Keiji Muto is leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling a winner after coming out on top at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17.
In the sixth match on the card, Muto, better known to fans as the Great Muta, teamed with Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shota Umino to defeat Los Ingobernables de Japon.
Muto opened his final match for New Japan against Sanada, who leveled him with a series of dropkicks and landed a moonsault in the opening sequence.
Bouncing back, Muto hit a couple of shining wizards throughout the bout and teased during a moonsault, but was prevented by Tanahashi.
Mone posed in the ring, and made it clear she wants a shot at the IWGP Women’s Championship.
The former Raw Women’s Champion dropped KAIRI with a modified Gory Bomb, and said she knows all about making history.
Calling herself the CEO of this women’s division, More vowed to make KAIRI bankrupt when they face off.
Mercedes Mone has challenged Kairi for the IWGP Women’s Championship at Battle In The Valley on February 18th. "I'm going to leave you bankrupt, bitch!" pic.twitter.com/1eV7FZwswD
Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood will defend the IWGP World Tag Team Championships at Wrestle Kingdom 17, but the trip to the show has been far from easy.
The AEW tag team will defend their titles later today against Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi.)
The IWGP World Tag Championships are the only titles that FTR currently holds, after losing the Ring of Honor World Tag Titles and AAA World Tag Team Titles in December of last year.
Travel Delay
Taking to Twitter, Wheeler explained that he had intended to make the trip to Tokyo on Monday morning, but he was not allowed to board his flight.
A flight to Atlanta that would have allowed Wheeler to fly to Japan was also delayed before later being canceled.
With no alternative, Wheeler had to drive to Atlanta to make his flight to Japan, and only recently arrived at his hotel in Tokyo.
Despite these setbacks, Wheeler remained positive about the match, saying it is “can’t miss.”
7am Monday: Issue with paperwork. Can’t board my flight to Japan. Bad.
7pm Monday: flight to ATL for new Tuesday morning flight delayed. Then cancelled.
10pm Monday: drive to ATL.
4:15am: Arrive at hotel.
WrestleKingdom day: land & go straight to the Dome.
Today’s title defense will make the third for Wheeler and Dax Harwood who captured the titles at AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door in June of last year.
The AEW tag team’s first title defense was against Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) at NJPW Royal Quest II in October 2022.
Their second defense saw Wheeler and Harwood retain against United Empire (Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan) at NJPW Battle Autumn in November, the same team FTR dethroned at Forbidden Door.
The former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion was suspended for her actions, which were deemed “unprofessional” on TV.
Boss ‘n Hug
Banks’ former tag-team partner Bayley will be at Wrestle Kingdom to support her friend, PW Insider has learned.
The report did not specify whether the Damage CTRL member was sent by WWE, but notes that she “shouldn’t be expected to be seen on camera.”
Bayley isn’t the only support Banks will have, as reports have come out that Naomi, who walked out of WWE with her in May, is also in Tokyo for the show.
Naomi’s status with WWE remains unclear and there has been no confirmation as to whether she has been released.
Bayley has been feuding with Becky Lynch since The Man’s in-ring return at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames, and appeared on this week’s Monday Night Raw.
Banks in New Japan
Sasha Banks’ impending arrival in New Japan Pro Wrestling is a huge score for the company as they seek to grow their own women’s division.
It is believed that Banks will confront the winner of the IWGP Women’s Championship match between KAIRI (aka Kairi Sane) and her challenger Tam Nakano.
Banks’ contract is said to be for five matches a year with New Japan, and she is set to make more per appearance for the promotion than she did during her tenure with WWE.
It has been a whirlwind of events for Sasha Banks (Mercedes Varnado) since she and her then WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion partner, Naomi (Trinity Fatu), walked out on Raw on that fateful mid-May day. For Banks, she kept herself busy, which only added to the rampant speculation as to her eventual destination – if it was even in professional wrestling.
Then, a figurative bomb dropped: Banks is set to appear at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year on January 4, Wrestle Kingdom 17, which is once again a one-night affair. While her appearance has yet to be announced by New Japan, speculation is she will be jump straight into the IWGP Women’s Championship picture.
So, how did we get here? Here’s a timeline dating back to Varnado’s and Fatu’s walkout to what we know now. Much of this was corroborated through the December 19 Voices of Wrestling podcast’s flagship episode beginning around the 1:45:10 mark.
Note: I will refer to Banks and Naomi while discussing anything regarding WWE, but use Varnado and Fatu when discussing them outside of WWE. Varnado has also trademarked “Mercedes Moné,” indicating this may be her name outside of WWE.
