|
To clear up any possible confusion, the Dome shows will be streamed on New Japan World like all of them since 9 in 2015. It's the New Japan X NOAH show on the 8th that's a PPV. schedule info 1.5 update: three preshow matches have been added to the card Preshow time: 2:00 AM EST/7:00 GMT/16:00 JST Preshow:GBH and Yuji Nagata vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Jado, and Gedo) Preshow:TenCozy and Master Wato vs. Suzuki-gun (El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and TAKA Michinoku) Preshow:L.I.J (Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi, and BUSHI) vs. Suzuki-gun (Dangerous Tekkers and DOUKI)  There will be two Dome shows held on January 4th and 5th just like the past two years. Both nights' main cards will start at 3:00 AM EST/8:00 GMT/17:00 JST Night 1 has Preshow will start an hour earlier at 2:00 AM EST/7:00 GMT/16:00 JST Tuesday's preshow will feature the New Japan Rambo like last year's show. It usually starts near the top of the hour with a break between the end and the main show Official previews: Night 1 on1.4 Night 2 on 1.5 Night 1 WRESTLE KINGDOM 16 January 4th at 3:00 AM EST/8:00 GMT/17:00 GMT TOKYO DOME Preshow - New Japan Rambo:- last four participants advance to KOPW 2022 match on night 2 They're doing the same gimmick as last years where the final four wrestlers renaining all advance to a four way match on night 2. Expect to see a lot of veterans not on the main cards like Suzuki, GBH, and the Third Generation, young lions, and of course Toru Yano. We may also see a return of some of the legends and surprises from years past as there's fewer pandemic restrictions on locker room size and number of matches booked. Prediction:Yano, Suzuki, Henare, and Muhammad Yone from NOAH Special Single Match:YOH vs. SHO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M--N5pOOzA Junior Heavyweights almost always open Tokyo Dome cards. It's a sensible match and the feud of former tag team partners and YOH regaining his confidence and reaching the BOSJ finals after struggling horribly early in the tournament has been decently booked if you ignore the requisite House of Torture shtick. Of course, that's most people's main takeaway and it's tough to expect a normal junior workrate curtain jerker because of that. Prediction:SHO as i imagine he'll be challenging the winner of the Hiromu/Despy match for the title at New Beginning. Hiroshi Tanahshi, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Rocky Romero vs. Bullet Club (KENTA, Taiji Ishimori, and El Phantasmo) L.I.J (Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and BUSHI) vs. United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, and Will Ospreay)   These are both basically Road to Tokyo Dome style preview tags to set up matches on Wedneday. They did a couple of these for the only pre pandemic double Dome card as well and I suppose it's nice to at least see a return to normalcy in that dept. I'm sure they'll both be perfectly fine matches no one will remember in two weeks. Predictions:Bullet Club and United Empire Special Single Match Catch Wrestling Rules: Katsuyori Shibata vs. X https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaPsNAzaiUY This one on the other hand will hopefully be something we'll fondly remember for years. If you're wondering what "Catch Wrestling Rules" means it's basically no strikes allowed. Other than that restriction it's a regular wrestling match with pinfalls and a 30 minute time limit. Throws are absolutely legal unlike the grappling exhibition with ZSJ on the G1 Finals show. It's a bit of a downer that limitations were added a couple weeks later and Shibata can presumably never be truly "back". The match should still be an incredible moment and working a match differently than the standard company house style isn't a bad thing. I'm grateful we at least get to see him have the opportunity to do something like this as I never thought it would be possible after the KENTA match wasn't delivered after it was teased. Prediction:Ren Narita both as the X and the victor. I'm assuming the general rule that no one wins their first match back after a long layoff for health reasons still holds true and there's no better way to reintroduce him as Shibata's heir. NEVER Openweight Championship:Tomohiro Ishii(c) vs. EVIL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yODz7RRiXSc Good News: Tomohiro Ishii has a singles match for a title at Wrestle Kingdom! Bad News: It's vs. EVIL and i imagine he's losing the belt after the usual ref bump and interference spots Prediction:EVIL IWGP Heavyweight Tag Championship:Dangerous Tekkers(c) vs. CHAOS (Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGA81ZxcABQ Taichi vs. YOSHI-HASHI in the battle of guys who are now beloved favorites on this forum after being near universally loathed five years ago. Tekkers have been the covid era anchors of the tag division and Goto/Y-H were two thirds of the trios team that held the belts for over 400 days. The CHAOS team wasn't my guess for the WTL but it makes sense and i'm guessing the match will be over both in the building and in this thread. Prediction:Tekkers:Someone has to retain on these shows and i'm gussing they'll get the rare achievement of a successful tag title defense at the Dome. