New champions were crowned at NJPW King of Pro Wrestling.
In the main event of Monday’s show at Sumo Hall, Konosuke Takeshita emerged victorious over Zack Sabre Jr. to win the IWGP World Championship for the first time. After a stiff, technical back and forth match, Takeshita recovered from the Zack Driver and connected with a running knee to win the title.
After the match, Takeshita told Sabre that he will treat this title with the importance it deserves. He said he knew people would be angry about the result and if they were, they should come and say it to his face. Hirooki Goto responded, entering the ring and issued the challenge for the next title match. Takeshita later said backstage he would face Goto before the Tokyo Dome.
Syuri opened the night defeating Sareee to win the IWGP Women’s Championship for a second time. The hard-hitting match saw Syuri pin Sareee after hitting a buzzsaw kick and the Syu-sekai. Sareee had held the championship for 114 days, defeating Syuri at Stardom The Conversion 2025.
EVIL emerged victorious on Monday, defeating Boltin Oleg to win the NEVER Openweight title for a fourth time. Naturally, the rest of House of Torture frequently interfered and unfortunately for Boltin, it proved to be too much. Boltin had EVIL out with a kamikaze and was going for a second when DOUKI struck his leg with a pipe. EVIL took the opening and landed Everything is EVIL for the win.
After the match, EVIL and HoT continued to attack Boltin and the young lions that attempted to stop it until Aaron Wolf hit the ring and took out House of Torture members with judo throws. He met face to face with EVIL and later backstage asked to face him at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in January.
In the co-main event, Yota Tsuji defeated Gabe Kidd to win the IWGP Global Championship for a second time. Tsuji hit two gene blasters then locked in with a Boston crab. Kidd attempted to fight out of the hold, but eventually submitted.
Following the match, the rest of Bullet Club War Dogs entered the ring, The remnants of Los Ingobernables de Japon entered the ring to even the numbers. But the two groups ended up shaking hands with one another and hugging, seemingly forming an alliance.
EVIL won the NEVER Openweight title from Boltin Oleg Monday morning at Sumo Hall. After the match, he and the rest of House of Torture continued their beatdown on Boltin. Young lions entered the ring in an attempt to end the brawl, but things only continued until Aaron Wolf entered the ring and cleared house, taking down members with judo throws. He and EVIL met face to face, indicating a showdown may be imminent.
Backstage, the Olympic gold medalist in judo challenged EVIL to a match for Wrestle Kingdom 20. It had been previously announced that he would be making his professional wrestling debut on January 4.
In the co-main event, Yota Tsuji defeated Gabe Kidd to win the IWGP Global Championship for the second time. After the match, the two hugged and showed signs of respect towards one another. The rest of Bullet Club War Dogs came to the ring as the remnants of Los Ingobernables de Japon (Titan, Shingo Takagi, and Hiromu Takahashi) entered the ring to back up Tsuji. However, there wasn’t any confrontation, and instead the two factions ended up shaking hands. Announcers were confused as to what this could mean.
NJPW holds one of its tentpole events today in Ryogoku at Sumo Hall with King of Pro Wrestling.
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. puts his title on the line in the main event against G1 Climax 35 winner Konosuke Takeshita. The winner will likely end up defending the title at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in Tokyo Dome come January 4, 2026.
Five more title matches are on tap for the show today.
IWGP Global Champion Gabe Kidd defends against Yota Tsuji in the co-main event. These two have met 23 times in their career in singles bouts dating back to their days as Young Lions. Tsuji holds an 11-10 lead, with two draws between them.
The Knockout Brothers OSKAR and Yuto-Ice defend the IWGP Tag Team Championship against Yuya Uemura and Shota Umino. Boltin Oleg defends the NEVER Openweight title against EVIL in another championship encounter.
El Phantasmo defends the NJPW World TV title against Hiroshi Tanahashi, plus Sareee puts the IWGP Women’s Championship up in today’s opener against Syuri.
**********
NJPW holds one of its tentpole events today in Ryogoku at Sumo Hall with King of Pro Wrestling.
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. puts his title on the line in the main event against G1 Climax 35 winner Konosuke Takeshita. The winner will likely end up defending the title at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in Tokyo Dome come January 4, 2026.
Five more title matches are on tap for the show today.
IWGP Global Champion Gabe Kidd defends against Yota Tsuji in the co-main event. These two have met 23 times in their career in singles bouts dating back to their days as Young Lions. Tsuji holds an 11-10 lead, with two draws between them.
The Knockout Brothers OSKAR and Yuto-Ice defend the IWGP Tag Team Championship against Yuya Uemura and Shota Umino. Boltin Oleg defends the NEVER Openweight title against EVIL in another championship encounter.
El Phantasmo defends the NJPW World TV title against Hiroshi Tanahashi, plus Sareee puts the IWGP Women’s Championship up in today’s opener against Syuri.
**********
Quick results —
Syuri defeated Saree for the IWGP Women’s Championship – Title Change
War Dogs defeated Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, & Titan
Drilla Moloney defeated Sanada
Bishamon & Yoh defeated TMDK
El Phantasmo versus Hiroshi Tanahashi for the NJPW World Television Championship – Time Limit Draw
Evil defeated Oleg Boltin for the NEVER Openweight Championship – Title Change
Knockout Brothers defeated Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura for the IWGP Tag Team Championship
Yota Tsuji defeated Gabe Kidd for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship – Title Change
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Zack Sabre Junior for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship – Title Change
Main Card
Syuri defeated Sareee (c) for the IWGP Women’s Championship
(The exact brutal offense one would expect from joshi wrestling with some nasty, nasty headbutts. Close near calls with Sareee, but undoubtedly a big moment for the championship and Stardom. Perfect choice to rile up the crowd and start the show. History was made here, as Syuri became the first two-time winner of the IWGP Women’s Championship.)
Syuri held control in the beginning lock-ups, one of which resulted in a rope break. Sareee broke out, pulling Syuri’s hair as she pushed her back. Sareee invited some kicks, to which she responded to Syuri with a dropkick. A strike exchange grew vicious as both women drilled in some stiff forearms. Syuri’s body slumped meekly between the bottom two ropes following a dropkick by the champion.
The clash of skull-on-skull echoed through Ryogoku Kokugikan as Syuri headbutted Sareee. Sareee quelled a series of kicks from the challenger, countering it into a Dragon Screw Legwhip to momentarily regain control. Locking Sareee’s arm deep, Syuri flung her opponent in a suplex and transitioned it into a near armbar. She followed with a DDT from the ropes.
Sareee’s double-stomp from the heavens punctured the air from Syuri’s lungs, but that and a series of suplexes couldn’t put away the challenger. The challenger caught her opponent full-momentum into a Uranage. Fully in her comeback phase, Syuri finished Sareee off with a Buzzsaw Roundhouse Kick, a headbutt to the back of the head, and a Syu-sekai to become the new IWGP Women’s Champion.
War Dogs (Clark Connors, David Finlay & Taiji Ishimori) defeated Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi & Titan
(I’m a sucker for those chaotic trios and multi-man tags when everyone goes all-out with finishers. That Overkill on Titan was particularly nice.)
Takagi wrangled Finlay by his hair, flinging him around and tossing him overhead. Connors made the tag and shoulder-tackled the Dragon with a Finlay assist. Takahashi spropelled Connors to the corner, hoping to run a train on him alongside Titan and Takagi, but Finlay and Ishimori dashed those attempts with a ringside brawl. Takahashi used Connors and Ishimori’s momentum against each other, sending one into the other. Titan briefly got stuck on the ropes, but dropkicked Ishimori. He sent him to Takagi who then blasted Ishimori and Finlay to the barricade outside.
Ishimori swung a comeback with a back handspring to Titan. Northern Irish Curse by Finlay haunted both Takahashi and Titan. Everyone took turns unleashing their finishers, punctuated by Takagi’s Pumping Bomber that even incapacitated himself. Another sequence of finishers and signature moves, this time ending in an Overkill courtesy of a jubilant Finlay. Titan ate the pinfall, giving the War Dogs a victory they could chew on.
