Wrestle Kingdom 14 in Tokyo Dome 1/4 & 1/5 Jushin Thunder Liger Retirement

[Defrost]

https://i.imgur.com/HRO5DsD.jpg



Night 1 1/4




IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada(c) vs Kota Ibushi

https://i.imgur.com/toWXaza.jpg


IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Jay White(c) vs Tetsuya Naito
https://i.imgur.com/E4EKE3d.jpg


IWGP Jr Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay(c) vs Hiromu Takahashi
https://i.imgur.com/H2dxnSK.jpg

IWGP US Championship: Texas Death Match: Lance Archer(c) vs Jon Moxley
https://i.imgur.com/oX6CPju.jpg

IWGP Tag Team Championship: Guerrillas of Destiny(c) vs FinJuice
https://i.imgur.com/CCHoBWv.jpg

Hirooki Goto/Tomohiro Ishii/Yoshi-Hashi/Toru Yano vs KENTA/Bad Luck Fale/Yujiro Takahashi/Chase Owens
https://i.imgur.com/FMLGuvf.jpg

Los Ingobernables de Japon vs Suzuki-Gun
https://i.imgur.com/WEH8sLT.jpg

Jushin Liger Retirement Match #1 Guest Referee Norio Honaga: Jushin Liger/Tatsumi Fujinami/Great Sasuke/Tiger Mask IV w/El Samurai vs Shinjiro Otani/Tatsuhito Takaiwa/Naoki Sano/Rysuke Taguchi
https://i.imgur.com/F77FX3O.jpg

Hiroyoshi Tenzan/Satoshi Kojima vs Yuji Nagata/Manabu Nakanishi
https://i.imgur.com/MtHTWVu.jpg

Togi Makabe/Tomoaki Honma/Yota Tsuji/Yuya Uemura vs. Toa Henare/Karl Fredericks/Clark Connors/Alex Coughlin
https://i.imgur.com/GVl5vUg.jpg

Stardom Offer Match: Mayu Iwatani/Arisa Hoshiki vs. Hana Kimura/Giulia
https://i.imgur.com/ujtLLlA.jpg
Night 2 1/5

Double Title Match: IWGP Heavyweight Champion vs IWGP Intercontinental Champion
https://i.imgur.com/pTaibeL.jpg

Special Singles Match: If Tanahashi Wins He Will Receive an AEW Title Shot: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Chris Jericho
https://i.imgur.com/YWZ2cz2.jpg

Special Singles Match: Loser of Okada/Ibushi vs Loser of White/Naito
https://i.imgur.com/BK89UQi.jpg

NEVER Openweight Championship: KENTA(c) vs Hirooki Goto
https://i.imgur.com/Ta8Z5nS.jpg

British Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr(c) vs SANADA
https://i.imgur.com/uojNFBZ.jpg

IWGP Jr Tag Team Championship: El Phantasmo/Taiji Ishimori vs Roppongi 3K
https://i.imgur.com/CxRI3CD.jpg

Jushin Thunder Liger Retirement Match II: Jushin Liger/Naoki Sano w/Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Hiromu Takahashi/Ryu Lee
https://i.imgur.com/eah30iU.jpg

[Donald]

I've only ever seen his match against Tyler Breeze at one of the NXT Takeovers. What are considered his best matches, so I can look them up?

[Murphy]

Loved watching his stuff in the late 90s. I'd look forward to his matches the most on the NJPW tapes I used to get from a trader.

[Tainted Eclipse]

top 10 of all time. do they go the usual route and do a multi-man match with big names for his final match, or a big one on one match? what about liger vs. okada for the IWGP title headlining?

- - - Updated - - -

ACTUALLY, how about liger wins the IWGP title at dominion, drops it at WK?

[MTR]

I will always remember him wrestling Pillman in WCW. They had some good matches. First exposure to any Japan wrestlers was WCW and the relationship they had with New Japan. I need to look some Liger matches to watch.

[Defrost]

Sounds like one of the shows will be the normal NJPW Dome show and the other will be the Liger retirement show.

[Defrost]

I've only ever seen his match against Tyler Breeze at one of the NXT Takeovers. What are considered his best matches, so I can look them up?

This seems like a good place to post some matches


My personal favorite Liger match. The tournament final to crown the first GHC Jr Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Liger and Takehiro Murahama vs KENTA & Naomichi Marufuji


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_rQ94yQbNg

[Badger]

I've only ever seen his match against Tyler Breeze at one of the NXT Takeovers. What are considered his best matches, so I can look them up?

Shame we only got that one-off appearance from him at NXT but at the end of the day NJPW is where his home is.

[Tainted Eclipse]

This seems like a good place to post some matches


My personal favorite Liger match. The tournament final to crown the first GHC Jr Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Liger and Takehiro Murahama vs KENTA & Naomichi Marufuji


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_rQ94yQbNg

Those early-2000s Liger vs. NOAH tags are up there with my favorite things ever in wrestling

[Defrost]

The only meeting between Liger and Rey Mysterio Jr


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlJIrZqDec4

[Defrost]

The semi final from the first Super J Cup against The Great Sasuke


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPgPV0gr5U8

[Tainted Eclipse]

they have another match in 94 thats even better but it's a bitch to find online. i know it's up on some japanese video streaming site but it's hard to wade through all the copies of the j-cup match to find the right upload.

[Defrost]

CMLL went all out for Liger's final match in Arena Mexico last night


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyUhg5kv8Qk

[Kdestiny]

This is in Entertainment then too I guess?

