Category: NJPW News & Results

Matt Riddle, controversial past and all, looks to start anew with MLW

Does Matt Riddle understand why WWE let him go? Ahead of his MLW debut, he says he does.

Matt Riddle estimates he hasn’t had this much time off since he was 21 years old.

In the last three months, the now 37-year-old has been paid by WWE to sit at home and do nothing related to professional wrestling thanks to a 90-day non-compete clause that was triggered once the company released him back in September.

Riddle’s release marked the end of a run that featured its share of professional highs and personal lows. The most recent low was an incident at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York that occurred shortly before his release, where Riddle was seen on video being belligerent to airport staff.

The release, although abrupt in nature, was not a complete surprise to Riddle. He understood why.

“I think they were just sick of my shit at times,” he said during a phone interview with Wrestling Junkie.

And there was a lot of excrement to sort through. Between a sexual assault allegation and subsequent lawsuit that was eventually dropped and issues with substance abuse, the sudden end to Riddle’s WWE tenure gave him the time to go home, spend more time with his growing family (he welcomed his fourth child to the world in late 2023), hit the reset button and start anew. It is badly needed, as his reputation amongst wrestling fans has taken a serious hit.

The next chapter of Riddle’s wrestling journey begins at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 6, where he is scheduled to face Jacob Fatu at Major League Wrestling’s Kings of Colosseum. It will be Riddle’s first non-WWE match in more than five years.

Also on the card will be an MLW World Heavyweight title bout with Alex Kane defending against Richard Holliday and a match between Japanese wrestling legend Satoshi Kojima and former Impact World Champion Sami Callihan that will air on “MLW Fusion.”

“MLW, before I signed with WWE, was probably the most professional place I worked,” Riddle said. “They were always on the level. I felt like they had great stories and a good process of how they did everything.”

“I think I’m going to be able to show a side of me that I haven’t been able to show in a long, long time,” he later said.

The wrestling landscape is far different from the one Riddle left behind when he signed with WWE in 2018. Back then, the independent scene was thriving, in large part due to up-and-coming wrestlers like Riddle.

Today, the independent scene is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and a good chunk of the goodwill Riddle garnered during his time as an independent wrestler has diminished.

The former WWE United States Champion may be looking to start anew, but that does not mean his slate has been completely wiped clean. Riddle’s controversial reputation has followed him to MLW. It has also cast a shadow on his upcoming appearance for New Japan Pro Wrestling, who aired a video of him challenging the iconic Hiroshi Tanahashi to a future match. 

The video was posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, and judging by the replies, it is clear that there is at least a portion of the wrestling fan base that has yet to forgive Riddle for his past transgressions.

Riddle, who began his career in professional wrestling after being fired from UFC for being “a moron,” according to company president Dana White, understands the narrative surrounding him at the moment and chalks some of it up to his own doing. But he also points to members of the wrestling media/zeitgeist, who in his mind, put his name in stories merely as a way to drive engagement and not because it is the cold, hard truth.

It is something that Riddle admits he didn’t always handle well during his time in WWE.

“As a WWE superstar, you know, it’s one of those weird things,” Riddle recalls. “Even when you’re growing up and you’re training to do this stuff and you’re just sitting around with guys that have done it, and they’re like ‘Hey, just be careful, you know, when you’re making it to the top or you’re trying to. People will come out of the woodwork and try to hurt you and try to ruin your career or this, that and the other thing.’

“For me, I’d be like, ‘No way! That’s crazy!’ But then as you grow older and you start working your way up the card and you’re in WrestleManias and everything else, you start to notice that if people don’t get what they want from you, they will try to do that. I feel like that happens more so when you’re under that magnifying glass of a company like WWE. And that’s not a knock on them. It’s a good thing, I guess, in the sense of the attention and stuff like that. But also at the same time with professional wrestling fans — whether you have people writing articles or doing stories — the fans … they believe a lot. ”

“That was the most stressful thing,” he later added. “Anything can be blown out of proportion and look a certain way and you’ve got a bunch of other people speculating on the internet. That was probably the hardest part.”

