By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Wrestle Kingdom 19”
January 4, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan at the Tokyo Dome
Streamed live on New Japan World and TrillerTV.com
This is a very good crowd with a listed attendance of 24,107. The lights were on as it started and the roof reminds me of the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton provided commentary.
1. The Ranbo. This is their modified Rumble, with eliminations by pinfall, submission, and being thrown over the top rope to the floor. The winner becomes No. 1 contender for IWGP Title, and Charlton said we have 17 entrants this year, so hopefully a few surprises are mixed in. Great-O-Khan retired the KOPW Title and he was No. 1. Josh Barnett was No. 2, and that popped the commentators. Boltin Oleg was No. 3. Hirooki Goto was No. 4 at 3:00, so the entrants are about every 90 seconds. Yuji Nagata was No. 5; no one has been eliminated. He got in and traded kicks with Barnett. Oleg and Barnett tied up, flipped over the top rope and were both eliminated at 6:30, as Togi Makabe walked to the ring as No. 6.
Kenta was No 7; Walker Stewart noted he fought on NOAH’s shows this week, and he quickly eliminated Nagata, so we remain at four in the ring. Yoshi-Hashi was No. 8 at 10:30 and he immediately traded chops with Kenta. Yujiro Nagata was No. 9; Stewart joked that he “didn’t know they had his singles music still on file.” We have six in the ring. Yoshi-Hashi was tossed, as Toru Yano came to the ring at No. 10. Kenta was tossed, and Yano quickly pinned Yujiro, so we were back down to four. Hiroyoshi Tenzan was No. 11. Satoshi Kojima, carrying the MLW World Title belt, was No. 12 at 18:30. Kojima and Tenzan worked teamed up to fight Yano. Yano rolled up and pinned Tenzan; he was in less than a minute!
Tomoaki Honma was No. 13; what is the average age of this Ranbo? Oleg is 31 and O-Khan is 33, but I don’t think anyone else so far is under 40. Sanada was No. 14; he has to be the favorite, right? And he’s only 36! Kojima was tossed at 24:00, as Taichi walked to the ring at No. 15. The crowd popped for the music of Tomohiro Ishii at No. 16. Honma hit a Kokeshi falling headbutt on Ishii! Ishii hit a headbutt and pinned Honma. Alex Zayne was our final entrant at No. 17; that’s a pleasant surprise. (Zayne loves to post pictures online of foods he’s eating, and it showed he was in Japan.) Taichi went for a low blow mule kick and the ref disqualified him at 30:00; Before he left, Taichi eliminated Sanada and they fought to the back.
We are down to just five! Zayne hit a Cinnamon Twist corkscew senton. He eliminated Yano! We have Ishii, Goto, O-Khan and Zayne left. Ishii was eliminated. Zayne hit a double flipping axe kick. O-Khan eliminated Zayne, and we’re down to two and the crowd really got loud. Goto threw him over the top rope but O-Khan held onto the ropes. They fought along the ropes, and Goto clotheslined him to the floor. (Note that I predicted in a Twitter post that Goto would win, and no names had been announced.) Goto has earned a future title shot!
Hirooki Goto wins the Ranbo at 34:33 to earn a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
2. “International Jet Setters” Kevin Knight & Kushida vs. “Catch 2/2” TJP & Francesco Akira vs. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney in a ladder match for the IWGP Junior Tag Team titles. Eagles and Fujita carried their Super Junior Tag League trophies to the ring. Knight and Kushida wore their titles to the ring and we watched as they were raised above the ring, with all eight men staring. Knight hit a splash onto a horizontal ladder on two opponents; that has to hurt him more than them, right? Chairs were used early on, and Clark brought in a ladder at 2:00. Moloney nailed the Drilla Killa swinging piledriver on Kushida on the floor at 3:30; it was supposed to happen on a table that was leaning against a guardrail, but the table moved.