[Defrost]

Hey I can do this now


By virtue of winning the 29th G1 Climax Kota Ibushi is the Number 1 Contender for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and if he can defend his status will challenge for the title at Wrestle Kingdom in the Tokyo Dome.

[Nash Diesel]

Ibushi is a fantastic wrestler and very smart of him for not signing with the WWE. I have followed his career for years, I even have a DVD where he's like 100lbs soaking wet teaming up with Sanshiro in DDT where his finisher was the dropkick lol. Pretty sure it was his first year in wrestling, maybe even his first match.

[Spudz Mackenzie]

I still say MLW Wrestling missed a trick not booking Liger for one of their big shows and having him work against Brian Pillman Junior. Those two could tear the damn house down.

[Horatio]

I've only ever seen his match against Tyler Breeze at one of the NXT Takeovers. What are considered his best matches, so I can look them up?

Liger and Tiger Mask vs Taiji Ishimorri and Atsushi Kotoge from Pro Wrestling NOAH

[Defrost]

I think someone is leaving this show with two belts

https://uproxx.com/prowrestling/njpw-tetsuya-naito-responds-kota-ibushi-wrestle-kingdom-challenge/2/

[Defrost]

Jay White, Kota Ibushi, and Tetsuya Naito are all cutting promos about being double champion now

[Defrost]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5uExyT0XRI

[Sinner]

a 4 Way Elimination Match would be crazy. I don't think New Japan has ever had a 4 Way Match, or an Elimination Singles Match.

Or a Title vs. Title match.

I want that.

[Defrost]

The idea everyone is going with is that 1/4 would be Okada vs Ibushi and Jay vs Naito with the winners wrestling on 1/5

[Sinner]

So, Ibushi wins the title and then dies the next night vs Naito.

Yeah?

[Fanny Batter]

I'd rather 1/4 being IC title vs. IWGP contract, with the winner fighting Okada the next night. Better storytelling for me. Particularly when (if it is Naito), he has the set up for the Ibushi match because he beat him last time he wrestled him. What has earned him an IWGP title shot to this point? He didn't win the G1 and has lost to Okada at 2 dome's already.

[Morrison]

https://i.imgur.com/7cmvBmr.jpg

[Morrison]

kishin liger/suzuki at KOPW? rematch as jushin thunder vs suzuki at the dome? or do they go with a more traditional junior opponent for the actual retirement match?

[Defrost]

I've always assumed Liger would be wrestling Hiromu at the Dome

[Nash Diesel]

Jay White is now the IWGP IC champion....yay.....

[Spudz Mackenzie]

So... Liger paints his face even though its always under a mask in public?

Makes sense...?

[VHS]

Jay White is an immense bore.

[Defrost]

The first official match is the main event on January 4th.

Kazuchika Okada makes his v5 defense against Kota Ibushi

[Nash Diesel]

The first official match is the main event on January 4th.

Kazuchika Okada makes his v5 defense against Kota Ibushi

I can't wait. Going to be an incredible match.

[Honey_Badger]

Ibushi is the man!

[Defrost]

2nd confirmed match for 1/4

Liger/Tatsumi Fujinami/Great Sasuke/Tiger Mask 4 with El Samurai in their corner vs Shinjro Otani/Naoki Sano/Tatsuhito Takaiwa/Ryuseke Taguchi with Kuniaki Kobayashi in their corner. Norio Honaga will be guest referee.

[Ringo]

Cute. Seems Kanemoto is the only major Liger rival/ally not involved.

[Nash Diesel]

2nd confirmed match for 1/4

Liger/Tatsumi Fujinami/Great Sasuke/Tiger Mask 4 with El Samurai in their corner vs Shinjro Otani/Naoki Sano/Tatsuhito Takaiwa/Ryuseke Taguchi with Kuniaki Kobayashi in their corner. Norio Honaga will be guest referee.

Incredible. I love that El Samurai will be part of it. When I was a young teen, I saw his pic in a PWI 500 and fell in love. I honestly never saw a match of his until sometime in the mid 2000's I think. Just loved his look and name.

[Defrost]

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Chris Jericho
Will Ospreay vs Hiromu Takahashi
ELP/Ishimori vs RPG3K

Matches officially coming out of Power Struggle

[Tainted Eclipse]

it seems odd to dilute what should be the big story of ibushi finally winning the iwgp title with this double champ thing. save that gimmick for a year when you don't have a really big and meaningful main event like okada/ibushi.

[Defrost]

I don't think Ibushi is beating Okada

[Morrison]

yeah, ibushi just signed a lifetime contract, i dont think they're 'hotshotting' it onto him right away. i imagine an ibushi loss to help progress his story and naito going over okada for both belts to close that circle.

[Defrost]

Although it is kinda funny that the one guy who has zero interest in being double champion will make it to the double title match

[Defrost]

Official for 1/4 White vs Naito, Hiromu vs Will.

Official for 1/5 World Title vs IC Title, loser of the two title matches against each other, ELP/Ishimori vs R3K, Jericho vs Tana

[Defrost]

News for the World Tag League Final

Moxley showed up and challenged Lance Archer to a Texas Death Match for the US Title
Dragon Lee, now Ryu Lee as Ryu means Dragon in Japanese, challenged Jushin Liger for 1/5. Liger accepted, but then added he also wanted to wrestle Hiroumu on the same show.
FinJuice won the league and challenged GOD for the Dome

[mth]

I hope GOD has a better showing in Japan than he did in that tag match with HBK...