As an example, Riddle points to a recent report that he cut his hair. Riddle claims he has not cut any inches off his hair and has no idea where the story came from. Riddle says his mother even called him to ask if he had, in fact, cut his hair, to which he said he hadn’t. Judging by the video of Riddle New Japan aired during its New Year Dash event, it looks like he is still sporting his trademark locks.

The way Riddle looks at it, it’s just the latest case of someone wanting to put his name in a story for the wrong reasons.

“Unfortunately, other people look at it differently,” he explained. “Other people aren’t as smart or educated and they’re not me. They don’t live my story or my situation. It’s kind of hard. They just hear what people say. For me, for the most part, I’m not going to go on the internet and defend myself. I feel like, ‘What’s the point?’”

“If it was, I don’t know, not true or exaggerated or whatever it is, I have no idea how I should even go about doing this in 2024. So I kind of just sit back and let people do whatever they want. At the end of the day, people are going to do what they want, and I always look at it as the cream always rises to the top. As long as I work hard and put my best effort forward and I’m nice to people, usually things work out.”

While the haircut story is apparently fake news, the UFC firing, the WWE wellness policy suspensions and eventual firing, and his belligerent behavior at JFK was not. These were, in fact, true events. But what has Riddle taken away from all of this?

“I took away a lot of lessons, but would I go back and change anything? No.” he said. “Everything happens for a reason. Just like when I got fired by the UFC for a reason so I could make it to WWE and I got fired from WWE for a reason so I can do something else.”

“For me, I need the rainy days to enjoy the sunny ones,” he later added.

Matt Riddle challenges Hiroshi Tanahashi, who responds ‘I have no idea who that guy is’

The Ace and president of New Japan said he’d have to do some research to figure out who Matt Riddle is.

It doesn’t look like there will be any rest for President Ace, as Hiroshi Tanahashi had to defend his newly won NJPW World Television Championship against Ryusuke Taguchi at New Year Dash. But it was what happened afterward that has NJPW fans and wrestling observers talking.

With Tanahashi still in the ring at Sumida City Gymnasium in Tokyo, the crowd went quiet as a video played. It was a challenge to the Ace from Matt Riddle, who introduced himself and said he’d see the NJPW president “soon.”

While many fans are familiar with Riddle from his time in WWE (which came to an end with his release last fall), Tanahashi was apparently not.

“Any time, I will do it,” Tanahashi said afterward. “But I have no idea who that guy is.”

Happily, Tanahashi added that he would “have to go back and do some research,” so he’ll know all about Riddle before they meet up in the ring.

What wasn’t immediately clear is where Tanahashi and Riddle might face off, as NJPW has big events coming up in both Japan and the U.S. over the next few months. Battle in the Valley in San Jose seems a little too soon since it’s just over a week from now on Jan. 13, though other matches were made for the event at New Year Dash — including Jon Moxley vs. Shingo Takagi in a No DQ showdown.

NJPW has its series of The New Beginning shows in Osaka and Sapporo in February, then just announced Windy City Riot in Chicago for April 12. Regardless of where it takes place, a Tanahashi-Riddle match will be exciting for some, distressing to others, and definitely not something anyone would have predicted for 2024 even a few months ago.

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NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 results: Tetsuya Naito achieves his destiny, defeating Sanada

Tetsuya Naito claimed the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the main event at Wrestle Kingdom 18.

The crowd sounds like it is very much behind Tetsuya Naito as he makes his way down the ramp. His narrative as painted by the announcers is that his previous moments of potential glory were mostly spoiled by the pandemic and injury, giving him one more chance for that ultimate moment here.

Sanada has a good story too, with Chris Charlton putting him over as the selfless warrior who puts team and fans over himself. Will he claim his biggest win ever for himself tonight?

Neither man rushes in when the bell rings, and the first exchanges of holds is very even on the feet and the mat. The fans applaud their stalemate.