May 16, 2022 – The Walkout
(via WWE)
It was reported during that night’s Raw that Banks and Naomi walked out due to creative differences they had concerning the tag team division. They had been set to involved in a six-pack challenge match to determine Bianca Belair’s challenger for her title at Hell in a Cell.
Michael Cole informed viewers – in very WWE-friendly terms – that Banks and Naomi walked out during the show. WWE also issued this statement, which blamed the wrestlers because “even though they had eight hours to rehearse and construct their match, they claimed they were uncomfortable in the ring with two of their opponents even though they’d had matches with those individuals in the past with no consequence.”
May 20 – Indefinite suspension
It was four days later on SmackDown that Michael Cole announced that Banks and Naomi had been suspended indefinitely and stripped of their Tag Team Championship. This announcement was made notorious by Cole stating that Banks and Naomi had “let down millions” of WWE fans with their actions.
In those four days, word came down that Naomi had been set to win the six-pack challenge and face Belair while Banks was set to face Ronda Rousey for her title. Both Banks and Naomi were set to lose though as mentioned earlier, they had concerns over the direction of the tag team division and not about their scheduled losses.
Fans also noticed during the packaged “WWE Then, Now, Forever, Together” intro video that both Banks and Naomi were removed. Cody Rhodes replaced Banks while Rousey replaced Naomi. WWE also removed all of their merchandise from WWEShop.
June 15 – Banks’ release
I'm hearing Sasha Banks has been released. I don't know if it's he requested it or if it was on WWE's end
June 15 saw even more breaking news as WrestlingInc.com founder Raj Giri tweeted Banks had been released from WWE. While some questioned his reporting, his news was confirmed by other wrestling journalists, thus refuting the skepticism from the questioning.
While Banks was released, nothing was known at the time about Naomi’s status. The VoW pod reported that WWE had come to their separation agreement with Banks over the summer with the agreement that January 1, 2023 was the earliest she could take wrestling bookings. Fightful later confirmed she signed a deal with Bushiroad for multiple dates with VoW reporting her per event fee was the highest in Bushiroad’s history.
July 6-7 – Removal from WWE’s internal roster
(via WWE)
Further strengthening Giri’s report about Banks’ release, between July 6 and 7, WWE removed both Banks and Naomi from their internal roster. The distinction of “internal roster” is key as WWE still has made no acknowledgement of Banks’ – or Naomi’s – status with the company.
In fact, if you go to WWE.com, Banks and Naomi are still listed as SmackDown wrestlers even though WWE has released Banks and has no plans on bringing back Naomi.
September 9 – Walking the runway
Varnado and Fatu kept their names in the headlines, but not within the world of wrestling. In September, they walked the runway at New York Fashion Week, a high honor. This was another sign to their detractors that both Varnado and Fatu have name recognition and demand outside of professional wrestling.
Then, on December 3, Varnado tweeted that she had just finished filming her first movie. Apparently, she was set in The Collective from Tom DeNucci. This comes after she appeared in the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian.
December 5 – Barmageddon!
While the news of her appearing on the new USA show Barmageddon was revealed by Brie Bella on The Bellas Podcast in October, and previews that aired during both Raw and NXT showed clips of The Bellas and Banks (presumably filmed while still with WWE), Barmageddon debuted on December 5.
December 8 – Reported to appear at Wrestle Kingdom 17
NJPW does not have a women’s division, but is owned by the same company that owns World Wonder Ring Stardom. Varnado has made her affinity for Stardom and the wrestlers there known, but even if she doesn’t wrestle there, she can always wrestle on NJPW productions.
The inaugural and current IWGP Women’s Champion is KAIRI, fka Kairi Sane. Varnado teased a potential match with KAIRI a few months ago, and the plan seems to be her confronting the winner of the title match between KAIRI and Tam Nakano at WK 17 (presumably KAIRI).
December 21 – Arrival in Japan
Varnado then arrived in Japan on December 21, two weeks ahead of her scheduled debut with NJPW and Stardom. It’s likely she’s using the time to acclimate to the time difference while training in preparation of her upcoming appearances.
The VoW pod reported that Bushiroad is adamant about exposing the West to their women’s wrestling with the belief that there is a “dearth of quality women’s wrestling” in the West. they believe their best way to make this happen is through NJPW and the IWGP Women’s Championship. Having Varnado and presumably KAIRI – two names well known to Western wrestling fans – leading the way should do well in achieving this goal.
That’s the timeline of Sasha Banks’ WWE release and Mercedes Varnado’s path to New Japan Pro Wrestling and Wrestle Kingdom 17. Be sure to tune into Wrestle Kingdom 17 in a few short days on January 4, 2023 to witness Varnado’s debut in New Japan Pro Wrestling!