Akira hit a senton from off of TJP’s shoulders onto Moloney, who was lying on a table on the floor. Eagles hit a 450 Splash at 6:00 onto Clark, who was lying on a ladder. Eagles and TJP fought on top of the ladder, and TJP sprayed mist in Robbie’s eyes, and TJP splashed down onto Eagles onto a horizontal ladder. Knight hit his impressive dropkick on Akira. Knight stood on top of a ladder and hit a flying axe handle onto Moloney at 9:30. Kushida threw Fujita off the ladder to the mat. Knight climbed the ladder, but Moloney tipped it over. Four guys fought on the top of two ladders; two fell, with Fujita and Akira still fighting. Fujita bent Akira backwards, and he pulled down the belts to win! Good brawl; they filled the time well.
Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles defeated TJP & Francesco Akira and Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors and Kushida & Kevin Knight in a ladder match to win the IWGP Junior Tag Team Titles at 13:04.
3. Miyu Iwatani vs. AZM for the IWGP Women’s Title. Mayu is in white; AZM is in purple and green, and they immediately traded forearm strikes. AZM hit a top rope crossbody block to the floor at 1:00 onto Miyu and two female Young Lions at ringside. In the ring, Miyu hit a basement dropkick, then a top-rope frogsplash for a nearfall. AZM hit a top-rope doublestomp to the gut for a nearfall at 3:30. They hit stereo spin kicks to the head and were both down. AZM hit a Canadian Destroyer at 5:30, then another one for a nearfall. Iwatani hit a German Suplex with a bridge for a nearfall, then a Tombstone Piledriver at 8:00. Miyu nailed a top-rope moonsault for a nearfall. She hit a Dragon Suplex with a high bridge for the pin. That was a sprint. They shook hands afterwards.
Miyu Iwatani defeated AZM to retain the IWGP Women’s Title at 8:45.
4. Ren Narita vs. Jeff Cobb vs. El Phantasmo (w/Jado) vs. Ryohei Oiwa in a four-way for the NJPW TV Title. ELP just returned to action a couple weeks ago after being declared cancer-free. ELP dove onto Ren as Narita walked to the ring and we’re underway! Cobb and Oiwa traded forearm strikes in the ring, and Oiwa stomped on Jeff’s elbow. ELP hit a huracanrana on Oiwa at 3:00. Jeff hit a flip dive to the floor on all three and that got a big pop. In the ring, he hit a standing moonsault on Ren for a nearfall. They did a tower spot, with Cobb slamming two guys to the mat. Ren hit his Hell’s Guillotine flying knee to the throat on Cobb for a nearfall at 6:30. The ref got bumped!
Ren immediately got his push-up bar, but Jado grabbed it from him. The babyfaces each hit a blow on Ren, who then rolled to the floor. Cobb caught ELP coming off the ropes and he hit an F5 slam at 8:00. Oiwa hit a clothesline on Cobb, then a Dr. Bomb for a visual pin, but Ren pulled the ref to the floor. Ren hit Oiwa with the push-up bar. Cobb grabbed it and snapped the push-up bar over his knee, and that got a big pop. Cobb hit the Tour of the Islands on Ren, but ELP broke it up. ELP hit the Thunderkiss 86 (springboard frogsplash) and pinned Ren. New champion! Another sprint of a match; they got a lot in.
El Phantasmo defeated Jeff Cobb, Ren Narita, and Ryohei Oiwa to win the NJPW TV Title at 10:01.
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL in a lumberjack death match. A keyboardist played EVIL to the ring; this was a ‘very Undertaker-style’ entrance. Like EVIL or not, this was cool. Charlton reiterated that if Tanahashi loses today, he will retire immediately. EVIL has the House of Torture as his lumberjacks. Tanahashi has Master Wato, Tiger Mask, Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg. Tanahashi hit a springboard crossbody block early on, and EVIL went to the floo to regroup with the HoT. They fought on the floor, and EVIL put a chair over Tanahashi’s neck, then struck it with another chair at 3:00. In the ring, EVIL hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. Tanahashi hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip and they were both down at 6:00.