They work over to the ropes, where Red Shoes is keeping a careful eye, and Sanada makes an acrobatic save when he sees Naito has wandered away from a potential dive to the floor. The champ holds the ropes for the challenger to return to the ring. Gentlemanly.

An exchange of strikes breaks out, with Naito getting the best of it. A neckbreaker from a hip toss gets the challenger the upper hand, and he capitalizes with more elbows in the corner and a flurry of offense that leads to a low dropkick to the back of Sanada’s head.

Some mat work by Okada forces Sanada to get a rope break. Naito stomps his back before they trade more strikes. Sanada fights back with a low dropkick to the knees and a backdrop suplex.

Two leapfrogs set up a dropkick in a classic sequence for Sanada, and a plancha is right on the money. Some fans come to life for that, as well as for the champ’s springboard dropkick. A TKO gets a two count for the champ, who goes right back to work by locking in Skull End. Finally, Naito is able to get a boot to the bottom rope for a break.

Sanada’s moonsault finds no one home, and Naito smiles as he executes a dropkick to knock the champ to the floor unexpectedly. The challenger hangs Sanada’s legs on the barricade to deliver a neckbreaker, and it’s no shock to see the champ holding his neck in pain.

The ref starts a 20 count that reaches 18 before Sanada gets back in the ring … only to feel Naito’s knee in his neck again. A Frankensteiner hurls the champ from the top rope, a good sign for Naito. Sanada fires right back with a dropkick and elevated DDT, and now both men are on the canvas gathering their wits.

Sanada kips up and hits a poison rana/shining wizard combo. Up top for a moonsault he goes, but Naito knows it’s coming and gets his knees up perfectly.

Naito hammers away with strikes until Sanada is face down on the canvas. Esperanza is on target, as well as Destino. The fans like that, but a second Destino is countered by a TKO.

Who will get up first? It’s Sanada, who almost overshoots a moonsault but lands on Naito’s back. A second to the front side of the challenger also hits, but Naito kicks out at two.

It’s Naito’s turn to rally, but he can’t pull off another Destino. The challenger waves in the champ and does hit Destino. A third doesn’t quite connect cleanly, so it’s appropriate that Sanada kicks out.

He looks for more offense but is greeted by Deadfall instead. The fans are at full throat as both men are back down with Red Shoes checking in.

A palm strike is answered by a rolling elbow, and Sanada hits his own Destino. Naito fires back with a rolling kick and a tornado DDT. Sanada rolls back into a bridge off the ropes and gets amazingly close without hearing the three.

The champ’s shining wizard has him looking for Deadfall, but Naito counters with one of his own. A brainbuster has Naito pointing to the stars, and a devastating Destino ends it, making Naito the world champ.

But Naito’s moment of triumph was brief, as he gets attacked from behind by EVIL and Dick Togo. “I won’t let you have your roll call,” says EVIL. Sanada attacks EVIL, however, and Togo, and the fans come to life for the aid he gives the man who just defeated him.

With Sanada finally on his way out, Naito gives him props, saying he’s only holding the mic right now because of him. The new champ says LIJ supporters will have an even better year in 2024 and finally gets to lead the huge roll call he’s always wanted to do.

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NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 results: Kazuchika Okada gets payback against Bryan Danielson

Rainmaker over American Dragon? It turned out that way at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18.

Here we go, this should be excellent, and both men have their supporters in the crowd. The announcers remind us that Bryan Danielson (still sporting the patch over his left eye) has promised to break the arm of Kazuchika Okada to prevent him from using the Rainmaker, so we’ll see if that plays out.

Danielson takes some shots while they have a test of strength, then a forearm off the ropes. A hip attack and a kick to the gut lead to a DDT, and Okada covers for a two count.

Okada’s sliding dropkick is right on Danielson’s injured eye and he slides out to the floor. Okada hits a DDT out there, but his running start is greeted by a jumping knee shot. Danielson wraps his opponent’s right arm in the barricade and smashes the gate into it before playing to the crowd.

Back into the ring they go, with Danielson working over the arm and mixing in strikes. A Northern Lights suplex is next on the menu, good for a two count. Danielson yells that he’s going to break Okada’s arm, and he drives knees into it on his quest to do just that.