[Sinner]

EVIL/SANADA vs ISHII/YOSHI-HASHI would be a fun match!

also, assuming we'll see KENTA vs GOTO

[Defrost]

There was an angle backstage today where SANADA was attacked by ZSJ. So that's the Dome match.

[Defrost]

Full cards

NJPW "WRESTLE KINGDOM 14 IN TOKYO DOME", 04.01.2020
Tokyo Dome

1. Jushin Thunder Liger Retirement Match I: Jushin Thunder Liger, Tatsumi Fujinami , Great Sasuke & Tiger Mask with El Samurai vs. Naoki Sano, Shinjiro Otani , Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Ryusuke Taguchi with Kuniaki Kobayashi
2. Special Eight Man Tag Match: "King of Darkness" EVIL, SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi & El Desperado
3. Special Eight Man Tag Match: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI vs. KENTA, Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
4. IWGP Tag Team Title: Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa (c) vs. Juice Robinson & David Finlay
5. IWGP US Heavyweight Title, Texas Death Match: Lance Archer (c) vs. Jon Moxley
6. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi
7. IWGP Intercontinental Title: Jay White (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
8. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Kota Ibushi


NJPW "WRESTLE KINGDOM 14 IN TOKYO DOME", 05.01.2020
Tokyo Dome

1. Jushin Thunder Liger Retirement Match II: Jushin Thunder Liger & Naoki Sano with Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Hiromu Takahashi & Ryu Lee
2. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo (c) vs. SHO & YOH
3. British Heavyweight Title: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. SANADA
4. IWGP US Heavyweight Title: Sieger Moxley/Archer (c) vs. Juice Robinson
5. NEVER Openweight Title: KENTA (c) vs. Hirooki Goto
6. Special Singles Match: Verlierer Okada/Ibushi vs. Verlierer White/Naito
7. Special Singles Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Chris Jericho
8. IWGP Heavyweight Title & IWGP Intercontinental Title: Sieger Okada/Ibushi (c) vs. Sieger White/Naito (c)

[Tainted Eclipse]

I really like that second liger match

[Matthew]

meh, rather he finished in a 1v1

[Nash Diesel]

Damn those are some strong cards. I would love to see Naito get the W and go on to unify the World and IC title the following night. That would be amazing.

[BGMaverick]

I haven't been watching for a while but Archer/Moxley should be fun as hell.

[Tainted Eclipse]

Damn those are some strong cards. I would love to see Naito get the W and go on to unify the World and IC title the following night. That would be amazing.

yeah, okada winning seems really boring. i think ibushi's first g1 to the dome should end in him winning the title but i guess that's not happening, and honestly i haven't been too excited about ibushi this year anyway. nor naito in his broken down state but he needs the big win.

[Tainted Eclipse]

just noticed they are actually still doing new year dash on the 6th. cool.

[Sinner]

I think NJPW is going to take my idea for WrestleKingdom, so don't click if you wan't to experience it Live. It involves everyone's favorite 141.

Tomohiro Ishii will join Bullet Club. It worked for KENTA, and it will eventually win him the IC Title

I'll buy some merch, please

[Nash Diesel]

just noticed they are actually still doing new year dash on the 6th. cool.

For some reason I thought the 5th was the Dash show and homeboy just forgot to change it in his post lol. So we have a 2-day WrestleKingdom AND NYDash? Insane.

[Sinner]

Where have you been the past Year that this has been known?

[Fanny Batter]

Interesting that they're offering 2 streamlined cards, and good. There was a fear that they'd offer bloated cards that would tire everybody out a la Wrestlemania weekend. No need for mass double duty or shoe-horning regular singles matches on the card. Still hope there's a Rumble on night 2 seeing as how there's so many decent wrestlers not doing anything significant - Shingo, Suzuki, Ishii, EVIL, Taichi, the dad's - thst it could be quite a fun one.

[Defrost]

Hiroshi Tanahashi and Will Ospreay only working one show each is kinda the most interesting thing to me

[Sinner]

I wish instead of Juice getting the title shot, it should be Ishii!

[Defrost]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9CI4c4b6UU

[Defrost]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7ALO46XM18

[Defrost]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-WSfPSd1Zc

[Defrost]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPE_2tP4LIU

[Defrost]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znyFw7DKMTE

[Defrost]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuzS3Xunsno

[Defrost]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DTR7vN92vM

[Defrost]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny2520786N0

[Morrison]

so tanahashi says should be beat jericho at the dome, he'll 'open the forbidden door' and ask for an AEW title shot.

makes the match at least that much more interesting.

[Defrost]

There will be a Stardom offer match on 1/4. It will be a dark match though.

[Defrost]

Watching Road to and I really need a Shingo vs Tana singles match in my life

[Defrost]

so tanahashi says should be beat jericho at the dome, he'll 'open the forbidden door' and ask for an AEW title shot.

makes the match at least that much more interesting.

Jericho has responded to this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6nqekohg_y/

[Morrison]

Jericho has responded to this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6nqekohg_y/

curious. i wonder if this is even a possibility.

[Defrost]

I just take it to mean Jericho is winning

[Morrison]

my instinct before any of this was jericho winning, cause i feel like he needs a win if he's going to keep being used, so that tracks. but why introduce the title into it. i'd get if jericho initiated it, cause why not, there's nothing to lose, but it coming from tana just makes me scratch my head.

[Defrost]

So New Japan has acknowledged this whole thing and that is now the official stip of the match. If Tana beats Jericho he gets a shot at the AEW World Title.

[Tainted Eclipse]

would be very cool to have that as a dynamite main event.

