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New Japan News: Post-Tokyo Dome Press Conference News (Updated)

New Japan held their traditional post-major event press conference today for Tokyo Dome, a lot of news coming out of it:

NEW IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito appeared and was asked if his views on the title have changed now that he won it. So far, to put it simply, not really. He hasn’t work it yet and it hasn’t settled in. His first defense is set too: SANADA rematch. That will happen on 2/24 at Hikkaido Prefectural Sports Center Hokkai Kitayell in Hokkaido as part of THE NEW BEGINNING IN SAPPORO.

On 2/23 at the first half in Hokkaido, inaugural IWGP Global Champion David Finlay will make his first defense against Nic Nemeth, the former Dolph Ziggler in WWE. Nic & his younger brother Ryan (currently in All Elite Wrestling) watched the title match at Tokyo Dome from commentary and had a confrontation with Finlay after the match. That same day, NJPW WORLD TV Champion Biroshi Tanahashi will defend against fellow ex-WWE wrestler Matt Riddle.

On 2/11 at THE NEW BEGINNING IN OSAKA, AEW’s Bryan Danielson will face Zack Sabre Jr. and the main event will be Will Ospreay’s final New Japan match: United Empire vs. Bullet Club in a 10-man Steel Cage match. 2 title matches are also set for Osaka: Hikuleo & El Phantasmo vs. Chase Owens & KENTA for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (but apparently not the STRONG Tag Team Championship), and NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Champions Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada vs. Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls for the titles.

In addition to faction warfare, Korakuen Hall events later this month also have title matches: 1/23 will see NEW IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion El Desperado vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru for the title.

Finally, on 1/20 at THE NEW BEGINNING IN NAGOYA it will be NEVER Openweight Champion Tama Tonga vs. EVIL for the title and KOPW 2024 Champion Taiji Ishimori vs. Great-O-Khan for the title.

All events will stream live in Japanese and English on New Japan World.

UPDATE: On the socials after the presser concluded, STRONG Tag Team Champions El Phantasmo & Hikuleo vs. Clark Connors & Alex Coughlin for the titles was announced for Saturday’s Battle In The Valley event. Like the above match, it’s not for both titles they hold.

Also, it appears Young Lions Oskar Leube & Yuto Nakashima may have chosen England for their training excursion. A social media post from Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) has announced their debut in the promotion at their 2/4 event in London. They are being billed as “Young Blood” in a promo graphic for the match. RevPro has their own subscription streaming service so the match should be available there on demand soon after the event.

TJPW News: Juria Nagano Leaving Promotion, Wrestling

At a press conference in Tokyo today, Juria Nagano announced she is leaving Tokyo Joshi Pro and quitting wrestling this spring. Nagano has always been a part-time wrestler due to her other work as an actress and nurse, and is quitting to focus more on acting/entertainment but also due to personal reasons. It’s essentially retiring without saying retiring as she says she will be done with wrestling, hence TJPW calling it “graduating”.

She will work the following events before leaving: 1/20 (Club eX in Shinagawa Prince Hotel, Tokyo), 1/27 (Korakuen Hall), 2/10 (Korakuen), 3/31 (Ryogoku Kokugikan) and finish up on 4/13 (Kitazawa Town Hall, Tokyo).

Stardom 1/8/24 Results

Stardom continued the New Years Stars 2024 Tour today with a house show in Anjo (Kazuchika Okada’s hometown).

Today’s event was held at Anjo City Gym in Aichi and will be available on demand on Stardom World at a later date.

The announced paid attendance was 274.

Match 1: Yuzuki & Saya Kamitani beat Ranna Yagami & Saya Iida. Kamitani pinned Yagami.

Match 2; HANAKO & Maika beat Sayaka Kurara & Mina Shirakawa. Maika pinned Kurara after Yamachika.

Match 3: Mei Seira & Suzu Suzuki beat Ami Sohrei & Lady C. Suzuki pinned C after Tequila Shot.

Match 4; AZM & Utami Hayashishita beat Mai Sakurai & Giulia. Hayashishita pinned Sakurai with a German suplex hold.

Match 5: Saori Anou, Meghan Bayne & Yuna Mizumori beat Saki Kashima, MIRAI & Syuri. Anou pinned Kashima.

Main Event: Hazuki, Hanan & Mayu Iwatani beat Starlight Kid, Sumire Natsu & Natsuko Tora. Hanan pinned Natsu with a backdrop hold.

Tam Nakano appeared between matches 4 & 5 to greet the fans in attendance. Nakano is currently out due to injury.

The next event is Saturday at Osaka Prefectural Gym 2 in Osaka, the first half of a weekend doubleheader. It will be available on demand on Stardom World at a later date.

Dragon Gate 1/8/24 Results

Dragon Gate continues the New Year’s Gate 2024 Tour today with a non-televised house show.

