By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “New Year Dash”
January 6, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan at Ota City General Gymnasium
Streamed live on New Japan World
The lights are on in this small arena, and the upper deck is sparsely filled. Attendance is maybe 1,500. Walker Stewart provided solo commentary.
* As is often the case, no matches for New Year Dash were announced in advance. I recall that last year, several of the AEW talents who appeared on Wrestle Kingdom also wrestled on NYD, so hopefully that is the case today as well.
1. Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Daiki Nagai, Shoma Kato, and Katsuya Murashima. Kojima and Nagai opened. Tenzan got in and hit a suplex. Murashima hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Kojima at 6:30. Nagai hit a dropkick that dropped Yuji. Nagata tied up Nagai’s head, cranked back on it, and Daiki tapped out. Basic vets vs. Young Lions match.
Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Daiki Nagai, Shoma Kato, and Katsuya Murashima at 8:51.
* The lights have been lowered as the main show is now underway, but lighting over the ring is still really good.
2. Josh Barnett vs. Boltin Oleg in a “five-minute exhibition.” Stewart said this developed after the Ranbo match on Jan. 4, where these two met in the Rumble-style match. Quick reversals on the mat; okay, let’s get Oleg in a Bloodsport match! They applied submission holds until we hit the time limit. They shook hands and hugged afterwards.
Josh Barnett vs. Bolten Oleg went to a time-limit draw at 5:00.
3. “United Empire” TJP, Francesco Akira, Jakob Austin Young, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb vs. Shota Umino, Tomoaki Honma, Master Wato, El Phantasmo, and Jado. I’ve said for a couple months now that Umino should have turned heel and beaten up Honma at the conclusion of World Tag League; it’s not too late to do that today! O-Khan and Shota opened. Jakob grounded Jado, and the UE took turns working over Jado. This is rather basic. Honma tagged in at 5:30 but missed a Kokeshi falling headbutt.
ELP hit a Lionsault on Cobb for a nearfall. Cobb hit the Spin Cycle back suplex on ELP; ELP hit a tornado DDT, and they were both down. Akira got in and hit a superkick on Jado. Wato entered and hit a dropkick on Cobb. Honma hit the Kokeshi on O-Khan for a nearfall at 10:00. O-Khan hit the Eliminator (Claw Slam on the head to the mat) to pin Honma. Basic but fine. Phantasmo and Cobb continued to jaw after the bell; Stewart said Cobb clearly wants a singles match against TV champ Phantasmo.
TJP, Francesco Akira, Jakob Austin Young, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb defeated Shota Umino, Tomoaki Honma, Master Wato, El Phantasmo, and Jado at 10:49.
* O-Khan tore up a toy belt that Umino had. Umino charged into the ring and attacked O-Khan. Looks like those two are about to start feuding!
4. “House of Torture” Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and Sho vs. Toru Yano, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tiger Mask, and Togi Makabe. The HoT immediately circled and attacked Tanahashi. Seriously, what is the average age of Tanahashi’s team? It’s somewhere between 48 and 51. Sho hit Yano with a chair on the floor, then got a nearfall on Yano at 3:00 in the ring. Togi hit a clothesline on Yujiro for a nearfall. Walker Stewart indicated that EVIL has “quit” or “left” NJPW after his loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom. Is that a threat or a promise? TM hit a Tiger Bomb on Sho for a believable nearfall at 8:00. Sho was tapping to a submission hold, but the ref was distracted. Yujiro hit Tiger Mask in the head with a six-man tag belt, and Sho covered the prone Tiger Mask for the pin. About as awful and ugly as a NJPW match gets. This was horrid, and I don’t write that often.
Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and Sho defeated Toru Yano, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tiger Mask, and Togi Makabe at 8:45
* Ren Narita and Yujiro Takahashi stole two of the six-man tag belts and headed to the back. They made a challenge to the champs before vanishing to the back.
* TJP joined Walker Stewart on commentary. I really think TJP brings a lot of value to the booth, so I’m glad he sat down.
5. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Sanada and Clark Connors vs. “Just 4 Guys” Taka Michinoku and Taichi. They started fighting on the floor; I started my stopwatch at first contact. They brawled into the crowd. The bell rang at 1:00 to officially begin. Clark chopped Taka in the ring, while Taichi and Sanada brawled on the floor. Clark hit a Pounce on Taka, and Sanada tied up Taka on the mat and choked him. Sanada hit some dropkicks on Taichi, then a plancha to the floor on him at 7:00. In the ring, Taichi hit a clothesline and they were both down. Taka got the hot tag and he tied up Sanada on the mat with a facelock and cranked back on Sanada’s head. Sanada applied the Skull End (dragon sleeper) on Taka, fell to the mat, and Taka tapped out.
Sanada and Clark Connors defeated Taka Michinoku and Taichi at 10:28/official time of about 9:30.
6. “Bullet Club” Kenta and Taiji Ishimori vs. Kushida and El Desperado. Ishimori won the eight-man lucha match on Sunday, so presumably he is the new No. 1 contender to Desperado’s title, and those two opened, and Ishimori quickly applied a Bone Lock; Desperado easily escaped and applied a Stretch Muffler. Kushida entered at 5:00 and hit some deep armdrags on Kenta. Kushida hit a springboard double back elbow at 8:00. He accidentally hit Despe! Both Kushida and Desperado applied submission holds on an opponent. Kushida got Kenta to tap out to the Hoverboard Lock! Ishimori got on the mic and challenged Desperado.
Kushida and El Desperado defeated Kenta and Taiji Ishimori at 9:08.