Tanahashi knocked the HoT off the ring apron, then he hit the second-rope somersault senton for a nearfall. EVL bailed to the floor and started to head up the ramp, but Oleg grabbed him and threw him back in at 8:00. Tanahashi hit a Twist and Shout neckbreaker. The ref got bumped and the HoT immediately jumped in the ring and stomped on Tanahashi. Togo hit the knife-edge chop to Tanahashi’s groin. Oleg hit a double suplex. Wato hit a flip dive to the floor on two heels. In the ring, EVIL hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall at 11:30. Tanahashi hit the Everything is Evil uranage, then a Dragon Suplex! He hit a Sling Blade clothesline for a nearfall, then a top-rope crossbody block. EVIL shoved the ref into the ropes, causing Tanahashi to fall and be crotched, and someone threw powder in Tanahashi’s eyes!
EVIL nailed a top-rope superplex at 13:00, then the Darkness Falls powerbomb for a nearfall. EVIL switched to a Sharpshooter. EVIL nailed the Everything is Evil uranage, but as he went to make the cover, Tanahashi rolled him over and got the flash pin. About as good as you could hope for with these two, and having the lumberjacks helped create action, too. The HoT started to beat down Tanahashi after the bell. Out of nowhere, Katsuyori Shibata jumped in the ring, wearing an AEW hoodie, and helped make the save! He helped Tanahashi to his feet. Shibata challenged Tanahashi to a match on Sunday! Tanahashi agreed!
Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated EVIL at 15:06.
6. Shingo Takagi vs. Konosuke Takeshita (w/Don Callis) for the NEVER Openweight Title and the AEW International Title. I will reiterate that these two were in opposite Blocks during the G1 Climax, so they didn’t have a singles match. They traded shoulder tackles. Takeshita dropped him with a forearm at 1:30, then he hit a second-rope senton for a nearfall. They fought to the floor, where Shingo hit a Death Valley Driver at 3:00! Shingo hit a top-rope superplex, then a sliding clothesline for a nearfall. Takeshita hit a German Suplex, and both were down at 6:00. The camera panned to their belts on a table, and Tomohiro Ishii was seated next to them! They got up and traded more forearm strikes.
Takeshita hit a Tombstone Piledriver and a wheelbarrow German Suplex at 7:30; Shingo hit a clothesline and they were both down. Shingo hit the Made In Japan pump-handle powerbomb for a nearfall. They hit stereo clotheslines. Takeshita hit a Frankensteiner and a running knee but only got a one-count. He hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 10:00. Shingo hit the Last of the Dragon modified DVD, and they were both down. Takeshita hit a Poison Rana; Shingo hit one! Takeshita hit a forearm to the back of the neck and they were both down again. Takeshita hit another forearm for a nearfall, then his twisting brainbuster move for the pin. That was hard-hitting and awesome, but I wanted this to go much longer! Ishii glared at Takeshita, as those two will fight on Sunday!
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Shingo Takagi at 12:40 to retain the AEW International Title AND to win the NEVER Openweight Title.
7. Douki vs. El Desperado for the IWGP Jr. Hvt. Title. Shido Nakamura, with a long white wig, ‘headbanged’ on the stage, whipping long hair around, to introduce Douki. Fast-paced reversals at the bell, so Desperado rolled to the floor to regroup, and Douki dove through the ropes onto him. Desperado hit his own dive through the ropes, and he whipped Douki into the guardrail at 2:00, and they fought on the floor, but got back in before a double count-out. Douki went for the Douki Chokey, but Desperado turned it into a Texas Cloverleaf. Nice. Douki hit a top-rope flying senton onto a standing Desperado on the floor at 5:00. Douki clearly hurt his arm on the landing, and the ref called for the bell. An ugly injury and I would not be surprised if Douki broke his arm.
El Desperado defeated Douki to win the IWGP Jr. Hvt. Championship via ref stoppage at 5:26.
* Desperado got on the mic and said when you put everything into a match, these things happen. He won’t apologize or say sorry, because this is what happens when you put it all into a match. He looks forward to a rematch.
