Category: NJPW News & Results

Bryan Danielson says he will break Kazuchika Okada’s arm at Wrestle Kingdom

Bryan Danielson has vowed the most direct kind of payback against Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom.

Is turnabout fair play when it comes to injuries in pro wrestling? Bryan Danielson seems to think so.

The American Dragon is preparing to face Kazuchika Okada in one of the most highly anticipated matches on the NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 card at the Tokyo Dome. As he reminded viewers during the final press conference before the event, they fought not all that long ago at Forbidden Door last summer in Toronto.

Danielson won that match, submitting Okada, but also revealed later that he broke his right arm before the finish. Ahead of Wrestle Kingdom, Danielson skillfully turned that real life ailment into fuel for motivation for the rematch (h/t to NJPW Global for press conference quotes).

You may or may not know, but we’ve wrestled before. It was a couple of months ago, and he broke my arm. I wrestled 10 more minutes and then I made him tap out. Now when you’re grappling, why do you tap out? You tap to avoid breaking a bone. To avoid permanent injury. Okada tapped to avoid something I had already.

That led to me not being able to carry my son, it led to a tag match where he broke my orbital bone, led me to not being able to drive my kids to school and now to here. So am I angry? Yes. Am I hungry for revenge? Yes. But am I grateful for these injuries? Yes. Every injury I’ve had has made me a better wrestler. Every time I’ve come back, I was better. He broke my arm, I came back better. Fractured my orbital, I came back better. Injuries cause you to get better. I’ve said I was going to break Okada’s arm for two reasons. I want revenge. But I also want to see if breaking his arm will break him or make him better. And after I break his arm, I’ll kick his f–king head in.

Adding a bit more intrigue to this matchup are reports over the last two months about WWE’s increased interest in signing Okada. He didn’t sound like a man ready to leave NJPW in his video interview this week, saying that, “There’s no good wrestling outside NJPW, in my opinion, because I’m here.”

Still, just the idea that this could be the Rainmaker’s Wrestle Kingdom swan song has perked fans up even more to the idea that his match with Danielson could be something truly special. Danielson is certainly doing his part to heighten that sentiment too.

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What time does Wrestle Kingdom 18 start in the US?

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 will once again be a very early morning/late night affair for fans in North America.

It’s almost time for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 at the Tokyo Dome. The biggest show of the New Japan year is also a great way to kick off 2024 in wrestling.

As is usually the case, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship is on the line in the main event. Current champ Sanada faces his former LIJ teammate Tetsuya Naito in a match that could either help legitimize the former or prove the latter is still close to his prime.

Another big title bout will pit Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley vs. David Finlay, with the winner crowned the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion. Five other championship matches are also on the card.

Wrestle Kingdom almost always delivers, and is a great value too: It only costs $9.99 to catch the event, and you get a month of the NJPW World streaming service with that price to boot. There will also be live English commentary for the show, perfect for fans in the U.S.

What might not be so great is the start time thanks to the time difference between the U.S. and Japan. It’s an afternoon start in Tokyo, but that still makes it a late night/early morning affair in North America. The Wrestle Kingdom 18 start time is 1:30 a.m. ET on Jan. 4/10:30 p.m. PT p.m. on Jan. 3.

With 11 matches on the card and several of them likely to go quite long, the show should go well into the morning on the east coast and end in the middle of the night out west. Can’t summon your inner night owl even for this kind of pro wrestling treat? No worries, as we’ll have you covered with full results and other tidbits here on Wrestling Junkie that will be updated live so you can check in on it whenever you might be awake.

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How to watch Wrestle Kingdom 18: Where to catch NJPW’s biggest show

Find out when and where to watch NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18, the company’s biggest event of 2024.

With New Year’s Day behind us, it’s time to shift focus to one of the biggest pro wrestling events of the year — and fortunately, it happens this week. New Japan Pro-Wrestling will once again hold its biggest show of the year at the Tokyo Dome, presenting Wrestle Kingdom 18.

This will be the 33rd event to be held on Jan. 4 at the Tokyo Dome, but what’s particularly intriguing about this one is the change at the top. Hiroshi Tanahashi, the Ace of NJPW, is now the president of the company, installed in an effort to attempt to return New Japan to its pre-pandemic peak of popularity (that’s some fun alliteration).

The effects of that change may not be evident right away, but Wrestle Kingdom is once again loaded with big matches featuring the top stars in the company, as well as a few AEW guests. The main event will see Sanada defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Tetsuya Naito in a showdown that could be seen as both a referendum on Sanada’s title reign and Naito’s time remaining as a main event star.

Even without a championship involved, the penultimate match might be even more highly anticipated. Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada, two of the best wrestlers on the planet, will have another battle to try and settle once and for all which one of them is higher on the totem pole.