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship:El Desperado(c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi (BOSJ 28 Winner) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhugxzromUg Top two juniors fight for the title in the Dome. Desperado's the champion, Hiromu's the BOSJ winner, they'll have a great match. Not much more to say about it than that but the video's cool and title matches between over stars are what these shows are supposed to be about. Prediction:Hiromu as he still hasn't gotten his signature face reign that didn't get derailed by injured IWGP World Heavyweight Championship:Shingo Takagi(c) vs. Kazuchika Okada (G1 Climax 31 Winner) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuGDlHbuMas For the third year in a row they have to do a gimmick stretching the title matches over two days given the Dome double shot. Ospreay never lost his title in the ring as it was forfeited after he took time off for a neck injury so he's been claiming to be the real World Champ and will challenge the winner of this match on the fifth. Okada's the G1 winner getting his shot at the dome as usual but the added wrinkle is him bringing back the beloved 4th Belt to use as the symbol of that instead of the usual briefcase. He's acting slightly heelish against a babyface for this program as shown in the video but bringing back the cool belt is a definite babyface move and it'll be interesting to see how it's handled if he's the one who emerges as champion. I've always preferred cocky prick Okada, Shingo's been prob the most consistent wrestler in the company, and i'm sure these two will deliver. Prediction:Okada Night 2 WRESTLE KINGDOM 16 January 5th at 3:00 AM EST/8:00 GMT/17:00 GMT TOKYO DOME IWGP Jr. Hvy Tag Championship 3 Way:Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask(c) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi and Rocky Romero vs. Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8O04vcAj8U Match provides the traditional junior opener as Taguchi seeks to become the 69th champion of both IWGP junior heavyweight titles. They're hardly the most prestigious belts in the world but I'm glad they're getting most of the key juniors on the cards in matches with some sort of stakes. Prediction:Mega Coaches. They've gotten years of mileage out of Taguchi as Mr. 69 so why not run with it? Only thing that gives me pause is Rocky staying in the US most of the time. Stardom Special Match:Mayu Iwatani (STARS) and Starlight Kid (Oedo Tai) vs. Tam Nakano (Cosmic Angels) and Saya Kamitani (Queens Quest)  We get to see this match streamed unlike the past two years and there's potential to be more than the standard offer match talent showcase. All four competitors represent different units and there's obvious "tag team partners that don't get along" angles for both teams. SLK left STARS for Oedo Tai in June after her unit lost a match with a defection on the line and eventually embraced being a heel. Saya just beat Tam for the White Belt at their big year end show in Ryogoku on the 29th. prediction:: Tam and Saya as they seem to be a little less likely to completely betray their partner KOPW 2022 4 Way:X vs. X vs. X vs. X https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLcnUzMANSY It's safe to say Toru Yano will be involved and the match will have some comedy spots but other than that it's gonna depend on the participants we won't know about until the Ranbo. Should be a fun match providing a change of pace on a long card just don't expect a workrate classic Prediction:YTR. The inherent purpose of the KOPW is to give Yano an excuse to have wacky stip matches and I don't see that changing. NEVER Trios Championship:House of Torture (c) (EVIL, Yujiro, and SHO) vs. CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, and YOH) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LHygKh9FNA House of Torture shenanigans should be kept to one match on night 2 thankfully as the CHAOS vs. HoT feud continues. We all know what's coming midway through the match but lets hope they can at least put a slightly different spin on it for the Dome. Prediction:CHAOS. EVIL's prob getting the NEVER singles belt, they loved having CHAOS anchor that division and the BOSJ showed that YOH hasn't been completely forgotton about in the aftermath of the split. Special Single Match:SANADA vs. Great-O-Khan Special Single Match:Tetsuya Naito vs. Jeff Cobb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ylf_7w22cM0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp3BGdo4RrU Two L.I.J vs. United Empire singles matches between guys not currently involved in title programs. Kinda a letdown for Naito after the past two years but it's cool to see singles matches not for a belt given a decent slot and as an O-Khan fan I'm glad to see him get singles matches against top level veteran stars on both of his first Wrestle Kingdoms. Prediction:L.I.J . I'll be rooting for Naito and O-Khan even tho the reverse seems more likely. In the end I'll go with a repeat of the United Empire having a bad night narrative from WK15. IWGP US Heavyweight Championship-No DQ Match:KENTA(c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaUcU_c1cJk Video succinctly states the outline of this feud. No DQ is an interesting added wrinkle and I'm excited to see Tana in an arena brawl. Prediction:go ace! even tho i'm admittedly less confident than i was before the results of the NOAH Budokan show. IWGP World Heavyweight Championship:1.4 Main Event Winner(c) vs. Will Ospreay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5HiQ_MTKSE&t=1s Prediction:Okada. This double header feels like the natural conclusion of Shingo's reign and it seems notable to me that Ospreay's not even booked for 1.8. Putting the belt back on Okada at the Dome as they attempt to continue to ease COVID restrictions and return to normalcy comes off like the most likely and safest route. Thauros fucked around with this message at 22:24 on Jan 4, 2022 |
#
?
