NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 - January 4, 2023

[Apoho Creed]

Awesome to hear that news from Dave there. FTR is legit my favorite Tag Team in the business probably with Taichi and Sabre JR up the rear. Whoever they face at Wrestle Kingdom it's going to be a treat to watch.

 

[Chris]

Omega vs Ospreay on the cards as Wrestle Kingdom 17 looms 【WK17】​

Challenge issued at Historic X-Over

Order the Historic X-Over replay now!
Kenny Omega has challenged IWGP United States Champion Will Ospreay, with the two set to meet January 4 2023 at the Tokyo Dome and Wrestle Kingdom 17.

Ospreay battled Shota Umino at Historic X Over to his fourth defence of the red and gold belt, when a message played from the former IWGP Heavyweight and AEW World Champion.

Omega derided Ospreay as a ‘Kenny Omega knockoff’ before vowing to ‘once again change the world’ at Wrestle Kingdom. Ospreay responded that Omega had walked away from NJPW while he carried the company through bad and good to ensure ‘New Japan still had a pulse’ quickly accepting the challenge for what will be an unmissable bout January 4 2023.

 

[Chris]

Nakano to meet KAIRI on championship voyage January 4 【WK17】​

Tam emerges as KAIRI’s first challenger

Order the Historic X-Over replay now!
An intense and emotional war to become the first ever IWGP Women’s Champion November 20 at Ariake Arena ended with KAIRI victorious, but with her work just beginning.

As KAIRI spoke of the life and emotion that is wrapped in the brand new title, the ‘World Travelled Pirate Princess’ asked who would be her opponent for the Tokyo Dome. It was Cosmic Angels’ Tam Nakano answering the call; though a spritely spring was in the step of the ‘Cutest in the Cosmos’, victorious in mixed tag action earlier in the evening, there was a clear threatening tone to her challenge. After declaring she would be the one to ‘steal’ the title from KAIRI, Tam promised a ‘special kind of hell’ for her prospective opponent.

KAIRI was fast to accept the challenge, showing admiration for Tam’s heart in spite of the cute exterior. KAIRI and Nakano seems set to the another big addition to an increasingly loaded January 4 lineup.​

 

[Marty McFourth]

Omega vs Ospreay, JESUS Alright, I'm definitely watching Wrestle Kingdom next year

 

[Chris]

 

[Apoho Creed]

What a wild Weekend for me honestly for multiple reasons. I haven't watched the NJPW X Stardom Show yet downloading it now but I know Kairi killed it with Mayu and even the night before vs Saya. I'm so happy for her she's at the top where she deserves to be. Talk about a Dream Match for me once Kairi left for WWE Waters I was wondering who would be a lady I would get behind and wish to see huge success and Tam Nakano was one of those ladies like Momo Watanabe. They mirror each other to me. The way they wrestle, the emotions they put into their Matches is always a great watch for me. Tam vs Kairi is it for me, everything else are Cherries on top of the Sundae.

 

[Chris]

Omega vs Ospreay, KAIRI vs Nakano set for Wrestle Kingdom 17! 【WK17】​

IWGP United States, Women’s Championship matches official for January 4

Wrestle Kingdom 17 in Tokyo Dome Live and in English on January 4 2023
International tickets on sale NOW for Wrestle Kingdom!
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After the events of Historic X-Over in Ariake Arena on November 20, two championship matches have been made official for the Wrestle Kingdom 17 card on January 4 2023.

Will Ospreay will defend the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Kenny Omega. With his eye catching style in the ring, controversial character outside of it, and ruthless killer instinct, Ospreay was always bound to meet comparisons to Kenny Omega ever since ‘The Cleaner’ departed NJPW to help found All Elite Wrestling. Some biting comments in the media only added fuel to those fires, and direct physicality would follow when the United Empire faced the Elite in AEW’s tournament to crown their first trios champions. In Ariake, a video message from Omega and a fast confirmation from Ospreay quickly laid the framework for what will doubtless be the most anticipated match on the Tokyo Dome card for many, and may be the most anticipated matchup on any card for 2023. Just who deserves the label of ‘Best Bout Machine’, and as the IWGP US title only continues to raise in status, who leaves with the belt?

The first ever IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI will have her first defence in the Tokyo Dome opposite Cosmic Angels’ Tam Nakano. After KAIRI’s historic victory November 20 in Ariake over Mayu Iwatani, Nakano answered the call for a first challenger, and though the ‘Cutest in the Cosmos’ issued her challenge with characteristic zeal, there were daggers in her words as she promised a ‘special hell’. Tam’s ability to undercut her colourful demeanour with a vicious aggression underscored her 301 day run with the Wonder of STARDOM Championship in 2021, a title that KAIRI had helped mould in her earlier years. Indeed, mutual respect was evident when KAIRI teamed with Tam in one of her earliest matches back in STARDOM this spring opposite Miyu Amazaki and Utami Hayashishita. That match showed how brutal both women could be as a team, and now that violence will be turned on one another January 4.​

 

[Smart Marx]

As someone that follows NJPW off and on, this might be their most stacked WK card I’ve personally ever seen.

It’s also so surreal that women will be in the dome and on the same card as the men competing at WK for a title.

So many people said that would never happen in Japan.

 

[Comrade Khan]

ok?

 

[Chris]

more wrestling I guess yay

 

[Comrade Khan]

more wrestling I guess yay

me : sweet second day!
also me: Not Wrestle Kingdom if it's not Tokyo Dome and 3 weeks later, just call it something else

 

[Chris]

Yeah no idea why they insist on the name, they'd probably sell the stadium fine calling it something else

 

[Comrade Khan]

That being said, that would free up a lot of AEW guys who would be already in the west coast for a short flight...conspiracy time?

 

[Comrade Khan]

fuck it we may as well shoot our shot, Danielson vs ZSJ main event lets go

 

[Comrade Khan]

NJPW x AEW: Forbidden Kingdom . prints money