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The Edion Arena, Osaka, Japan:
Kick off match: Katsuya Murashima and Shoma Kato vs. Togi Makabe and Toru Yano
They announced that Murashima and Kato would leaving on excursion and this is their farewell match from the company.
Makabe pins Murashima after a King Kong Knee.
The young lions get a small ovation after the match.
Tadao Yasuda was honored with a 10 bell salute.
1 - Taiji Ishimori and Hiromu Takahashi vs. Jakob Austin Young and Francesco Akira
This will be Hiromu Takahashi's last match in New Japan as he decided not to renew his contract with New Japan.
They played an awesome video of Hiromu and some of his greatest moments in New Japan.
Ishimori gets the submission on Young with a Bone Lock.
After the match, Akira attacks Hiromu and tries to break his neck with a chair. Robbie X makes the save and Hiromu takes out Akira with a Hiromuchan Bomber.
Hiromu waves goodbye to all the fans in the Edion Arena.
From the original members of Los Ingobernales de Japon in 2016, EVIL, SANADA, Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI and now Hiromu Takahashi are no longer part of the New Japan roster. Pro Wrestling NOAH may be getting a new member soon.
2 - Drilla Moloney and Shingo Takagi vs. Great O-Khan and HENARE
Both Takagi and Moloney are banged up with injuries coming into the match.
War Dragons hit a double Made in Japan on HENARE and gets the pin.
Moloney announces that he has resigned with New Japan and he will be in the New Japan Cup. Takagi tells the crowd, no matter who quits or who retires, we will still be fighting.
3 - NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Championship: Boltin Oleg, YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto vs. Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa and Zack Sabre Jr.
Bishomon hits Shoto with Oleg hitting a Splash on Jackson. YOSHI-HASHI pins Jackson.
Boltin Oleg, YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto retain the NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Championship.
4 - Gabe Kidd vs. Andrade El Idolo
The winner of this match will get an IWGP title match at New Beginning USA in Trenton, New Jersey on February 27.
Good stiff match. Kidd misses an Oni Knee. Andrade hits back elbow smash and hits the DM.
Andrade pins Kidd.
Andrade El Idolo earns a title match for the IWGP World Championship at New Beginning USA.
5 - David Finlay vs. Callum Newman
Another good match. Newman hits an Overkill and hits two Excaliburs on Finlay. Two count. Newman hits a lariat. Newman hits Princes Curse.
Newman pins Finlay.
Finlay bows to the crowd and gives Gedo a hug in the ring. Finlay then says "Gomenasai" (I am sorry) to Hiromu Takahashi at ringside commentary.
Newman needed to win this single match against Finlay. He was being established as a dickish heel and needed a big win over an established star on a big stage. This looks like Finlay's exit from New Japan as well.
Hiroshi Tanahashi comes to the ring. He announces that Dominion will be broadcast on Japanese Television, not just on New Japan World.
6 - NEVER Openweight Championship: Aaron Wolfe vs. Ren Narita
House of Torture attacks Wolfe on the way to the ring. Wolfe is overwhelmed. Narita hits a Double Cross and Hells Guillotine. Narita pins Wolfe.
Ren Narita wins the NEVER Openweight Championship.
This was a squash. They said on commentary that Narita was the new leader of House of Torture now. EVIL, on his way out of the company, deserves credit for putting over Aaron Wolfe in the Tokyo Dome. But they booked Wolfe to job out to the House of Torture in two minutes. Hopefully, New Japan can keep Wolfe strong.
