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Wrestle Kingdom 19 on January 4.
Wrestle Kingdom is the culmination of the entire year of New Japan's storylines. The biggest question is who will be top drawing talent of the company going forward. This has been an issue for a few years as top stars get older or disappear from the company. New Japan has done as best they can by pushing younger stars, while also balancing the cards due to injuries and illnesses.
President Hiroshi Tanahashi stated that one of his goals when he became President was selling out tickets in arenas across Japan. From recent shows on New Japan World, buildings have not been filled to capacity. The crowds are reacting to the wrestling product, but attendance could improve. Chris Charlton mentioned on the 12/23/24 Korakuen Hall show stated there are still tickets for Wrestle Kingdom, which means the show is not a sell out.
New Japan should be building for the future starting January 4.
Here is the card as currently advertised:
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (C) vs. Shota Umino
Zack has carried the company on his back this past year year, being the leader of TMDK, losing the NJPW TV Title to Tanahashi then winning it back from Matt Riddle, then winning the G1 Climax and finally winning the World Title. In contrast, Umino challenged EVIL for the NEVER Title back in February and lost. Umino lost to Jack Perry in the New Japan Cup in March 2024. Umino finished close to the bottom of the G1 Climax in the A Block. Umino was also injured at various times during the year.
Shota, to his credit, is getting pushed and interacting with fans constantly, especially with kids giving them little gifts, very similar to John Cena.
When Zack won the World Title from Naito, Umino immediately declared his intention to challenge for the belt. The boos from the crowd at the time was clear as a sunny day. The Japanese crowd was not happy about Umino raining on Zack's championship parade.
If Tanahashi wants to build new stars, then Umino should beat Zack for the belt. However, that may turn off Japanese fans who may feel Umino has not had enough true wins. Zack is amazing in a New Japan ring, but also outside of the ring by learning the Japanese language, making the country his adopted home. Zack should be recognized for wanting to be the face of the company and embracing that.
Whoever wins the title should tell you where Tanahashi wants the company to go.
Zack deserves a win here.
Special Single Match: Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiromu Takahashi
Naito and Hiromu have teased this match for a long time and the road they took to get here was a weird one. Naito and Hiromu were booked as partners in World Tag League. Hiromu is a Junior and was allowed to compete with other heavyweights. They win World Tag League and earn a shot at the IWGP Tag Team Titles. However, Naito challenges Hiromu instead at Wrestle Kingdom. They are selling this as a match 15 years in the making. But, there is nothing at stake. The IWGP Tag Titles are an afterthought and World Tag League looked like a waste of time.
Naito just finished another eye surgery and he cannot move around the ring like he once could. He has difficulty hitting Destino at times. Both are top guys, so no one will benefit from a win or a loss. A Hiromu win would pop the Tokyo Dome crowd, and they all can perform the LIJ Roll Call like Naito did last year.
IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship: David Finlay (c) vs. Yota Tsuji
Tsuji should win this match and the title. Tsuji is an athletic machine who fits Tanahashi's vision.
At New Year Dash, I can see SANADA taking over the Bullet Club War Dogs and becoming the next challenger for the Global Title.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: DOUKI (c) vs. El Desperado
This should be the match of the night. DOUKI has beaten El Desperado for the title, and successfully defended against SHO, Taiji Ishimori, Master Wato and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. El Desperado was out with an injury since losing the Title, and will now get his rematch. DOUKI has defended the title well and shown that he is a star in the Junior Division.
I think Desperado wins the title back here.
NEVER Openweight Championship and AEW International Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita
The winner of this match will face Tomohiro Ishii on Wrestle Dynasty. Does Tanahashi want the NEVER belt on an AEW wrestler? Hard to say. I do see Tony Khan wanting a Takeshita vs. Tomohiro Ishii match at Wrestle Dynasty, so Takeshita will win.
Lumberjack Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL
This match will have a lot of heat. The Korakuen Hall crowd was PISSED OFF that EVIL cut Tanahashi's hair. I expect tons of shenanigans. All of House of Torture will interfere. Hontai will also be involved Tanahashi will win to keep the crowd happy and he will start his year-long retirement tour.
NJPW World TV Championship Match: Ren Narita (c) vs. Jeff Cobb vs. Ryohei Oiwa vs. El Phantasmo
Ren Narita should win since House of Torture will lose against Tanahashi and Narita needs the title more than the other opponents. This may also lead to a series of matches between these opponents in the coming months.
IWGP Women's Championship: Mayu Iwatani (c) vs. AZM
It is disappointing that this title only appears on New Japan World at Wrestle Kingdom. Stardom is a sister company of New Japan, but if the regular cards are not going to feature women wrestlers, then why bother having this title in New Japan? Just put a Stardom match on the undercard. AZM wins to get a pop in the Tokyo Dome.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (Tokyo Terror Ladder Match): KUSHIDA and Kevin Knight (c) vs. TJP and Francesco Akira vs. Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita vs. Clark Conners and Drilla Moloney
This match did not need the ladders, chairs and tables, but it is what it is. Fujita and Eagles should win the titles. Fujita has done a lot this year and deserves a chance to win at the Tokyo Dome and hold a championship.