Drilla Moloney defeated Sanada in a No Disqualification No Count-Out Match
(A plunder match to satisfy bloodthirsty fans, this personal yet comedic feud culminated in a fun and cruel bit of action with a great payoff.)
Sanada came out dressed as a human disco ball. The arena went dark, and the real Sanada, adorened with his cartoonish speakers protruding from his shoulders.
Moloney sent Sanada outside as the bell rang. Sanada attempted to subdue him with a fork, but unfotunately for him it wound up in the hands of the War Dog who penetrated his head with its three prongs. Unsatisfied, Moloney drove a steel chair on the trickling crimson that was Sanada’s forehead. Moloney instructed the Tokyo crowd to part from their seats as he left the seats asunder in a heap of rubble. Grabbing two unforgiving wooden folding tables, Moloney set them side-by-side. Sanada tried to escape, eating a flying chair to the face for his efforts.
Seemingly walking away pathetically, Sanada baited Moloney to charge like a bull full-speed so he could flip the War Dog onto the tables. Sanada himself crashed the War Dog through one of those tables. A low-blow kick from Sanada left Moloney in excruciating pain, but he persevered as he picked at Sanada at ringside and sent him back in the squared circle. Luring Moleney with a cat-and-mouse chase, Sanada struck him with his infamous acoustic guitar and pierced Moloney’s skin with his fork. Spitting defiantly in Sanada’s face, Moloney suffered more fork-inflicted damage like he was a piece of rare steak.
Adrenaline pumped through Moloney’s veins as he drove down Sanada, who in the rampage involved the referee, leading to the official’s incapacitation. Dick Togo and Yoshinobu Kanemaru assisted Sanada. Connors charged in, laying out the House of Torture members and grabbed a tire, which naturally came from under the ring, to cause further damage. Moloney waited with bated breath to blast Sanada’s skull with a guitar shot. He then followed up with a Drilla Killa on Sanada to finish the match.
(Not only a feel-good moment for the returning Goto, but a charming match sprinkled in with Street Fighter references. With Goto starring in the upcoming film based on the game of the same name, I hope they go all in with references and cross-promotion.)
Goto eagerly greeted Oiwa, as they collided, the latter gaining advantage of the exchange. Yoshi-Hashi aided him in toppling both Oiwa and an impending Jackson. Oiwa tagged in Jackson after a dropkick to Yoshi-Hahsi. The stocky Aussie easily crushed Yoshi-Hashi and made a cheeky pose in reference to the Street Fighter character, Zangief.
Following a failed tag from Fujita, Yoh laid TMDK flat, save for Jackson. Fujita finally got offense in, resulting in a flying kick. Jackson and Oiwa devastated Goto with Sentons. Yoshi-Hashi came to his rescue, chopping them down with forearms. Bishamon then united to drop the giant with a Shoto. Goto led a revolution, ending Jackson with a GTR for the pinfall.
NJPW New Beginning USA Announcement
A short vignette revealed that NJPW would return to the United States in New Jersey at the Cure Insurance Arena on February 27, 2026.
El Phantasmo (c) versus Hiroshi Tanahashi for the NJPW World Television Championship ended in a Time-Limit Draw
(As though repaying Phantasmo’s loyalty, he remains strong as does Tanahashi ahead of January’s Wrestle Kingdom. The movement was a bit slow and clunky, but the story beats landed their notes.)
Champion and challenger grappled with holds, leading to a stalemate. Flying Crossbody by Tanahashi rocked Phantasmo, so naturally he played the electric guitar. Phantasmo asked for him to pass the torch and hand him the fictional guitar, but the Ace tossed it somewhere in the crowd. Moonsault by Phantasmo halted Tanahashi briefly, but a kick on the top rope left the NJPW President hunched over.
Draping Tanahashi’s corpse on the top rope, Phantasmo postured to the crowd as his shoe pushed on the sensitive region of his opponent’s pelvis. Cannonballing himself from the ring apron, Tanahashi struck Phantasmo like a bowling ball. Leaving Tanahashi prone near the crowd chairs outside the barricade, Phantasmo plunged to its depths, inevitably leapong to no one as he lied on the cold hard ground. He narrowly broke the 20-count.
Phantasmo frantically eluded submission to Tanahashi’s Texas Cloverleaf. Weakened, Phantasmo survived a Slingblade to abduct him in a UFO. Tanahashi clenched full grip on the top rope, ruining Phantasmo’s hurricanrana attempt. Dropping a High Fly Flow and attempting another one, the Ace’s hopes were dashed by Phantasmo’s prepared yet tender knees. Roll-ups and Backslides resulted in Phantasmo’s Canadian Revolution and Thunderkiss ’86, as the sands of time were nearly running thin. The match ended in a time-limit draw, leaving Phantasmo as the champion, still.
Evil defeated Oleg Boltin (c) for the NEVER Openweight Championship
(All good things must come to an end, I suppose. In true House of Torture fashion, the match was kind of enjoyable before the typical shenanigans.)
Boltin greeted Evil mid-entrance with forearms and punches. Evil lured him outside where he pinned him against the barricade, knocking over a table of Japanese commenters. Grounding the Kazakhstan native to the ground, Evil shoved a microphone in his face and demanded he cede the match and his title. He left the champion at ringside and distracted the referee. Don Fale, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi, and Dick Togo of the House of Torture picked at him like a committee of vultures.
Raking Boltin’s eyes, Evil persisted in successive pin attempts before being bounced off by Boltin’s sheer strength. The champion swayed a comeback with a Boltin Shake to disorientate his nefarious challenger. Togo and Kanemaru aimed a powder throw and whiskey mist, to which Boltin escaped for both intruders to suffer accidentally instead. The champion proceeded to dismantle the intercepting foes, demanding the Young Lions forcibly escort them to the back after. Evil unsheathed a stiff lariat, capitalizing with a Darkness Scorpion to weaken the leg of Boltin.
The ever-resilient Boltin recovered with a powerbomb. Preparing the challenger over his shoulder for another devastating move, Boltin’s attention shifted to an interjecting wrench-wielding Sho. A weak Kamikaze to Evil left Boltin unsatisfied. As he tried for another, Douki struck his leg with a pipe from behind. Evil took that opportunity with an Everything is Evil to become the new NEVER Openweight Champion.
Post-match: Plucking at the remains of the now former champion, the celebratory House of Torture were interrupted by Aaron Wolf.
Knockout Brothers (Oskar & Yuto-Ice) (c) defeated Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura for the IWGP Tag Team Championship
(Throughout the Road To shows to tonight’s King of Pro Wrestling proceedings, this rivalry was intense. Knockout Brothers are the hot new team taking over the NJPW heavyweight roster and they’re enjoying every bit of their success. It’s clear they’re having a bit of fun, too. Uemura’s character has developed interestingly, showing wrinkles to contrast the normally clean cloth of altruism and hope.)
Uemura and Umino took on Yuto-Ice and Oskar, respectively. Umino took his eyes off of Oskar outside in a failed attempt to aid Uemura. Yuto-Ice kicks and Bomboclat Knee crushed Uemura against the corner. Uemura dove from the top rope, caught by Oskar for a slam. Coming in with a hot tag, Umino dropkicked Yuto-Ice out of the equation. Oskar slammed Umino around, even landing an elbow drop on him.
Uemura held Yuto-Ice’s arm in a Fujiwara Armbar tenderized the champion, yet he thwarted it with a rope break. Umino and Uemura ducked a double-lariat from Oskar, with both dropping the giant German in a combined DDT. Oskar again attempted entry, and once again he was toppled, this time by a double dropkick. Uemura tore off the tape covering Yuto-Ice’s elbow as the Tokyo crowd booed at his sudden unsportsmanship. Stubbornly tormenting Yuto-Ice’s arm, Uemura refused the champion’s leg-biting. Uemura battered Yuto-Ice into semi-unconsciousness when Oskar rent him dazed with a Sleeper Hold. Hurricanrana via Uemura and a straight arm. Knockout Brothers retained their gold by destroying Uemura with a K.O.B.