8. David Finlay (w/Gedo) vs. Yota Tsuji for the IWGP Global Title. Finlay carried a big gatling gun to the ring. An intense lockup to open. Yota hit a backbreaker over his knee at 1:30; the crowd seemed a bit deflated after that Douki injury. Tsuji hit a dive through the ropes, but Finlay tossed him into the guardrail. In the ring, Tsuji hit a Stomp at 3:30, then a huracanrana, and Finlay went to the floor. Yota nailed a Fosbury Flop to the floor! They got in the ring, but Finlay clotheslined them both back to the floor and they were down at 6:30. Finlay threw Yota head-first into the ring post. Finlay nailed a uranage through a table at ringside! Yota dove back into the ring at the 19-count at 8:30.
Finlay hip-tossed Yota across the ring, but Tsuji suplexed David into the corner. Finlay nailed a second-rope powerbomb for a nearfall at 10:30, then a Dominator swinging faceplant, then two more! He hit some clotheslines and remained in charge. Yota hit a jumping knee for a nearfall at 12:30. Yota missed the Marlow second-rope Stomp. Finlay immediately hit a Buckle Bomb and a standing powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Yota hit a huracanrana that sent Finlay into the corner, and this time he hit the Marlow Stomp for a believable nearfall, and they were both down at 15:00. Yota charged but Finlay nailed a stunner, then the Oblivion pop-up knee strike to the sternum for a nearfall.
Finlay hit a spear. Shingo hit a stunner and the Gene Blaster (spear) for a believable nearfall at 16:30, but Finlay got a foot on the ropes. They got up and traded stiff forearm strikes, and Tsuji hit another Stomp. He set up for another Gene Blaster, but Finlay avoided it and he hit the Overkill neckbreaker over his knee for a believable nearfall. Finlay set up for another Oblivion, but Tsuji avoided it. Tsuji nailed another Gene Blaster for the pin. Excellent match; they were given enough time to let this play out.
Yota Tsuji defeated David Finlay to win the IWGP Global Title at 19:35.
9. Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiromu Takahashi. Hiromu had a very colorful entrance, and there were big balloons bouncing in the crowd. Naito wore a colorful snake-inspired mask. Naito held his fist in the air; Hiromu walked to his own corner rather than put his own fist up. They locked up. These two were supposed to have a singles match pre-pandemic and it wound up never happening. Charlton talked about Naito having surgeries in his eyes. Naito applied a leg lock around the shoulders and neck on the mat; Hiromu got a foot on the ropes at 2:00. Naito hit a deep armdrag and a basement dropkick to the back at 4:00, then a standing neckbreaker. Hiromu powerbombed Naito of the apron to the floor.
In the ring, Hiromu was in charge. He hit a clothesline at 7:00, and a swinging Time Bomb slam for a nearfall. This has been predictably methodical early on. Naito hit a Destino and they were both down at 9:30. Naito hit a second Destino for a nearfall. He went for another, but Hiromu blocked it, and Hiromu hit a Time Bomb slam, and they were both down at 11:30. Hiromu hit his own Destino at 13:30! He hit a Time Bomb II sideslam for a nearfall. Naito hit a spinebuster and another Destino for a believable nearfall. He hit a brainbuster and another Destino for the pin. I wasn’t excited about this one entering it and it didn’t meet my lowest expectations. Naito’s matches have been a chore to watch; it’s like watching Big Show in 2015 or Chris Jericho today. Hiromu stood up and bowed to Naito, then they touched fists.
Tetsuya Naito defeated Hiromu Takahashi at 17:04.
10. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Shota Umino for the IWGP World Title. Standing switches to open and a feeling-out process. They sped it up at 4:00 and Shota hit a dropkick. Sabre began to twist the left wrist and fingers, and he stomped on the elbow at 7:00. He tied Shota in an Octopus Stretch. Shota hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall at 11:00. Shota hit a DDT onto the ring apron, and they both fell to the floor. Shota whipped Sabre into the guardrail and hit a shotgun dropkick as they continued to fight at ringside. Umino hit a DDT onto the thin pad at ringside at 13:30 and he was booed. (The crowds have been turning on Shota for months; I thought he was going to beat up Honma at the end of World Tag League to fully turn heel.)
