Tag: NJPW Wrestle Dynasty

Rocky Romero wants future Wrestle Dynasty events to be ‘an even bigger celebration’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Rocky Romero would like for future Wrestle Dynasty events to be an even bigger celebration of all the promotions involved.

The first-ever Wrestle Dynasty took place from the Tokyo Dome on January 5. Presented by NJPW, it was a collaborative event that also featured talent from AEW, Stardom, CMLL, and ROH. The top two matches on the card were Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ricochet and Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd.

Romero holds a Vice President title in both NJPW and AEW, playing a key role backstage in addition to competing in the ring. He also helps with CMLL behind the scenes and was involved in the planning of Wrestle Dynasty.

Appearing as the guest on AEW Unrestricted this week, Romero addressed how future collaborative events like a potential second Wrestle Dynasty could be improved. Romero said he sees a lot of potential in the Wrestle Dynasty concept. He would like to see more talent involved in the future with all of the promotions getting the chance to put their best foot forward.

“I think in the future I would like to see even more of a celebration of each company,” Romero said. “We had the lucha gauntlet, but I would like to see now, like, CMLL talent going for different titles. Whether they’re AEW titles or defending CMLL titles there, which I think would be really cool and really special because we haven’t seen that in a while. Maybe [we] get a glimpse of it once a year when CMLL visits and they do Fantasticamania in Japan.

“I was glad that we had Ring of Honor involved, but I think that’s another thing that we could have. Imagine if [Chris] Jericho defended the Ring of Honor World Championship? That would be cool. You know, there’s a couple of other people that New Japan is working with. Maple Leaf Wrestling, I think that there’s something to do there with Scott D’Amore. I would like to really just make it an even bigger celebration the next time we do it. And really involve more talent and really see more use of everybody’s best foot forward or like best features, you know?”

AEW and NJPW are set to collaborate again with their annual Forbidden Door event taking place from London this summer. The date for that show is Sunday, August 24.

Jon Moxley says he’ll send an emissary for Shota Umino at NJPW Wrestle Dynasty

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Jon Moxley isn’t pleased with Shota Umino.

A video aired during Fighting Spirit Unleased on Friday showed Jon Moxley upset at Umino and accused him of heading down a dark path, saying he’s not mad, he’s disappointed. Moxley said he would send an emissary to the Tokyo Dome and said they would continue to work on molding Umino to become the champion Moxley knows Umino can be.

Umino already has plans for January 4 at Wrestle Kingdom 19, where it was made official this week that he would challenge Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight title. The two had a confrontation last weekend at Power Struggle with Umino issuing the challenge. Ricochet appeared in a surprise and attacked Sabre, setting up a match for Wrestle Dynasty. Umino attempted to help Sabre up to his feet, but Sabre ended up attacking Umino in response. Umino retaliated by laying out Sabre and posing over him with the IWGP World Heavyweight title.

Moxley has served as an inspiration for Umino since his young lion days, referring to him as ‘shooter’. Umino has adopted that nickname since returning to NJPW upon the conclusion of his excursion.

First match set for NJPW Wrestle Dynasty

Posted on by Ethan Renner

NJPW has revealed the first match for its Wrestle Dynasty joint show with AEW, ROH, CMLL, and Stardom set for January 5.

Current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. will face AEW’s Ricochet at Wrestle Dynasty in the first match official for the Sunday, January 5, 2025 card at the Tokyo Dome, the second of two consecutive nights at the Dome. Wrestle Kingdom 19 will be held the day prior.

Sabre is set to main event Wrestle Kingdom 19, defending the IWGP World Heavyweight title against Shota Umino on the card in a new match announced at Wednesday’s Wrestle Kingdom 19 presser.

No announcement has been made as to whether or not Sabre’s title will be on the line should he retain at Wrestle Kingdom.

The updated cards for Wrestle Kingdom and Wrestle Dynasty:

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19, Saturday, January 4, 2025 —

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Shota Umino
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL
  • IWGP Global Champion David Finlay defends against Yota Tsuji
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI defends against El Desperado
  • NJPW World TV Champion Ren Narita defends against Jeff Cobb & Ryohei Oiwa in a three-way
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight defend against Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita, TJP & Francesco Akira, and Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney in a four-way

NJPW Wrestle Dynasty, Sunday, January 5, 2025 —

  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ricochet

AEW star issues IWGP World Heavyweight title challenge for NJPW Wrestle Dynasty

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Zack Sabre Jr. has his hands full in January.

After Shota Umino issued a challenge to Sabre following his successful IWGP World Heavyweight title defense at Power Struggle, Ricochet’s AEW music suddenly played. From behind, Ricochet springboarded off the ropes and laid out Sabre. He then cut a promo saying it’s been six years since he’s been in New Japan and wanted a shot at Sabre’s title, issuing the challenge for January 5 at Wrestle Dynasty. 

Ricochet then said he was going to give Sabre a parting gift as he went to the corner. Umino, who had left the ring, came back and made the save for Sabre. He attempted to help Sabre back on his feet, but Sabre attacked Umino in response and turned his focus back on Ricochet. An unhappy Umino then attacked Sabre and posed with the IWGP World Heavyweight title as the Wrestle Kingdom theme played.

On social media, Ricochet responded to his surprise appearance, writing: “Had to remind the world that I’m still the f****** man around here.”

After leaving WWE earlier this year, Ricochet made his debut for AEW at All In back in August. In recent weeks, he has focused on Konosuke Takeshita and the AEW International Championship, making a surprise appearance at a Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling event last month. He and a mystery partner will face Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher this Wednesday on Dynamite.

NJPW announces Forbidden Door-esque Wrestle Dynasty event with AEW, CMLL & ROH

Posted on by Josh Nason

Yet another door is opening up in pro wrestling as NJPW has announced their own version of Forbidden Door for this January.

During Sunday’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, a NJPW promo aired for Wrestle Dynasty on Sunday, January 5th — the day after their annual Wrestle Kingdom event at the Tokyo Dome where both events will now take place.

In the promo, AEW, Ring of Honor, CMLL and Stardom were featured in addition to shots of AEW stars like Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada.

In the clip, it was stated “The door finally opens on Japan.”

Announced in February 2020, Wrestle Dynasty was originally slated as a supershow to be held in 2021 at Madison Square Garden and was to be the company’s first-ever independently promoted event in the venue. However, the pandemic resulted in several delays and eventually the show’s cancellation.

NJPW has been no stranger to cross promotion through the years, proven by their third-such event with AEW at Forbidden Door and several Multiverse events with Impact Wrestling and their long-running Fantastica Mania events with CMLL.