7. “Bullet Club War Dogs” David Finlay, Gedo, Drilla Moloney, and Gabe Kidd vs. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Bushi, Titan, Yota Tsuji, and Shingo Takagi. Tsuji and Finlay opened. Everyone started fighting on the floor. Back in the ring, the heels took turns working over Bushi. Yota and Kidd got in at 5:30 and that popped the crowd; they traded forearm strikes. Walker said they are “two made men following the Tokyo Dome.” A chop exchange continued and they hit stereo clotheslines; this has been the best action of the show. Kidd nailed a clothesline that dropped Yota and that popped the crowd.
They hit stereo shoulder tackles, then stereo headbutts, and both were down at 9:00. Shingo and Drilla tagged in and traded shoulder tackles and forearm strikes; TJP noted that Drilla is essentially a heavyweight. Moloney hit a Spinebuster. Titan entered and hit a springboard crossbody block, then a doublestomp on Gedo’s back for a nearfall at 11:30. Titan hit a springboard dropkick on Finlay. Bushi dove through the ropes and barreled onto Finlay. TItan applied a Muta Lock, and Gedo tapped out. Good action, especially the Yota-Kidd exchange.
Bushi, Titan, Yota Tsuji, and Shingo Takagi defeated David Finlay, Gedo, Drilla Moloney, and Gabe Kidd at 11:59.
* Drilla made it clear he is ready to step up to the heavyweight division and face Shingo. That should be good, too!
8. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito vs. Alex Zayne and Ryusuke Taguchi. Takahashi and Taguchi opened. Walker talked about how we don’t know when the tag title belts will be seen again, now that they are held by the Young Bucks. Hiromu hit a basement dropkick for a nearfall on Taguchi at 3:30. Zayne got in and hit the Cinnamon Twist (corkscrew plancha) on Naito. He hit an enzuigiri at 6:00. Taguchi re-entered and applied an ankle lock on Naito. Naito hit a Destino and pinned Taguchi. Blah. Quite a comedown after the prior match.
Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi defeated Alex Zayne and Ryusuke Taguchi at 8:36.
* Naito spoke on the mic; Walker got a translation that said they challenged the Young Bucks for the IWGP Tag Team Titles.
9. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, and Robbie Eagles vs. “Chaos” Yoshi-Hashi, Hirooki Goto, Yoh, and Rocky Romero. Yoh and Fujita fought early on. Rocky and Eagles tied up at 3:30. Oiwa and Yoshi-Hashi locked up. Fujita and Eagles hit stereo kicks on Yoshi-Hash and got a nearfall at 8:00. Yoshi-Hashi hit a stiff superkick on Oiwa; Oiwa hit a clothesline, and they were both down. Goto and Sabre finally entered and locked up at 10:00, with Goto hitting a back suplex. Stewart reiterated that Goto has never held the world title.
Goto hit a clothesline and they were both down at 12:00. Sabre hit a German Suplex. They traded clotheslines. Eagles and Fujita hit a team slam on Yoh for a nearfall. Oiwa hit a hard clothesline on Yoshi-Hashi; these two seem destined for a singles match! Eagles hit a springboard dropkick on Yoh’s knee. Goto hit his neckbreaker over his knee on Sabre at 16:30! Yoh set up for a Direct Drive (his double-arm DDT), but Eagles escaped. Romero and Yoh hit a team faceplant move on Eagles. Yoh hit a Falcon Arrow on Eagles. Yoh accidentally kicked Rocky! Yoh rolled up Eagles and scored the pin!
Yoshi-Hashi, Hirooki Goto, Yoh, and Rocky Romero defeated Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, and Robbie Eagles at 18:34.
Final Thoughts: Yes, I had entered the day hopeful we’d see some of the U.S. talent, and that didn’t occur so the show didn’t meet my expectations. (NO, they didn’t advertise any of them, but I was hopeful!) This show has always been about setting up new feuds, and they got that here. The main event clearly set up not just Sabre-Goto, but also Yoshi-Hashi vs. Oiwa, and a juniors tag title match. We are also clearly headed to Shingo-Drilla and Kidd-Yota. Undoubtedly, the highlight was the Kidd-Yota exchange.
We’ll see what is next for EVIL; how long will he stay away? And… will anyone really miss him?
Naito’s match should have ended with Zayne getting a pin over Naito, shocking everyone and starting a fresh new feud. Naito is just so flat right now… he’s 2000-era Hulk Hogan in the dying days of WCW and he doesn’t realize it. And he’s faced everyone so he desperately could use a fresh matchup, like a singles match against Zayne. Naito had a really good match against Jon Moxley at in Chicago at the Windy City Riot show I attended in April… and hasn’t had a good one since. His rematch against Moxley at Forbidden Door 2024 was a major disappointment, and his G1 run was a bore. I don’t know what they do to fix this, other than give him months off to refresh, but I don’t think that’s happening either.
The phrase “dropped the ball” sure is overused in pro wrestling… but NJPW sure dropped the ball in creating a Sanada-Taichi feud. Sanada turned on the Just 5 Guys faction and joined Bullet Club… and there was no response for a long time from Taichi. This should have been a heated feud that ended with a payoff at Wrestle Kingdom. The fact it is just warming up now… is really, honestly, quite baffling. I guess better late than never, but it was months ago — before World Tag League! — that Sanada abandoned his Just 5 Guys teammates.
TJP is among the strongest guys to partner in the booth, providing some really great insight, and his work here should be noted.
There are no NJPW shows this week until Battle in the Valley event in San Jose, California on Saturday.
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