Yota Tsuji defeated Gabe Kidd (c) for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
(Delightfully brutal without a drop of blood. There’s been sensational chemistry between Tsuji and Kidd; even at their best and worst recent matches show they have a compelling story.)
The pair locked up to a standstill. Tsuji gained the upper hand in a second lock-up exchange, grounding Kidd with a headlock. Kidd yelled a profanity as he dropkicked his challenger. Kidd hurled Tsuji into the barricade. Dragging his opponent back to the ring, Kidd propped Tsuji on the top rope, dangling, slapping him into a flipped powerbomb. Tsuji leapt to a comeback, propelling Kidd into the blue steel guardrail via a tope suicida.
Tsuji lowered his intensity, sensing Kidd has sustained enough damage. Fueled by anger and adrenaline, Kidd fired back with a lariat despite Tsuji’s best efforts to keep him down. Adding weight and pressure to his Boston Crab, Kidd dragged Tsuji to the lion crested ensignia in the ring’s center. Unable to drag him back again, he dropped his full weight to no avail.
Kidd may have stalled it momentarily, but Tsuji tortured him with a Quebradora con Giro. Canadian Destroyer from Tsuji quickly usurped another comeback attempt from the champion. A mad exchange of offense ended in Kidd’s lariat and powerbomb countering Tsuji’s own lariat. Tsuji hit Kidd with a Gene Blaster, prepping him for the Guerrero Special from the top rope. Kidd rebutted another Gene Blaster with a piledriver. A headbutt exchange left them down for a 5-count, and they returned with a fire for a chop exchange. Tsuji received a 1-count pin following a Gene Blaster. He released another one and sank in a Boston Crab. Even as Kidd crawled meekly to the rope, Tsuji increased tremendous pressure, soon tapping out the profane British wrestler. Yota Tsuji is the new IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion.
Post-match: Kidd and Tsuji bowed in a show of respect and shook hands. The War Dogs joined Kidd. Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi, Daiki Nagai, and Titan did the same for Tsuji. Everyone shook hands.
Wrestle Kingdom 20 Match Announcement
Chris Charlton on commentary broke the news that Young Lion and Olympic Gold Medalist Aaron Wolf would face the new NEVER Openweight Champion and House of Torture leader Evil at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in the Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2026.
Main Event
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Zack Sabre Jr (c) for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
(Insane match. Unreal. My hands are still shaking as I type this and I have goosebumps. Sabre doesn’t get enough credit for his title defenses on both of his reigns, but especially this one. Takeshita, however, is in a rare class where he can excel in both NJPW and AEW as Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay have done before. Takeshita’s run in NJPW this year is exactly how a wrestler should be positioned.)
In a mad rush of energy, the competitors reached a standoff. Echoing their G1 Climax bout, Sabre swiftly gained hold of his challenger, and just the same, Takeshita remained stoic and calm throughout Sabre’s control. Soon, Takeshita broke this, overwhelming and hurtling himself into the champion. Sabre worked Takeshita’s arm, particularly in his stomping of it, even the fingers.
Takeshita reached a comeback hurling Sabre in an Exploder Suplex. He continued his offense with a tope suicida. Sabre stomped on Takeshita’s bent right arm, specifically the bicep, knowing it’s where Takeshita’s strongest elbow strikes resided. Sabre transitioned Takeshita’s Blue Thunderbomb into an arm hold. The challenger slowly regained momentum, culminating in a resounding lariat that echoed shock among the Tokyo crowd. Takeshita flung Sabre in a German suplex that ravaged the Brit. His Hitodenashi Driver was met in response to a Zack Driver. Another elbow exchange saw Sabre brazenly challenge Takeshita who obliged with a ruinous strike.
Sabre trapped Takeshita’s arms, torturing the shoulders as Rocky Romero urged Takeshita to survive and escape. Wearily, Takeshita staggered about as he bore the brunt of successive Penalty Kicks in steady rhythm. The Last Ride and a Powerdrive laid waste to the champion, but couldn’t secure the win. Takeshita wrested Sabre’s Tornado-DDT with a Raging Fire. Zack Driver almost spelled doom for the G1 Climax winner, but failed to deliver a pinfall. Despite all the lingering pains in his right arm, Takeshita gritted through blood-soaked teeth to ransack Sabre with an elbow. One Powerdrive Knee impelled Sabre flat, but an exposed Powerdrive Knee sealed the deal. A hard-fought victory left Takeshita the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
I’m still giddy over that main event. The build to Takeshita versus Sabre had been a well-built one, engrained in the finest little details, down to the body language. 2026 is in for quite the year for the Alpha of the Don Callis Family. As for the War Dogs and Unaffiliated’s handshakes, I’m curious as to the follow-up from that. Either an alliance or a merger or simply a show of respect, it’s worth keeping an eye on. Drilla Moloney giving Sanada his due comeuppance was particularly satisfying. And Syuri’s victory over Saree was the perfect foil to this main event, as both matches set the stage, the mood, and the tone for King of Pro Wrestling.
Every match is worth your time, even unfortunately the NEVER Openweight Championship, based on title lineage and story progression. The puzzling booking choices were very minimal in this event, standing toe-to-toe with WWE and AEW events, even NJPW’s own big events. While Gedo stresses the American fanbase out, there are nights like these where he and the wrestlers come together to deliver something special.
On the road to King of Pro Wrestling, NJPW added a stipulation to one of the matches set for the event.
The grudge match between Drilla Moloney and SANADA at King of Pro Wrestling will be contested under a no DQ stipulation with no countouts. That was set up when the two faced off in tag action at a Road To event today — with SANADA walking out on the match and taking a countout loss.
It was Moloney & Clark Connors vs. SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru in today’s tag bout. While the referee was down, SANADA went for a guitar shot but got hit with a low blow by Moloney. When Moloney tried to strike him with the guitar, SANADA bailed on the match and took a countout, walking out into the crowd as the official counted to 20.
Moloney then got on the microphone and said there will be nowhere for SANADA to run at King of Pro Wrestling. Moloney vowed that their match will be SANADA’s funeral, calling for there to be no DQs or countouts.
The rivalry between Moloney and SANADA stems from when SANADA betrayed Bullet Club War Dogs and joined House of Torture.
King of Pro Wrestling — one of NJPW’s last major stops on the road to Wrestle Kingdom 20 — will take place at Sumo Hall in Tokyo on October 13 and stream live on NJPW World. Here is the updated card:
NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2025 (Monday, October 13) —
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Konosuke Takeshita
IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Gabe Kidd defends against Yota Tsuji
IWGP Tag Team Champions Yuto-Ice & OSKAR defend against Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura
NEVER Openweight Champion Oleg Boltin defends against EVIL
NJPW World TV Champion El Phantasmo defends against Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & YOH vs. Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita
No DQ, no countout match: Drilla Moloney vs. SANADA
Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & Titan vs. David Finlay, Taiji Ishimori & Clark Connors
The promotion’s next big show is King of Pro Wrestling 2025 on Monday, October 13 at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, with Zack Sabre Jr. defending against Konosuke Takeshita. NJPW has also booked two title matches for the Road to King of Pro Wrestling tour on October 6 and 11. Full lineups for all three shows are below.
