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New Beginning in Nagoya (January 20) Full card, preview
NEVER title to headline in Dolphin’s Arena
The New Beginning series kicks off on January 20, as Dolphin’s Arena in Nagoya will see two championships on the line, and plenty of ground covered on the road to big events later in the series.
Watch LIVE IN ENGLISH on NJPW World!
Main event: NEVER Openweight Championship- Tama Tonga vs EVIL
Singles record: 4-1 EVIL
Wrestle Kingdom 18 saw Tama Tonga lift the NEVER Openweight Championship for the fourth time after a thrilling match that underscored the title’s ‘BMF’ identity and wowed the Tokyo Dome crowd. By rights, Tonga should have been on top of the world, but his victory was bitter sweet, and the night after decidedly sour.
Tonga admitted in post match comments that he had had a lot on his mind heading into January 4, and had reached the decision to leave NJPW after some 14 years at the end of the month. As he sought to spend more time with his young family, Tama may well have had designs on leaving on top, retiring with the NEVER Openweight title and perhaps vacating it to allow the best of a young up and coming crop to compete. EVIL had other designs.
A post match beat down at New Year Dash not only saw the King of Darkness stake his claim to the NEVER belt, but also humiliate the newly crowned champion as he hacked off Tama’s hair. It was the resurfacing of a lot of triumph and trauma for Tama and EVIL; back in 2022, it was against EVIL during the New Japan Cup that Tama would be stabbed in the back by his BULLET CLUB brethren and brutally atttacked. Yet that May would see Tama’s first ever singles crowning at EVIL’s expense in Fukuoka, his first NEVER reign affirming him as a star of his own making. Now, will that star go out on his own terms, or be extinguished into blackness?
7th Match: Guerrillas of Destiny (Hikuleo & El Phantasmo) vs BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens & KENTA)
After Chase Owens issued a challenge on behalf of he and KENTA at new Year Dash, the BULLET CLUB duo will be facing El Phantasmo and Hikuleo for the IWGP Tag Team Championships in Osaka on February 11. In the meantime, GoD had a date with Clark Connors and Alex Coughlin to fulfil for the NJPW STRONG belts in San Jose. That defence proving successful, the confident fighting champions have agreed for Nagoya’s non title preview tag bout to instead be for the STRONG belts. Both Aussie Open and Bishamon’s time as double champions proved brief; can Hikuleo and Phantasmo withstand the considerable pressure in Nagoya?
6th Match: KOPW 2024- 10 Minute Ishimori Ring Fit Match Taiji Ishimori vs Great-O-Khan
The most unique championship in NJPW, KOPW’s 2024 got off to a characteristically unpredictable start at New Year Dash after Taiji Ishimori captured the belt for the first time this year in a four way ten minute scramble match. After securing the last pinfall of the bout, Ishimori played keep away from an increasingly incensed Great O-Khan, who did all he could to get another opponent into the ring in time, to no avail. That led to a backstage shouting match, with some far from charitable words exchanged.
Now, the first defence is set up, and Ishimori will defend his KOPW 2024 belt against Tanahashi in a 10 minute Ishimori Ring Fit Match. Ten minutes will be on the clock, with the last title holder at the end of the time limit the victor. Additionally, at three minute intervals, the two must stop for 30 seconds of high intensity circuit training. Last year in Nagoya, O-Khan faced Shingo Takagi in an MMA match that looked to be right up the Dominator’s street, but ended in a crushing defeat and led into a difficult year for O-Khan. Will 2024 prove different?
5th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi & Testuya Naito) vs Just Five Guys (TAKA Michinoku, DOUKI, Yuya Uemura, Taichi & SANADA)
As SANADA gets set for a rematch against Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in Sapporo February 24, and other LIJ members prepare for their own singles matches against Just Five Guys opposite numbers, the two teams will be doing battle in ten man action. Who will be victorious in this key preview?
