New Japan wrapped up the BURNING SPIRIT Tour with a major event today headlined by multiple title matches, with the feature being an IWGP US Heavyweight Championship match following a heated press conference yesterday that saw chairs being thrown.
Today’s event was held at Kobe World Hall in Kobe and can be watched on demand on New Japan World in Japanese and English. This event aired as part of WORLD PRO WRESTLING LIVE 2022 on TV Asahi. All the matches are available to watch individually on New Japan World rather than the usual uninterrupted broadcast.
The announced paid attendance was 3150.
Match 1: BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi & Shingo Takagi beat Hikuleo, KENTA & El Phantasmo. Takagi beat Phantasmo with a ground cobra twist.
Match 2: Toru Yano vs. Doc Gallows went to a double countout.
Match 3: Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb beat Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale. Khan pinned Owens after Imperial Drop.
Match 4: Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. beat SANADA & Tetsuya Naito. Taichi beat SANADA with Taichi Gedo Clutch.
Match 5: Bad Dude Tito, Shane Haste & Jonah beat Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe & Kazuchika Okada. Jonah pinned Honma after Torpedo.
Match 6: Taiji Ishimori & Jay White beat Jado & Tama Tonga. Ishimori beat Jado with Bone Lock. Jado was a replacement for the absent KUSHIDA (hand, foot & mouth disease).
Match 7: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Francesco Akira & TJP beat Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi to retain the titles. Akira pinned Taguchi after The Leaning Tower. V1 for the champs.
Match 8: NEVER Openweight Champion Karl Anderson beat Hiroshi Tanahashi to retain the title. V1 for Anderson. Afterwards, Bullet Club beat down Tanahashi and Toru Yano, who tried to make the save. This brought out Tama Tonga and the trap was triggered…until Hikuleo defected from Bullet Club to align with his brothers Tonga and Tanga Loa in G.o.D. This may represent a NEVER title challenge from Hikuleo as well.
Main Event: IWGP US Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay beat David Finlay to retain the title.V2 for Ospreay. Next up: Naito…or Sabre…who knows?
The next event is ROYAL QUEST 2 Saturday and next Sunday in London, England. Both events will be available ON DEMAND ONLY on New Japan World. So far the only match announced for Saturday is IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions FTR vs. Aussie Open for the titles (but not for the STRONG Tag Team Championship held by Aussie Open), and the only match announced for Sunday is Alpha Female vs. Ava White as part of the IWGP Women’s Championship Tournament.
