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NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18.

The Natural

By The Natural
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lostinube

lostinube

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Bishamon win the World Tag League for the third year in a row after forty minutes, the last ten of which were basically El-P going one on two. But the end result is that Bishamon want a re-match at the Dome so that Bishamon vs G.O.D. is on for Wrestle Kingdom.

El-P and Hikuleo are also putting their Strong titles on the line so that may end up unifying the belts and ending the Strong lineage.

Edited by lostinube
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The Natural

The Natural

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NJPW announces the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship:

The IWGP US Heavyweight Championship came into being in July 2017 to mark NJPW’s first major event in the United States of America in Long Beach. After its introduction, it became the symbol of NJPW competition in the USA.

In the years that followed, the title would be defended in Japan, becoming familiar to Japanese fans as well. However, with the introduction of the IWGP UK Championship this summer, there was confusion among fans as to the status of the title.

With that in mind, this new championship combines and adds to the US and UK Championship roles, and will be called the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship. As has already been discussed in a recent business strategy presentation, NJPW is working to ensure that 2024 sees our presence grow not just in the UK and the US, but throughout all of Europe, the rest of Asia and Oceania.

With a mindfulness on the international space, there was discussion of renewing the defunct IWGP Intercontinental Championship, but as we see an entirely new level of international involvement, the IWGP Global Heavyweight name was decided to be the most fitting. We hope fans look forward to seeing the brand new title and the matches contested for it.

As a result, January 4’s three way at Wrestle Kingdom between Will Ospreay, Jon Moxley and David Finlay will officially determine the first IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion. Thank you.

Edited by The Natural
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The Natural

The Natural

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Interesting NJPW thought about bringing back the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. NJPW belt designs are very hit and miss lately. The IWGP Heavyweight Championship V4 is in the top tier with the WWF Winged Eagle Championship and Big Gold whereas the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship is fucking terrible. One of the worst belts ever.

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Sublime

Sublime

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It’ll be interesting to see who walks out with the new belt. Finlay will be the only NJPW contracted wrestler in the match but brings by far the least star power for a belt that (in theory) is about global expansion. Ospreay currently works all over the world and would probably be the right choice but with him be All Elite now we’ll see if that continues.

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The Natural

The Natural

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Full card. C&P from f4wonline.com:

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA defends against Tetsuya Naito.
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson.
  • Three-way match: Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley vs. David Finlay to determine the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion.
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi defends against El Desperado.
  • NJPW World Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Hiroshi Tanahashi.
  • NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi defends against Tama Tonga.
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney defend against TJP & Francesco Akira.
  • Winner-takes-all Tag Team title match: IWGP Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions Hikuleo & El Phantasmo.
  • Yuya Uemura vs. Yota Tsuji.
  • Kaito Kiyomiya & Shota Umino vs. Ren Narita & EVIL.
  • New Japan Rambo - final four advance to New Year's Dash for KOPW 2024 belt.

---

Only interested in Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada II, Zack Sabre Jr vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado. Most excited for the Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada rematch. It's Bryan Danielson's first NJPW in 20 years. Rubbish main event in SANADA vs. Tetsuya Naito. SANADA sucks. Rather see Jon Moxley vs. Will Ospreay as a singles instead of the three-way with David Finlay.

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Eivion

Eivion

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56 minutes ago, lostinube said:

No Stardom as of now.

Don't think there will be. Stardom has a show right before Wrestle Kingdom in a smaller attached building if I recall correctly.  The synergy is supposed to be in them having their own show with the women's title being defended in the main event. 

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Horangi

Horangi

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1 hour ago, The Natural said:

SANADA sucks. 

I'll bite

How much of 2023 SANADA have you watched? I'm not saying he's been amazing and a wrestler of the year candidate by a long shot, but there was a period between winning the New Japan Cup up until Dominion where he was really good and finally showing that spark and potential everyone has been calling out for from him.  While not 5 star classics, the matches with Okada, Hiromu and Tsuji were great and well worth a watch. 

Being an afterthought in the second half of the year, starting at Forbidden Door and a very average G1 (Tsuji and Kiyomiya matches were good but he was definitely an afterthought to the Reiwa 3 musketeers story), as well as being lumped with EVIL afterwards really sucked the wind out of his sails and he has seemingly reverted back to old SANADA. And I don't blame him, the booking of him has been really shit. 

I'm actually quite interested in the match with Naito, from the perspective of seeing if SANADA can rise up to the occasion. I'm significantly more invested in Naito/SANADA than I was Okada/Jay last year.