Jan 2, 2022 15:55
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 7, 2024 21:17 |
|
|
House of Torture clean sweep
|
|
#
?
Jan 2, 2022 15:56
|
|
|
I think Night 2 will also have a preshow match, it just won't be announced until the day of. I assume it'll be a multiman tag with the losers of the Rambo.
|
|
#
?
Jan 2, 2022 21:29
|
|
|
The Shibata catch rules thing seems like someone being terrified he'll get carried away and do a headbutt if strikes are allowed, but like... he could still take a suplex on his head.
|
|
#
?
Jan 2, 2022 21:38
|
|
|
With Narita on the next USA show and maybe not in Japan I wonder if we'll see O'khan vs Shibata which would actually be really good since O'khan has legit grappling skills
|
|
#
?
Jan 2, 2022 22:00
|
|
|
SatoshiMiwa posted:With Narita on the next USA show and maybe not in Japan I wonder if we'll see O'khan vs Shibata which would actually be really good since O'khan has legit grappling skills there's no quarantine in the other direction but otoh i can't imagine they'd fly him back to the us after that. not going to be o-khan either tho as he's in the match literally right before the shibata one. it's an x so to me it should be a surprise of some sort rather than just throwing suzuki out there. that's definitely a possibility tho esp as his unitmate faced shibata in the grappling exhibition
|
|
#
?
Jan 2, 2022 22:44
|
|
|
Oh man I am so happy we get to see the Stardom show this year. Also I love Shingo but I'm all in on Okada beating him and Ospreay both to confirm his return to the Throne of God he absently wandered away from around the start of COVID.
|
|
#
?
Jan 2, 2022 23:05
|
|
|
Flying home tonight so I might miss the undercard but should be around for the main event.
|
|
#
?
Jan 2, 2022 23:36
|
|
|
algebra testes posted:Flying home tonight so I might miss the undercard but should be around for the main event. The show is still 36 hours away by my calculations so I hope your flight isn't nearly that long. I'm almost positive Okada will come out as champion but I'd like to see Shingo do it to legitimize his spot at the top of the card and to show that Okada and Ospreay shouldn't have looked past him. I'm a sucker for the underdog.
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2022 00:26
|
|
|
"Bushii" Bushi + Ishii THEY'VE MERGED 
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2022 00:30
|
|
|
Lid posted:House of Torture clean sweep lol maybe just took a sleeping pill + set my timer for this shiz its gonna be sweet
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2022 22:21
|
|
|
I wish I felt the way I have felt the last 6 years when it was finally time for Wrestle Kingdom. I'm still going to watch it but not live this year, just going to watch replays at work.
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2022 22:34
|
|
|
My only hope is we get someone surprising making the final four of the Rambo, like Thauros said Yone in their preditions. And that Okada wins night one, as I'm a lot more confident they'd put him over Ospreay more than Shingo
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2022 23:07
|
|
|
I would like to go on record that I hated Yoshi Hashi before and still do. Taichi's cool though.
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2022 23:11
|
|
|
Extremely hype for WK, extremely hype for the return of God Okada.
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2022 23:23
|
|
|
flashy_mcflash posted:I would like to go on record that I hated Yoshi Hashi before and still do. Taichi's cool though. I started coming around on Hash after G1 2018 and YH girl, and was totally vidicated on that after the 2020 NJC when he had some real good matches with Tenzan and was the driving force of the trios tournament and subsequent year long reign. Now if only he managed to be the one to beat Okada at the last G1 instead of Tama, then the story would be complete. Taichi is cool, yes. I liked him since I saw clips of him in Hustle with Kawada
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2022 23:25
|
|
|
Cerebral Bore posted:Extremely hype for WK, extremely hype for the return of God Okada. Same
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2022 23:39
|
|
|
I'm conflicted. I'd rather watch Gake No Fuchi live because it's a more exciting card, but it'll be easier going all day not watching that without spoilers than not watching NJPW.