At Forbidden Door, fans who aren’t regular viewers of NJPW got introduced to a variety of talent. Even fans who don’t watch NJPW are familiar with names like Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Jay White.
One wrestler who made a name for themselves for their performance was the “Wild Rhino” Clark Connors. Connors was a replacement for Tomohiro ISHII in the four-way match for the All-Atlantic Championship. Connors didn’t have an easy task as he faced PAC, Malakai Black, and Miro.
Connors speared Miro through a table on the outside. He also hit his finisher, the Trophy Kill, on PAC. He firmly got fans on his side with a standout performance.
Clark Connors Reveals Wish List
Connors missed some time last year with an ongoing herniation injury. He detailed his experience in a Twitter thread last July. He returned to the ring in October against Minoru Suzuki.
On social media, Connors revealed his 2023 opponent wish list. The list is a who’s who across the wrestling universe, starting with one-half of the NJPW Strong and IMPACT tag team champions, Alex Shelley.
The rest of his list, read “Wild Style”:
-Lio Rush
-Ishimori, El Desperado, or Hiromu
-Joey Janella
-Trey Miguel
-EFFY
-“Session Moth” Martina (in a deathmatch…in Ireland)
WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling are teaming up for Karl Anderson to compete at Wrestle Kingdom 17, but that’s not a problem for Tony Khan.
Anderson returned to WWE alongside Luke Gallows in October of last year, despite holding the NJPW Never Openweight Championship at the time.
After opting to compete at WWE Crown Jewel over NJPW Battle Autumn in November, the Machine Gun will wrestle this Wednesday at Wrestle Kingdom.
Cool
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 will be a stacked show, with talent from New Japan, WWE, AEW, and STARDOM all competing.
Speaking to Fightful Select, New Japan’s Rocky Romero said he speaks with Khan quite frequently and was the one to tell Khan about WWE and NJPW working together.
Khan “understood why” the deal had been reached, and said he was “cool” about what was happening.
Anderson will defend the NJPW Never Openweight Championship against Tama Tonga this Wednesday.
Kenny Omega
AEW will have representation at Wrestle Kingdom 17, with Kenny Omega challenging for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Will Ospreay.
Romero told Fightful that Omega was forecasting his return to NJPW, teasing a match with Ospreay, before it was even a done deal.
Speaking about Omega’s suspension from AEW following the backstage fight at All Out, Romero said it “caused a pause” as nobody knew what was going to happen.
Romero said that NJPW worked with Barry Bloom on making this happen, and that Bloom was the one that made the Chris Jericho deal when he was in NJPW years ago.
IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay is looking forward to many more years of working with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Ospreay debuted for the promotion in 2016 and is a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.
The leader of the United Empire stable, Ospreay is a former NEVER Openweight Champion, the winner of the Best of the Super Juniors in 2016 and 2019, and the promotion’s sixth Triple Crown Champion.
Ospreay in New Japan
Will Ospreay’s success in NJPW is undeniable, and the British star has no plans to leave in the near future.
Speaking to Fightful on New Japan World, Ospreay said that his deal with the promotion will end in a little over a year in early 2024.
Ospreay had previously confirmed that he signed a five-year deal with New Japan in early 2019 but currently has no plans to go elsewhere.
The IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion has been paid “very well” by NJPW, and his heart is still with the company.
Addressing a 2016 offer by EVOLVE, Ospreay believes that joining them could have opened a lot of doors for him, but in hindsight, working with New Japan has been the right call.
Ospreay in AEW?
In June of this year, Ospreay made his debut for All Elite Wrestling attacking Trent Barretta and FTR.
Three years ago, the British wrestler that he would not sign with AEW unless they had a partnership with NJPW, which has since happened.
Ospreay said that while he has a lot of anxiety about living and staying in the U.S. he was made to feel at home with his appearances for AEW.
The full interview with Ospreay and Fightful will be released December 30 at noon EST.
Kenny Omega may be one of the most popular ‘gaijin’ wrestlers in the history of New Japan Pro Wrestling, but he wasn’t always proud of his work overseas.
Omega debuted for New Japan in September 2010, losing to Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) and is a former IWGP World Champion.
The 39-year-old wrestler is also a former IWGP Intercontinental, United States, and Junior Heavyweight Champion, and is the only gaijin winner of the G1 Climax.
