NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING (NJPW) PRESENTS Wrestle Kingdom 18 Results & Review by Ryan Balkwill

Promotion: New Japan Pro Wrestling

Date: January 4, 2024

City: TokyoJapan

Venue: Tokyo Dome

TV station/network: TV Asahi

Commentary by: Chris Charlton, Walker Stewart, Rocky Romero, Shinpei NogamiShinji YoshinoMilano Collection ATHiroshi TanahashiTogi MakabeMayu Iwatani & Great-O-Khan

Overall Show Score: 7/10

Pros: The wide spots showing around the Tokyo dome do look enormous. The wrestling is so good. Zack Sabre Jr.’s Television title reign finally came to a end. NIC NEMETH New Japan debut was surprising and my favourite match was between Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada.

Cons: David Finlay wining the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship was the wrong move. I didn’t care for most of the heel factions on this event. The Match Card itself didn’t feel strong compare to other wrestle kingdoms of the past and some of this matches felt like repeats of the past.

New Japan Ranbo to determine who will challenge for the Provisional KOPW 2024 Championship at New Year Dash!!:                                                                                                                 Yoshinobu Kanemaru 

vs. 

Takashi Iizuka 

vs. 

Tomohiro Ishii 

vs. 

Toru Yano 

vs. 

Taichi 

vs. 

Yujiro Takahashi 

vs. 

Taiji Ishimori 

vs. 

Mikey Nicholls 

vs. 

Fujita Hayato 

vs. 

Shane Haste 

vs. 

Chase Owens 

vs. 

DOUKI 

vs. 

YOH 

vs. 

SHO 

vs. 

Jeff Cobb 

vs. 

Master Wato 

vs. 

Gabe Kidd 

vs. 

Great-O-Khan 

vs. 

HENARE 

vs. 

Alex Coughlin.                                                                                               Winners: Great-O-KhanTaiji IshimoriToru Yano and Yoh                                                                                Rating: Fine

Tag team match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship:                                      

Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney) (c)

vs. 

Catch 2/2 (TJP and Francesco Akira).                                                                                                                                          Winners: Catch 2/2 won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.                                                                             Rating: Alright

Singles match for the NJPW World Television Championship:

Zack Sabre Jr. (c) (w/Kosei FujitaMikey Nicholls & Shane Haste)

vs. 

Hiroshi Tanahashi.                                                                                 Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi won the NJPW World Television Championship.                                                                                                                                           Rating: Very Good

Singles Match:                                                                                                                                                            

Yota Tsuji 

vs. 

Yuya Uemura.                                                                                                          Winner: Yuya Uemura                                                                                                                                           Rating: Okay

Tag team match:                                                                                                                                                       

Shota Umino and Kaito Kiyomiya 

vs. 

House of Torture (Evil and Ren Narita) (w/Dick TogoSHOYoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi).                                                             Winners: Evil and Ren Narita                                                                                                                                          Rating: Not that good.

Singles match for the NEVER Openweight Championship:               .                                                        

Shingo Takagi (c)

vs. 

Tama Tonga.                                                                                                        Winner: Tam Tonga won the NEVER Openweight championship again.                                              Rating: Very Good 

Winner takes all tag team match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship and Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship:

Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) (IWGP)

vs. 

Guerrillas of Destiny (Hikuleo and El Phantasmo) (Strong Openweight) (w/Jado).                                                                                                Winners: Guerrillas of Destiny are double champions.                                                                                                                                            Rating: Okay

Singles match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship:                                                                        

Hiromu Takahashi
Hiromu Takahashi

Hiromu Takahashi (c)

vs. 

El Desperado.                                                                                                         Winner: El Desperado won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.                                                                                                   Rating: Good

Three-way match for the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship:                                         

Will Ospreay 

vs. 

Jon Moxley 

vs. 

David Finlay (w/Gedo).                                                                                     Winner: David Finlay became the  inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion.                          Rating: Disappointing

Singles Match:                                                                                                                                                                 

Bryan Danielson 

vs. 

Kazuchika Okada.                                                                                                            Winner: Kazuchika Okada                                                                                                                                             Rating: Great  

Main Event:

Singles Match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship:                                                                              

Sanada (c)

vs. 

Tetsuya Naito.                                                                                                           Winner: Tetsuya Naito won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.                              Rating: Really Good

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