New Japan leans on their pair of Aces for New Beginning cards

As part of a newsworthy Monday out of Japan which saw one huge star maybe leaving (Kenny Omega), a junior heavyweight moving on (KUSHIDA) and a veteran mid-carder definitely saying goodbye (Takashi Iizuka) - plus a new update on Kota Ibushi’s concussion (return date TBD, but definitely out for the next series of shows) - New Japan revealed the line-ups for the New Beginning shows which will take place in Sapporo and Osaka later this month and early next.

Feb. 2 in Sapporo will be headlined by NJPW’s two aces, current IWGP Heavyweight champ Hiroshi Tanahashi and the longest reigning ever IWGP Heavyweight champ Kazuchika Okada. The pair will team up to face a Bullet Cub Duo of Jay White & Bad Luck Fale. Feb. 3 in the same venue will see IWGP Intercontinental titleholder Tetsuya Naito defend against Taichi.

Those shows take place at almost simultaneously with the three New Beginning USA shows announced for Los Angeles, Charlotte and Nashville. No cards have been revealed for the Jan. 30 - Feb. 2 dates in the States, but they’ll rely heavily on trainees from the Katsuyori Shibata-led L.A. Dojo.

On Feb. 11 in Osaka, Tanahashi defends his belt against White in a match set-up at last week’s New Year’s Dash!! event.

Here are the full, Kenny Omega-free line-ups:

New Beginning in Sapporo - Night one, Feb., 2:

• Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White & Bad Luck Fale
• Zack Sabre Jr. vs. EVIL
• Minoru Suzuki vs. SANADA
• Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado
• Ryusuke Taguchi, YOSHI-HASHI, Tomoaki Honma, Toru Yano & Togi Makabe vs. Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
• Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Tiger Mask IV vs. Takashi Iizuka & Taka Michinoku
• Manabu Nakanishi & Toa Henare vs. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino
• Ren Narita vs. Yuya Uemura

New Beginning in Sapporo - Night two, Feb. 3:

• IWGP Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito defending against Taichi
• IWGP Tag Team Champions EVIL & SANADA defending against Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Shingo Takagi & BUSHI defending against El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
• Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Jay White, Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens
• Ryusuke Taguchi, Tomoaki Honma, Toru Yano & Togi Makabe vs. Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
• Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Ren Narita vs. Takashi Iizuka & Taka Michinoku
• Manabu Nakanishi & Tiger Mask IV vs. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino
• Toa Henare vs. Yota Tsuji

New Beginning in Osaka, Feb. 11:

• IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi defending against Jay White
• Kazuchika Okada vs. Bad Luck Fale
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori defending against Ryusuke Taguchi
• Togi Makabe & Toru Yano vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
• Tomoaki Honma & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
• Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado
• EVIL & SANADA vs. Shota Umino & Ayato Yoshida
• Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka & Taka Michinoku