Danielson piles on the agony by working on the arm and even fingers, then dismissively kicks his opponent in the gut. A running dropkick to the arm connects, then another.

Okada finally connects on a big boot to stop the onslaught. Danielson fires a kick to the arm but takes an air raid crash in return.

Okada’s attempt to go to the top rope is met with uppercuts. Danielson climbs and gets double underhooks in for a butterfly superplex. He floats into a LeBell Lock attempt, but Okada gets his boot on the ropes.

Out on the apron, Danielson kicks the arm and slaps the face. The Rainmaker manages to summon the strength for a Tombstone on the apron, and both men are slow to rise.

Okada finally has some momentum and uses it to grind his boot in Danielson’s face before hitting his signature dropkick. A body slam is next, and while he drops the top rope elbow, his arm is in misery.

Okada signals for the Rainmaker anyway, but it’s countered by a crucifix pin attempt. A kick catches Okada’s arm again, and Danielson fires himself up to get back to his feet. He drops hammer and anvil elbows on Okada, but all that does is seem to make him angry.

A Busaiku Knee connects, and Danielson gets close to ending it. He applies the LeBell Lock, though it doesn’t look super tight and Okada is inching toward the ropes. Danielson rolls his shoulders onto the mat and gets Okada’s arms trapped behind him. How can Okada escape this predicament?

Red Shoes seems to think Okada is fading, but instead he reaches the bottom rope with a boot. All that gets him is his arms trapped while boots rain down on his face. He finally has enough and drops the American Dragon with a Rainmaker, ailing arm be damned.

Both men seem content to exchange kicks. A forearm from Okada finally drops Danielson, but he makes a mistake leaning down and has to battle back with more forearms and a German suplex.

Danielson uses more kicks and a forearm to set up another Busaiku Knee. He’s up first, doing the “Yes” chant but missing another knee. A series of counters leads to a dropkick and slam by Okada, as well as another Rainmaker. Even while in agony, he makes the cover and hears the count reach three.

After the bell, both men bow to each other in the ultimate sign of respect, then shake hands with their left hands.

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NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 results: Finlay goes Global, outlasting Moxley, Ospreay

See how David Finlay prevailed against two top stars at Wrestle Kingdom 18.

Quite the contrast in styles between these three as they make their entrances. David Finlay is low key menace. Jon Moxley has a mask on like the Red Hood of DC Comics fame. And Will Ospreay makes his way in to an extra dose of orchestral showmanship before his normal theme hits.

Ospreay and Moxley seem to agree to take out Finlay as they talked about at the press conference, backing the Bullet Club leader into the corner and taking turns stomping him. He tries to rush out and eventually ducks out to the floor … but the other two men meet him there and crotch him on the barricade, where he also takes a lariat from Mox.

Things don’t get much better for Finlay as the fight goes further out into the crowd, and Moxley is able to suplex him on the floor right in front of the announcers. Mox gets out a table, and Finlay is quickly sent through it by both of his enemies.

That allows Ospreay and Moxley to settle things between themselves in the ring for a bit, where they trade strikes and suplexes. Mox rains down right hands in the corner, then rakes Ospreay’s back in the opposite corner until he gets a thrust kick to the face.

Moxley counters an Oscutter with a suplex, then shrugs off a standing Spanish Fly to try for an armbar. He switches to a triangle choke, shrugs off a buckle bomb and runs over Ospreay with a lariat.

The battle goes to the apron, where Ospreay is back dropped before Finlay finally rejoins the fray and runs Moxley into the post. Ospreay smacks Finlay with a hook kick but is taken right back down with a shillelagh-assisted neckbreaker.

Moxley is bleeding now, to no one’s surprise, and Finlay is just making it worse. Way worse. Mox finally suplexes his way out of trouble, but now Ospreay is back for a back handspring double kick.

Ospreay runs off Moxley’s back to elbow Finlay, and after seeing Mox deliver a tope suicida to Finlay, he one ups them with a moonsault that offers a pretty hard landing for the Aerial Assassin.

