The New Beginning series takes a look at both New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) New Beginning tours taking place in Japan and the United States.
The New Beginning in Sapporo on February 1st is a packed card that begins with former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions and Bullet Club members El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori facing New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) Tokyo Dojo Young Lion Yuya Uemura and Tiger Mask IV. Tiger Mask has taken Uemura under his wing since the two teamed together during the Super Junior Tag League last October and November. A victory by Phantasmo and Ishimori situates them as possible challengers for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions after The New Beginning in Osaka on February 9th.
The retiring Manabu Nakanishi teams with NJPW Tokyo Dojo Young Lion Yota Tsuji and Hiroyoshi Tenzan against Toa Henare and Great Bash Heel (G.B.H.) [Togi Makabe/Tomoaki Honma] in the second match of the evening.
The next matches on the card preview three championship matches throughout the remainder of The New Beginning tour. Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) make their v1 defense of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against Suzuki-Gun members and former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions (Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado) at the New Beginning in Osaka on February 9th. Roppongi 3K are 4-9 against Kanemaru and Desperado in various tag team matches, excluding a match where Shingo Takagi and Bushi of Los Ingobernable de Japon (LIJ) defeated both in a three-way match.
Also on February 9th, Will Ospreay challenges Zack Sabre Jr (ZSJ) for the RevPro Undisputed Heavyweight Championship in a headline match. ZSJ is 7-4 against Ospreay in singles matches since 2014 and will look to win his third straight singles match over Ospreay in Osaka.
The fourth match of the evening previews the February 9th headline contest, where Ryu Lee makes the v1 challenge against Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. The two teamed together on night-two of Wrestle Kingdom 14 in Jyushin Thunder Liger’s final retirement match.
The last time Ryu Lee and Hiromu Takahashi had a singles match was on July 7, 2018, when Takahashi suffered a devastating neck injury.
The 5th match on the featured event sees a rematch from New Year Dash when LIJ members Sanada and ‘Double Champion’ IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Champion team against Bullet Club members Jay White and KENTA.
Sanada was able to defeat Jay White at New Year Dash on January 6th, nearly a month later the Bullet Club team has the opportunity to grab direct momentum going into their February 9th singles matches against their LIJ foes.
The 6th contest also highlights upcoming singles matches. Kazuchika Okada and Taichi will meet on February 2nd on the second night of the New Beginning in Sapporo. Taichi, originally from the Hokkaido Prefecture drew 6,946 fans to the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center in the marquee against Tetsuya Naito on July 15th of last year during the G1 Climax. Taichi holds a 1-0 record against the former 5x IWGP Heavyweight Champion Okada in singles action, having defeated Okada while he was a Young Lion in April of 2008.
At New Year Dash, Jon Moxley ran in seemingly saving Okada from what could have been a Ganso Bomb from Taichi, a lethal technique his Senpai Toshiaki Kawada used sparingly throughout his career. Former RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion, NEVER Openweight Champion, IWGP Intercontinental Champion, GHC Heavyweight Champion, and 2x Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, Minoru Suzuki challenges Moxley on February 9th in his v2 defense of the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.
On night-two of Wrestle Kingdom 14 Suzuki dropped Moxley with his Gotch Piledriver technique after Moxley made a successful defense of the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. The following night at New Year Dash, Moxley dropped Suzuki with a Vertical Drop Death Rider.
The third co-headline match features Tomohiro Ishii against Evil. While Ishii has a 3-0 record against Evil in singles competition, Ishii would like to avenge a night-two pre-show pinfall defeat to Evil at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Gauntlet. Evil would like to use a victory over Ishii to launch him back into singles championship contention, likely eyeing a 2nd reign with the NEVER Openweight Championship.
The marquee match features Shingo Takagi making the v1 challenge against Hirooki Goto for the NEVER Openweight Championship. The two have a 1-1 record against each other in singles competition, but Shingo was able to pin Goto at New Year Dash.
The championship match will likely feature the brawling strong style nature associated with the NEVER Openweight division and could see Shingo win his first singles crown in NJPW.
