NWPW PRESENTS: WRESTLEKINGDOM
Live from the Tokyo Dome – January 3, 2026
Broadcast Worldwide on Amazon Prime PPV
Attendance - 50,033
EVENT SETTING & RING PRESENTATION
From the moment doors opened at the Tokyo Dome, WrestleKingdom carried the unmistakable atmosphere of a global championship event rather than a traditional wrestling show.
The ring itself reflected NWPW’s commitment to a
modern, sport-driven aesthetic:
- Canvas: Deep blue mat
- Ropes: White / Red / White — a visual nod to international title fights and Japanese national colours
- Center Canvas Sponsor: Rakuten
- Secondary Canvas Sponsors:
Asahi Beer · Toyota · ANA (All Nippon Airways) · Lawson · Sega · Toyo Tires · Kikkoman · Bushiroad
The presentation was deliberately restrained — no oversized stage, no elaborate entrance ramp — placing the emphasis squarely on the ring as the focal point of the night. The ring walkway, coming some one of the corners of the Tokyo Dome with a smaller, more delibrate LED Screen running along one of the ends of the stadium bowl.
Fans continued filing into the Dome throughout the afternoon, mirroring the rhythm of a major boxing PPV:
early prelims underway, atmosphere building match by match.
PRELIMINARY CARD
Streaming live on YouTube, Facebook & X
The prelims served as a proving ground — short, intense contests designed to set the tone and introduce the audience to NWPW’s in-ring philosophy: urgency, realism, and decisive finishes.
Heavyweight
Yota Tsuji def. Togi Makabe
Pinfall – 6:56
Tsuji overwhelmed Makabe early with explosive shoulder blocks and a relentless pace. After countering a lariat attempt, Tsuji finished the bout decisively with a crushing spear followed by a high-angle powerbomb.
Masakatsu Funaki:
“This is the new generation refusing to wait their turn.”
Super-Lightweight Tag
Yuma Anzai & Rising Hayato def. Gedo & Jado
Pinfall – 8:30
Veteran trickery gave Gedo & Jado early control, but Anzai’s raw power shifted momentum. Hayato sealed the win with a springboard knee strike, allowing Anzai to finish Jado with a thunderous sit-out slam.
Super-Bantamweight Tag
Mei Seira & Aya Sakura def. Yuna Mizumori & Yuu
Pinfall – 5:50
Fast, frenetic, and crowd-pleasing. Mei Seira dazzled with speed before Sakura pinned Mizumori following a tandem dropkick–roll-up combination.
Middleweight
Yuya Uemura def. Taka Michinoku
Pinfall – 8:15
Uemura weathered Taka’s veteran offense before countering a Michinoku Driver attempt into a snap German suplex and bridging pin.
AMAZON PRIME PPV - MAIN CARD OPENING — BROADCAST & RULES PRESENTATION
As the Tokyo Dome lights dimmed, WrestleKingdom transitioned from live sport into
global spectacle.
A cinematic
WrestleKingdom video package aired — a high-production VT inspired by epic serialized drama. Champions and challengers were portrayed as rivals bound by history, not storylines. Medieval imagery, stark narration, and orchestral scoring framed the matches as battles for legacy rather than entertainment.
The final image lingered on the Tokyo Dome — lit like a fortress — before fading to black.
Returning live,
Daisuke Takahashi calmly addressed the audience:
“All WrestleKingdom matches are contested under NWPW regulations.
There are no judges and no decisions.
Victory comes only by pinfall or submission.
If a match exceeds its time limit, the result will be declared a draw.”
The rules appeared on-screen in clean, understated graphics — boxing-style, unmistakable.
The bell rang, the lights and music shook the Tokyo Dome. Here we go.....
MAIN CARD (Amazon Prime PPV)
Super-Featherweight Tag
Makoto & Hiroyo Matsumoto def. Miku Aono & Kouki Amarei
Pinfall – 9:05
Matsumoto’s physicality dominated early. Makoto sealed the win with a running knee strike, followed by Matsumoto’s diving senton.
IWGP Lightweight Championship
KENTA (c) def. Taiji Ishimori
Submission – 17:22
A technical chess match with flashes of brutality. Ishimori targeted the leg; KENTA countered with vicious kicks. The finish came when KENTA trapped Ishimori in a grounded crossface after a missed 450 splash.
Kazuo Yamazaki:
“This is pain management at the championship level.”
Post-Match:
KENTA stared into the camera, championship raised:
“There is no shortcut to this belt. Only suffering.”