Ashamed
Omega’s career in New Japan is impressive and well-documented, but he believes the promotion slid after he left for greener pastures. Speaking to NJPW1972, the Cleaner had this to say about New Japan’s ‘decline’ after he left:
“For me, New Japan kinda became that child that I was ashamed of. I didn’t want to talk about New Japan to other people. I wanted to go back to those days where New Japan was in those infantile stages of creeping over to the West. Under my help of course! With me as the captain, it was sure to succeed.”
Kenny Omega.
Omega departed New Japan in January 2019 to be a co-founder of All Elite Wrestling.
Future Plans
Omega was once ashamed of his work with New Japan Pro Wrestling, but things have clearly changed.
The former AEW World Champion will return to challenge IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion at the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom 17 event.
This match will mark Omega’s first match for New Japan since losing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in 2019.
AXS TV has been partnering with NJPW to air matches every Thursday at 10 PM ET after IMPACT Wrestling ends. The matches are on a several week delay from the original airing.
AXS TV announced today that their partnership with NJPW will continue in 2023. They will begin airing exclusive coverage for Wrestle Kingdom 17 starting on January 12.
We're pleased to announce AXS TV is continuing its partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling for 2023, premiering with exclusive coverage of Wrestle Kingdom 17. Don't miss the action, starting January 12th (10/9c) on AXS TV! @njpwglobalpic.twitter.com/u369mkOibO
Wrestle Kingdom 17 is live from the Tokyo Dome on January 4th. After running for two nights during the height of the pandemic, it is back to a one night only event. New Year Dash will take place the following day.
NJPW’s biggest show of the year will feature a double main event with Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay. Jay White will put the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line against Kazuchika Okada.
The brand new IWGP Women’s Championship will also be defended. KAIRI will defend her title for the first time against Tam Nakano. Sasha Banks will be appearing at Wrestle Kingdom. It’s unclear what exactly she’ll be doing at the show, but she is expected to wrestle several dates for NJPW.
Both WWE and AEW will be represented at Wrestle Kingdom 17. Karl Anderson will put his NEVER Openweight title on the line against Tama Tonga. FTR is scheduled to face Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI for the IWGP Tag Team titles.
Sasha Banks has reportedly arrived in Japan, days before she is expected to start the next chapter in her pro wrestling career.
It was anyone’s guess that Banks would end up in wrestling after she and Naomi walked out of WWE in May of this year. That changed when it was recently reported that Banks was scheduled to be at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 17 event on January 4.
She is slated to do multiple dates for NJPW/STARDOM as she has been able to get her release from WWE.
Arrival
According to a report by PWInsider, Banks has now arrived in Japan ahead of her appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 17:
“PWInsider.com is told that Mercedes Varnado, aka Sasha Banks, is now in Japan in advance of the 1/4/23 New Japan Pro Wrestling Tokyo Dome event.”
Banks’ appearance at the upcoming show is still yet to be officially announced by NJPW so it looks like it will be saved as a surprise. Many fans expect that she will be setting something up with the winner of the IWGP Women’s Title match between Champion KAIRI & Tam Nakano.
The top matches on the card include Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title, and Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Title.
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year is fast approaching.
The event will be dedicated to Japanese wrestling legend and NJPW founder Antonio Inoki, who passed away on October 1, 2022 at 79.
The star-studded lineup features IWGP World Heavyweight and Women’s Championship matches, the long-awaited showdown between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay, AEW stars FTR defending the IWGP world tag team championships, the Great Muta’s final NJPW match and much more.
There’s also a lot of buzz that WWE Superstar Sasha Banks will be attending Wrestle Kingdom to call out the winner of the IWGP Women’s Championship match.
When is Wrestle Kingdom?
New Japan Pro Wrestling presents Wrestle Kingdom 17 live from Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 from the Tokyo Dome.
A second show branded as Wrestle Kingdom is scheduled Saturday, January 21, 2023 from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.
How to Watch Wrestle Kingdom 17
Wrestle Kingdom 17 will stream live on NJPW World (subscription is ¥999/$7.33 per month).
WK17 airs at 3 am (EST) / 12 am (PST) / 8 am (GMT).
Wrestle Kingdom 17 Card
Here are the 12 matches signed for January 4. You can visit the NJPW website for a more in-depth preview for each match.