NJPW Road to King of Pro Wrestling lineup October 6 at Korakuen Hall
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado defends against DOUKI
Yuya Uemura vs. Yuto-Ice
Shota Umino vs. OSKAR
Titan, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, & Yota Tsuji vs. Gedo, Taiji Ishimori, David Finlay, & Gabe Kidd
Tiger Mask, KUUKAI, Toru Yano, & Boltin Oleg vs. Dick Togo, SHO, Don Fale, & EVIL
Clark Connors & Drilla Maloney vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & SANADA
Jado & El Phantasmo vs. Katsuya Murashima & Hiroshi Tanahashi
Tatsuya Matsumoto & Shoma Kato vs. Zane Jay & Masatora Yasuda
NJPW Road to King of Pro Wrestling lineup October 11 in Saitama
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Sho & DOUKI defend against El Desperado & KUUKAI
Daiki Nagai, Titan, Shingo Takagi, & Yota Tsuji vs. Gedo, Taiji Ishimori, David Finlay & Gabe Kidd
Tomoaki Honma & Yuya Uemura vs. OSKAR & Yuto-Ice
Tiger Mask, Toru Yano, Boltin Oleg vs. Dick Togo, Don Fale, & EVIL
Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & SANADA
Shota Umino vs. Katsuya Murashima
Tatsuya Matsumoto & Shoma Kato vs. Zane Jay & Masatora Yasuda
NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2025 lineup for October 13, 2025
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Konosuke Takeshita
IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Gabe Kidd defends against Yota Tsuji
IWGP Tag Team Champions Knockout Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) vs Yuya Uemura & Shota Umino
NEVER Openweight Champion Boltin Oleg defends against EVIL
NJPW World TV Champion El Phantasmo defends against Hiroshi Tanahashi
YOH, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto (first match back) vs TMDK (Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita)
Drilla Moloney vs SANADA
Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & Titan vs War Dogs (David Finlay, Taiji Ishimori & Clark Connors)
The full card is SET for King of Pro-Wrestling in Ryogoku!
OFFICIAL Zack Sabre Jr. vs Konosuke Takeshita for the IWGP World title!
For the first time in his career, Zack Sabre Jr. has reached the summit of NJPW.
Sabre defeated Tetsuya Naito in the main event of King of Pro Wrestling 2024 on Monday to become IWGP World Heavyweight Champion for the first time ever. After multiple Sabre Drivers near the end of the match, Sabre was able to get the three count and end Naito’s run as champion.
Winning the G1 Climax earned Sabre this title shot against Naito. The G1 winner traditionally gets their shot at Wrestle Kingdom, but NJPW’s story was that Sabre wanted to face Naito at King of Pro Wrestling so he could return to London as champion at Royal Quest. Sabre will be making his first IWGP World Heavyweight Championship defense against SANADA at that Sunday, October 20 event.
Sabre cut a post-match promo in Japanese after defeating Naito. SANADA, Shota Umino, and Shingo Takagi all appeared wanting shots at the title. Sabre informed them that SANADA was first in line and then we’d see who was next.
WWE star Gunther — a frequent opponent of Sabre’s when they were on the indies — posted a tweet congratulating Sabre on his title win:
Naito was IWGP World Heavyweight Champion for most of this year with two separate reigns with the title. He was champion from January-April and then from June-October.
Two other title changes also took place at King of Pro Wrestling. Ren Narita defeated Jeff Cobb and Yota Tsuji in a three-way match to win the NJPW World Television title. And KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team title belts by dethroning Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney).
G1 winner Zack Sabre Jr. challenges for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship today at NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling.
IWGP Champion Tetsuya Naito puts his title on the line against Sabre in the main event, one of seven title matches set for the show.
In the semi-main, IWGP Global Champion David Finlay defends against Hirooki Goto.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI puts his title up for grabs against SHO.
Hiroshi Tanahashi celebrates his 25th anniversary as part of a six-man tag teaming with Shota Umino and El Phantasmo against EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru of House of Torture.
NJPW World TV Champion Jeff Cobb defends against Ren Narita and Yota Tsuji in a three-way.
NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi puts his title on the line against Ryohei Oiwa.
IWGP Tag Team Champions TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) defend against Bad Luck Fale & Caveman Ugg.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney) defend against Intergalactic Jet Setters (KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight).
Junior heavyweight legends Hiromu Takahashi and Mistico square off in the special singles match opener.
**********
Hiromu Takahashi defeated Mistico
Mistico started the match getting the best of Takahashi, but one Dragon Screw Leg Whip and one hold later, and his best-laid plans were in effect. A Spanish Fly from Mistico nearly put Takahashi away, but couldn’t do the job. Takahashi sought a Tilt-a-Whirl into a roll-up pin, hoping to win the match, but was unsuccessful. Locking Mistico into a Standing Figure-Four, Takahashi forced his luchadore opponent to submit.
– Post-match – Mistico challenged Takahashi to a Hair vs Mask match.
Knowing ahead of time that this was a first-time match between the two in an NJPW ring (they’d fought in CMLL in singles and multi-man and 2024’s Forbidden Door crossover event, this was a fun sprint to begin the show. Takahashi targeting the legs early paid off rather quickly though, and I was expecting more. Looks like we’re getting that.
Intergalactic Jet Setters (KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight) defeated Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney) (c) for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
True to form, the War Dogs leaped to their opponents the second the bell rang. Undeterred, KUSHIDA and Knight stood their ground. That was, until, Connors and Moloney introduced chairs and barricades to the match. Fortunately for KUSHIDA, a counter STO into the chair and a stomp by Knight (also into the chair) put Moloney briefly out of action. However, he made it back into the ring just in time to halt a tag team effort with a Gore alongside Connors. Moloney incapacitated Knight to allow more time for tormenting KUSHIDA.
A hot tag saw Knight soar with a Flying Double Clothesline to instantly turn the match in his favor. Sending the War Dogs over the barricade, Knight flew across the sky for an epic Flying Crossbody. An Electric Chair put Connors out of commission, but Moloney held his own with explosive maneuvers. Recovered, Connors flipped KUSHIDA across the ring and sent Knight off the apron to the floor below. Two gores from Connors and a combined Hit-and-Run nearly won the match for them on KUSHIDA but failed. Knight sent Connors off of the top turnbuckle and worked with KUSHIDA to set up for a Jackknife Pin, and the Intergalactic Jet Setters are the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.
This was a dynamic matchup with decent chemistry. The more I set myself to believe that the War Dogs would reign supreme once more, the more my heart skipped with each comeback Knight and KUSHIDA pushed.
TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste) (c) defeated The Rogue Army (Bad Luck Fale and Caveman Ugg) for the IWGP Tag Team Championship
Ugg and Fale were menacing in the opening minutes, just picking apart TMDK with no remorse. Ugg even dispatched Nicholls, throwing his entire weight on him through a table on the outside. Things looked just as dire for Haste, with an impressive Shotgun Boot from Ugg leaving him the worst for wear. Finding enough adrenaline to enact a defense play, Haste gave himself a moment of respite with a Missile Dropkick.
Nicholls, back into the match, felled the giant Ugg with a Spike DDT and slid to topple Fale who was on the outside. The treacherous Ugg nearly squashed both Haste and Nicholls, but a Power Bottom followed by a Thunder Valley helped the champions retain their title.
– Post-Match – Great-O-Khan and HENARE emerged, challenging TMDK for the IWGP Tag Team Championship.
Fale reminds me of that image of Will Smith standing in the empty set of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, representing the original Bullet Club on his own. NJPW certainly plays to his remaining strength, leaving him looking strong. As for Ugg, he made a great first impression and I wouldn’t mind seeing more. I’m forever in awe of how great TMDK is at being underdogs.
Shingo Takagi (c) defeated Ryohei Oiwa for the NEVER Openweight Championship
Oiwa had an early advantage, taking control of Takagi’s left arm, but the veteran champion wrestled it back. Taking Oiwa to the mat, Takagi unleashed a Sliding Pumping Bomber but couldn’t capitalize. Surviving a standing Pumping Bomber and a Made in Japan, Oiwa’s resilience shone through—he refused to go down easily.
Inflicting the Grip and a Doctor Bomb on Takagi while withstanding two Pumping Bombers and a Powerbomb, it seemed like nothing could stop the young challenger. Unfortunately for him, that was not to be; Takagi brought out one more Pumping Bomber, punctuated with a Last of the Dragon for the victory.
– Post-match – Although brief, there was a staredown between Takagi and Kosei Fujita on the outside, seemingly hinting at a future matchup.
