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New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) are back again and given that we’ve finished up with the Destruction tour and Fighting Spirit Unleashed is in our rear view, that means we’re onto the fourth and final of New Japan’s big four events, King of Pro-Wrestling! Like all of New Japan’s other major events, this show will be broadcast worldwide on New Japan's streaming service, NJPW World.
We'll have the standard match recommendation post later for those of us who can’t be up in the wee hours watching wrestling, but if you can, why not watch along with the best pro wrestling community on the internet?
Today’s action takes place in Tokyo’s Ryogoku Sumo Hall, kicking off at a ripe 4AM Eastern / 1AM Pacific, and features a rare-for-New-Japan triple threat main event as Kenny Omega puts his IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line against both his partner Kota Ibushi and his stablemate Cody Rhodes.
Plus Hiroshi Tanahashi puts his G1 Climax 28 winner’s contract on the line against “Switchblade” Jay White, KUSHIDA and Marty Scurll meet in the finals of the tournament to crown a new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, and the junior dads tag team of Jushin Liger and Tiger Mask IV get a title match against IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru.
And, maybe most exciting of all, today we’ll find out who Los Ingobernables de Japon’s newest member is!
Suzuki-gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) (c) over Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask IV by pinfall with a low blow and Pinche Loco from Desperado on Tiger Dad to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.
Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) over Juice Robinson & Toa Henare by pinfall with the King Kong Knee Drop from Makabe on Henare.
Firing Squad (Bad Luck Fale, Taiji Ishimori, Tama Tonga, & Tanga Loa) over Bullet Club (Chase Owens, Hangman Page, Matt Jackson, & Nick Jackson) by pinfall with a Gun Stun from Tonga on Owens.
Chaos (Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, & Will Ospreay) over Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, & Takashi Iizuka) by pinfall with Storm Breaker from Ospreay on Taichi.
Naito gets on the mic to introduce the newest member of LIJ, first suggesting that it’s Milano Collection AT before REALLY introducing him. “The Dragon” comes up on the tron and the new guy makes his way out... IT’S SHINGO TAKAGI!
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, SANADA, Shingo Takagi, & Tetsuya Naito) over Chaos (Kazuchika Okada, SHO, Toru Yano, & YOH) by pinfall with Last Falconry from Takagi on SHO.
EVIL vs. Zack Sabre, Jr. goes to a no contest after Chris Jericho attacks EVIL during his entrance and leaves him incapacitated!
ZSJ takes referee Tiger Hattori out with a double wristlock before attacking the King of Darkness and stretching him, taking his displeasure at losing his match out on him until Naito makes the save!
KUSHIDA over Marty Scurll by pinfall with Back to the Future to win the vacant IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. (Tournament Finals)
At some point in here, Australia’s Robbie Eagles is announced as Taiji Ishimori’s tag team partner for the Super Jr. Tag League.
Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) over “Switchblade” Jay White by pinfall, reversing Blade Runner into a small package to retain the G1 Climax 28 Winner’s Contract.
Post-match, Switchblade goes to attack Tanahashi further and Okada makes the save! Gedo runs interference, the Rainmaker beats his old mentor down until Jado tries to play peacemaker.
The Firing Squad interject themselves into the mix and hold Jado and Gedo for Okada to take his choice of who to attack, but when he runs the ropes, Tama hits the Gun Stun! All six men in the ring put boots to Okada together! White hits Blade Runner and everybody Too Sweets! THEY’RE IN LEAGUE TOGETHER!
Kenny Omega (c) over Cody Rhodes and Kota Ibushi by pinfall with the One-Winged Angel on Ibushi to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Post-match, Kenny gets on the mic and insists he’s not leaving until he can stand tall with the two men he fought tonight. He addresses that the Wrestle Kingdom 13 main event is set and tells Cody, Kota, and the Bucks that he loves them each individually (and also Cody’s dog) and seems set to take his leave when Hiroshi Tanahashi rolls up.
Omega tells the 1/100 Ace that they’re both tired and gives him the mic to say his peace right now. Tanahashi tells him that this is New Japan and they’ll settle it by putting it all on the line at the Tokyo Dome and takes his leave.
Enjoy the show!