If you’d like to catch Wrestling Kingdom 18 live, there’s one easy place to do it thanks to the NJPW World streaming service. Here’s everything you need to know to watch this week, no matter where you are.

How to watch NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18

  • When: Wednesday, January 4, 2024
  • Where: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo
  • Start time: 1:30 a.m. ET/10:30 p.m. PT (Jan. 3)/3:30 p.m. JST
  • How to watch: Worldwide on NJPWWorld.com
  • Cost: ¥1298 (for a month’s subscription) in Japan, $9.99 USD outside Japan

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NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 card: All the matches confirmed for the Tokyo Dome

The inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship will be awarded in a three-way match at Wrestle Kingdom 18.

It’s almost time for the biggest show on New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s annual schedule. Wrestle Kingdom 18 is set to take over the Tokyo Dome on Thursday, Jan. 4, once again offering a full (and we mean full as it tends to run very long) slate of matches that includes the best NJPW has to offer plus some top stars from North America as well.

At the heart of it all will be an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship between Sanada and Tetsuya Naito. The story connecting these two men is a good one, as both were former teammates in Los Ingobernables de Japon. However, Sanada felt the need to leave the group to ascend to the next stage in his career, which has proven a good move so far.

Beating his former stablemate would be a validation of his reign. Meanwhile, this may be the final chance Naito has in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom, so he’ll be highly motivated aside from the personal angle. The winner figures to be the person who leads NJPW into 2024 in earnest.

Another title match with plenty of implications beyond the event is the three-way IWGP United Kingdom Heavyweight Championship match where Will Ospreay will try to fend off both AEW star Jon Moxley and Bullet Club leader David Finlay.

Though Ospreay is off to AEW in 2024, he’s suggested he wants to continue working with New Japan and might keep his title as a result. A Finlay victory could be a sign the promotion wants to build even more around him, and with the strong working relationship between NJPW and AEW, a Moxley victory can’t be ruled out either.

Unlike some of the past few years, Wrestle Kingdom 18 is being promoted as a one-night affair. We’ll add more matches as they are confirmed, but here’s a look at the full card as it stands now.

Latest update: Dec. 29, 2023, 11:15 a.m. ET.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 card:

  • New Japan Ranbo for a shot at the Provisional KOPW 2024 Championship at New Year Dash (pre-show match)
  • Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney) (c) vs. Catch 2/2 (TJP and Francesco Akira) – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match
  • Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – NJPW World Television Championship match
  • Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura
  • Shota Umino and Kaito Kiyomiya vs. House of Torture (Evil and Ren Narita)
  • Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Tama Tonga – NEVER Openweight Championship match
  • Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) (c) vs. Guerillas of Destiny (Hikuleo and El Phantasmo) – IWGP Tag Team Championship and Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship match
  • Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. El Desperado – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match
  • Will Ospreay (c) vs. David Finlay vs. Jon Moxley – IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship match
  • Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada
  • Sanada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match

Why is WWE’s reported interest in Giulia so newsworthy? We asked a joshi expert

PWI’s Kristen Ashly breaks down why Giulia has risen to the top in STARDOM and whether she’d fit in WWE.

A month ago, the pro wrestling world started buzzing as it often does over word that WWE had interest in signing Giulia. As it turns out, the initial report led to some confusion over whether the STARDOM and New Japan Pro-Wrestling talent was actually a free agent (she’s not) and when she’d be available to sign with another company (not until sometime next year, according to Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer).

There’s no guarantee that Giulia will end up making her way to North America, but the latest update to her situation comes via Meltzer (subscription required), who says Giulia is “leaning toward coming here in 2024” once her current deal with Bushiroad, STARDOM’s parent company, expires in March.

Why all the fuss over the 29-year-old star? We here at Wrestling Junkie admittedly don’t watch enough joshi to answer that, so we turned to an expert: Kristen Ashly, contributor and columnist for Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

Ashly, who helped put together The 2023 Women’s 250 issue of PWI (which is also available on newsstands in physical form), was kind enough to take some time to explain what makes Giulia such a unique performer and whether the WWE’s reported interest makes sense.

Wrestling Junkie: For people who are unfamiliar with Giulia’s work in Japan, why is she such a big deal?

Kristen Ashly: Giulia really first drew serious public attention from how she joined STARDOM. She was working primarily with one of STARDOM’s biggest rivals, Ice Ribbon, for the first few years of her career, before she signed with STARDOM at the end of 2019. There were heavy contractual issues and confusion, and both Giulia and STARDOM drew ire for it.