Two hosses, tussling and giving everything in the fight to survive. The sky is the limit for Oiwa, but Takagi makes the case for why he should continue holding the NEVER Openweight. One of NJPW’s shining beacons, he must be capitalized on.
Ren Narita defeated Jeff Cobb (c) and Yota Tsuji for the NJPW World TV Championship
Last month’s foes are today’s allies, as Cobb and Tsuji took to chopping down Narita in their conjoined disdain for House of Torture. With him out of the picture, Cobb and Tsuji resumed their feud with the former standing firm like a tree and the latter aiming to be a lumberjack. The work on Narita was not nearly enough, as he targeted Cobb’s left leg before Tsuji broke it up.
Into the crowd, Narita threw Tsuji and Cobb into the wreckage of chairs and of barricades. Cobb stacked Tsuji and Narita on his shoulders atop the uppermost turnbuckle and sent both Reiwa Musketeers plummeting under his body to a thunderous sound. Tsuji curb-stomped Narita during a pin attempt on Cobb and sought a double pin to which both opponents kicked out. A curb stomp to Cobb was thwarted by his own power. Cobb’s first Tour of the Islands was canceled, but a second one found better success; Narita dragged the referee to quell Cobb’s chances and struck him with a bar and a Double-Cross for the 3-count. Ren Narita is now the NJPW World TV Championship.
First and foremost, I loved the element of a third man introduced into the time constraints of a World TV title match. It stacks the odds, increases the risks, and creates further urgency. Admittedly, I’m bummed. I wanted to see who would finally be the better man between Cobb and Tsuji. But without any interference from the House of Torture, Narita won on his own merit (cheating and dirty tactics aside). Jeff Cobb made for an excellent TV champion.
– The Young Bucks pre-taped promo announcing their upcoming appearance at the Wrestle Dynasty crossover event
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shota Umino, & El Phantasmo (with Jado) defeated House of Torture (EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (with Dick Togo))
House of Torture opted for an early beatdown on the babyface team (as is their wont), and despite the latter’s best efforts, the odds were not favorable. Umino turned the tide with a spirited flurry of offense with Tanahashi following suit nearly securing a Senton-laden pin on Takahashi. This momentum was stalled completely with The Ace handicapped by a Dick-to-Dick Contact, with Umino and Phantasmo as his saviors.
Tricking the referee by setting EVIL up to be caught with the signature House of Torture stick, Umino proved to be just enough of a distraction for Tanahashi to drop a High-Fly Flow to secure a pin. The night rang heavy for Tanahashi as he and his teammates celebrated his 25th Anniversary ahead of his and Tomohiro Ishii’s upcoming title match at Royal Quest IV against TMDK.
– Post-match – Tanahashi thanked the crowd, expressing he wanted to keep fighting forever but “the finish line is in sight.” In the ring, he declared January 4, 2026, would be his final match as he held back tears. House of Torture then proceeded to beat him up. Phantasmo attempted a save, but House of Torture tore him down too, with EVIL saying NJPW is his house. Tanahashi doesn’t get to retire without his say-so.
Standard House of Torture fare, but it’s hard to be annoyed or bored when it’s Tanahashi setting up to revel in this career milestone and what’s to come. Thank you, Ace.
DOUKI (c) defeated SHO for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
SHO attacked DOUKI before the match could even start, going so far as to throw Young Lions onto the referee Marty Asami. Taking DOUKI to the ring for further damage to earn an easy, unearned victory, he unmasked the champion, displaying a kishin image of his full face; DOUKI spat red mist in SHO’s face and delivered two Suplex de la Lunas for a quick and decisive win.
– Post-match – Yoshinobu Kanemaru attacked the re-masked DOUKI but a returning black-haired Master Wato made the save. He indicated to DOUKI that he wanted a title match.
This happened as quickly as Mistico vs Hiromu Takahashi did. The added layers to DOUKI’s character are interesting and Master Wato stepping forth with a more subdued presentation is curious.
David Finlay (c) (with Gedo) defeated Hirooki Goto for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
Goto’s offense rang heavy at the start of the match, fueled by the desire to win gold in front of his offspring, but Finlay’s underhanded tactics ended that. The persevering Goto earned himself a reprieve, tossing Finlay to the barricade before his children.
Weakening his challenger, Finlay rested after casting a Northern Irish Curse. After a rapid rush of offense, Finlay survived a reverse GTR with a clothesline and battered Goto while taunting his children. Goto fired back with a lariat. Goto pulled the match in his favor with a series of sleeper holds that he refused to relinquish. Following a brief escape, Goto tried a Ushigoroshi and a GTR to no avail. He tried a Shouten Kai to the same effect. Capitalizing on a Gedo interference, Finlay opted for an Overkill which bore him a successful title retention. Goto’s daughter cried.
– Post-match – Finlay announced that he had a loss he wanted to rectify, against Yuya Uemura but Taichi accepted it instead.
Hirooki Goto always pulls me in. This was a heartbreaking loss.
Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tetsuya Naito (c) for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
No one moved after the bell and still, the crowd voiced their excitement. Upon locking up, Sabre Jr. contorted and twisted Naito with transition after transition. Sabre Jr. continued to work the legs of the champion but temporarily let fury get the best of him once Naito spat in his face. Interestingly, Sabre Jr.’s Article 50 caused Naito to writhe in agony.
Naito shifted the trajectory of the match in his direction, with a Pluma Blanca applied to Sabre Jr.’s shoulders. Targeting the arms and shoulders of Naito in kind, Sabre Jr.’s plans were beginning to pay off. A Tornado DDT disoriented Sabre Jr., sending him to the ropes. A Destino almost put the match to an early end but was ultimately unsuccessful. Trapping the champion into a Clarky Cat and transitioning into another hold, tightening it to gnarly effect; Naito eked out an escape with a rope break. A Gotch-style Piledriver almost gave him the win, but a Destino reached the same effect. A lariat and a Sabre Driver teetered the odds further in the challenger’s favor. Another Sabre Driver later, and Zack Sabre Jr. heads into Royal Quest IV as the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
– Post-match – Zack Sabre Jr. thanked a smiling, bittersweet Tetsuya Naito. Sanada, Shota Umino, and Shingo Takagi entered the ring, all vying to challenge the new champion. Sabre Jr. promised them each a chance — with Sanada getting first dibs at Royal Quest IV. He then told them all to get out and let TMDK celebrate with him.
An absolute thrill. All of Zack Sabre Jr.’s hard work paid off. With AEW’s Bryan Danielson retired from full-time wrestling, the new king of technical wrestling is coronated hitherto as the top champion in NJPW. It’s been a long road to get here, but the Brit has stretched and held his way to heights one could only dream of. The future of NJPW rests on talents like him, Shingo Takagi, and the up-and-comers. As for the match itself, Naito trying desperately to fight beyond his body’s rigors made for a compelling story as a foil to someone who was bound and determined to reach this milestone.
2024’s KOPW was an incredible show. Intergalactic Jet Setters, Ren Narita, and Zack Sabre Jr. becoming champions, Hiroshi Tanahashi announcing his impending in-ring retirement, and The Young Bucks announcing their Wrestle Dynasty appearance combined with the phenomenal matches makes this one of the best events I’ve seen all year. My match of the night is Shingo Takagi vs Ryohei Oiwa, but Zack Sabre Jr. vs Tetsuya Naito is a close second.
The full card for NJPW King of Pro Wrestling has been announced.
The event takes place on October 14 at Ryogoku Sumo Hall. The show will be headlined by G1 winner Zack Sabre Jr. challenging Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. NJPW filled out the rest of the card following Destruction in Kobe yesterday. Now, nine matches, including seven championship bouts, are scheduled for next Sunday’s show.
NJPW King of Pro Wrestling lineup for Monday, October 14:
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito defends against Zack Sabre Jr.
