitting caliber such as Goto and Takeshita can reliably put on this type of match. For my money, it’s why NJPW has enjoyed the best in-ring matches from any company’s male roster in a year women have carried the industry. This match perfectly heated up Takeshita as a champion.)
Both competitors tested their mettle in the early goings, colliding with resounding thuds; Goto soon tumbling the champion outside. Battling on the apron, Takeshita plummeted Goto’s head onto it with a DDT. He continued with a perched DDT from that same apron. An Irish Whip into the barricade succeeded by a big boot further destroyed the challenger.
Takeshita managed a comeback, bombing Goto with knees to the chest in the corner. Despite the concentrated torqueing of Goto’s shoulder, Takeshita met a lariat for his efforts. Goto thrusted Takeshita with a back suplex to no avail. Takeshita’s big boot to Goto echoed through the Gifu Memorial Center Gymnasium. Goto bypassed a Raging Fire for a vertical dropdown. Takeshita replied with a Blue Thunderbomb. Withstanding a German Suplex, Takeshita finally sustained damage from a ruinous Ushigoroshi. Cautiously, Goto clenched Takeshita for a Kaiten from the top rope and dropped him with a GTR.
Takeshita harrowed Goto with several stiff and uncomfortable moves, but was racked with another GTR. With Gifu urging him on, Goto endured a Last Ride from the champion. Pulling out a Shoten-Kai, Goto stared to the distance in disbelief at Takeshita’s kick-out. Heartbreak reverberated in Goto’s soul, after a decisive Raging Fire drew a pinfall for the defending champion. And still, Takeshita remains the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
Post-match: Takeshita requested his opponent for Wrestle Kingdom to step up to him. The IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji approached. He demanded to be the one to face Takeshita in the Tokyo Dome. The pair agreed to put both of their titles on the line.