4th Match: Togi Makabe, Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada vs TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Zack Sabre Jr.)
After a shock victory for TMDK over an all star team of Tomohiro Ishii, Kazuchika Okada, Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley in Sumida at New Year Dash, Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls are gunning for Okada, Ishii and Hiroshi Tanahashi’s NEVER Openweight 6 Man Championships in Korakuen January 24. As the wrestling world reels from the announcement that Okada is departing NJPW, could more eight man success be the prelude to six man glory three weeks later?
3rd match: El DespeWato (Master Wato & El Desperado) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Tag record: 1-0 H.O.T
With El Desperado set to defend the IWGP junior Heavyweight Championship against former partner Yoshinobu Kanemaru in Korakuen on the Road to New Beginning and SHO and Master Wato colliding, tag team action will see a double singles preview in Nagoya. El DespeWato will reluctantly reunite against a common foe in Dolphin’s Arena.
2nd Match: United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, TJP, HENARE & Jeff Cobb) vs BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Drilla Moloney, Clark Connors, Gabe Kidd, Alex Coughlin & David Finlay)
After a wild brawl at New Year Dash set up a five on five steel cage showdown in Osaka February 11, United Empire and BULLET CLUB War Dogs continue their vicious feud in Nagoya where one team seeks to take an early advantage.
1st Match: Tomoaki Honma & Shota Umino vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi)
Shota Umino’s vendetta against Ren Narita and HOUSE OF TORTURE will kick off the main card action in Nagoya. After efforts to get his hands on his former friend Narita have been consistently frustrated, Umino is days away from a long requested singles encounter in Korakuen Hall. Before that, tag team action will see the forces of good look to trump the allies of EVIL.
Kickoff Match: Shoma Kato vs Katsuya Murashima
Young Lions Shoma Kato and Katsuya Murashima will face off in a special kickoff bout at 4:30 PM local time. As Oskar Leube and Yuto Nakashima move on to excursion, pressure will build on these two men to carry the Noge Dojo’s proud standard, and for one to lead over the other.
The New Beginning series kicks off on January 20, as Dolphin’s Arena in Nagoya will see two championships on the line, and plenty of ground covered on the road to big events later in the series.
Watch LIVE IN ENGLISH on NJPW World!
Main event: NEVER Openweight Championship- Tama Tonga vs EVIL
Singles record: 4-1 EVIL
Wrestle Kingdom 18 saw Tama Tonga lift the NEVER Openweight Championship for the fourth time after a thrilling match that underscored the title’s ‘BMF’ identity and wowed the Tokyo Dome crowd. By rights, Tonga should have been on top of the world, but his victory was bitter sweet, and the night after decidedly sour.
Tonga admitted in post match comments that he had had a lot on his mind heading into January 4, and had reached the decision to leave NJPW after some 14 years at the end of the month. As he sought to spend more time with his young family, Tama may well have had designs on leaving on top, retiring with the NEVER Openweight title and perhaps vacating it to allow the best of a young up and coming crop to compete. EVIL had other designs.
A post match beat down at New Year Dash not only saw the King of Darkness stake his claim to the NEVER belt, but also humiliate the newly crowned champion as he hacked off Tama’s hair. It was the resurfacing of a lot of triumph and trauma for Tama and EVIL; back in 2022, it was against EVIL during the New Japan Cup that Tama would be stabbed in the back by his BULLET CLUB brethren and brutally atttacked. Yet that May would see Tama’s first ever singles crowning at EVIL’s expense in Fukuoka, his first NEVER reign affirming him as a star of his own making. Now, will that star go out on his own terms, or be extinguished into blackness?