7 - IWGP Tag Team Championship: OSKAR and Yuto-Ice vs. Yuya Uemura and Shota Umino
OSKAR and Yuto immediately attack the challengers. Uemura and Yuto pair off and beat on each other, which the crowd pops for. OSKAR and Umino fight on the floor. Umino hits a DDT off the guardrails. OSKAR sells his head and neck. Back in the ring, OSKAR goes for a suplex, but Umino reverses into another DDT. Uemura and Yuto tag in and they trade strikes. They exchange slaps and Yuto hits a Buzzsaw kick. Uemura kicks out. Umino and OSKAR are back in the ring. Umino hits a Superplex on OSKAR. Uemura hits a Splash on OSKAR. Yuto breaks the count. Uemura goes for the Deadbolt but Yuto breaks it up. Knockout Brothers go for KOB on Uemura, but Umino breaks it up. They hit KOB on Umino, but Uemura is the legal man. Massive chant for KOB by the Osaka crowd! Uemura hits the Deadbolt on Yuto. OSKAR applies the sleeper on Uemura, but he is still selling the two DDTs. Uemura reverses into a cradle. Two count. They trade two counts. Uemura hits a German Suplex. Two count. OSKAR tosses Uemura into Yuto who throws a wicked knee to the head. They hit the KOB on Uemura.
OSKAR pins Uemura.
The Knockout Brothers retain the IWGP Tag Team Championship.
Good match. Since their debut, Yuto and OSKAR have been booked very well. The Japanese are behind them and New Japan are listening to them. The Knockout Brothers are building up the prestige of the Tag Team belts and the Division. The problem with Umino and Uemura is that the fans do not believe them as champions. Umino has repackaged himself several times (which confuses the fans) and forced into main event positions when fans did not accept him yet. Uemura has yet to hold an IWGP title of any kind. Their booking was not their fault, but it will be hard to gain acceptance when they are booked to be inconsistent. They both should not be in the tag division anymore.
A video plays of Ricochet and the Gates of Agony of AEW. Ricochet challenges Taiji Ishimori. Gates of Agony challenge Knockout Brothers.
8 - IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Yota Tsuji vs. Jake Lee
Lee tries to outsmart Tsuji in the early moments. Tsuji tries for submissions, but Lee reverses out and mocks Tsuji. Lee attacks with kicks and strikes. Tsuji changes the momentum with a Dragon Screw on the apron. They fight back into the ring and trade elbows. Tsuji blocks a Face Break Shot, and hits a powerbomb. Lee hits a boot to the face. They face off and exchange chops and strikes. Lee hits a knee to the gut and a kick to the chest. Lee misses another Face Break Shot. Tsuji hits two Gene Blasters.
Tsuji pins Lee.
Yota Tsuji retains the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
The young lions carry out Jake Lee like he was a dead animal. Tsuji thanks Lee and thanks the fans for their support. He will not stop fighting for them. He asks the Unbound Company to come to the ring. Gedo, Robbie X, Daiki Nagai, OSKAR, Yuto, Taiji Ishimori, Drilla Moloney and Shingo Takagi comes to the ring. No David Finlay. Tsuji thanks them and asks Hiromu to come in the ring. Hiromu gets to say his goodbye to New Japan and the fans. He says this is not goodbye, but "see you later".
They gather in a circle to give a fist bump. Only Yuto is off in the corner. When Yuto comes to the group, he is weeping with tears in his eyes. The crowd gasped at this when they saw the emotional Yuto saying goodbye to Hiromu. They all posed for a group photo with Hiromu, one last time.
This is ends a major chapter in New Japan's history. Major stars have left New Japan in the recent months and the newer stars need to step up. If Tanahashi (doing his best imitation of Triple H) wants to grow New Japan on nationwide level and being a television product, then he needs strong babyfaces, evil heels, and solid storylines. Yota Tsuji seems to be a champion that company can build around. He needs a heel that the fans believe is his equal or better. No one in House of Torture is World Championship material. Tsuji just defeated Lee and United Empire and no one in the group is seen at that level yet (including Andrade). Unbound Empire are "tweeners" and are more faces than heels, especially if Finlay leaves. Babyfaces like Shota Umino and Yuya Uemura need quality wins, as well as face time with the fans, rather than losing all their title opportunities. New Japan and Hiroshi Tanahashi has a lot of work to do in 2026.
Thank you for reading.
James Kurokawa
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