[Fanny Batter]

You can get a trilogy match out of it too, which probably helps with getting big match mileage out of Tanahashi. Either at Dominion or next year's Dome, maybe with a Tanahashi retirement stip.

Still in two minds whether to get NJPW World back for this. The card's are great, but it seems a lot of it is treading on old ground. The double title matches are the G1 block finals, and the winning combinations would either have been done numerous times in 2019 (Naito/Ibushi), done at the Dome twice already (Okada/Naito), a G1 final rematch (White/Ibushi) or happened on the 2 biggest events last year (Okada/White). All the ground has been covered. I feel Naito should have avenged the White loss then Ospreay comes out to challenge him, with Takahashi returning against Lee. White is great but he doesn't fit the top of the card in New Japan for me.

[Sinner]

SIgn up, watch the two shows, and then you can cancel if you really want. 10 dollars for 2 awesome shows that will be in the contending for Show of the Year.

Yeah, you should!

[Ringo]

It works out at £3.67 for each show Batter. You might as well. Even if you just dipped in and picked out what you fancied the look of. I've signed back up today.

[Fanny Batter]

Yeah I'm going to, 8am start tomorrow is comfortable to do over a bowl of porridge, then can fit the other in before the NFC Wildcards.

[Tainted Eclipse]

i'm going to try to stay up/wake up to watch the 1/4 show live. probably just watch the 1/5 the next morning.

[Nash Diesel]

One of my best friends recently informed me he has a New Japan World membership and he offered to let me use it anytime since he doesn't get a lot of time to use it himself. So my son and I will be waking up tomorrow, hopefully with some biscuits and gravy, and some awesome wrestling.

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/92c15a89-f0b4-4a8b-86dd-7165bd7189a0/dd90dsq-3953a3ff-d11a-4f57-b542-236c3c77df58.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJ IUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQz NzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZT BkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6 W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzkyYzE1YTg5LWYwYjQtNGE4Yi04Nm RkLTcxNjViZDcxODlhMFwvZGQ5MGRzcS0zOTUzYTNmZi1kMTFh LTRmNTctYjU0Mi0yMzZjM2M3N2RmNTgucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIj pbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.dHkeBNpI 7yAUiiltqie8100xM_xq2JBS9qpLOLt148A

[MTR]

I will be staying up both nights and watching both shows. In fact I may be taking a nap soon. I will be around to chat during the show if anyone else is watching. I will probably be on twitter as well. We shall see. Probably will help me stay awake :lol:

[Tainted Eclipse]

only got about an hour of sleep in, but i've watched these live since 2014 so i must continue.

[Tainted Eclipse]

no rambo :(

[Tainted Eclipse]

liger match was a lot of fun. i'll definitely stay up at least to watch his last match at the beginning of tomorrow's show.

[Defrost]

Old man match ruled.

Now for Suzuki's last hurrah before he leaves for NOAH

[MTR]

Holy shit Ishii hitting that on Fale.

[Defrost]

Archer throwing a dude at Mox was awesome

[MTR]

agreed

[Defrost]

Oh my god the most deadly weapon. A plastic shopping bag.

[Defrost]

That was fun

[Defrost]

Well that lived up to the hype

[Tainted Eclipse]

i fell asleep during tag match :(

[Tainted Eclipse]

okada in white boots triple h style

[Defrost]

40,008 paid attendance for night 1

[Ringo]

Hell of a show. Watched the whole thing. Enjoyable stuff up until Archer/Mox. From then on things just went crazy.

Not much of note on the pre-show but was fun to see a bunch of young lions I don't think I've seen and Henare picking up the fall suggests he'll be in for something of a push in 2020. The legends tag was fun as you'd expect.

Dome seemed packed. Apparently they opened up extra seats to take the attendance over 40k which would make it the best attended dome show since...? Defrost? A long time anyway.

Liger retirement part 1 was a blast. As Kevin Kelly said the entrances were enough, the match was a bonus! Enjoyed everyone breaking out their signature holds, Sano and Ohtani especially looked like they were working extra hard. I thought Liger might pick up the win here and celebrate with his old friends and rivals before tomorrow's more "serious" match but he gave up the fall here too. Nice.

8-man tags were fine build for tomorrow. Not much else to note but I do find myself having more interest in ZSJ/Sanada and KENTA/Goto now so I guess that's the main thing.

Actually enjoyed the tag title match a fair bit. Juice and Finlay are a lot of fun together. Not sure what happens from here with them or if the titles end up back on GoD ready for them to drop them to someone else next year but we'll see.

From Moxley and Archer's entrances onwards the show really picked up. Archer and Moxley both come across so well in this setting. Completely demented. Archer reaches in to his back pocket and you're wondering what's in the bag and then everyone suddenly realises IT'S A PLASTIC BAG. Nasty. This match was sufficiently brutal and I found myself wanting more but with what came next it was probably smart that they ended it when they did. Enjoyable brawl and a nice change of pace.

Ospreay/Hiromu was insane. Big expectations but it completely delivered and then some. Ospreay is an incredible performer but his lack of restraint sometimes frustrates me. He was really great here though. In the Tokyo Dome this is the kind of match you should be having. His targeting of Hiromu's neck was brutal. Hiromu's comebacks were electrifying.

White/Naito was also terrific. Of the three biggest matches on this show, this one seems to have the most detractors which is probably unsurprising as White isn't as eye-catching as the rest but I thought he looked great in this match. It was fun to get behind Naito against such a dickhead. Anyway this probably could've done with being cut by 5 minutes or so but the opening minutes topped the opening minutes of Okada/Ibushi for me and it was an super entertaining match full of great moments.

