New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom will be streaming live on January 4th at 12 Midnight PT / 3 AM ET / 8 AM GMT, but if you’re interested in watching the pre-show which will also be live one hour earlier. But it’ll also be available on-demand if you don’t feel like playing havoc with your sleep cycle. Let's take a the show.
Let's get ready to Ranbo. New Japan’s Rumble match is an original concept that has being used to open events in Tokyo Dome for quite some time now. Two men begin ,then at one minute interval comes the new man, the match is by pinfall submission or count out when a man goes over the ring rope to the floor. Last year the final four participants in the match would then be entitled to fight for the KOPW title but with that title no longer existing today the winner gets a chance at the IWGP World Heavyweight title. Who is, indeed, in the match and how many participants entering it is unknown, yet one may presume that the match will be comprised of both Young Lions, The legends who already participated in the previous G1 specials, and, of course, all those who didn’t make the main list.
Match 1: IWGP Jr Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Four Way Tokyo Terror Ladderismatch
For ALL-PRO WRESTLING World Tag Team Championship: Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight & KUSHIDA) (f) vs. Catch 2/2 (TJP & Francesco Akira) vs. Ichiban Sweet Boys (Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita) vs. Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney)
Match 2: IWGP Women's Championship
Mayu Iwatani (c) v AZM
After not being featured in last year’s Wrestle Kingdom event the IWGP Women’s Championship returns to the Big Egg, as the Icon of Stardom has held the title for over 600 days. Iwatani is arriving in this event fresh from a nail-biting win against Momo Watanabe in Historic X-Over.
Match 3: NJPW World TV Championship Four Way Livestream
Ren Narita (c) vs Jeff Cobb vs Ryohei Oiwa vs El Phuntasmo
In the Wrestle Kingdom 17 event, Ren Narita was in a competition to crown him a TV Champion, but he failed. On this show and the two years since, he has become a member of NJ share’s most despised faction, House of Torture, and cashed in his way to many victories. It’s true back in October, he had to employ all kinds of low blows to regain the very same TV title in a three way danced move. Rising star Ryohei Oiwa was going to have his shot at the newly crowned champ, but the man who lost the belt in the first place, Jeff Cobb, thought he should get a rematch. During that event On the Road to the Tokyo Dome, El Phantasmo came back to wrestling to offer his own test. In August ELP declined the invitation to join the House and was subsequently beaten up for it, so he wants his revenge. Will Ren Narita be able to pull it for the second time or the odds will not allow it here.
Match 4: Lumberjack Match, the prospect of getting his career back to the main Nintendo Arena was also on the line.
Hiroshi Tanahashi v EVIL
Ugh. As many fans know, the President of New Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi revealed sometime this year that he had heard fans’ complaints about the House of Torture and promised to muzzle them. This only provided limited results during the G1, though at the finals of that tournament President Ace decided on a more direct approach. Even when the kids where winning all battles against evil and all the miscreants that the King of Darkness employes, the latter does not surrender. And at his 25th Anniversary show, Tanahashi declared himself done with the wrestling – but, you know, nothing can be done unless EVIL says so | he tried to spit on the Ace, but all he got was Tanahashi’s back.
Feuds between the two persist at up until finals of Super Jr. Tag League where a rebellious Tana had done himself into a disqualification by pummeling EVIL with a chair multiple times. After that he said he would give the leader of the Hosue of Torture what he wanted – his career will be on the line at Wrestle Kingdom. On one condition: as for this match the decision would have been to make it a lumberjack match. Will it be dark and will President Ace be thrown into early oblivion or will the House bear the bitter see-saw?