It was clear when she left Ice Ribbon that she wanted more for her career, and STARDOM obliged. After joining STARDOM, Giulia was given a heavy push and she stepped up to the plate. She almost immediately won the trios title Artist of Stardom Championship, won the Cinderella Tournament, and quickly picked up the Wonder of Stardom title. She’s only gotten better and more decorated. The rise was, and still is, divisive among fans. But it’s hard to deny that she’s used that chip on her shoulder in her journey to be the best.

WJ: What are Giulia’s strengths as a performer, and what would she bring to WWE or another North American promotion if signed?

Ashly: Giulia’s backstory is one WWE would grab onto, no doubt. She’s part Italian, born in England, and she was bullied for her mixed heritage. It’s a past that has made her stronger.

Her real gift to WWE would be her sheer star power and charisma. She’s a fantastic wrestler, but she’s a better storyteller, character developer and fashion icon. There’s no denying the intangibles are strong.

WJ: How would Giulia fit in with the current WWE roster?

Ashly: To be quite honest, I’m not sure she would do her best in WWE. Though IYO SKY, KAIRI and Asuka have made their own success there, I don’t think WWE is completely conducive to the joshi style. The old NXT brand and booking would have fit her perfectly; an era where joshi style was key to its success. Even someone like Shayna Baszler, who learned quite a bit at STARDOM, was able to get to the top. I don’t see that at NXT or the main roster much any more. I personally feel Giulia would do well to stay within STARDOM for a while. She’s seeing success I’m not sure she would see in WWE. The women are famously lost among the madness there.

WJ: There’s been some debate about whether Giulia would be able to “skip” going to NXT if she signed with WWE. Do you agree with that assessment, or would she be better served to work there first before joining the main roster?

Ashly: As a women’s wrestling fan, I see her sheer talent and personally do not feel she should be at NXT. I’m honestly afraid of what character they would turn Giulia into. Everyone in NXT has this very distinct gimmick. Giulia doesn’t need one, in my opinion. This is not black and gold brand NXT where people are pulled off the indies already established athletically. She shouldn’t be in what has turned into a truly developmental brand, in a lot of ways.

WJ: If you could recommend fans just two or three matches to get a feel for Giulia, which ones would you suggest they watch?

Ashly:

  • 12/29/2021 – Stardom Dream Queendom 2021 – Giulia vs. Konami
  • 12/29/2022 – Stardom Dream Queendom 2022 – Giulia vs. Syuri (c) for the World of Stardom Championship
  • 02/04/2023 – Stardom 12th Anniversary Supreme Fight 2023 – Giulia (c) vs. Suzu Suzuki for the World of Stardom Championship

I could probably find a dozen more.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom results throughout history: Every match, every winner

See the full history of Wrestle Kingdom results over the years, including every match and every winner since 2007.

Though the history of a January 4 show at the Tokyo Dome goes back more than 30 years, it was a partnership over a video game that gave birth to the Wrestle Kingdom name we know today for New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s biggest annual event.

In 2007, NJPW was considering ending the Tokyo Dome show as it had been experiencing declining interest compared to its heyday in the 1990s. But the promotion decided to press forward with it under the Wrestle Kingdom name to capitalize on the video game of the same name at the time, and the rest, as they say, is wrestling history.

While NJPW has played around with the format of Wrestle Kingdom over the years, expanding to additional nights and tinkering with other parts of the show, several things have remained constant: It’s always at Tokyo Dome (with the exception of one night of one multi-day edition), some of the biggest titles in the company are always on the line, and it always begins on January 4.

It should be no surprise, then, that the event has featured not only the biggest stars of New Japan in the 21st century, but a wide array of the most recognizable names in professional wrestling from the last few decades. Keep reading to get full Wrestle Kingdom results throughout its rich history below.

Hiroshi Tanahashi will keep wrestling even as NJPW president

The Ace of New Japan Pro-Wrestling has lofty goals both in and out of the ring as a wrestling president.

The Ace of New Japan Pro-Wrestling has a brand new position in the company, but that doesn’t mean he’s leaving his more familiar one behind just yet.

Just a few days after Hiroshi Tanahashi was announced as the new president and representative director of NJPW, he took part in a press conference to discuss the changes to the promotion’s leadership team. Among the topics were Tanahashi’s goals in his new role, including selling out the Tokyo Dome for Wrestle Kingdom — though he cautioned that it could take several years to achieve.

Tanahashi also made it clear that he’s not retiring from the ring just yet, and that he will continue to wrestle while attending to his duties as president on days when there are no shows (translation h/t to NJPW Global).

“I’ll be on the road with NJPW when the company is on the road, but when New Japan is in Tokyo, I will be in the office,” Tanahashi said. “We have a lot of wrestlers here in NJPW, and in that off time, it isn’t on me necessarily, but our wrestlers to combine preparation and training with promotional work as well.”