As for the new additions, couldn't give a shit about HoT but like the Kaito/Shota young ace team, but also very pumped for Tsuji/Uemura

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Evil Otto

Evil Otto

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3 hours ago, Horangi said:

As for the new additions, couldn't give a shit about HoT but like the Kaito/Shota young ace team, but also very pumped for Tsuji/Uemura

Yes, the most exciting stuff on this card for me involves the young talent.  I'll add that the junior tag match could easily be one of the best of the show as the two teams have insane chemistry.

It really feels like a transitional period for New Japan, and the somewhat stale card reflects that.  Even so, I expect some incredible matches at the top of the card despite my lack of enthusiasm.  

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Stefanie Sparkleface

Stefanie Sparkleface

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10 hours ago, Eivion said:

Don't think there will be. Stardom has a show right before Wrestle Kingdom in a smaller attached building if I recall correctly.  The synergy is supposed to be in them having their own show with the women's title being defended in the main event. 

It's at Tokyo Dome City Hall, which is very close by, maybe 300-400 meters away. This isn't the Prism Hall, which is where Ice Ribbon ran a couple of months ago; that's a different hall about 600 meters away.

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lostinube

lostinube

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Not really. Then again, it's seven in the morning here so any damage assessment will be done throughout the day plus technically the coast is still under a tsunami advisory. But the epicenter of the quake was not near Tokyo and it seems like everything there will go on as normal.

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Salads

Salads

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On 12/27/2023 at 11:32 AM, Evil Otto said:

Indeed, I feel myself becoming significantly more motivated after watching and absorbing this.  

This is all about my promo style preference so not a judgement on the man, but it's good to see Bryan like this hyping a match without any forced smile/laugh and only a fleeting appearance of his raised 'grr I'm intense' promo voice.

The guy's smart and he loves to lie so just sit him down and let him do what he loves I'll buy it all.

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lostinube

lostinube

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And that's wrap. New Year's Dash tomorrow.

Spoiler

Okada over Danielson so maybe we are getting one more match. On neutral ground perhaps?

Naito beats SANADA and the crowd, even though they were solidly for Naito could have bought SANADA winning by the end. EVIL tried to interrupt the roll call and SANADA saved Naito eventually. SANADA got a big pop when he left in tears.

 

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Horangi

Horangi

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Spoiler

Maybe I'll feel different tomorrow when sober but I had a blast tonight. This show kind of had the opposite problem from the NOAH show in that the undercard everything felt rushed. Did enjoy President Ace/Zack and Tsuji/Yuya while they lasted.

Super surprised to see Nic Nemeth. When I watched WWE around 2012-15 he was my guy so I hope it's not just a one and done on a USA show as I'm very curious to see how he'd do in Japan. 

Really enjoyed the final 4 matches, feel the Jr. Title in particular could have done with 5 more minutes but oh well. As a massive Minoru Tanaka mark I'm glad his record stays in tact for now. 

SANADA delivered on the big stage, was so emotionally invested here. Glad Naito got his moment event with the tease.

 

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The Natural

The Natural

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Woke up in time to watch the whole thing which surprised me due to my lack of interest in most of the matches. I came out of it pleasantly surprised. Great top to bottom show. Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson was the Match of the Night. Honourable mentions to Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr, Tama Tonga vs. Shingo Takagi and David Finlay vs. Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley.

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Horangi

Horangi

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Spoiler

Tama Tonga announced he is leaving at the end of the month, so his win tonight obviously was a thank you for all of his service. I guess he'll drop at the Battle in the Valley show.

 

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Evil Otto

Evil Otto

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Spoiler

I thoroughly enjoyed that card from top to bottom.  Completely overdelivered for me.  

Following the unforeseen circumstances in the first encounter, I was so happy to finally see the Okada vs. Danielson match I knew they were capable of having.  In New Japan at  the Tokyo Dome to boot.  It finally felt right.  

I feel New Japan really splashed out with fun entrances again.  This card is really the spark they needed, and they treated it that way.  

The Nemeth Brothers in New Japan, or maybe just Nick?  Why not?  Let's give it a try.  

 

Edited by Evil Otto
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hammerva

hammerva

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I figure Nick Nemeth will be fine in New Japan although putting him straight into the main event level against Finlay is a risk.  At worse he is going to be like MVP who was a lot better than expected but not top level.   If Ryan is actually working, I figure he will be in some meaningless 6 or 8 man matches for a minute or two.   He could use some months in New Japan Strong area.  

 

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