A right hand from Mox greets Ospreay as he springboards back into the ring, and a Death Rider comes close to winning it for Moxley. A bulldog choke comes right in its wake, as well as hammer and anvil elbows.

Moxley goes back to the choke, then bites Ospreay on the face. Finlay comes in and gets piledriven right onto Ospreay’s chest; Mox covers Ospreay and gets two.

Moxley decides to throw a bunch of chairs into the ring, then into the faces of his foes. He sets two chairs up back to back, but he’s the one who ends up feeling the pain thanks to Finlay, who also uses a Dominator on Ospreay to smash Mox and cover him for a near fall.

Ospreay counters Oblivion with a Stundog Millionaire, setting off a series of moves by all three men in turn. Finlay throws Ospreay out of the ring after a Hidden Blade on Mox, trying in vain to steal the win.

Oblivion comes for Moxley, and suddenly all three men are breaking up each other’s pinfalls. No one is particularly quick to get off the mat, however.

Forearm shots are flying in every direction, but Finlay is between a rock and a hard place. A defiant middle finger salute and expletive only ensures both his opponents will focus on him. Just when it looks bleakest, the War Dogs hit the ring, quickly overpowering Ospreay and choking Moxley.

Moxley and Ospreay finally recover enough to dish out punishment to the War Dogs as the 20-minute mark passes. If that isn’t enough, Ospreay hits a Swanton Bomb to send both War Dogs through the tables, or partway through at least.

Back in the ring, Mox gives Finlay two Death Riders, and Ospreay hits the Hidden Blade and Stormbreaker on Moxley. Finlay executes Oblivion on Ospreay and looks like he’s stolen it, and is frustrated when it’s only for two.

Lifting Ospreay up, Finlay drops him down for a knee to the face, and the Rebel Club boss is the first ever Global Heavyweight Champion.

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NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 results: El Desperado dethrones Hiromu Takahashi

El Desperado became the new IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom 18.

Is this the night for El Desperado? The English announce team talks up his journey while he makes his way to the ring. He’s not nearly as colorfully attired as Hiromu Takahashi, but who is?

Takahashi doesn’t even make it to the ring before he’s greeted by his flying challenger, who also quickly covers for two. After slamming the champ down, Desperado tries to fly from the top, but Hiromu rolls away and lands a low dropkick.

Off the apron comes Hiromu, blasting Desperado back into the barricade and beyond. The masked man is thrown all the way into the barricade on the other side of the ring as the ref implores them to take it back inside the ring.

Takahashi smashes his challenger into the corner pads, but he eats a spinebuster and has to kick out at two. Desperado transitions right into a stretch muffler, and Hiromu has to dive for the ropes to secure a break.

Desperado starts working over the champ’s left leg, battering the knee and hitting a sitout powerbomb for a near fall. Up kicks don’t stop Desperado, but a backdrop counter does.

A wheelbarrow flatliner allows Hiromu to earn a reprieve, though he’s grasping his left knee as his foe tends to his own left eye. A superkick and a rebound German suplex both land for the champ, but Desperado counters right back into the stretch muffler. Hiromu is finally able to pull himself up and into a Destroyer (somehow), followed by a clothesline.

A Time Bomb gives Hiromu a chance to cover for a two count. He gets Desperado up in on his shoulders but ends up backing the challenger onto the top rope. Desperado spins him into a belly to back superplex, and both men are slowed by that impact.

A flurry of strikes sends Hiromu to the mat, but he bounces back for two thrust kicks and a running lariat. Desperado manages to slam the champ once and follow with Pinche Loco, but Takahashi kicks out at two.

Hiromu nearly rolls up Desperado for the pin, but the challenger gets the double underhooks in and delivers the Pinche Loco two more times, and that proves to be the winning combination for El Desperado to claim the gold.

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Nic Nemeth, the former Dolph Ziggler, makes Wrestle Kingdom appearance

A face familiar to WWE fans made a surprise appearance at the Tokyo Dome, throwing hands with David Finlay.