IWGP Global Champion David Finlay defends against Hirooki Goto
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI defends against SHO
Hiroshi Tanahashi’s 25th Anniversary Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shota Umino & El Phantasmo vs EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
NJPW World TV Champion Jeff Cobb defends against Yota Tsuji and Ren Narita in a three-way match
NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi defends against Ryohei Oiwa
IWGP Tag Team Champions Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls defend against Bad Luck Fale & Caveman Ugg
IWGP Junior Tag Team Champions KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight defend against Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors
Hiromu Takahashi vs. Mistico
Following King of Pro Wrestling, NJPW will present Royal Quest IV in London on October 20. Two matches are confirmed for the show including ZSJ vs. SANADA. If ZSJ defeats Naito for the IWGP World title at King of Pro Wrestling, the match against SANADA will be his first title defense. If he doesn’t win the title from Naito, this will be a normal singles match.
NJPW Royal Quest IV announced lineup for October 20, 2024:
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. SANADA
NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste defend against Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii
Zack Sabre Jr. officially isn’t waiting until Wrestle Kingdom to get his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship shot.
NJPW has confirmed that Sabre will challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at King of Pro Wrestling 2024 on October 14. It will likely be Tetsuya Naito vs. Sabre for the championship, though Naito needs to retain against Great-O-Khan in their title match at NJPW Destruction in Kobe next month.
As the G1 Climax winner, Sabre earned the right to challenge for the IWGP World title at Wrestle Kingdom 19 next January. But Sabre decided to go against tradition by declaring that he wanted his title shot at King of Pro Wrestling instead. Sabre said Sumo Hall (where King of Pro Wrestling is being held) is his favorite venue to wrestle, and he wants to be IWGP Champion when NJPW returns to London for its Royal Quest event this October.
Sabre defeated Shingo Takagi in the semifinals and Yota Tsuji in the finals to win the G1 Climax this past weekend.
Naito has been IWGP World Heavyweight Champion since regaining the title from Jon Moxley at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door this June.
This is the first match that’s been announced for King of Pro Wrestling.
NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2024 (Monday, October 14 at Sumo Hall in Tokyo) —
Zack Sabre Jr. challenges either Tetsuya Naito or Great-O-Khan for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
Whatcha gonna do when Roman Reigns is coming for your title reign, brother?
It’s time for a Saturday edition of Wrestling Observer Live.
If undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns was losing either or both of his titles anytime soon, why would WWE need to create a new World Championship?
The new title seems like a signal that Reigns is going to be champion even longer than you might expect. Could he even surpass Hulk Hogan’s first WWE title reign? Hear it explained why you shouldn’t be surprised if it happens.
Plus, the WWE Draft included new picks made overnight, Trinity Fatu made her Impact Wrestling debut, there’s a new King of Pro Wrestling, CM Punk and more.
NJPW has announced the results of fan voting to determine first round stipulations for King of Pro Wrestling 2020 tournament matches.
Fans chose Kazuchika Okada’s suggestion over Yujiro Takahashi’s by a 56 percent to 44 percent margin, so Okada will face Takahashi, Gedo and Jado in a 3-on-1 handicap match. Takahashi’s suggested stipulation was a lumberjack match where the lumberjacks would have been armed with leather belts.
Toru Yano and BUSHI will square off in a two count pinfalls match, Yano’s stipulation. BUSHI had proposed a five count countout match. Yano’s suggestion won 57.2 percent to 42.8 percent.
After a 68.5 percent to 31.5 percent landslide, El Desperado and Satoshi Kojima’s first round match will be a no finishers allowed match. Desperado’s Pinche Loco will be banned, while Kojima cannot use the lariat. Desperado’s stipulation was the winner.
SANADA and SHO both proposed a submission match for their first round battle, so there was no vote taken.
All four matches will be held on Wednesday, August 26 at Korakuen Hall. The show will air live on NJPW World at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.
A triple threat match for the IWGP title headlines this morning’s King of Pro Wrestling event in Sumo Hall.
Kenny Omega will face not one, but two opponents as he faces Cody and Kota Ibushi. The match was set up last week when Cody proposed a solution that would enable Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega to square off, continuing to keep their promise that their next big match would be at the biggest venue possible. The co-main event will feature Hiroshi Tanahashi defend his Wrestle Kingdom 13 IWGP title contract against Jay White.
Other title matches set for this morning include the finals of a IWGP Jr. title tournament where KUSHIDA and Marty Scurll will battle to determine the new champion. The IWGP Jr. tag team titles will also be on the line, as veterans Tiger Mask and Jushin Liger take on champions Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru in the opener.
One of the more intriguing matches in the undercard will be an eight man tag team match with LIJ members taking on CHAOS members. In a video earlier this week, Tetsuya Naito promised that a new “pareja” will team with them at this morning’s show. Let the speculation begin!
Join us for live coverage starting at 4 a.m. EDT. There will be English commentary.
**********
EL DESPERADO & YOSHINOBU KANEMARU DEFEATED JUSHIN LIGER & TIGER MASK TO RETAIN THE IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (9:53)
This was weird for an opener, as the heels won, and they did a bunch of shenanigans and a ref bump. The wrestling itself was fine.
Liger and Tiger Mask got jumped during their entrance. Desperado used a chair on Liger, and Kanemaru sent Tiger into the security fence.
Suzuki-gun finally brought the action into the ring. Desperado and Kanemaru worked over Tiger, and teased taking off his mask. Tiger made a comeback, and tagged Liger. Liger hit a top rope rana on Kanemaru, and cradled Kanemaru for a nearfall.
Liger used an armbar on Kanemaru. Desperado jumped in for the save, and ate a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Tiger got a tag and hit a diving headbutt on Kanemaru for a two count. Desperado got a tag and hit a brainbuster and a spear on Tiger.
Liger came in for the save, but Kanemaru took him out. Tiger hit Desperado with a tiger driver for two. Tiger put Desperado on the top rope, and hit a tiger suplex. He covered, but Kanemaru slid a whiskey bottle in, stopping the count.
Kanemaru spit the whiskey mist in Tiger’s eyes, and the ref took a bump. Liger hit Kanemaru with a somersault senton from the apron to the floor. Tiger got a visual pinfall on Desperado, but the referee was out. Desperado hit a low blow. Desperado hit the pinche loco on Tiger, and got the pin to retain the titles.
TOGI MAKABE & TOMOAKI HONMA DEFEATED JUICE ROBINSON & TOA HENARE (10:21)
A very simple, basic tag match. Honma did more and looked better than he has since his return.
Honma and Henare started off. They hit each other with shoulder tackles. Honma hit a slam, bt missed a kokeshi. Juice tagged in and hit a vertical suplex, but then tagged out immediately. Honma hit a vertical suplex, and both Honma and Henare tagged out.
Honma hit juice with ten punches in the corner, but Juice came back with corner clotheslines, a cannonball, and his jab series. Makabe ducked a jab, hit a lariat, and tagged Honma. Honma hit a bulldog and a kokeshi. Honma hit a lariat and made a cover, but Henare jumped in to break it up.
Honma went up top, but Juice press slammed him to the mat. Juice tagged Henare, who hit a lariat for a two count. Honma hit a diving kokeshi, and tagged Makabe. Henare hit a tackle for a two count.
Makabe hit a lariat on Henare for a one count. Honma jumped in and they hit double lariats. Honma hit a kokeshi, and Makabe hit a king kong knee drop for the pin.
TAMA TONGA, TANGA LOA, BAD LUCK FALE & TAIJI ISHIMORI DEFEATED THE YOUNG BUCKS, CHASE OWENS & HANGMAN PAGE (12:06)
A great match. Everyone looked spectacular.
Owens and Loa started off. They did virtually nothing, before tagging Nick and Ishimori, who did a lightning quick stalemate sequence. All eight men jumped in, and the Elite team hit stereo dropkicks, sending everyone to the floor. Nick hit a senton off the top to the floor. Matt teased a dive, but got tripped.
Loa slammed Matt on the floor, and the OGs turned it into a brawl around ringside. Matt was the legal man, and found himself worked over by Ishimori and Tonga. Matt had his back taped up and was wearing the weight belt. Tonga took the belt off, and Fale ripped the tape off. Fale stood on the back. Tonga hit a stinger splash to the back.
