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.