Could the next move for the former Dolph Ziggler be to Japan?

Nic Nemeth, who was known by that name during his lengthy stint in WWE, only recently became a free agent after his release from said stint in September 2023. There’s been plenty of speculation about where he might turn up next, and that just got ratcheted up a notch thanks to what occurred at Wrestle Kingdom 18 at the Tokyo Dome on Jan. 4.

Right before the Winners Take All tag team title match between Bishamon and Guerillas of Destiny, Nic Nemeth and brother Ryan (most recently seen in AEW) were shown making their way to “VIP seats,” as the English language announce team called them.

Nic Nemeth would be an especially good get for New Japan, particularly if he were to compete in cards in the U.S. The announcers continued to discuss the Nemeth brothers during the tag team title match, but his real moment came after the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship match.

The winner, David Finlay, made a point of stopping in front of the Nemeths. After exchanging words with Nic Nemeth, Finlay shoves him, leading to a brawl that needed to be broken up.

Nic Nemeth also ran toward the back while Finlay was leaving the ring area, with the English announcers saying they were continuing to fight.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 results: Tama Tonga slays the Dragon, reclaims NEVER title

Tama Tonga took down Shingo Takagi in an excellent title match at Wrestle Kingdom 18.

Tama Tonga never takes his eyes off Shingo Takagi as the champ is introduced, staring him down before the bell rings. They go right to the center of the ring to trade shots, with Tonga finally emerging with the upper hand thanks to a dropkick.

Tama charges into the corner with a lariat and bounces right back from a suplex to execute one of his own. Another one tosses Shingo overhead, and the challenger covers for a near fall.

Shingo finally halts his opponent’s momentum with a series of head shots, bouncing his own head off the top of the turnbuckle pad to fire himself up. That works until he misses a standing senton, but Shingo is able to send Tonga to the floor and hit him with a tope con hilo. A high angle suplex back in the ring gets a two count for the champion, and he makes his famous exclamation to the camera.

Both men ascend briefly, but it’s Tama who hits a neckbreaker off the middle rope. They trade forearm shots and right hands, with Tonga emerging from the scuffle to look for Supreme Flow only to be met in the corner by the champ.

Shingo climbs to drop Tonga down with a big superplex. He looks for Made in Japan but is countered by a Tongan Twist. The Supreme Flow is on target, but Shingo kicks at two.

Tonga pounds the mat, perhaps signaling for the Gun Stun. The Dragon has counters ready for everything, and he powerbombs Tama and stacks him to get very close to a win.

A running lariat sends Tama back down as the champ gets the fans fired up. But Tonga is able to pull off a pretty impressive counter Gun Stun, leaving both men on the canvas.

A big right hand is answered by Bloody Sunday, but Shingo pops out of the cover at one. Tonga is unfazed and smashes home a running lariat, but his double underhooks are reversed into a bridging near fall.

After Tonga hits a forearm shot, Shingo surprises him with a Gun Stun, a clothesline and Made in Japan … and somehow that doesn’t win it. Made in Japan again? He has to settle for forearms and clotheslines, sending Tama to his knees.

Shingo gets his foe lifted, finally, but Tama counters with a Styles Clash and Gun Stun. Except now it’s his time to be shocked it doesn’t finish the match.

You know what will? A DSD, and that indeed does the trick to make Tama a champion again.

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NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 results: President, Ace, Champion as Hiroshi Tanahashi pins Zack Sabre Jr.

Hiroshi Tanahashi is wearing singles gold again after Wrestle Kingdom 18.

The first match for Hiroshi Tanahashi as president of NJPW is a title shot, though it’s no easy one since Zack Sabre Jr. has been the one and only NJPW World Television Champion. Sabre’s entrance video is cool because it features the names of everyone he’s beaten defending his title, eventually all getting crossed out.

The president wastes no time getting fans to chant for him as he warily locks up with ZSJ. That’s really the only way one should do that, honestly.

Sabre shows off a cool escape by sliding back between the Ace’s legs, then gets the better of him briefly with a hammerlock before taking repeated Twist and Shouts and a Sling Blade for a near fall.