He also predicted that he’d have no problem meeting the demands of both roles.

“There’s an extent to where I have to live in this dual role a bit to find out just what it’s like, and how much I can handle,” he said. “But I’ve never been tired, so I think I’ll be fine.”

Tanahashi noted the feeling that he had as a fan before becoming a wrestler and how he’d like to recapture that, with people “going home and over dinner or beers talking about how much fun the show was.” He also said he told the roster about his promotion on Dec. 22, the day before it was officially announced, and that even longer tenured veterans gave their support.

It certainly can’t hurt in the arena of public perception to have the most recognizable star from New Japan’s time of peak popularity during the 21st century as its top executive. It’s clear there’s work to be done to reach those heights again, but Tanahashi certainly appears to be up for the challenge.

And he’s not giving up on lofty ambitions in the ring either, even at age 47.

“I’m thinking about what I have left as an active wrestler,” he said. “Through that time the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship is still my top goal. Maybe people might balk at that answer! But I will give it my all in the ring and out.”

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The biggest professional wrestling stories of 2023: CM Punk, TKO and more

From WWE to AEW and beyond, here were the things that stood out most in an eventful year in pro wrestling.

Take a deep breath, wrestling fans. The year 2023 is almost over.

It is understandable if you haven’t done that a whole lot over the last 12 months, as the industry has not provided many opportunities to take in a soothing sigh of relief.

There were many ups, quite a few downs, but all in all, 2023 was a banner year for professional wrestling that in hindsight will be fondly remembered as one of the most impactful in the history of the industry.

But before we look ahead to 2024, let’s take one last look back on the year’s biggest stories in professional wrestling.

Hiroshi Tanahashi is now president of NJPW

The Ace is now the president as Hiroshi Tanahashi gets a new title in a NJPW leadership shakeup.

First he was the Ace of New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Now Hiroshi Tanahashi has an even loftier title: president.

NJPW announced that after a meeting of the company’s board and shareholders on Dec. 23, some changes were being made to the leadership structure. The biggest one was Tanahashi replacing Takami Ohbari as president/representative director. Hitoshi Matsumoto also becomes a director, replacing Michiaki Nishizawa, with Taro Okada, president and CEO of Bushiroad Fight, also becoming a part-time director.

For Japanese wrestling fans (and many American fans as well), Tanahashi needs no introduction. The 47-year-old is one of the most important stars in New Japan history, helping to lead a resurgence from a very down period and carrying the promotion on his back for much of the 2010s. Among many other honors, he’s held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship eight times and is both a NJPW Triple Crown and Grand Slam Champion.

What this means for the remainder of Tanahashi’s in-ring career should be fascinating to see. He’s scheduled to compete at Wrestle Kingdom 18 in January, New Japan’s biggest annual show, challenging Zack Sabre Jr. for the NJPW World Television Championship.

Probably not coincidentally, New Japan announced that Tanahashi will address fans directly as president at that event. Before that, though, there will be a press conference on Dec. 26 to discuss the management changes, and that should be of great interest to anyone who follows the company.

Sanada on Wrestle Kingdom clash with Naito: ‘I want to be a proper champion’

Sanada will have his Wrestle Kingdom main event moment, but will it be enough to validate his title reign?

When Sanada meets Tetsuya Naito in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 18 in just a few weeks, it will the culmination of a journey for both men. Yet even though Sanada enters the match as the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, it’s hard to shake the feeling that he has much more at stake.

Part of it is because Sanada hasn’t felt like the top star in New Japan even though he holds its top championship. It’s telling, for example, that it was Naito who won the Tokyo Sports MVP Award for this year, even though he holds no titles — though he did win the G1 Climax, which is how he earned his shot at Wrestle Kingdom.

Even Sanada feels it. In his pre-Wrestle Kingdom interview, which you can see below, one of the things he feels he needs to prove by defeating Naito is not just that he was right to part ways with LIJ, but that he is in fact “a proper champion.”

“I left my old team, became the champion, it was a shock to the system,” Sanada said. “I think the results have been there, but part of me doesn’t quite feel like a real champion.”

He noted that without leaving LIJ, he probably never would have won the title, saying that the group is more like “Tetsuya Naito and friends.”

“If I stayed put I wouldn’t become a champion. I want to be a proper champion.”

A victory over the always popular Naito might help with that. Even if the fans don’t like it, there’s a chance that if the two men tear it up at Wrestle Kingdom, they’ll at least respect Sanada more than they do now.

He also spoke about wanting to sell out every building and perhaps have festivals in places like his hometown of Niigata, “to show wrestling to people who have never seen it.”

Will he get the chance? We’ll find out on Jan. 4.

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