The interconnected IWGP World Heavyweight title story from nights one and two of Wrestle Kingdom 16 at the Tokyo Dome will not carry over to the new third night of the event at Yokohama Arena. But as New Japan has promised, the 2022 celebration of their 50th anniversary will include some exciting events - and it looks like Sat., Jan. 8 will be one of them.
It was revealed at a press conference earlier today (Nov. 20) that Wrestle Kingdom 16 night three will be a New Japan Pro Wrestling vs. Pro Wrestling NOAH show.
The Yokohama Arena event will be presented live and in English on Abema Pay-Per-View. The PPV will be available from tomorrow. https://t.co/msS4jsCOLc
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) November 20, 2021
LIVE: https://t.co/Mv4GLp0C60#ProWrestlingPower #njpw #noah_ghc pic.twitter.com/1X91a8Sh2f
No card was announced, and despite the show’s subtitle, it won’t necessarily be all NJPW vs. NOAH. One of New Japan’s representatives at the joint presser, company president Takami Ohbari was quoted by the NJPW Global Twitter as saying:
“I think we’ll find out in the coming weeks whether NOAH and NJPW wrestlers want to face one another, or even team up.”
Whatever shape the card ends up taking, it’ll be interesting to see how these two corporately-owned promotions book this. There will certainly be no shortage of puroresu star power, as the graphic with Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shingo Takagi opposite Kaito Kiyomiya, Keiji Mutoh & Katsuhiko Nakajima shows. And with a portion of the proceeds going to the Japanese Red Cross, some good will come from it even on the small chance the show doesn’t deliver.
Wrestle Kingdom 16 Night Three will be available on PPV from Abema, with Japanese and English commentary options. The price is 3960 Yen, which currently converts to just under $35 US.
Excited for New Japan vs. NOAH? Think this makes it more likely we could see NJPW vs. some other promotions?
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