Tanahashi heads right up top for a high cross body, but he catches knees on the High Fly Flow and is nearly beaten by a reverse bridge by Sabre. Tana blunders into a leg triangle but slowly turns it into a submission of his own … which of course Sabre reverses into an armbar.

The champ flows form one hold to another until Tanahashi can get a foot to the ropes for a break. A ZSJ kick to the chest is answered by a running dropkick before the men exchange holds again. Tanahashi keeps rolling his foe up for potential pinfalls to escape an armbreaker, which is a good idea.

Near falls are coming fast and furious and from both men. Sabre applies the octopus hold, and he escapes a dragon screw so he can do a few neck screws of his own. A PK connects, and Sabre looks like he’s working for the kill now.

A Zack Driver is countered to set off a crazy back and forth sequence, and it’s Tanahashi who is able to hold his opponent’s shoulders down for the three count. Though he looks astonished, Sabre respectfully hands the title belt to the president and walks out with TMDK.

The Ace gets the mic after his victory and says it’s been a while since he’s been a singles champion. He wishes the fans a Happy New Year

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NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 results: Naito, Okada, Finlay win big

Who got their hand raised in Tokyo Dome? We’ve got you covered with full NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 results.

If the calendar has flipped to January and a few days have passed to let it sink in, that can only mean one thing: It’s time for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom. The annual Tokyo Dome show is the biggest event in Japanese wrestling each year, and it’s a pretty big deal for fans around the world provided they can set their schedules accordingly.

As is tradition, Wrestle Kingdom 18 is headlined by an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match, this time with a bit of a student vs. teacher vibe as Sanada tries to fend off Tetsuya Naito. The final match on any Wrestle Kingdom card tends to set the direction for New Japan for months, but that may be true this time around more than ever.

U.S. fans will get to see two very familiar and accomplished faces from AEW. Bryan Danielson takes on Kazuchika Okada in a non-title match that could outshine even the main event, while Jon Moxley tangles with both Will Ospreay and David Finlay for a brand new championship.

More title bouts are up and down tonight’s card — seven in all out of 10 matches (plus the traditional New Japan Ranpo to kick things off). It should be a long but very exciting show.

We’ve got our sleep schedule rearranged and consumed our caffeine, and will be recapping the whole event right here.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 results:

(please click on any match with a link for full details)

  • Great-O-Khan, Taiji Ishimori, Toru Yano and Yoh win the KOPW 2024 New Japan Ranbo, meaning they head to New Year Dash to compete for the Provisional KOPW 2024 Championship
  • Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira and TJP/The Aswang) def. Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney) by pinfall to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions, aided greatly by TJP’s transformation into The Aswang
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Zack Sabre Jr. by pinfall to become the new NJPW World Television Champion
  • Yuya Uemura def. Yota Tsuji by pinfall
  • House of Torture (Evil and Ren Narita) def. Shota Umino and Kaito Kiyomiya by pinfall, with the help of plenty of interference from the rest of House of Torture and a timely shot from a push-up bar
  • Tama Tonga def. Shingo Takagi by pinfall to become the new NEVER Openweight Champion
  • Nic Nemeth (known as Dolph Ziggler in WWE) and brother Ryan Nemeth are shown making their way to “VIP seats”
  • Guerrillas of Destiny (Hikuleo and El Phantasmo) def. Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) by pinfall to become the new IWGP Tag Team Champions and retain the Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship
  • El Desperado def. Hiromu Takahashi by pinfall to become the new IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion
  • David Finlay def. Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley to become the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion
  • On his way out, Finlay makes a point of stopping in front of Nic Nemeth, and after exchanging words, he shoves Nemeth; that touches off a brawl that continues until and even after they are pulled apart
  • Kazuchika Okada def. Bryan Danielson by pinfall
  • Tetsuya Naito def. Sanada by pinfall to become the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion
  • After the match, Naito is attacked by EVIL and Dick Togo, but Sanada helps fight them off