Main Event was insane. Brutal, bombastic and perhaps overly long but if ever there is a time to have a match like that it's at your biggest show of the year in front of the biggest crowd. Ibushi's performance in his first dome main event was quite special. They really had me thinking he might just do it and move on to face Naito tomorrow but he couldn't quite do it. Hard to watch at times. Ridiculous bumps and head drops, Ibushi's legitimate (looking) fists and kicks, amazing sequences towards the end. An incredible epic that felt a bit like a combination of Okada's epic title defences against Omega and Shibata.

[Fanny Batter]

Ospreay vs. Takahashi was match of the night. I'm somebody that's completely phased out of high spot-centric wrestling when it's in multi-man situations (the Young Buck's, when they're not working straight tags, are unwatchable for me for example), but this was something else. The story with the neck and Ospreay feeling he's the stronger, more athletic man against the smaller Hiromu coming off of injury. They played the injury well with the neck work, very focused. Some of the spots were just out of this world crisp. I can do without the choreographed nonsense where they miss kicks and whips and do the staredown because it's basically just a modern extension of the hip toss sequences from the 90's, but all the significant counter stuff looked absolutely impeccable. The fluidity of the Sasuke Special sequence in particular was mesmerising, and the Destroyer counter by Takahashi. Smart finish too, bringing in a new (old) finish. Tribute to Misawa in the 10th year after his death maybe?

Jay White is actually really, really great and might be the best wrestler in the company, but I don't think he fits the company if that makes sense? I think there's the best WWE heel title reign in decades in him, I just don't think he's an IWGP champion. Maybe he doesn't have the goodwill to carry the early portions of these New Japan epics? Perhaps that will come in time. He has grown an absolute shit tonne since his return a couple of years ago. The leg work was really focused but I feel it was hurt by NJPW matches never really ending by submission. I think if they put White over with an STF or something it could have changed the game when it comes to finishes. Alas, the work was good and the last 10 minutes were pretty special, with Naito winning as expected.

Okada vs. Ibushi kicked into another gear with Ibushi turning into a nutter. That gave the match the narrative it lacked early, then it kicked into a ridiculously good scrap after that. Kota is a special talent, and he's really fucking good at being a nasty bastard. Particularly for such a handsome swine. I hope he goes full rogue at New Year's Dash after another loss tomorrow, kicks the shit out of everybody in the New Japan Cup and takes the title off Naito after that. I don't think you can crown him as the top babyface anymore. We've seen signs of him being a ruthless killer and think that's the way to get him to the title. Imagine the heat of a post-G1 Tanahashi title defence where he's kicking the shit out of the poor old Ace. Okada vs. Naito is the match it should be, and even though it'll feel more of a "cheers mate" title change rather than a coronation for Naito as Ace, the fans will surely go apeshit. They still love that guy, even if his act isn't as memorable as it was even a year ago.

I didn't watch anything else as I got set up late, but will put on Mox/Archer and the Liger match some time tomorrow I imagine. I like the Day 2 card better, it's got a little less filler and feel it will have the memorable moments of the weekend - Naito finally winning, Shibata getting involved, the Jericho/Tanahashi story and Liger's final match should all be banging. I'll be watching the whole of this card, possibly live.

[Ringo]

Yeah, on paper tomorrow looks the stronger show all over. Wasn't really a lot to shout about for the first 6 matches of this show (although I do much prefer the more traditional format of smaller matches building to the biggest ones at the end to WWE's modern day "BIG MATCH, small match, BIG MATCH, small match" format personally). Day two could be great throughout.

[Fanny Batter]

The crescendo is the way to do it, aye. If the fans care less about a match than the one they did before, they're going to be less loud than they would have been with the matches flipped. Look at a Wrestlemania 22 for example, the fans were plenty into that nothing tag opener because it was the opener, stick it after Edge/Foley and you'd have heard crickets.

I forgot that SANADA vs. Sabre Jr is on tomorrow. I loved their match at the G1. SANADA is the one guy athletic enough to really go at Sabre Jr in a technical setting while being charismatic enough to make for an entertaining personality clash. That's going to be a banger. Again it's full of matches that have happened before, but in this case we know Okada/Naito, Sabre/SANADA, White/Ibushi and Moxley/Robinson have all put on bangers before, and Tanahashi and Jericho will be fresh. Honestly, the best thing that could happen in wrestling would be AEW and New Japan working together a bit. I don't want a big invasion, but Omega coming back to New Japan to do the honours for the champion while Tanahashi goes over to AEW to give the loss back to Jericho would be a great start.

[Tainted Eclipse]

okada/ibushi reminded me a lot of okada/omega. nothing in the opening several minutes caught my attention, but then suddenly the match kicked into high gear and was absolutely nuts. pretty much perfectly executed for that style of match. ever since ibushi came back to new japan full time i've felt a bit disappointed in his work, especially since he seems to have toned down the stiffness. well, all that went out the window tonight. ibushi was channeling the best of his matches with nakamura in how hard he was hitting.

[Tainted Eclipse]

one thing i like about the early start time tomorrow is a lot of the show will be during daylight, and i love the look of the dome when it's bright outside and the light filters in and you can see the whole white dome from the inside.

[Tainted Eclipse]

watching from where i fell asleep last night. i really, really liked the tag title match. nice to see a high energy tag match which is pretty much 80% home stretch without a superabundance of ulta contrived double team moves, just really well laid out work with a steady progression to the end.