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2022 23:43
|
|
|
Meltzers tweeted out that he wasn't really excited about WK (which I totally feel). People were responding about reasons they aren't excited (House of Torture, bad booking, Etc). I responded that for me it was putting the title on Ospreay, here was Dave's response Very tone deaf response considering the numerous allegations against Ospreay
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2022 23:53
|
|
|
I don't know why people keep saying this is Ishii's first singles match at WK, he wrestled Sabre for the RevPro title at 13. Go watch that instead of the EVIL match, it's really good.
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 01:53
|
|
|
Benne posted:I don't know why people keep saying this is Ishii's first singles match at WK, he wrestled Sabre for the RevPro title at 13. also NEVER title matches at 9 and 10 against makabe and shibata respectively. he was basically the NEVER guy in that period almost to the extent that nakamura was always in IC matcvhes. that line was just referring to everone complaining about last year
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 02:26
|
|
|
SalTheBard posted:Meltzers tweeted out that he wasn't really excited about WK (which I totally feel). People were responding about reasons they aren't excited (House of Torture, bad booking, Etc). I responded that for me it was putting the title on Ospreay, here was Dave's response He's an Ospreay mark and has defended him since the day those allegations came out
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 03:04
|
|
|
While waiting for Wrestle Kingdom to start, have the NOAH show Kenta was at on Saturday. His match starts at 3.10.00 and features the guys he will be teaming with on night 3. The video says it's bilingual, but I don't know how to get to the English commentary on Bilibili https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1dm4y1Q7HV
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 03:23
|
|
|
I love Shingo but I'm excited for Okada to come back and take his throne.
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 04:20
|
|
|
The world's kinda sucked since okada lost the title
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 04:37
|
|
|
There are so many El Desperado shirts here. He's so over you love to see it
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:02
|
|
|
GEORGE W BUSHI posted:There are so many El Desperado shirts here. He's so over you love to see it he along with shingo are the two guys they've been able to succesfully elevate since covid. hope they can get a decent crowd, tho i know it's too early to judge and i don't believe you attended either of the ones last year or the one this summmer to compare
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:12
|
|
|
Thauros posted:he along with shingo are the two guys they've been able to succesfully elevate since covid. hope they can get a decent crowd, tho i know it's too early to judge and i don't believe you attended either of the ones last year or the one this summmer to compare I went to TJPW last year and it feels less crowded than it did after that show but idk, maybe it's gotten busier while I've been in Shake Shack.
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:14
|
|
|
an discussion over the use of the word かっこいい broke out in a dm at some point and i noticed that desperado, tana, and basically all of l.i.j were the wrestlers who got the most hits when you searched it with new japan hashtags
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:17
|
|
|
Preshow for Night 1 starts in an hour and 40 minutes, yeah?
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:20
|
|
|
Not the biggest Despy fan but him getting his masked pulled off against Himoru and him not giving a drat was king poo poo
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:20
|
|
|
Jerusalem posted:Preshow for Night 1 starts in an hour and 40 minutes, yeah? That is correct
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:21
|
|
|
is it going to be a clap only crowd
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:22
|
|
|
Nice, I know it's a letdown having crowds not allowed to cheer/boo, and the cards aren't the best compared to prior years... but I will always be excited for Wrestle Kingdom!
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:22
|
|
|
I haven't been keeping up with New Japan before G1, but I am pretty stoked for Wrestle Kingdom tonight.
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:25
|
|
|
STONE COLD 64 posted:is it going to be a clap only crowd yes. trust me i'd be doing a harder sell for this show to the people who have drifted away if it wasn't.
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:27
|
|
|
i will enjoy reading the results of okada's victory tomorrow morning.
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:28
|
|
|
I mean... it's tradition and as the hour gets closer it feels a tradition worth keeping. But gently caress me, three days? and why bring back the Rambo which last years was one of the worst matches of the year if not the worst battle royals of all time the old "opening battle royal to get cheap pops" was so much better
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:34
|
|
|
Lid posted:I mean... it's tradition and as the hour gets closer it feels a tradition worth keeping. i think one day would be better but two is nothing new at this point. to me the third doesn't even really count as it's a completely different concept in a different arena a few days apart. the name was kinda more for camouflage before the cat was let out of the bag.
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:38
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 7, 2024 21:17 |
|
|
I also wish they'd go back to one day but it's whatever at this point. As soon as that first Double Dash moved 70,000 tickets in two days I knew the genie wasn't going back in the bottle.
|
|
#
?
Jan 4, 2022 06:42
|
|