IWGP World Heavyweight Title Match Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White (c)
IWGP Women’s Title Match Tam Nakano vs. Kairi (c)
IWGP United States Heavyweight Title Match Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay (c)
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Fatal 4 Way El Desperado vs. Master Wato vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. Taiji Ishimori (c)
Tournament Finals for the Inaugural NJPW World Television Title Ren Narita vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
NEVER Openweight Title Match Tama Tonga vs. Karl Anderson (c)
IWGP Tag Team Titles Match Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI vs. AAA Tag Team Champions FTR (c)
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles Match Lio Rush and YOH vs. TJP and Francesco Akira (c)
Antonio Inoki Memorial Six-Man Tag Team Match Minoru Suzuki, Tiger Mask, and Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata, and Satoshi Kojima
Keiji Mutoh, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Shota Umino vs. Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and BUSHI
Opening Match: NJPW Young Lions Exhibition Ryohei Oiwa vs. Boltin Oleg
Opening Match: New Japan Ranbo Participants TBA Final four will challenge for the Provisional KOPW 2023 Trophy at New Year Dash on January 5.
WWE’s Karl Anderson will step through the Forbidden Door next month to defend his NJPW Never Openweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom 17.
Anderson returned to WWE alongside Luke Gallows in October of this year after being released from the promotion in April 2020.
The Machine Gun had been scheduled to defend his title at NJPW Battle Autumn in November but instead competed at WWE Crown Jewel that same night.
Tama Tonga
This week, Anderson made his way to Japan for NJPW’s World Tag/Super Junior Tag League finals.
Competing against Hikuleo, his planned opponent for Battle Autumn, Anderson retained his title and sent a message to the locker room after the bell.
“I ain’t coming over here to drop no titles. You think I’m coming back to New Japan Pro-Wrestling to do a jiz-zob?”
Karl Anderson.
Tama Tonga came out to confront Anderson but took a Stun Gun from the Never Openweight Champion.
Anderson told Tonga that he will see him again at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4.
Wrestle Kingdom 17
Wrestle Kingdom 17 will be the first time in years that the show will take place on one day, but the event has a stacked card.
IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI will defend her title against Tam Nakano, while Zack Sabre Jr. and Ren Narita will determine the first NJPW World Television Champion.
IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay will defend against AEW’s Kenny Omega, and FTR will put their IWGP World Tag Titles on the line against opponents yet to be announced.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori vs. Master Wato vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado has been announced, and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White will take on Kazukchika Okada.
The multi-time former Women’s Champion hasn’t been seen on WWE programming since walking out of the May 16, episode of Raw over a creative dispute.
The Deal
Banks’ deal with Bushiroad, the parent company of both NJPW and STARDOM, will make her the highest-paid contracted wrestler, Voices of Wrestling reports.
They report that STARDOM pursued Banks not long after her May walkout and that Banks also showed interest in working with the promotion.
STARDOM’s booker Rossy Ogawa walked away from negotiations after hearing Banks’ “exorbitant” asking price, which was said to be beyond the company’s budget.
These talks resumed months later after Bushiroad President Takaaki Kidani gave Ogawa the green light to pursue Banks.
It is believed that The Boss will confront IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI, who became the first holder of the title last month at NJPWxSTARDOM Historic X-Over.
Highest Earner
Banks’ agreement with Bushiroad will make her the highest-paid name to ever be contracted, even higher than Chris Jericho.
For his feud with Kenny Omega that culminated in a match at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in 2018, Jericho was paid $100,000 per appearance for NJPW.
As Dave Meltzer pointed out on Wrestling Observer Radio, Jericho was practically underpaid due to how much revenue he brought to New Japan with his match.
Per appearance, the former Women’s Champion will earn far more than she made in WWE, though she is expected to be booked five times in 2023.
This leaves Banks with plenty of time for other projects, including possibly working in AEW, something that has reportedly been on her bucket list.
Those in New Japan Pro Wrestling only found out about Sasha Banks’ impending Wrestle Kingdom appearance when they read the news online.
This week, it was reported that Banks will be attending the January 4, 2023, event, but it is unclear if she will be competing, appearing on-screen, or just being present at the show.
Banks has been suspended from WWE programming since May after she and Naomi walked out of an episode of Raw over a creative dispute.
In the Dark
Banks’ involvement with New Japan is huge news given that she remains under contract with WWE.
During the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that everyone he spoke to in New Japan was not told that the Boss would be at the show.
“There’s nobody there that knew anything about it… including some big insiders.”
Dave Meltzer.
Meltzer added that the winner of the IWGP Women’s Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom between champion KAIRI and challenger Tam Nakano will have their next title defense in San Jose.
Next Stop, AEW?
Banks could be competing for New Japan Pro Wrestling soon enough, but many have speculated whether AEW is next on her list.
Fightful Select reported this week that some in Tony Khan’s promotion believe Banks at Wrestle Kingdom is a sign that her WWE contract is up.
One source who wished to remain anonymous said they believe bringing Banks in could turn around AEW’s dwindling ratings compared to previous years.
Some have suggested that Banks could be Saraya’s mystery partner for her January 11, tag match against AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker.