New Japan Ranbo: New Japan's website has stated that the winner of the Ranbo will earn a IWGP World Heavyweight Title shot, not an IWGP Tag Title match as previously reported. This title match will occur after Wrestle Kingdom weekend. Last minute booking decisions does make things difficult to follow. No participants have been announced.
A lot of New Japan wrestlers have not been announced for Wrestle Kingdom, such as: SANADA, Chase Owens, Bolin Oleg, Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Taichi, Great O-Khan, KENTA, Mikey Nichols, Shane Haste, and Taiji Ishimori. Any of these wrestlers could appear in the Ranbo. This would be a good place for a surprise entrant to win the Ranbo and face the IWGP Champion at New Beginning.
Wrestle Dynasty on January 5.
There has been so many changes to the card that it has gotten confusing. With so many changes, a normal fan may ask "what is the point of watching? I would rather watch the final weekend of the NFL season." Or WWE Raw on January 6. For a Japanese fan, if I had to choose one live event, I would watch Wrestle Kingdom over Wrestle Dynasty.
Here is the card as advertised as of December 30:
Special Single Match: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ricochet
This match should be Zack vs. Kazuchika Okada, had Tony Khan planned it out better. G1 Winner vs. Continental Classic Winner. Zack wins.
Special Single Match: Shota Umino vs. Claudio Castagnoli
This match should be Shota Umino vs. Jon Moxley. Teacher vs. Student. But I am not a booker.
Umino should win here.
Special Single Match: David Finlay vs. Brody King
Since Finlay will lose the Global Title to Tsuji, Finlay gets a win back.
Special Single Match: Yota Tsuji vs. Jack Perry
Tsuji gets another win here.
Special Single Match: Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd
Gabe Kidd cut a great promo on Omega and AEW which is now on Youtube. This should be the match of the night. Omega will get the win because it is his first match back in Japan.
NEVER Openweight Championship and AEW International Championship: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Shingo Takagi or Konosuke Takeshita (c)
Ishii has spent a great deal of time this past year in AEW. I would not be surprised if he wins both titles.
IWGP Tag Championship Decider (as advertised): Great O-Khan and partner vs. The Young Bucks.
This entire set up and build up to this match is ridiculous. It makes no sense why the Bucks think they can show a video and receive an IWGP Tag Title shot. HENARE cut a great promo on the Bucks after a match at World Tag League. Then HENARE got hurt and O-Khan has no partner. World Tag League is won by Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi, but they do not ask for a Tag Title Match. O-Khan and HENARE were supposed to relinquish the belts. This match was canceled now it is back on. They decided to keep the belts on O-Khan without a partner. Meanwhile, the IWGP Tag Team belts are in limbo.
My guess is Tony Khan wants everyone to think that Will Ospreay or Okada will be O-Khan's partner. I don't think so. It may be Callum Newman, Jakob Austin Young, or Jeff Cobb.
United Empire will win.
ROH Tag Team Championship: Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes vs. SHO and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Why would SHO and Kanemaru want the belts of a non-existent company? Guevara and Rhodes win.
Strong Women's Championship and British Women's Championship: Mina Shirakawa vs. Mercedes Mone
Since this is an AEW event, Mercedes Mone wins. Mone got a small reaction the last time she was in the Dome. The crowd would pop for Shirakawa if she won.
International Women's Cup Final: Willow Nightingale vs. Persephone vs. Athena vs. Momo Watanabe
I give credit to Tony Khan for giving the ladies a chance to shine on this show. Watanabe would be the crowd favorite. However, Nightingale would be benefit the most from this win.
Also, is an Eight-man Lucha Gauntlet match with no participants announced.
Jon Moxley, Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada are not on the two events which makes sense. Okada and Ospreay are not even a year removed from New Japan, and the company needs to focus and grow their new wrestlers.
Out of the 8 current AEW Champions, only Mercedes Mone and Konosuke Takeshita will be the ones participating. Potentially several IWGP belts could be on the line at Wrestle Dynasty, but no sign of the AEW Championship.
On January 6, New Japan will have New Year Dash from Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo. No matches are announced and the crowd will buy tickets without knowing who is on the card. However, new angles will happen which sets the course of the storylines for the upcoming year.
This should be a big weekend for New Japan, AEW and the wrestling business in general.
Stay tuned for reports to come.
Thank you for reading all year. Thank you to Dave and Mike and the rest of the PWInsider Family.
Happy New Year!
Thanks for reading.
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