[Defrost]

I love Jay White. He and KENTA receive actually honest to god heel heat from the NJPW crowd so I think he's perfect there since I don't see it happening anywhere else.


It was a slog after the Liger match until Lance vs Mox. Once that match hit the ring I really loved the show. That match was super fun and I have all of the last three match at **** or better.

[Tainted Eclipse]

those moxley knee strikes were some of the worst things i've ever seen. otherwise, that match was awesome. so was hiromu/ospreay, though i liked okada/ibushi more.

[BGMaverick]

I really enjoyed the Texas Death Match with Archer/Moxley. I think I was actually pleasantly surprised with how long the match was. That really felt like the perfect length, and a really good finish. White/Naito just didn't do a whole lot for me. It had good stuff but it also felt like a lot of fluff. I'd say Okada/Ibushi definitely cranked it up to finish the night out. The striking by Ibushi was fantastic. Takahashi/Ospreay was definitely a banger. That was the match of the night to me.

[Defrost]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY6f1gD0T8Y

Translated post match comments. Hit the CC.

[Sinner]

-That Okada entrance was awesome.
Also his entrance gear.
And his attire.

-Okada vs. Ibushi was amazing. MOTY contender. Those Ibushi punches were brutal and drew appropriate boos from the crowd.

-Ospreay vs. Takahashi was also fantastic and a MOTY contender. I've missed the Time Bomb and Will continues to impress.

-Switchblade vs Naito was good, a very typical heel vs face match. That's not an insult. Enjoyable AF

-Good undercard. Moxley vs Archer had some fun spots. GoD vs FinJuice was worked really well and sold me on Finlay.

Can't wait for Night Two!

[Tainted Eclipse]

i think i'm gonna stay up to see the liger match live, then go to sleep and watch the rest tomorrow. looks like they added a 6 man NEVER titles gauntlet as opener/pre-show.

[Tainted Eclipse]

how ishii not gonna have a singles match over TWO NIGHTS of wrestle kingdom

[Defrost]

Okada vs Naito > Okada vs Ibushi

[Fanny Batter]

Watching this tomorrow night most likely. Insane that Jericho is older than Hulk Hogan was during his last World title reign. Older than Mutoh was when he passed the torch to Tanahashi. Comfortably older than Bob Backlund in 1994. The wonder of reinvention - it's not that he doesn't at times resemble his age (those tits), but not playing himself as a 30 year old actually make him seem fresh and relevant, in his 50th year.

[Ringo]

NEVER gauntlet was fun. Really is a disgrace that Ishii and Shingo had nothing better to do over TWO days at the dome.

Liger’s last match was really enjoyable as he passes the torch one last time. The guys on commentary did a good job here, especially Chris. I’d like to watch it with Japanese commentary too to hear how emotional their announcers were. Hiromu shouting at the fallen Liger that he promises to continue his legacy was touching.

Jr Heavy tag was a nicely laid out tag match that felt like a welcome change from the flippy double-team spot fests that we’ve become used to seeing for these belts. Phantasmo’s a proper prick and the cup reveal after the low blow was a nice touch. The double corner crotch crushing was also good fun.

Liked ZSJ/Sanada a fair bit and the match was really going somewhere when ZSJ annoyingly squeezed a roll-up win. I think Sanada should’ve won here even if he drops it back right away. He’s another one they seem unsure whether to pull the trigger with or not.

Was pulling for Juice in the Mox match but was unlikely they’d make him a double champ before we got to the main event. Mox sticking around is good. Suzuki being the next guy to challenge him is GREAT. This confrontation was really hot and the announcers sold it well too. I’d imagine pretty much everyone is excited for that match.

KENTA’s new Berlin techno heel theme is boss although I do kind of wish he still came out to “What You Know”. Goto gets another win in the Dome after a war with KENTA but particularly with what occurred after the main event you’re left wondering how much it matters. I guess Goto got some revenge. So that’s good.

Both Jay White matches this weekend seem to have quite a few dissenting voices. Probably even more than the two big matches from night one which is a surprise. I liked both a lot. This one less so, probably because there wasn’t nearly as much riding on it. The bump Ibushi took onto the railing with his arms by his side was nasty. Anyway I get Jay winning, especially given the match Ibushi had been through the night before. But I really do hope they hurry up and pull the trigger with him before it’s too late. A lot of people keep saying Naito can’t move quite like he did a couple of years ago. Ibushi is 37 and looks incredible but the way he wrestles he could quite easily do himself some serious damage.

Main Event started slow in typical Okada fashion - personally I found the first 10-15 minutes of this match less engaging than last night’s main which also started slow. Picked up though and turned into a super hot match. That poison rana from the turnbuckle was terrrifying, I thought Okada would be done. Naito hitting the Stardust Press was a really cool moment that the announcers sold well and when even that couldn’t put Okada away you wondered if he’d do it after all. Two years too late? Surely. But better late than never. And this was a Tokyo dome classic and the culmination of a multi year story that revolves around the Tokyo dome. Hell of a moment for Naito than is then ruined by the traitor KENTA. Not sure how I feel about this. Some people are pissed off that Naito didn’t get to celebrate more and that LiJ didn’t really come to his aid. On the other hand would it make as big an impact if it happened at NY Dash? Probably not. Regardless, I love that KENTA is the first challenger (it’s not too long ago that Bad Luck Fale was a first challenger for the dome main event winner) and the visual of Kenta sitting on Naito with both belts held up was fantastic.

