New Japan Pro Wrestling has set up 2023 to be an excellent year with two major back to back shows. Wrestle Kingdom 17 had record high viewership, but while that show put a pin in many storylines from 2022 – New Years Dash set up the next few major shows with every champion getting a potential challenger, shake ups in factions, and a potentially career changing match set up.
Title Challengers Set For EVERY NJPW Champion
When it comes to title matches, News Year Dash ensures that every champion has a challenger as we approach the upcoming New Beginning tour in late January to early February. We already saw Shingo Takagi step up to Kazuchika Okada, promising to win the KOPW 2023 Championship and holding both that and the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship – and would win the Fatal Four Way to claim the belt.
Shingo would show up again following an unexpected tag team main event which saw Okada team with Kenny Omega, who defeated Jeff Cobb & Aaron Henare. Cobb would set up a challenge with Omega for the IWGP United States Championship as well. Earlier in the show, new NEVER Openweight Champion Tama Tonga would cross paths with El Phantasmo, setting up his first challenger. Zack Sabre Jr. would butt heads with Tomohiro Ishii,
New IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hirmou Takahashi would be pinned by YOH in a tag match, which also marked the second win in a row of Shota Umino over Tetsuya Naito. New IWGP Tag Team Champions Bishamon would be pinned by TMDK, while IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions Catch 2/2 were pinned by DOUKI & Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Finally, an odd trio of Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Ren Narita took aim at NEVER Openweight Six Man Champions House of Torture, who didn’t even defend at Wrestle Kingdom.
Kosei Fujita Brought Into TMDK, Just Four Guys Is Latest New Faction
There were two major bits of faction news on this show as well. Out of the dust of Suzuki-gun, we would see Zack Sabre Jr. join TMDK – replacing JONAH as their leader. During this show, after TMDK would defeat Bishamon & Tomohiro Ishii in six man tag team action, ZSJ would pull Kosei Fujita from ringside. Exclaiming that now he has his own Young Lion, Fujita would be officially drafted into the faction – essentially speeding up his graduation from Young Lion status.
Meanwhile, four former members of Suzuki-gun would stick together as a faction, those being Taka Michinoku, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, DOUKI & Taichi. Taka is set up to be a manager type figure, with Kanemaru & DOUKI being a force in the Junior Tag Team division, and Taichi as their ace. When asked for their name, Taka would describe them as “Just Four Guys”, which is their acting name.
Jay White Makes Brash Choice Following World Heavyweight Championship Loss
However, while titles can be changed frequently and factions come and go – there was one set up match that brings major implications. Jay White would go after Hikule’o during this show, brutalizing him with a steel chair. White would then speak about how much working in Japan means to Hikule’o and his family, before laying down a challenge with the stakes of Loser Leaves Japan.
Hikule’o is viewed as a future champion in Japan, while White literally lost the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 17. Either man being locked away from competing in Japan would have a major impact on NJPW. While they have a US branch – both men would almost be wasted being stuck in the states. It remained up in the air if NJPW will confirm this match, but it’s likely it will come.
Who will be leaving Japan? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TeIE1sQK-M
