NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19 - January 4, 2025

[Chris]

Biggest ever Wrestle Kingdom Week centerpiece of NJPW, STARDOM joint presser

Okada and Tanahashi tie up in the boardroom

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・Sunday December 29 STARDOM, Ryogoku Sumo Hall

・Thursday January 2 Pro-Wrestling Matsuri, Bellesalle Haneda

・Friday January 3 Wrestle Kingdom 19 Kickoff venue TBA

・Friday January 3 STARDOM New Year Dream Tokyo Garden Theater

・Saturday January 4 Wrestle Kingdom 19 in Tokyo Dome

・Sunday January 5 Wrestle Dynasty in Tokyo Dome

・Monday January 6 New Year Dash!, Ota-ku Gymnasium

 

[Chris]

EVIL crashes Tanahashi retirement conference​

EVIL vs Tanahashi to start Ace’s retirement road at Wrestle Kingdom 19

After King of Pro-Wrestling saw Hiroshi Tanahashi announce plans to retire on January 4 2026, a special press conference on October 23 saw the Ace formally announce his retirement road and field questions from the assembled media.

Before the conference ended however, EVIL crashed the party with some harsh words for the President. ‘I told you in the ring at Ryogoku, you jump when I say jump, because this is my company! I decide when you retire, and on January 4, 2025 I will end your career’.

After a tense staredown, Tanahashi commented that defeating EVIL on the grand stage of Wrestle Kingdom 19 would be ‘the perfect start to 2025, and to my retirement road,’ with a key bout seemingly set for the Tokyo Dome.

Before the rude interruption, Tanahashi opened up about the reasons behind his retirement. Admitting with trademark self deprecation and candour that ‘it has been hard, between my knees and my abs to stay in top shape,’ the Ace stated that he wanted to have a physical condition and in ring performances to be proud of with the time he has left. Tanahashi stated that with the exception of the upcoming Super Jr. Tag League ‘I want to be on every tour, going forward,’ and declared that ideally ‘I want to wrestle singles matches with everyone on our roster, from Young Lions to veterans.’

Asked whether that singles match plan could include title matches with title holders, Tanahashi confessed that ‘everyone targets the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. That’s a belt I’ve only challenged for once and that I’ve never held so I would like to win that title. That might make my retirement difficult, but that’s the ideal scenario for me.’

Tanahashi was also asked about potential matches with wrestlers from outside NJPW; although he would admit that matches with the likes of Katsuyori Shibata and Shinsuke Nakamura had ‘a lot of hurdles to overcome,’ he did speak about his upcoming DRAGONGATE bout with the similarly retiring Stalker Ichikawa, and that he wanted to take ‘as many opportunities that I can.’

Ultimately though, the Ace’s goal was to retire on a high. ‘I’ve been present and seen a lot of retirements over the years, and I always cry,’ he mused. ‘I’d like to leave the ring behind with a smile on my face’.​

 

[Apoho Creed]

I was a big time Tana fan in his prime especially during his IWGP World Title run and injuries slowed him down the past 5 Years alone. Tana still evolved and dealt with it and has always done a good job in the Ring over the Years. Should be interesting how this last run for him goes.

 

[Chris]

Hiroshi Tanahashi to face EVIL at Wrestle Kingdom 19!​

First match set for January 4 2024

Wrestle Kingdom 19 tickets available worldwide!
Wrestle Kingdom 19 on January 4 in the Tokyo Dome has gained its first official matchup, as Hiroshi Tanahashi will be battling EVIL.

At King of Pro-Wrestling on October 14, Tanahashi made the earth shattering announcement that he would be retiring on January 4 2026. That drew the ire of EVIL, who barked that he would be putting an end to the Ace much earlier. The King of Darkness interrupted Tanahashi’s retirement press conference to issue a challenge that has now been accepted for the Tokyo Dome. Will the retirement road for one of the greatest of all time be put to an end before it properly begins, or will Tanahashi’s last year in pro-wrestling begin with a high?
​

 

[Deadd2009]

Ya know what I was thinking.......WWE should attempt to pull the trigger on a one time only match....maybe for one of the Mania nights....or Summerslam....Cena/Tanahashi.

 

[Apoho Creed]

 

[Kim Jong Umb]

Is evil facing Tanahashi like Corbin retiring Angle

 

[Chris]

No because Tanahashi will wrestle for another year after lmao

 

[Chris]

Five title matches added to Wrestle Kingdom 19!​

IWGP World, Global, Junior singles and tag, NJPW World TV title bouts set

After the official announcement of EVIL versus Hiroshi Tanahashi for Wrestle Kingdom 19 was already made, the events of Power Struggle have seen five championship matches added to the ledger for January 4 2025!

Tickets available worldwide for Wrestle Kingdom 19!
Watch Wrestle Kingdom 19 live in English on NJPW World!