[Tainted Eclipse]

i really loved jericho/tanahashi. crowd was super into it, it had the feel of a superstar match up you'd only ever see at wrestle kingdom, very well worked match that actually got it to feel like an epic new japan main event style match around jericho's physical limitations. i haven't watched naito/okada yet, but it might be my #2 match of the weekend so far behind okada/ibushi.

[Sinner]

They did the angle at the end so that next year, there's more incentive to buy a ticket to Night 2.

Night 1 will have great matches. Night 2 will have good matches and a potential big angle.


I loved it. I was juuust about to switch off the stream. But I wanted to see the role call (I thought LIJ would at least come onto the stage)...

Controversial opinion = I don't think Okada/Naito is a MOTY contender - that goes to Okada/Ibushi and Ospreay/Takahashi

[Morrison]

They did the angle at the end so that next year, there's more incentive to buy a ticket to Night 2.

Night 1 will have great matches. Night 2 will have good matches and a potential big angle.


I loved it. I was juuust about to switch off the stream. But I wanted to see the role call (I thought LIJ would at least come onto the stage)...

Controversial opinion = I don't think Okada/Naito is a MOTY contender - that goes to Okada/Ibushi and Ospreay/Takahashi

i doubt they're doing two nights next year. they announced the two night event for 2020 during the year run down segment at last years WK, but didnt do the same this year. the two night concept worked cause the dates fell on a weekend this year. 1/4 next year is a monday. doubt they run a double bill at the dome on a monday and tuesday.

[BGMaverick]

Jericho/Tanahashi was quite fun. That really did feel special and I thought the chemistry between the two of them was extremely palpable.

Naito/Okada was another banger. The build to the count out tease was really great. I also like the way they shot it, making it seem like Naito had an insurmountable challenge ahead of him in order to keep going. The crowd was something else, too. They came across like they were reacting to a story that was built for ages. I know Naito's redemption story is for multiple years but this felt like the weight of the world was coming across through the audience.

[Defrost]

Matches on these shows I have over ****

Tetsuya Naito vs Kazuchika Okada - Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night 2 (*****)
Hiromu Takahashi vs Will Ospreay - Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night 1 (****3/4)
Kazuchika Okada vs Kota Ibushi - Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night 1 (****1/2)
Chris Jericho vs Hiroshi Tanahashi - Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night 2 (****1/4)
Tetsuya Naito vs Jay White - Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night 1 (****)
Zack Sabre Jr vs SANADA - Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night 2 (****)

[Sinner]

i doubt they're doing two nights next year. they announced the two night event for 2020 during the year run down segment at last years WK, but didnt do the same this year. the two night concept worked cause the dates fell on a weekend this year. 1/4 next year is a monday. doubt they run a double bill at the dome on a monday and tuesday.

they could do Sunday and Monday

[BGMaverick]

I'm not going to pretend I understand the culture in Japan, but I imagine they could do Sunday and Monday but that Monday crowd is going to be radically smaller. I believe that they'll have international people there because they're making a vacation out of it regardless but I think you really need a hook to get the locals interested. They had the double gold dash for this but I doubt you can make that an annual thing. Inclusion of AEW could be something but who knows if that will ever happen and if that resonates with the Japanese audience. If it does, then it's a matter of how long does that keep them interested. I imagine NJPW views this as a success but I would think they see that it can't be automatic move to do it again next year. If that were the case, they probably would have just announced it again during this weekend.

[Ringo]

I also saw someone suggest that they should've done 1/3 (Friday) and 1/4 (Saturday) this year which could have prevented the 10,000 fan drop-off we saw for night two. But it turns out the dome is booked on 1/3 every year for a national american football game called the Rice Bowl. So that's not an option.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_Bowl

So unlikely we see a double header next year. Which has to be a good thing. These cards definitely suffered from the two day format. G1's back in the smaller Sumo Hall (in October due to the Olympics) and they didn't announce any big US shows either which is surprising given they said they were going to do 25+ shows there this year.

[Nash Diesel]

Made it through Night 1 and some of Night 2.

So far a very very good ppv. I didn't know most of the matches going in off the top of my head, so when I saw Ten-Kozi teaming up for a nice little match I was very happy as I love Satoshi Kojima and Tenzan is an OG (nWo 4 Life!). Where I'm at, I have to say the Jr HW title match and the Naito-White match were very awesome.

[Ringo]

NY Dash spoilers as I watch

Really do love the announcing of the card at the beginning of these shows and the polite applause that follows every match announcement.

The Liger tribute video was great. Does anyone know which match the clip where Liger DDTs someone in a mask (possibly Benoit as Pegasus?) from the top rope is from? I feel like I haven't seen that before.

The ceremony that followed was something else. Yano doing his silly face for each photo cracked me up. The announcers in tears, Liger's wife and son in tears, then we cut to Tanahashi who is also in tears. Wow. Special message from Inoki! I'd like to hear what he said. Charlton didn't really have time to go in to detail. Would've been nice to see the old rivals and mentors from the night before in the ring but apart from that this was perfect. Shedding a tear now as a Japanese man in a mask, cape and power ranger bodysuit high fives members of the public. Wrestling eh.

Desperado picks up the fall over RPG3K, fine. Ibushi and Tanahashi challenging FinJuice is class though. Looking forward to that one.

New Japan's four chunky sluggers smacking the shit out of each other was a blast. A match worthy of WK weekend. Shingo pins Goto. All in for that one. Their exchange was gnarly.

ZSJ/Ospreay and Okada/Taichi would be fairly fresh. Maybe just a tag match at NB.

