By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Blue Justice XVI”
September 7, 2025, in Chiba, Japan, at Togane Arena
Streamed live on New Japan World
This is the first NJPW show since the conclusion of the G1 Climax tournament weeks ago. Chris Charlton provided commentary as we started; he said Clark Connors will be joining later. This is a gym and the lights are on. It’s packed with maybe 800; even the risers (only six or so rows) are filled.
1. Zane Jay and Masatora Yasuda vs. Tiger Mask and Tatsuya Matsumoto. Ameriscan rising star Zane was bald when we last saw him, but he’s got short brown hair and a short beard today; he looks completely different than his last G1 matches. Tiger Mask is retiring soon! He was given a bouquet of flowers by Yuji Nagata before the bell, as this will be his final Blue Justice event. Zane and Matsumoto opened. Tiger Mask and Yasuda locked up at 1:00, with TM hitting some spin kicks to the chest and back.
Yasuda hit a dropkick, and he tagged Jay back in at 4:00. Zane went for a Boston Crab, but Tiger Mask blocked it. Zane hit a dropkick on Matsumoto, with Yasuda getting a nearfall. Yasuda put Matsumoto in a Boston Crab, but Tiger Mask made the save. Yasuda put Matsumoto in the Boston Crab again, and this time, Tatsuya tapped out! Charlton was shocked that vet Tiger Mask was on the losing team!
Zane Jay and Masatora Yasuda defeated Tiger Mask and Tatsuya Matsumoto at 7:47.
* Tiger Mask got on the mic and addressed the crowd, saying he’s grateful for the recognition from Nagata, and this is likely his final match here.
2. “House of Torture” EVIL, Don Fale, and Dick Togo vs. Boltin Oleg, Shoma Kato, and Katsuya Murashima. The HoT attacked, and we got a bell a second later, and the action spilled to the floor. In the ring, Murashima hit a bodyslam and a rolling senton on Togo. Togo hit his own flipping senton on Murashima at 2:00, and the HoT began working over Murashima. Don hit some punches to the ribs and stood on Murashima’s back. Oleg got in and hit a splash in the corner on Fale at 4:00, but he couldn’t lift the big man. Togo tried some punches to Oleg’s gut that Boltin no-sold.
Fale hit a splash in the corner on Oleg. Oleg hit a shotgun dropkick, and they were both down. EVIL and Kato entered, and Shoma hit a dropkick, then a bodyslam for a nearfall at 6:00. Shoma put EVIL in a Boston Crab! Togo used his wire around Shoma’s throat to break the hold. Shoma got several rollups for nearfalls on EVIL. However, EVIL put him in a Sharpshooter, and Kato tapped out.
EVIL, Don Fale, and Dick Togo defeated Boltin Oleg, Shoma Kato, and Katsuya Murashima at 7:30.
3. Taichi, Taka Michinoku, and Tomoaki Honma vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Yuto-Ice, Oskar, and Clark Connors. Again, in the final shows of the G1 Climax, David Finlay brought in the Young Blood tag team. Yuto Nakashima has cut his hair short and dyed it white, and renamed himself “Yuto-Ice,” as he is like a Japanese gangsta rapper. It appears Oskar Leube is dropping his last name, too. The BCWD attacked, and all six brawled. Clark fought Honma in the ring as the others fought on the floor. The BCWD worked over Honma in the ring, with Connors pulling out his car tire and striking Honma with it at 2:30.
Oskar’s hair is now shoulder length (think Drew McIntyre’s hair style), which also is quite different from when he was last here as a Young Lion. Taichi finally got in and he struck each opponent. Oskar hit a bodyslam at 6:00 on Taichi, then a Mafia Kick. Taichi got in, he hit an eye poke on Yuto-Ice and a superkick and applied a crossface on the mat. Yuto got up and hit a roundhouse kick to the head that dropped Taka. Yuto hit a running Penalty Kick for a nearfall. Oscar hit a Tombstone Piledriver on Taka, with Yuto-Ice making the pin. A good showing for the New Blood team.
Yuto-Ice, Oskar, and Clark Connors defeated Tomoaki Honma, Taichi, and Taka Michinoku at 9:15.
4. Daiki Nagai, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji, and Shingo Takagi vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, Gedo, and Taiji Ishimori. Again, the former LIJ are ‘unaffiliated’ but are still working together. Kidd only participated in one G1 Climax match, suffered a knee injury, and forfeited his final eight, so he’s been out of action here. It led to Shingo calling out Kidd, so that’s why these teams are battling. Kidd and Shingo opened, and they pushed their chests together before trading kicks. Kidd knocked him down with a shoulder tackle.
Nagai got in and traded forearm strikes with Kidd. All eight brawled to the floor. Gedo shoved Nagai back-first into the guardrails at 2:30. Kidd and Shingo clanged chairs together in the crowd. Back in the ring, the BCWD took turns chopping Nagai in their corner. Finlay hit a series of clotheslines in the corner at 5:30. Nagai hit a dropkick, and they were both down. Tsuji tagged in and battled Finlay, and they traded forearm strikes. Finlay hit an Irish Curse backbreaker over his knee.