Today’s event was held at Yamanori City Gym in Mie. There is/was no live or on demand broadcast.

The announced paid attendance was 272.

Match 1: Kzy, BIGBOSS Shimizu & Jason Lee beat Kota Minoura, Ben-K & BxB Hulk. Kzy pinned Hulk with Skayde Schoolboy.

Match 2: JACKY “FUNKY” KAMEI beat Kaito Nagano.

Match 3: Ultimo Dragon, Madoka Kikuta & Dragon Dia beat Genki Horiguchi, Susumu Mochizuki & Yasushi Kanda. Kikuta pinned Horiguchi after a tolling lariat.

Match 4: Hyo & Luis Mante beat U-T & Strong Machine J. Hyo pinned U-T after Samson Driver.

Main Event: YAMATO, Dragon Kid. Don Fujii & Punch Tomonaga beat Shun Slywalker, KAI, ISHIN & Yoshiki Kato. YAMATO pinned ISHIN after Omnipotent & Omniscient Frankensteiner.

The next event is Wednesday at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo for the first half of a doubleheader, featuring a Masaaki Mochizuki 30th Anniversary Match as Mochizuki faces former Dragon Gate star Shingo Takagi (now with New Japan). Live streaming on DRAGONGATE NETWORK will begin at 1:30 AM PT/4:30 AM ET.

Dragon Gate 1/7/24 Results

Dragon Gate continued the New Year Gate 2024 Tour today with their first Osaka event of the year.

Today’s event was held at Osaka Prefectural Gym 2 in Osaka and can be watched on demand on DRAGONGATE NETWORK.

The announced paid attendance was 879, a super full house/very near sellout.

Match 1: U-T, Jason Lee & JACKY “FUNKY” KAMEI” beat Madoka Kikuta, Dragon Dia & Ryoya Tanaka. KAMEI pinned Tanaka after JFK.

Match 2: KAI & Yoshiki Kato beat Kota Minoura & Ben-K. KAI pinned Ben-K with Gannosuke Clutch.

Match 3: Yasushi Kanda vs. Strong Machine J went to a double countout.

Match 4: Ultimo Dragon, Dragon Kid, Don Fujii & Naruki Doi (Independent/Freelancer) beat YAMATO, Takashi Yoshida, Problem Dragon & Eita. Doi pinned Dragon after Bakatare Sliding Kick.

Match 5: Masaaki Mochizuki & Susumu Mochizuki beat Kzy & BIGBOSS Shimizu. Susumu Mochizuki pinned Kzy after Jumbo Wins!

Main Event: Luis Mante & Hyo beat Shun Skywalker & ISHIN. Mante pinned ISHIN after Spertigre.

The next event is tomorrow at Yamamori Gym in Mie. There will be no live or on demand broadcast.

Sayaka Unagi Produced Event 1/7/24 Results

Sayaka Unagi, currently working as a freelancer although based in Stardom, held her own independent event today which was supported/co-produced by All-Japan.

Today’s event was held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. It’s not known if there will be any on demand video anywhere, apparently there was no live broadcast.

The announced paid attendance was 1230, a legit sellout.

Match 1: Takumi Iroha beat Sayaka Unagi.

Match 2; Takanori Ito & Issei Onitsuka beat Minoru Fujita & Takayuki Ueki. Onitsuka pinned Fujita after a spear.

Match 3: Haruka Umesaki & Nanami beat Itsuki Aoki & Aoi. Umesaki pinned Aoi after a swivel diving body press.

Match 4: All-Japan 6-Man Tag Team Champions Suwama, Mayumi Ozaki & Maya Yukihi beat Dark Eel, Dark Tiger & Dark Wolf to retain the titles. Suwama beat Eel with a torso sleeper hold. V1 for the champs.

Match 5: In a Deadly Weapons Match, Risa Sera, Natsumi Mochi & Akane Fujita beat SAKI, Kurumi Hiragi & Yuko Sakurai. Sera pinned Sakurai after Ayers Rock.

Match 6: Dick Togo & Jun Kasai beat Kuroshio TOKYO Japan & Fuminori Abe. Kasai pinned Abe.

Main Event: Minoru Suzuki & Masato Tanaka beat Sayaka Unagi & Konami. Suzuki pinned Unagi after a Gotch-style piledriver.

Stardom 1/7/24 Results

Stardom continued their year-opening tour today with an event in Nagoya featuring a 1-day tag team tournament.

Today’s event was held at Nagoya Congress Center in Nagoya and will be available on demand on Stardom World at a later date.

The announced paid attendance was 511.

Match 1: Mina Shirakawa beat Yuna Mizumori & Starlight Kid in a 3-way by pinning Mizumori.

Match 2; Saki Kashima & Ami Sohrei beat Hazuki & Saya Iida. Kashima pinned Iida after Magnificent Blue Thunder.