Tonga went for a second splash in the corner, but Matt escaped. He hit a superkick to Loa, and a spear on Tonga, then tagged Page. Page ran wild, hitting a dropkick on Loa into a standing moonsault on Ishimori. Page hit a moonsault from the post to the floor, wiping out the OGs.
Page hit a buckle bomb to Ishimori into double enziguris from the Bucks. Owens hit a backbreaker for a two count. Ishimori slipped going for a handspring kick. Everyone jumped in and hit a big move. Page hit the buckshot lariat. The Bucks double superkicked Fale. Ishimori hit a fantastic twisting plancha to the floor.
Owens escaped a gun stun, and hit a pump kick and a step-up knee on Loa. He went for a package piledriver, but Loa countered, and lifted him into a gun stun from Tonga, and the OGs got the victory.
This served to set up Suzuki and Ishii’s RPW title match next week, and set up Ospreay as a challenger for Taichi. I suppose someone finally realized that maybe, just maybe, the NEVER Openweight title could mean something if it were truly an openweight title, rather than a tertiary heavyweight belt.
Suzuki-gun tried to jump CHAOS at the bell, but CHAOS was ready. Ospreay and Goto ran wild. Suzuki grabbed Goto’s arm and applied an armbar over the ropes, and employed some small joint manipulation on Goto’s fingers. This enabled Suzuki-gun to take over, and it devolved into a wild brawl.
They brawled around ringside, with Suzuki-gun using chairs. They teased a countout, but Goto made it back in at 19. Iizuka bit everyone. Goto made a comeback and hit a brainbuster on Suzuki. Ishii got a tag, and Ishii and Suzuki stood in the center of the ring, trading blows. Suzuki ended up with a bloody mouth. Suzuki blasted Ishii with some short forearms.
Ishii fired back. He teased a brainbuster. Suzuki teased a Gotch. Ishii hit a flying tackle, and they did a double down. Ospreay and Taichi got tags. Ospreay hit pip pip cheerio, and a handspring into a kick. Taichi came back with a high kick. Goto and Ishii got sent to the floor, and Suzuki-gun triple-teamed Ospreay. Taichi hit an axe bomber for a nearfall, but Ishii and Goto made the save.
Taichi took his pants off. Maybe his balls was hot?
Ospreay’s chest was all welted up. Iizuka tried to use the iron hand, and he took the referee. Taichi tried to use the NEVER belt on Ospreay, but Ospreay hit a standing spanish fly. Goto hit an ushigoroshi on Iizuka, while Ishii took Suzuki to the floor.
Ospreay hit the storm breaker on Taichi, and got the pin. They played this up like it was a big deal, and Ospreay said he was next for Taichi.
They played a video package before the next match, teasing the new LIJ member. LIJ did their entrance. Naito cut a promo. He teased that the new member was Milano Collection AT, but Milano denied it. Naito then introduced The Dragon. The Dragon entered, and unmasked as Shingo Takagi, formerly of Dragon Gate.
Takagi and YOH started off. All eight men quickly jumped in. SANADA tied Yano up in the paradise lock over the bottom rope. He then tied YOH up, and dropkicked him into Yano, freeing him. BUSHI hit a missile dropkick, then tagged Naito. YOH hit dragon screws on Naito and BUSHI.
Okada got a tag, and DDT’ed Naito. He followed with a flapjack for a two count. Naito hit an inverted atomic drop and the slingshot dropkick in the corner. Naito and BUSHI hit Okada with basement dropkicks, and picked up a nearfall.
Naito went for gloria, but Okada countered, and hit a dropkick. Naito went for a destino, but Okada countered. Naito hit a flying forearm, into a double down. SHO and BUSHI got tags. SHO hit a spear, then a backstabber, while YOH delivered a dropkick.
SHO and YOH went for a 3K on BUSHI, but he countered, and tagged Takagi. The match broke down, and all eight jumped in. Takagi hit his finish, the last falconry, on SHO for the pin.
ZACK SABRE JR. VS. EVIL NEVER STARTED, WAS RULED A NO CONTEST
EVIL made an entrance with druids. One of the druids jumped him, and unmasked as Chris Jericho. Jericho hit a codebreaker, then laid EVIL out with a belt shot with the Intercontinental title. Jericho took off.
They ruled that EVIL was unable to compete, but Sabre went after him anyway. He applied an armbar, but Naito ran in for the save. Naito hit a swinging DDT on Sabre, and Sabre bailed.
KUSHIDA DEFEATED MARTY SCURLL TO WIN THE VACANT IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (18:34)
This turned into a hell of a match by the end. KUSHIDA’s matches always start slower than I anticipate, but his closing sequences are among the best in the world.
They began with some chain wrestling. KUSHIDA hit a flying armbar, but Scurll turned it into a cradle for a two count. They executed a series of cradles and reversals, ending with Scurll getting a nearfall. KUSHIDA rolled to the floor, and Scurll hit him with a superkick down the line, and he took control of the match.
Back inside, Scurll used a romero special. KUSHIDA came back with a cartwheel dropkick. KUSHIDA went after Scurll’s left arm, trying to soften him up for the hoverboard lock. KUSHIDA went up top, but Scurll cut him off and hit a superplex. KUSHIDA rolled through the superplex into a pinfall, but Scurll kicked out and hit a thrust kick to the side of the head.
Scurll hit a stiff forearm shot, leading to another series of cradles and reversals. Scurll popped out of a cradle and hit a superkick. They traded knee strikes to the head. KUSHIDA hit a bicycle kick, Scurll hit a rebound lariat, and both hit simultaneous overhand chops, leading to a double down.
KUSHIDA hit a cartwheel kick, and Scurll rolled to the floor. KUSHIDA went to the top, but Scurll cut him off, and joined him on the top rope. KUSHIDA slapped on the diablo armbar, and they crashed to the mat. Scurll hit a short slingshot under the bottom rope. He charged at KUSHIDA, but KUSHIDA used a drop toehold to send Scurll into the corner pad.
KUSHIDA went for a back to the future, but Scurll jumped into the chicken wing, locking it on in the center of the ring. KUSHIDA rolled through, but Scurll locked on a hoverboard lock of his own. KUSHIDA kept his hands locked, then escaped. Scurll hit a suplex, dropping KUSHIDA right on his head.
KUSHIDA countered a graduation with an air raid crash. KUSHIDA went for back to the future, but Scurll slipped out and stomped on KUSHIDA’s hand. KUSHIDA tried to lock on the hoverboard, but because of the hand stomp, he couldn’t lock it on.
Scurll hit a powerbomb, then a package driver for a two count. Scurll hit a lariat, and attempted to roll into a chicken wing, but KUSHIDA blocked it. KUSHIDA then hit two back to the futures for the pin, winning the title.
HIROSHI TANAHASHI DEFEATED SWITCHBLADE JAY WHITE TO RETAIN THE TOKYO DOME IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGE RIGHTS CERTIFICATE (20:40)
The match was good for what it was, especially given all the gaga and interference. It featured some incredible work from Tanahashi, but all of that was secondary to the post-match.
White began with some stalling. He rolled to the floor. He came back inside, and they locked up. White broke cleanly on the ropes, but Gedo tripped Tana from the floor. White sent Tana into the fence. Gedo jumped in for a cheap shot, and Tana chased him into the ring. While Gedo took Tana, White hit a chop block, then played air guitar.
White went to work on Tana’s left leg, and played air guitar with it. He pulled Tana to the apron, and worked the leg over on the apron. White posted Tana’s leg, and Gedo used the briefcase on the leg. White sent Tana over the top. Tana kicked off Gedo and skinned the cat, but the interference allowed White to grab the leg and continue working it over.
White sent Tana into the corner, but Tana was able to counter with a dragon screw. Tana hit a scoop slam, second rope senton, and an inverted dragon screw. Tana used a cloverleaf, but White reached the ropes immediately. White Saito suplexed Tanahashi over the top rope to the floor, where he then slammed Tana into the fence.