It was Banks’ kick that would cause the neck injury that cost Saraya nearly five years of in-ring action.
Despite the issues, Kota Ibushi has remained with New Japan Pro Wrestling, but that will change soon.
Kota went public about his issues with the promotion via social media as Ibushi stated that he was going to expose the “cheaters-gun and sexually harassing bosses.” He also shared conversations between himself and New Japan higher-up Yusuke Kikuchi where he alleged Kikuchi threatened to terminate Ibushi’s contract for making an appearance accompanying wrestlers to the ring at TAKA Michinoku’s Just Tap Out promotion.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer gave an update on the status of Kota Ibushi as it was noted that Ibushi’s NJPW contract is scheduled to expire at the end of January 2023.
Kota’s Upcoming Free Agency
(via NJPW)
Meltzer wrote: “Kota Ibushi has been in light training in the ring of late and thus far the shoulder has held up well so that’s a good sign. His New Japan contract expires at the end of January and he made a tweet hinting at that. There was a lot of bad feelings over the past year but nothing is definite regarding staying or leaving at that point past he brought it up in a cryptic way about being a free agent in two months.”
Ibushi hasn’t wrestled since his match with Kazuchika Okada in the 2021 G1 Climax finals which ended in a stoppage when Ibushi injured his shoulder.
In June, NJPW announced Ibushi, Kikuchi, and NJPW president Takami Ohbari were being penalized by having their pay reduced by 10 percent for three months. Also, Kikuchi was also transferred to a different position within the company.
Talent from four of the biggest promotions in the world will come together for Wrestle Kingdom.
The show, scheduled for January 4, 2023, will be the seventeenth Wrestle Kingdom event, New Japan’s biggest annual event.
Next year’s show will mark the first time since 2019 that Wrestle Kingdom will take place on one day.
Karl Anderson
Earlier this week, it was reported that WWE Raw Superstar Karl Anderson will defend his NJPW Never Openweight Championship at the World Tag League/Super Junior Tag League finals on Wednesday, December 14.
Anderson was previously scheduled to defend his title at NJPW Battle Autumn but instead competed at WWE Crown Jewel, which took place the same day.
In an update from Fightful Select, it is reported that NJPW and WWE have agreed that next month won’t be Anderson’s last match in Japan, and that he will work the Tokyo Dome.
Sources who spoke to Fightful said Gallows and Anderson have “always been penciled in” to compete at Wrestle Kingdom, despite reports of tension.
Gallows and Anderson had committed to working these dates for New Japan before their WWE returns in October and before leaving Impact Wrestling in August.
The Four
Having (at least) two WWE Superstars compete at Wrestle Kingdom is a huge deal, but just part of a stacked show.
Of course, New Japan’s own talent will be competing at the show, but so will names from AEW and Stardom.
AEW’s Kenny Omega will challenge IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay.
KAIRI, who recently became the first IWGP Women’s Champion, will defend her title against fellow STARDOM wrestler Tam Nakano.
The Cleaner of AEW and the Aerial Assassin will at last lock horns in singles action at Wrestle Kingdom 17 in January 2023.
Kenny Omega appeared via video promo at Sunday’s NJPW X STARDOM Historic X-Over event to challenge Will Ospreay following Ospreay’s successful IWGP United States Heavyweight title defense.
Responding, Ospreay accepted the challenge, claiming he has kept the heartbeat of NJPW going strong.
Omega Vs. Ospreay
Wrestle Kingdom 17 will mark Kenny Omega’s first match for NJPW since Wrestle Kingdom 13 in January 2019.
Fightful Select reports that talks between Omega and NJPW began over the summer, but the match was far from finalized.
Those close to the situation said that the deal for Omega to wrestle for New Japan was only finalized within the last two or three weeks.
Omega’s suspension from AEW following the All Out brawl did not end talks of a match with Ospreay but it “certainly slowed things down.”
Both men have teased the match for some time, with Ospreay using Omega’s One-Winged Angel at a Rev Pro show earlier this year, and forcing his opponent to kick out.
Rocky Romero
Omega Vs. Ospreay for the IWGP United States Heavyweight title is a bona fide huge match, and fans have Rocky Romero to thank.
Romero is said to have played a huge role in getting the match approved, and he is said to have been a huge factor in New Japan’s global expansion in recent years.
Fightful’s report adds that Romero has worked tirelessly to maintain New Japan’s positive relationships with numerous companies
At one point, Romero was said to be in frequent contact with AEW Owner Tony Khan to make deals happen.
KAIRI, formerly known as Kairi Sane, is the first-ever IWGP Women’s Champion.