Hiromu tagged in at 7:30 and battled Ishimori. Charlton said when those two meet in a singles match later this month, it will be for their 11th time in singles action! Ishimori hit a handspring-back-enzuigiri, and they were both down. Gedo got in, but Hiromu hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Gedo. Kidd and Shingo jumped in and brawled some more. Hiromu hit a basement dropkick on Gedo’s knee. Hiromu applied his standing Figure Four, dropped to the mat for added pressure, and Gedo tapped out. Entertaining brawl.
Daiki Nagai, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji, and Shingo Takagi defeated David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, Gedo, and Taiji Ishimori at 10:26.
5. Shota Umino, Ryusuke Taguchi, Yuya Uemura, and El Desperado vs. Yoh, Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, and Master Wato. Yoh’s left shoulder was heavily taped; he opened against Desperado, and Yoh hit a dropkick. Yano entered at 2:00 and removed the corner turnbuckle pad, so Taguchi did the same for some comedy action between them. Taguchi hit a mid-ring buttbump. Togi repeatedly punched Shota in the corner and got a nearfall at 4:00. Shota hit some chops on Wato. Yuya tagged in and hit some armdrags on Wato, then a bulldog for a nearfall. Yuya hit a back suplex at 6:00. Taguchi tagged back in, and his team worked over Wato. Togi hit a double clothesline. Wato and Taguchi traded rollups until Wato got the flash pin! Decent action.
Yoh, Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, and Master Wato defeated Shota Umino, Ryusuke Taguchi, Yuya Uemura, and El Desperado at 8:15.
* Clark Connors joined in on commentary.
6. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, Hartley Jackson, and Robbie Eagles vs. “House of Torture” Sho, Sanada, Douki, Yujiro Takahashi, and Ren Narita. Eagles is back! All 10 brawled at the bell. Kosei chopped Sho. TMDK worked over Douki in their corner. Oiwa hit a dropkick on Yujiro. Hartley hit a massive senton at 4:00 on Yujiro for a nearfall. The heels crotched Oiwa around the ring post. Everyone brawled into the crowd. Back in the ring, the HoT continued to work over Oiwa, who was still selling the low blow. Oiwa finally fired up and hit some forearm strikes on Yujiro.
Sabre tagged in at 9:00, and he battled Ren, and they went to the floor. Sabre hit European Uppercuts as they fought into the crowd. In the ring, Sabre snapped some necks between his ankles. Ren hit a fisherman’s suplex on Sabre, and he applied a heel hook on Zack. Sabre finally got to the ropes at 11:00. Narita switched to a front guillotine choke. Sabre hit a Pele Kick on the shoulder. Sanada finally got in, but Hartley knocked him down, and Hartley hit a splash to the mat, then a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall at 13:00. Sanada hit a low blow on Hartley. The heels took turns striking him in the head with weapons. Sanada hit a moonsault and pinned Hartley.
Sho, Sanada, Douki, Yujiro Takahashi, and Ren Narita defeated Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, Hartley Jackson, and Robbie Eagles at 14:03.
7. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yuji Nagata. The crowd was hot and split at the bell. I’ve said it before, but I remember seeing Nagata wrestle at a live WCW Nitro in the late 1990s. They immediately tied up on the mat. They got up, and Nagata hit some spin kicks to the thighs at 2:30, then he went for a cross-armbreaker. Tanahashi hit a basement dropkick on the knee, and he began twisting the left leg. He applied a Figure Four, with Yuji eventually reaching the ropes at 6:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Yuji hit some roundhouse kicks to the chest at 8:00.
Yuji hit a Helluva Kick; he went for a second one, but Tanahashi grabbed the leg and hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip. Tanahashi hit a Sling Blade. He hit his second-rope somersault senton for a nearfall at 10:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes until Tanahashi fell to a knee. Tanahashi hit a Twist-and-Shout neckbreaker, then a second one. Yuji hit a Magic Screw neckbreaker off the ropes, and they were both down at 12:00.
They fought in the corner, and Yuji hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall, and he applied a crossface, but Tanahashi reached the ropes at 14:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes again, then open-hand slaps to the face. Yuji hit a Sait Suplex, and they were both down at 16:30. Tanahashi hit another Sling Blade for a nearfall. They again fought on the ropes. Tanahashi hit a top-rope crossbody block at 18:00, then a High Fly Flow frogsplash for the pin. That was as good as can be expected.
Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Yuji Nagata at 18:09.
Final Thoughts: A fun main event and on the high end of expectations, considering their combined age is 100 or so. The undercard was fine — I needed a refresher on the new feuds that were rolled out as G1 concluded, such as Sabre vs. Narita, Shingo vs. Kidd, etc.
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