IWGP Super-Heavyweight Tag Championships
Takashi Sugiura & Masa Kitamiya (c) def. Tomohiro Ishii & Taichi
Pinfall – 12:12
A war of attrition. Ishii absorbed punishment relentlessly, but Sugiura’s precision proved decisive. The champions retained after a double-team lariat–brainbuster combination on Taichi.
Heavyweight Special Attraction
Tetsuya Naito def. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Pinfall – 20:50
A generational clash steeped in respect with over 20 minutes of pre-match build from the commentary, analytical and backstage teams as well as well curated VTs. Tanahashi’s entrance drew a thunderous ovation, while Naito arrived to an eerie, simmering reaction.
After surviving a High Fly Flow, Naito countered with Destino — twice — to secure victory.
Post-Match:
Naito knelt briefly, offering a quiet nod to Tanahashi.
Haruo Murata:
“This was not about victory. This was about legacy.”
IWGP Women’s Bantamweight Championship
Saree Fujimura (c) def. Ami Sohrei
Pinfall – 16:01
Saree controlled the tempo with crisp striking. Ami rallied late, but Saree ended the contest with a brutal German suplex followed by a straightjacket pin.
Post-Match:
Saree addressed the crowd:
“This division will be the hardest place to survive in the world but I am ready for all challengers.”
MAIN EVENT – IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kento Miyahara (c) def. Hirooki Goto
Pinfall – 22:35
Another huge build for the Main Event. Pre-Match music bellowed out around the Dome with light shows as well as AC/DC's Shoot to Thrill and Seven National Army by The White Stripes adding to the occasion. A VT on both wrestlers hit the screens before The Tokyo Dome stood as one as both men made their entrances — Miyahara regal and composed, Goto draped in gold, championship gleaming under white light.
The match unfolded as a masterclass in heavyweight psychology. Goto punished the body; Miyahara targeted timing and balance. After surviving a GTR attempt, Miyahara delivered a devastating Shutdown German, followed by a final Blackout Knee Strike to retain the title.
Daisuke Takahashi:
“This is the definition of a world champion.”
Post-Match:
Miyahara stood alone in the ring, belt raised, Dome silent then erupting.
“This championship belongs to the strongest — not the loudest. I am ready.”
After Harold Meji presented the IWGP Heavyweight Belt to Miyahara, he told the world he knew his first challenger. It would be Naito at GrandSummit.
CLOSING IMAGE
Fireworks and Confetti in the ring. A visual throwback to Champion ceremonies of former greats like Mutoh, Chono, Misawa and Kobayashi.
The new IWGP Heavyweight champion now standing under the huge LED spotlights, the Tokyo Dome slowly emptying — like a boxing crowd after history has been made.
WrestleKingdom was not a show.
It was a statement.
FULL RESULTS - WIKIPEDIA
| WEIGHT CLASS | | | | METHOD | TIME | NOTES |
| MAIN CARD (PPV) | | | | | | |
| HEAVYWEIGHT | Kento Miyahara | DEF | Hirooki Goto | PIN | 22.35 | IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE |
| BANTAMWEIGHT | Saree Fujimura | DEF | Ami Sohrei | PIN | 16.01 | IWGP WOMENS BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE |
| HEAVYWEIGHT | Tetsuya Naito | DEF | Hiroshi Tanahashi | PIN | 20.50 | |
| SUPER-HEAVYWEIGHT TAG | Takashi Sugiura & Masa Kitamiya | DEF | Ishii & Taichi | PIN | 12.12 | IWGP SUPER-HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TITLES |
| LIGHTWEIGHT | KENTA | DEF | Taiji Ishimori | SUBMISSION | 17.22 | IWGP LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE |
| SUPER-FEATHERWEIGHT TAG | Makoto & Hiroyo Matsumoto | DEF | Miku Aono & Kouki Amarei | PIN | 9.05 | |
| PRELIMS (SOCIAL MEDIA) | | | | | | |
| MIDDLEWEIGHT | Yuya Uemura | DEF | Taka Michinoku | PIN | 8.15 | |
| SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHT TAG | Mei Seira & Aya Sakura | DEF | Yuna Mizumori & Yuu | PIN | 5.50 | |
| SUPER-LIGHTWEIGHT TAG | Yuma Anzai & Rising Hayato | DEF | Gedo & Jado | PIN | 8.30 | |
| HEAVYWEIGHT | Yota Tsuji | DEF | Togi Magabe | PIN | 6.56 | |