In the ring, Shota hit a missile dropkick. Sabre hit a stiff kick to the spine, then a second one for a nearfall at 16:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Sabre applied a cross-armbreaker on the mat, and he tied up Umino’s arms behind his back. Shota hit an uppercut and they were both down at 20:30. Sabre ducked a Hidden Blade, and he hit a German Suplex and a decapitating clothesline, and he was fired up. Shota hit a Cross Rhodes swinging neckbreaker and they were both down. They got up and traded European Uppercuts, and Sabre fell after a stiff blow. He got up and hit another European Uppercut, and the exchange continued.
Umino hit a release Exploder Suplex; Sabre hit a running penalty kick and they were both down at 25:30. Shota hit a tornado DDT, but he couldn’t hit the Death Rider double-arm DDT; Sabre immediately nailed the Zack Driver for a believable nearfall. Sabre set up for a Gotch-style piledriver, but Shota escaped and hit the Death Rider for a nearfall at 27:30. He hit a second Death Rider for a nearfall. He went for another Death Rider, but Sabre escaped, snapped the knee, and tied up Shota’s left leg on the mat and applied a Trailer Hitch leg lock. Shota screamed in pain; the 30:00 call was spot-on. He finally reached the ropes.
They got up; Shota hit some weak forearms, and Sabre knocked him down, but Shota popped up and showed more fire. Shota hit another tornado DDT, and they were both down at 34:00. Shota hit a running knee to the back of the head; he climbed the ropes but his knee gave out and he collapsed. Shota hit a headbutt in the corner, then a top-rope double-underhook suplex. (Walker called it a Death Rider, but Sabre landed on his back, not his head, so I will politely disagree.) Shota began stomping on Sabre at 37:00 as Zack was in the ropes, and was loudly booed. Shota hit a European Uppercut and Sabre was dazed. He held Zack’s wrists and stomped on Sabre’s head and sternum, and got more boos.
Sabre hit his own stomps and we got the 40:00 call. He hit some open-hand slaps to the face as they held onto each other’s wrists, and Shota returned some slaps. Sabre hit a loud one that dropped Shota. Shota hit a swinging sideslam for a nearfall, then a Hidden Blade to the back of the head for a nearfall at 42:00. Sabre applied an ankle lock, but Shota escaped and got a rollup, then a hard clothesline that rocked Sabre. Sabre hit another Zack Driver for a believable nearfall. He nailed the Gotch-style Piledriver! He hit a third Zack Driver for the pin. A riveting match; not many people can hold a crowd for this long, but they did it.
Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Shota Umino at 43:44.
* Charlton announced that Jeff Cobb will team with Great-O-Khan on Sunday in the tag title match. He said Hiromu and Naito have entered the match and will make it a three-way tag match, too. Sabre got on the mic and vowed he will win again tomorrow, and we’ll hear more from him after that.
Final Thoughts: A superb main event. While it started at a slow pace, they held the attention of me and the crowd. Sabre took us on a roller coast, speeding it up, then slowing it down again. Finlay-Yota was really good and takes second, and the hard-hitting Shingo-Takeshita match takes third. I really hoped for that match and the four-way juniors tag to be a bit longer, but they filled the time they were given.
Back when I used a VCR, I would watch a Big Show match on ‘double-time,’ making a minute go by in 30 seconds. If you watched Naito vs. Hiromu in double-time, it still would have been slow and lethargic. There was no chance they could top Finlay-Tsuji or many of the other matches on the show, so why put it second-to-last?
I hoped for a few more surprises in the Ranbo — where was Minoru Suzuki? Or Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls? I’d rather see those two than Honma, Tenzan, Nagata, and Kojima at this point. Tenzan seemed especially old and brittle today, too, and was quickly dispatched.
Wow, NJPW has more titles than the WWE and AEW combined.