New champions crowned at NJPW Wrestling Dontaku

Two titles changed hands at Wrestling Dontaku.

The IWGP Junior Tag Team titles were the first to change when Mistico and El Desperado defeated the Ichiban Sweet Boys (Kosei Fujita and Robbie Eagles) to win the titles for the first time as a team. The duo scored a double submission win, with Mistco applying the la mistica while Desperado applied a stretch muffler.

Originally, the match was set to be non-title. But Eagles ended up accepting a title match after Mistico made the challenge following their multi-man tag match a day prior.

In the co-main event, the NEVER Six-Man Tag Team Championship changed hands when Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, and HENARE defeated Bishimon and Oleg Boltin to win the titles for the first time as a trio. Ospreay scored the win for his team, connecting with an assisted hidden blade on YOSHI-HASHI for the victory.

Callum Newman retains IWGP Heavyweight title

The main event saw Callum Newman retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship over Shingo Takagi, defeating him with the make way. After the match, all of United Empire circled around Takagi and Yota Tsuji, who tried to help his Unbound Co. stablemate. Newman laid out Tsuji and went to strike Takagi but Ospreay attempted to stop him. Newman instead goaded Ospreay into doing the deed, with the AEW star reluctantly obliging.

Konosuke Takeshita retained his NJPW World Television title, defeating Chase Owens. After the match, however, a returning SANADA laid him out, establishing himself as the next challenger.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 notes: New champions, Andrade, attendance number

Notes from Wrestle Kingdom 20.

Aside from the two double title matches, the other title change on Sunday’s show saw the team of Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson emerge victorious in the annual Ranbo match, winning the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles. They scored the win after pinning Boltin Oleg, eliminating him and Bishimon to become the new champions. Previous champions Master Wato, SHO, and Toru Yano were eliminated by House of Torture’s SANADA, Ren Narita, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru.

During the match, the Knockout Brothers and Clark Connors were accompanied by AEW’s Thekla as a surprise. 

When Andrade was introduced as a member of United Empire later in the show, the announcer also mentioned that he was a part of AEW. After being fired from WWE Andrade did make an appearance for the company, but didn’t sign after it was revealed WWE had invoked a year-long no compete clause. It was recently reported, however, that the no-compete had been waived after Andrade found a new lawyer. 

The attendance for the show was announced at 46,913. The show sold out in advance, the first time the Tokyo Dome has sold out for pro wrestling in decades.