In the main event of Sunday morning’s NJPW x Stardom Historic X-Over event, she defeated Mayu Iwantani to become the champ. The back and forth match ended when KAIRI defeated Iwatani after hitting the Insane Elbow off the top rope.
Post-match, Iwatani, and KAIRI were emotional while waiting for NJPW president Noaki Sugabayashi to get into the ring to give KAIRI the title as she posed with Bushiroad president Takaai Kiwani.
Tam Nakano came out and challenged KAIRI to a match at Wrestle Kingdom 17, which she accepted. Sane commented on the big win by writing the following on Twitter:
“Four days before the match, during ring practice, I sprained myself in a flashy fall. I was told that it would take three weeks for a full recovery, and I almost gave up because it hurt to walk. However, with the support of many people, I was able to fight through the two battles with my willpower. Really really thank you very much.”
How We Got Here
Kairi Sane
Iwatanai had defeated Momo Watanabe and Utami Hayashishita to advance to the finals while Kairi defeated Jazzy Gabert on October 23 to advance to the finals.
The championship was introduced by NJPW back in August and is slated to be defended both in Japan for New Japan Pro Wrestling as well as worldwide on shows such as NJPW Strong.
Kenny Omega continues to make waves in the pro wrestling industry. The former IWGP World heavyweight champion challenged Will Ospreay for a match at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th.
Immediately following Ospreay’s IWGP United States title defense against Shota Umino, the lights went out inside the Ariake Arena. Moments later, Kenny Omega appeared on a giant screen and took Will Ospreay to task.
Omega sighted that when he left the promotion to join AEW, Ospreay was the man who set to replace him as the top Gaijin (foreigner) in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Omega would go on to antagonize Ospreay, saying that
“The crowds have gotten smaller. We can’t hear them cheering. Oh, that’s because of the pandemic! That’s the line you trot out right? But is it really? You see, there’s only one real virus here. And that’s you Will.”
Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay is a topflight dream match Worldwide. The two men have often been compared to one another over the last few years. When Omega mentioned that Ospreay was the performer groomed to replace him when he left New Japan, he wasn’t wrong.
Omega had been considered the best in-ring performer in pro wrestling over the last 2 years of his New Japan career. His last singles match was at Wrestle Kingdom 13. Losing the IWGP World heavyweight title to Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Will Ospreay has arguably taken that metaphorical title over the last couple of years. He put on incredible performances with Omega’s biggest NJPW rival, Kazuchika Okada. Also turning in masterpieces with Shingo Takagi, sparking an enthralling rivalry that traces back to 2019.
The two men recently competed on opposite sides of the ring in AEW. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks defeated Will Ospreay and Aussie Open in the semifinals of the AEW World Trios championship tournament. A match that was lauded by many in the pro wrestling industry.
Omega and Ospreay have met once before in singles competition. Omega emerged victorious over Ospreay in 2015 at PWG’s “All Star Weekend” event. Both men have matured and grown as wrestlers since that encounter.
Buckle up folks. We are going to open up January 2023 with a match of the year candidate at Wrestle Kingdom 17. Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay are going to tear the house at the Tokyo Dome.
During the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that an offer has been made to JONAH.
“JONAH certainly has an offer from WWE and he’s got to make a decision. Will it be New Japan or WWE? He’s got a great push in New Japan, but you know, it’s going to be his call.”
Dave Meltzer.
Meltzer also gave his two cents on the matter, believing that JONAH would be better off staying in New Japan.
“He would actually, probably do much better in New Japan Pro Wrestling than he will do in WWE, but there is a big difference in money. Or at least the potential money. You just don’t know what you want. ]
“They’re completely different lifestyles. It depends on [what he wants.] I know a lot of guys would choose WWE, and a lot of guys would choose New Japan. It’s the circumstances.”
New Japan or WWE?
With an offer on the table, JONAH will have to make a decision soon about where his future lies.
If JONAH’s long-term goal is to be a headline act, then his future should be with NJPW according to Meltzer.
“The one thing with New Japan is he’s going to get a really big push, we’ve already seen that. He’s going to be protected and he’s going to get over because he did get over at a high level. In WWE, on the main roster, you just don’t know. You just don’t know.”
If JONAH is wanting a more secure future and to earn more, then a WWE return makes more sense.
“Main roster WWE, even the bottom number is a quarter-million [dollars a year.] That’s bottom, and obviously top is millions if you make it to the top.”
Dave Meltzer.
Being Released
It’s unclear if JONAH holds any ill will to WWE given his release in August of last year.
Speaking about the release, Meltzer said that the decision specifically came from WWE’s head at the time.