7th Match: Guerrillas of Destiny (Hikuleo & El Phantasmo) vs BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens & KENTA)
After Chase Owens issued a challenge on behalf of he and KENTA at new Year Dash, the BULLET CLUB duo will be facing El Phantasmo and Hikuleo for the IWGP Tag Team Championships in Osaka on February 11. In the meantime, GoD had a date with Clark Connors and Alex Coughlin to fulfil for the NJPW STRONG belts in San Jose. That defence proving successful, the confident fighting champions have agreed for Nagoya’s non title preview tag bout to instead be for the STRONG belts. Both Aussie Open and Bishamon’s time as double champions proved brief; can Hikuleo and Phantasmo withstand the considerable pressure in Nagoya?
6th Match: KOPW 2024- 10 Minute Ishimori Ring Fit Match Taiji Ishimori vs Great-O-Khan
The most unique championship in NJPW, KOPW’s 2024 got off to a characteristically unpredictable start at New Year Dash after Taiji Ishimori captured the belt for the first time this year in a four way ten minute scramble match. After securing the last pinfall of the bout, Ishimori played keep away from an increasingly incensed Great O-Khan, who did all he could to get another opponent into the ring in time, to no avail. That led to a backstage shouting match, with some far from charitable words exchanged.
Now, the first defence is set up, and Ishimori will defend his KOPW 2024 belt against Tanahashi in a 10 minute Ishimori Ring Fit Match. Ten minutes will be on the clock, with the last title holder at the end of the time limit the victor. Additionally, at three minute intervals, the two must stop for 30 seconds of high intensity circuit training. Last year in Nagoya, O-Khan faced Shingo Takagi in an MMA match that looked to be right up the Dominator’s street, but ended in a crushing defeat and led into a difficult year for O-Khan. Will 2024 prove different?
5th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi & Testuya Naito) vs Just Five Guys (TAKA Michinoku, DOUKI, Yuya Uemura, Taichi & SANADA)
As SANADA gets set for a rematch against Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in Sapporo February 24, and other LIJ members prepare for their own singles matches against Just Five Guys opposite numbers, the two teams will be doing battle in ten man action. Who will be victorious in this key preview?
4th Match: Togi Makabe, Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada vs TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Zack Sabre Jr.)
After a shock victory for TMDK over an all star team of Tomohiro Ishii, Kazuchika Okada, Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley in Sumida at New Year Dash, Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls are gunning for Okada, Ishii and Hiroshi Tanahashi’s NEVER Openweight 6 Man Championships in Korakuen January 24. As the wrestling world reels from the announcement that Okada is departing NJPW, could more eight man success be the prelude to six man glory three weeks later?
3rd match: El DespeWato (Master Wato & El Desperado) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Tag record: 1-0 H.O.T
With El Desperado set to defend the IWGP junior Heavyweight Championship against former partner Yoshinobu Kanemaru in Korakuen on the Road to New Beginning and SHO and Master Wato colliding, tag team action will see a double singles preview in Nagoya. El DespeWato will reluctantly reunite against a common foe in Dolphin’s Arena.
2nd Match: United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, TJP, HENARE & Jeff Cobb) vs BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Drilla Moloney, Clark Connors, Gabe Kidd, Alex Coughlin & David Finlay)
After a wild brawl at New Year Dash set up a five on five steel cage showdown in Osaka February 11, United Empire and BULLET CLUB War Dogs continue their vicious feud in Nagoya where one team seeks to take an early advantage.
1st Match: Tomoaki Honma & Shota Umino vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi)
Shota Umino’s vendetta against Ren Narita and HOUSE OF TORTURE will kick off the main card action in Nagoya. After efforts to get his hands on his former friend Narita have been consistently frustrated, Umino is days away from a long requested singles encounter in Korakuen Hall. Before that, tag team action will see the forces of good look to trump the allies of EVIL.
Kickoff Match: Shoma Kato vs Katsuya Murashima
Young Lions Shoma Kato and Katsuya Murashima will face off in a special kickoff bout at 4:30 PM local time. As Oskar Leube and Yuto Nakashima move on to excursion, pressure will build on these two men to carry the Noge Dojo’s proud standard, and for one to lead over the other.