Zack Sabre Jr. will defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Shota Umino. After a dramatic main event at Power Struggle, Sabre was confronted by the Roughneck, who had defeated SANADA earlier in the night- and had beaten Sabre this summer in the G1. Umino left the timing and location out of his control, and the champion would say that Shota would have some work to do to show that he was worthy of the Tokyo Dome main event. With that match now made, Umino will doubtless be looking to show ZSJ, and dissenting fans that not only is he worthy of the shot, he’s worthy of becoming the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

Yota Tsuji will challenge IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion David Finlay at Wrestle Kingdom. A dominant pair of reigns for Finlay has seen the Rebel King’s prominence grow exponentially with his arrogance, culminating in SANADA betraying Taichi at Power Struggle to help Finlay to V4 with the gold. Yet unfinished business remains for Finlay in the form of Yota Tsuji. The LIJ member defeated Finlay not once but twice over the course of G1 Climax 34, and will be looking to make it three to take his first singles NJPW championship. Finlay may be many things; cowardly is not one of them but calculating is, and if he was willing to go to the lengths he did to retain against Taichi, what might he try to do to Tsuji on the biggest stage in professional wrestling?

The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship will be ont he line when DOUKI defends against El Desperado. Earlier this June it was a huge upset that saw DOUKI score his first ever career win against Desperado to lift the IWGP junior gold. Since then, a six month reign to date has seen DOUKI attain four separate high calibre defences with Master Wato the most recent, all affirming DOUKI as no paper champion, but one with grit and substance among the greats. Now, it’s the returning former champion back from knee surgery that wants to show the very best in junior wrestling with his one time hermano.

The NJPW World TV Championship will be defended in a three way as Ryohei Oiwa and Jeff Cobb both challenge Ren Narita. When Narita joined HOUSE OF TORTURE in a beatdown of Hiroshi Tanahashi at Power Struggle, Oiwa confronted the TV Champion, saying that he couldn’t let Narita’s dirty tactics slide. Just as Oiwa challenged for the title though, former champion Jeff Cobb would issue his own challenge, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Now both men are in the mix for a three way bout on the biggest stage.

A four way match will see the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships defended, as Intergalactic Jet Setters Kevin Knight and KUSHIDA will face the challenges of Super Jr Tag League winners Ichiban Sweet Boys, finalists Catch 2/2 and former champions BULLET CLUB War Dogs. After Robbie Eagles and Francesco Akira beat TJP and Francesco Akira in a thriller in Osaka Monday, they issued their rightful challenge for the tag gold. KUSHIDA and Kevin Knight accepted, but said their loss to Catch 2/2 earlier in the tournament needed to be rectified as well. A three way scenario was then interruprted by Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney, who laid out all the other six men with chairs before issuing their own claim. Who will leave Tokyo Dome with the gold?​

 

[Chris]

People are in denial the Umino challenge actually happens and this is how Meltzer started the preview for the show in this week's observer

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Shota Umino for the IWGP title really is the main event of the 1/4 Wrestle Kingdom show at the Tokyo Dome.

 

[Apoho Creed]

I get the talk about Umino and this Title shot vs Sabre JR. People forget they have had good Matches with each other before some people's memories are limited at times. I just wished they did some actually smart Booking and had this Man on a run and they could still get there by January to set this one up leading to this big time Career Match for him. It just not there for meand this is coming from one of the biggest Umino fans but I know both guys are going to put on a Show.

 

[Apoho Creed]

Death alert this Match alone might destroy me 26 days before my Birthday

 

[Chris]

Takeshita vs Takagi official for Wrestle Kingdom!​

Potential title for title match set for January 4

Watch Wrestle Kingdom 19 and Wrestle Dynasty LIVE and in English January 4 and 5 2024!
International tickets on sale NOW for the Tokyo Dome!

Fighting Spirit Unleashed in Lowell on November 8 saw Konosuke Takeshita return to NJPW in forceful form. After he racked up his second defence of the AEW International Championship against TJP, Takeshita took to the microphone to throw out an open challenge to the NJPW locker room, demanding that anybody who thought they could capture his title should ‘come and take it’.

That brought out NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi, who suggested they find out which champion would be stronger. It was a challenge Takeshita readily accepted, saying backstage that he was ‘glad to have (Takagi) as my Tokyo Dome debut opponent’. That match has beeen made official for the NEVER Openweight Championship, and provided Takeshita remains AEW International Champion until January 4, this will be a title versus title match!

With Tomohiro Ishii awaiting the winner the next night at Wrestle Dynasty, who will leave with the gold in what could well be the hardest hitting bout of the weekend?​

 

[Apoho Creed]

The biggest of Dream Matches for me with that one. Shingo and Takeshita are going to steal the Show with ease.

 

[Apoho Creed]

Man AZM better win this or I'm raging