White pulled a chair from under the ring. As he attempted to bring it inside, Red Shoes stopped him, and Tana hit a dragon screw over the rope. White rolled outside, and Tana hit a high fly flow to the floor. Back inside, Tana went for sling blade, but White cut him off twice. White hit an exploder, into a double down.
They traded short forearms. Tana went to using right hands, but White kicked at the leg. White hit some right hands, but Tana hit a palm strike, then another. They did an insane sequence of reversals, ending with White hitting a right hand. Tana then hit two twist and shouts. He went for a third, but White reversed it into a spinning brainbuster. He went for another, but Tana hit another twist and shout.
Tana hit sling blade. Gedo jumped onto the apron. White went for a blade runner, but Tana turned it into a dragon suplex for two. Tana hit a high fly flow to a standing White. He hit another to a fallen White. Red Shoes counted to two, but Gedo pulled him out of the ring before he could count the pinfall.
Gedo jumped in with brass knuckles. Tana ducked them and KO’ed Gedo, but White hit a low blow, then grabbed a chair. He swung the chair, but Tana ducked it and hit a low blow. Tana slammed White on to the chair. He went for a high fly flow, but White rolled out of the way, and Tana landed on the chair.
White hit a chair shot. Red Shoes was revived. Rather than cover immediately, White tried to hit a blade runner first, allowing Tanahashi to counter with a roll-up for the three count.
White and Gedo assaulted Tana after the match. White went for a blade runner, but Okada ran down for the save. Okada laid out White. Gedo tried to sneak attack him, but Okada fired back. Jado ran in to make the save for his brother, while wearing an Okada shirt. He talked Okada into backing off.
The Bullet Club OGs came to ringside. Fale grabbed Gedo. Tonga grabbed Jado. Okada hit the ropes to hit Gedo, but Tonga hit him with a gun stun. Gedo, Jado, Loa, Tonga, Fale, Ishimori, and White, all threw up the too sweet, and White hit a blade runner on Okada.
So, White, Gedo, and Jado have aligned themselves with the Bullet Club.
After the Bullet Club scattered, Tana got back into the ring, and stood over Okada. He didn’t help him to his feet, and was then helped to the back by the Young Lions, who then escorted Okada to the back.
KENNY OMEGA DEFEATED CODY & KOTA IBUSHI TO RETAIN THE IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (34:14)
This was intricately laid out. There was no absence of ring psychology here, and the underlying story of the match was the complications that Omega and Ibushi’s relationship brought to the bout.
That said, it was primarily about all three guys trying to win the championship, and there were approximately six billion moves. Omega was slightly less crisp than his impossible standard, but still incredible. Ibushi and Cody were excellent. The crowd wasn’t into it in some stretches, but they were into it at the end.
Cody sent Ibsuhi to the floor, and hit Omega with his dropdown right hand. Omega rolled to the floor, and Ibushi jumped back in. Ibushi hit a dropkick. Omega jumped back in and hit a kotaro krusher. Ibushi covered, but Omega pulled him off. Omega covered, and Ibushi pulled him off.
Cody hit a gutbuster on Omega, who sold his right shoulder. cody rolled to the floor and hit Ibushi with a gutbuster on the floor. He jumped back in and hit Omega with a knee to the gut, before jumping back outside. Ibushi ran at Cody, and Cody sent him over the fence, into the crowd.
While Ibushi sold his knee outside, Cody jumped back in and hit a running knee strike on Omega, picking up a two count. Omega hit a snap rana, sending Cody to the floor. Omega hit the rise of the terminator.
All three men climbed back inside. Omega hit you can’t escpae. Ibushi hit a moonsault. Omega went for a one-winged angel on Ibushi, but Ibushi slipped out. Cody hit a powerslam on Omega. Ibushi hit a powerslam on Cody, then a moonsault for a two count.
Cody talked Omega into trying a double brainbuster on Ibushi, but as they lifted him, Cody rolled up Omega for two. Omega and Cody traded strikes, and Cody applied a figure four. While they sat in the figure four, Ibushi hit both with kicks, then hit a standing moonsault on Omega for a nearfall.
Ibushi went for a moonsault on Cody, but Cody got the knees up. Omega hit a snap dragon on Cody, side-stepped a disaster kick, then gave Cody a snap dragon. Omega went for a v-trigger, but Ibushi hit him with a dropkick. Cody hit Ibushi with a springboard dropkick, then hit a hammerlock DDT for a nearfall.
Omega rolled to the floor. Cody hit a suicide dive to Omega. Ibushi teased a golden triangle on both, but Cody cut him off. He teased a cross Rhodes on the apron, but Omega grabbed him and powerbombed him through the announce table. Ibushi then hit a twisting springboard moonsault to the floor on Omega.
Ibushi had a chance to try a springboard maneuver on Omega, but stepped inside and dared Omega to lock up instead. They locked up, then traded strikes. They exchanged front kicks, then Ibushi hit a combination. Omega countered with a snap dragon. They did a series of reversals, and Omega hit a v-trigger. Omega went for a rana, but Ibushi flipped out, landed on his feet, and hit a thunderous lariat.
Ibushi teased a phoenix splash, but Cody shoved him from the top to the floor. Cody hit a canadian destroyer for a two count on the champion. Cody teased din’s fire, but ate a wheel kick to the back of the head. Omega hit a v-trigger, sending Cody into the corner pad.
Omega teased a top rope dragon suplex. Ibushi cut him off. Omega recovered. Ibushi hit a kick to the back. Ibushi teased lawn darting Omega, but Omega buckle bombed Ibushi into Cody. Omega hit a package driver for two on Ibushi. WIth Cody tied to the tree of woe, Ibushi lawn darted Omega into Cody.
They did a take on the stacked up superplex spot, with Omega hitting a springboard sunset flip. He didn’t quite execute it perfectly. Omega hit both with v-triggers. Cody lifted Omega into a german from Ibushi, but then broke up the ensuing pinfall. With Omega on the apron, Cody hit him with a disaster kick. He went for a table, but it was on the other side of the ring, so he went to the other side of the ring and set up a table.
Omega went for a springboard attack, but Cody pushed him off, and he went through the table. Ibushi hit a superplex, but Cody rolled through into a cradle for a two count. Cody went for a disaster kick, but Ibushi hit him with a kick. Ibushi hit a sit-out powerbomb for a two count.
Ibushi hit a straightjacket suplex, but didn’t have Cody’s shoulders down. He slid to a lateral press for a two count, but Omega grabbed Red Shoes’ hand, holding up the count. The crowd had not really been into the match for some time, but that spot got them back into it.
Omega tried to apologize to Ibushi, but Ibushi hit him with a palm strike. Omega hit a desperation single-leg, but Ibushi ended up on top. Ibushi slipped to mount, and hit Omega with a series of closed fists. Ibushi hit a bomaye for a two count.
Ibushi teased a kamigoye, but Cody pulled him to the floor. Cody hit a cross Rhodes and made a cover on Omega, but Ibushi hit a double foot stomp, breaking it up. Cody hit a second cross Rhodes, and the crowd bought it as a finish, but Omega kicked out at two.
Cody hit din’s fire on Ibushi, but Omega broke up the pin. Cody went outside and grabbed a chair, but settled on using his US title belt as a weapon. He tossed the belt to Nick Jackson, then grabbed the chair again. Omega laid over Ibushi, begging Cody not to hit him.
He kicked off Cody, who rolled to the floor, then hit a v-trigger on Ibushi. He followed with a jay driller for two, then hit the one-winged angel for the pin.
After the match, Omega said that he wouldn’t address the crowd until Ibushi could get to his feet. Ibushi got up.
Omega told him that he loved him. He told Cody that he loved him and his dog, too. He told the Bucks that he loved them.
Just as he was about to goodbye and goodnight, Tanahashi appeared. Omega offered him the microphone. Tana said he was angry, but that they shouldn’t settle their differences today, but rather at the Tokyo Dome.