KENTA seems to be getting legit heel heat which is quite exciting. Sounds like they're pushing the angle that White will be unhappy with KENTA going over his head. Not sure if someone turns face from that but hopefully not.

No big shocking angle to end the show but I guess we got that last night. Good show that featured a great retirement ceremony for Liger and some good action (with the stiff lads tag being particularly great) while setting up some fresh exciting match ups for the New Beginning tour.

RPG3K/Suzuki Gun
Hiromu/Lee
FinJuice/Golden Aces
Okada/Taichi
Ospreay/ZSJ
Goto/Shingo
Evil/Ishii
MiSu/Mox
White/Sanada
Naito/KENTA

Lots of good stuff there.

[Nash Diesel]

I also saw someone suggest that they should've done 1/3 (Friday) and 1/4 (Saturday) this year which could have prevented the 10,000 fan drop-off we saw for night two. But it turns out the dome is booked on 1/3 every year for a national american football game called the Rice Bowl. So that's not an option.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_Bowl

So unlikely we see a double header next year. Which has to be a good thing. These cards definitely suffered from the two day format. G1's back in the smaller Sumo Hall (in October due to the Olympics) and they didn't announce any big US shows either which is surprising given they said they were going to do 25+ shows there this year.

See, I had to read this a few times at first. I was like, when did we do a bowl game every Jan 3rd in Japan? And why the FUCK did we call it the RICE bowl lol???

But I clicked the link, got a little confused again, then scrolled down and understood what was up.

[Sinner]

so, why is it called the Rice Bowl?

Besides the fact that a 13 year old white boy from Iowa must have came up with it, to be funny.

[Tainted Eclipse]

finally watched okada/naito. it didn't really blow me a way, i think okada/ibushi was a lot better, but man that crowd was something else. it certainly felt special.

[Tainted Eclipse]

i still think the first okada/naito title match from 2012 is their best match.

[Nash Diesel]

so, why is it called the Rice Bowl?

Besides the fact that a 13 year old white boy from Iowa must have came up with it, to be funny.

lol I have no clue why it's called the Rice Bowl. You'll have to ask the Japanese they're the ones who came up with it.

[Ringo]

WON ratings

Wrestle Kingdom 14, Night 1
Hoshiki & Iwatani vs. Giulia & Kimura: 2.5
GBH & Young Lions vs. Henare & LA Dojo: 2.5
Nagata & Nakanishi vs. TenCozy: 1.5
Liger, Fujinami, Sasuke & Tiger Mask vs. Sano, Otani, Taguchi & Takaiwa: 2.75
BUSHI, EVIL, SANADA & Takagi vs. Suzuki, Desperado, Kanemaru & Sabre: 2.75
Goto, Ishii, Yano & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Fale, KENTA, Owens & Yujiro: 2.5
Finlay & Robinson vs. GoD: 3
Archer vs. Moxley: 3.5
Ospreay vs. Takahashi: 5.25
Naito vs. White: 4.5
Ibushi vs. Okada: 5.5

Wrestle Kingdom 14, Night 2
NEVER 6-Man Gauntlet - Bullet Club vs. Chaos (1.5), Chaos vs. Suzuki-gun (1.25), Chaos vs. LIJ (2), LIJ vs. Taguchi Japan (2.25)
Liger & Sano vs. Ryu Lee & Takahashi: 3.5
ELP & Ishimori vs. Roppongi 3K: 3.5
Sabre vs. SANADA: 4
Moxley vs. Robinson: 2.75
Goto vs. KENTA: 2.5
Ibushi vs. White: 3
Jericho vs. Tanahashi: 4.25
Naito vs. Okada: 4.75

[Peter Griffin]

Is Dave ill?

- - - Updated - - -

Fucking love Ospreay :heart:

[Defrost]

Dave's coverage of the show is kinda hilarious actually since he is super salty that NJPW and AEW have no intention whatsoever of ever working together. Especially so with the NJPW side because he's getting all these insane stories that make no sense from Omega and the Bucks. So even though last weekend was the biggest business success in the fifty year history of the promotion his coverage of it has this really negative tone.

[Sinner]

I think it would have played out like this: Kenny would have defeated Tanahashi at WK13, then lost to Okada at MSG. It would have been Ibushi d. Omega in the FInals of the G1.

Wrestle Kingdom 14 this year, would have been Okada vs Ibushi for Heavyweight, Omega vs Naito for IC. Ibushi vs Omega at Night Two with Omega getting his win back. Naito is still Double Champ

Jay White would have defeated Tanahashi at WK14, AEW and NJPW would have a working relationship and we would have gotten Jericho vs Moxley for AEW Title at WK14.

[Fanny Batter]

Surely if they have a working relationship they just run Jericho vs. Tanahashi with the title on the line, particularly with Jericho going over anyway. Jericho vs. Moxley is a PPV match in the eastern time zone, not Japan.

[Peter Griffin]

Dave's coverage of the show is kinda hilarious actually since he is super salty that NJPW and AEW have no intention whatsoever of ever working together. Especially so with the NJPW side because he's getting all these insane stories that make no sense from Omega and the Bucks. So even though last weekend was the biggest business success in the fifty year history of the promotion his coverage of it has this really negative tone.

He actually had a pop at Ryan Satin saying at least he doesn't seek validation from workers which is fucking horseshit.

Alvarez annoys me more though tbf.

[BGMaverick]

Meltzer and Alvarez were made for each other.

[Defrost]

I have rewatched Okada vs Naito an unhealthy amount of times