“It was a big surprise. It was Vince McMahon who made the call.”
Dave Meltzer.
After JONAH’s release, it was reported that WWE did not see the Australian as the right fit for NXT 2.0.
The revamped NXT would launch in September 2021, a month after JONAH’s release.
Could Will Ospreay step through the Forbidden Door and compete against some of WWE’s biggest stars?
Ospreay is currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling and is in his first reign as IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion.
In June this year, Ospreay made his debut for AEW and defended his title against Orange Cassidy at the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door event.
Stepping Through the Forbidden Door
In addition to New Japan and AEW, Ospreay has competed for Progress Wrestling, Rev Pro, and Ring of Honor, among other promotions.
Ospreay has yet to compete in a WWE ring, but as he told Tokyo Sports, it is something he’s considering.
“I’ve been approached by them, so I have a lot to think about.”
Will Ospreay.
This year has seen WWE work more with other promotions, including having Impact’s Mickie James at the Women’s Royal Rumble match in January.
AEW stars were allowed to appear on Raw in June to mark the 20th anniversary of John Cena’s debut, and it is reported that the Good Brothers will compete for NJPW up until Wrestle Kingdom in January.
Opponents
If Ospreay does compete for WWE, there’s no shortage of potential Superstars for him to face.
In the interview, Ospreay discussed possible opponents, including a first-ever match and reuniting with an old foe.
“I’ve mentioned Seth Rollins’ name many times… Also, considering my history, it would be a dream to fight Ricochet again. I think that because I think we have become completely different wrestlers than when we fought in the past.”
Ricochet and Ospreay have faced off a total of 13 times according to Cagematch, which their most recent bout being in August 2017.
NJPW Never Openweight Champion Karl Anderson is officially off the card for Battle Autumn, the promotion has confirmed.
Anderson had previously been booked for the show on November 5, where he was scheduled to defend his title against Hikuleo.
In a statement on their website, New Japan confirmed that despite “extensive efforts,” the match is now off.
New Japan apologized for Anderson not being on the show, adding that they hold their champions “to the highest standard of professionalism.”
Instead of the pre-announced title match, Hikuleo will now face Yujiro Takahashi in a non-title match.
The Openweight Championship
Anderson returned to WWE earlier this month as the NJPW Never Openweight Champion, and the match with Hikuleo had already been booked and announced.
It was in a social media video that Anderson claimed he would not be at Battle Autumn and instead compete at WWE Crown Jewel (also November 5.)
In a response, NJPW said that Anderson will be stripped of the title if he does not compete at Battle Autumn, but the title’s future was not addressed in the recent statement.
More than Meets the Eye
The conflict between Anderson, New Japan and WWE has been going on for weeks now, but this isn’t how things are behind the scenes.
A report last week notes that there have always been plans for Anderson to wrestle for New Japan despite his WWE return.
Sources close to the situation said that “things are fine” between Anderson and the two promotions.
Kazuchika Okada has made his thoughts on Jay White abundantly clear ahead of their IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom 17.
At the January 4 event (the first time since 2019 Wrestle Kingdom will be a one-night show) the two will face off in a rematch from their Dominion 6.12 in Osaka-jo Hall collision.
At Dominion, White pinned Okada to win the title in a 36-minute main event to begin his first reign as World Heavyweight Champion.
Embarrassed
Okada earned his rematch against the New Zealand-born wrestler with a victory in the G1 Climax, becoming a four-time winner and a back-to-back winner.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Okada spoke about White and his attitude as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
“I find Jay White’s attitude embarrassing, to be honest. It’s a disgrace to have him representing New Japan Pro-Wrestling as our top champion, and that’s why I have to show just how great an Okada title match is at the Tokyo Dome—and to end that era of his.”
Kazuchika Okada.
Okada added that he will have his work cut out for him, as White has emerged victorious in four of their last five matches.
Forbidden Door
Okada’s most recent title opportunity against White came at the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door crossover event in June of this year.
That match also saw Adam Cole and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page involved but it was White who won the fatal four-way.
Speaking about his relationship with AEW, Okada had plenty of praise for Tony Khan’s first foray into wrestling.
“There are places where they win out over NJPW, and areas where New Japan is superior as well. I think both sides came away with something to learn and work on, and I’d love to have another event with those lessons learned.”
Okada also expressed his hope that the next Forbidden Door event will happen in his homeland.
“Last time was in the U.S., so let’s have it in Japan next time.”
Kazuchika Okada.
While Okada hopes for a Japan show, Tony Khan has ruled out any future Forbidden Door shows going outside North America.