Match 3: Ranna Yamagi, Yuuzki & HANAKO beat Sayaka Kurara, Lady C & AZM. HANAKO pinned Kurara after a brainbuster.

New Year Tag Team Tournament:
Match 4: Hanan & Mayu Iwatani beat Momo Watanabe & Starlight Kid by forfeit. No Watanabe (coronavirus).
Match 5: Mai Sakurai & Giulia vs. Mei Seira & Suzu Suzuki went to a 10 minute time limit draw. Both eliminated.
Match 6: Meghan Bayne & Maika vs. MIRAI & Syuri went to a 10 minute time limit draw. Both eliminated.
Match 7: Saya Kamitani & Utami Hayashishita beat Sumire Natsu & Natsuko Tora. Hayashishita pinned Natsu with a German suplex hold.
Because of prior eliminations due to draws, there were no Semifinals and both winning teams get free passes to the Finals.
Main Event: Finals: Saya Kamitani & Utami Hayashishita beat Hanan & Mayu Iwatani to win the tournament. Kamitani pinned Hanan after Phoenix Strike. As a result, Kamitani & Hayashishita may get a Goddesses Of Stardom Championship match, possibly next weekend in Osaka.

The next event is tomorrow at Anjo City Gym in AIchi. It will be available on demand on Stardom World at a later date.

DDT 1/7/24 Results

DDT ran the second half of their first Osaka doubleheader of the year today.

Today’s event was held at 176BOX in Osaka and should be available on demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE Wednesday. There was no live broadcast.

The announced paid attendance was 208.

There were last-minute changes because of the latest of countless injury absences in the promotion, this time it was Toi Kojima. Right side injury suffered yesterday. Status uncertain. Mizuki Watase was the replacement.

Match 1: Makoto Oishi beat Yuni.

Match 2: Kazuki Hirata beat Danshoku Dieno.

Match 3: Yoshitatsu beat Takeshi Masada

Match 4: Jun Akiyama, Toru Owashi & Yukio Sakaguchi beat Mizuki Watase, Yusuke Okada & Illusion. Sakaguchi pinned Illusion after God’s Right Knee.

Match 5: Hideki Okatani beat Akito.

Match 6: Sanshiro Takagi & Rukiya beat HARASHIMA & Kazuma Sumi. Rukiya pinned Sumi after Proto Bomb.

Match 7: Danshoku Dieno & Yuki Iino beat Daisuke Sadaki & KANON. Iino pinned KANON after a spear.

Main Event: Yukio Naya & Kazusada Higuchi beat Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata. Naya pinned Katsumata after The World’s Largest Backdrop.

The next event is 1/14 at Tsurumi Fruit & Vegetable Market in Kanagawa with an All-Asia Tag Team Championship Exploding Blast Death Match scheduled, but it may depend on Kojima’s condition as he is scheduled to be a challenger with Atsushi Onita. There will be no live broadcast.

Injury Report: Kota Ibushi Update

Pro Wrestling NOAH has provided an update on Kota Ibushi, who was hospitalized after Monday’s Ariake Arena event and said beforehand he injured both ankles during the match: A diagnosis of his right leg has been completed. Right ankle joint ligament injury (complex injury to lateral ligament group according to translation) and ruptured right tibia ligament. A separate examination for the left leg is planned. Remains out indefinitely and no timetable is expected until the other diagnosis is completed.

More as it becomes available.

Stardom 1/6/24 Results

Stardom continued their 2024 opening series today with an event in Tokyo. A very depleted Stardom, that is, more on that in a moment.

Today’s event was held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and will be available on demand on Stardom World at a later date.

The announced paid attendance was 800.

The promotion announced, both ahead of time and last-minute, that FIVE wrestlers were out of today’s tournament for various reasons: Miyu Amasaki, Thekla, Hina, Mai Sakurai and Momo Watanabe. The reasons: Amasaki-flu. Thekla-neck injury. Hina-collarbone injury. Sakurai-starnum injury. Watanabe-coronavirus. Amasaki is also off Monday. The others are out indefinitely.

Match 1; Ranna Yagami & Yuzuki beat Sayaka Kurara & HANAKO. Yuzuki pinned Kurara after Rolling Arrow.

Match 2: Saori Anou & Maika vs. Giulia & Mayu Iwatani went to a 20 minute time limit draw.

Match 3: Starlight Kid won a 12 woman battle royal, last eliminating Hanan. As a result, Kid gets a Wonder Of Stardom Championship match in the future.

Main Event: Saya Kamitani won a 10 woman battle royal (it was to have been 11 but with no Momo Watanabe it was only 10), last eliminating Mina Shirakawa. As a result, Kamitani gets a World Of Stardom Championship match in the future, which may be on 2/4 in Osaka.

The next event is tomorrow at Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall in Nagoya. It is now underway as of this post time and will be available on demand on Stardom World at a later date.

The promotion also announced Tam Nakano, who is out due to injury, will be visiting at Monday’s event.