New Japan today announced the final card for Tokyo Dome on 1/4…the main event of a light card with only 7 matches will be Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada in Tanahashi’s retirement match. That means the semifinal as Match 6 will be the double title match between IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita & IWGP Global Champion Yota Tsuji. Match 5 is the Aaron Wolf Debut Match of NEVER Openweight Champion RVIL vs. Aaron Wolf for the title. Match 4 will be El Desperado vs. Kosei Fujita, Taiji Ishinori & Sho for the next IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship shot against DOUKI, meaning for the first time in a few years Desperado is not leaving Tokyo Dome as champion. Match 3 is Shingo Takagi, David Finlay, Gabriel Kidd, Drilla Moloney & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman, HENARE, TBA & TBA. Match 2 is IWGP Women’s Champion Syuri vs. STRONG Openweight Champion Saya Kamitani for the titles. This also confirms Kamitani’s title defense in Stardom on 13/29 is only for the World Of Stardom Championship. Finally the opening match is a Tonado Battle Royal for the NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Championship. Participating teams besides champions Master Wato, Toru Yano & Yoh are TBA but one participant is confirmed-DDT wrestler Kaisei Takechi as “The Rampage” will male his New Japan debut.
Not happening at the Dome-an IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match. World Tag League winners Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. appeared at today’s traditional post-tournament presser and announced they will not take the title shot at Tokyo Dome in deference to Tanahashi. That match will happen at New Year Dash!! on 1/5 at Ota City General Gym instead.
In other news which raises the possibility of a last-second Dome addition, NJPW WORLD TV Champion El Phantasmo vs. TBA for the title is set for 12/19 at G Messe Gunma in Gunma. Another open challenge with perhaps a 1:4 title match hinted at if Phantasmo remains champion. Although there will be no live or on demand broadcast of the 12/15 event, the title match will be made available on demand FOR FREE on YouTube at some point after the event.
UPDATE: The promotion has changed course on broadcast plans for the next 2 events-originally to be non-televised at all, they will now be available LIVE and on demand on New Japan World. Additionally, the 12/22 Korakuen Hall event will now be available to everyone FOR FREE!
Correction: The original post incorrectly stated 12/14 as the next NKPW WORLD TV Championship match. It is 12/19.