Tag: wrestling

News: 2025 PWI Tag Team 100 Announced (SPOILERS!)

The last of what is now a year-end awards trilogy from Pro Wrestling Illustrated came out today, as we go down from 500 (wrestlers) to 250 (women) and now 100 (tag teams). The second PWI Tag Team 100 list was revealed today and features both men’s and women’s teams. Naturally I’ve browsed the list already so below are the top ranked teams and how various Japan-based teams fared.

Because this is only in digital format and the print edition will not be out for another 3 weeks or so, those waiting for the latter should stop here to avoid SPOILERS! Otherwise, click below.

Continue reading “News: 2025 PWI Tag Team 100 Announced (SPOILERS!)”

New Japan 12/18/25 Results (Updated)

New Japan began the Road To TOKYO Dome Tour today, a quick weekend tour that marks the end of the promotion’s 2025 and start of the final farewell for Hiroshi Tanahashi.

Today’s event was held at G Messe Gunma in Gunma and can be watched on demand on New Japan World. Originally there was to be no live or on demand broadcast but thankfully plans changed. You can also watch the first 2 matches FOR FREE on YouTube.

The announced paid attendance was 1291, a legit sellout.

Match 1: Zane Jay, Ryusuke Taguchi & Tiger Mask beat Masatora Yasuda, Tomoaki Honma & Togo Makabe. TM 4 beat Yasuda with a chicken wing.

Match 2: Tatsuya Matsunoto, Boltin Oleg, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto beat Shoma Kato, Yoh, Master Wato & Toru Yano. Oleg pinned Kato.

Match 3: Yujiro Takahashi, Sho & DOUKI beat Katsuya Murashima, KUUKAI (Michinoku Pro) & El Desperado. DOUKI beat Murashima with Italian Stretch 32.

Match 4: Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SANADA, Ren Narita & EVIL beat Satoshi Kojima, Taichi, Yuya Uemura & Shota Umino. SANADA pinned Kojima.

Match 5: Gedo, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji beat Jacob Austin Young, Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan. Takagi pinned Young.

Match 6: Kosei Fujita, Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. beat Dakki Nagai, Taiji Ishimori, OSKAR (The Grouch) & Yuto Ice (Ice Baby). Jackson pinned Nagai after Death Valley Bomb.

Main Event: Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Hiromu Takahashi. Afterwards, Tanahashi gave his final sendoff to the Gunma fans including one more air guitar to send the crowd home happy (hopefully…and surely a little sad as it’s the last time they’ll see him competing).

The next event-also Tanahashi’s final event outside of Tokyo-is Sunday at Light Cube Utsunomiya in Tochigi. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at midnight PT/3 AM ET.

UPDATE: In other news…Based on official social media posts, a STRONG Tag Team Championship match between Los Hermanos Chavez & West Coast Wrecking Crew may be happening on 1/2 at Arena Mexico in Mexico City.

New Japan 12/18/25 Results

New Japan began the Road To TOKYO Dome Tour today, a quick weekend tour that marks the end of the promotion’s 2025 and start of the final farewell for Hiroshi Tanahashi.

Today’s event was held at G Messe Gunma in Gunma and can be watched on demand on New Japan World. Originally there was to be no live or on demand broadcast but thankfully plans changed. You can also watch the first 2 matches FOR FREE on YouTube.

The announced paid attendance was 1291, a legit sellout.

Match 1: Zane Jay, Ryusuke Taguchi & Tiger Mask beat Masatora Yasuda, Tomoaki Honma & Togo Makabe. TM 4 beat Yasuda with a chicken wing.

Match 2: Tatsuya Matsunoto, Boltin Oleg, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto beat Shoma Kato, Yoh, Master Wato & Toru Yano. Oleg pinned Kato.

Match 3: Yujiro Takahashi, Sho & DOUKI beat Katsuya Murashima, KUUKAI (Michinoku Pro) & El Desperado. DOUKI beat Murashima with Italian Stretch 32.

Match 4: Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SANADA, Ren Narita & EVIL beat Satoshi Kojima, Taichi, Yuya Uemura & Shota Umino. SANADA pinned Kojima.

Match 5: Gedo, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji beat Jacob Austin Young, Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan. Takagi pinned Young.

Match 6: Kosei Fujita, Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. beat Dakki Nagai, Taiji Ishimori, OSKAR (The Grouch) & Yuto Ice (Ice Baby). Jackson pinned Nagai after Death Valley Bomb.

Main Event: Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Hiromu Takahashi. Afterwards, Tanahashi gave his final sendoff to the Gunma fans including one more air guitar to send the crowd home happy (hopefully…and surely a little sad as it’s the last time they’ll see him competing).

The next event-also Tanahashi’s final event outside of Tokyo-is Sunday at Light Cube Utsunomiya in Tochigi. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at midnight PT/3 AM ET.

Stardom 12/18/25 Results (Updated)

Stardom held another Natsupoi & Saori Anou Produced event today, this one built around a first and last time match against the Sendai Girls duo of Chihiro Hashimoto & Yuu, just days before the latter retires.

Today’s event was held at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Tokyo and can be watched on demand as a PPV on Stardom World. You can also watch the first match FOR FREE on YouTube.

The paid attendance was not announced.

Match 1: Akira Kurogame & Yuria Hime beat Matoi Hamabe & Anne Kanaya. Kurogame pinned Hamabe with a half hatch suplex hold.

Match 2: Aika & YUNA beat Ema Maishima & Kikyo Furusawa. YUNA pinned Maishima after a missile kick.

Match 3: Maika & HANAKO beat Xena & Rian. HANAKO pinned Rian after JP Coaster.

Match 4: Mika Iwata beat Ranna Yagami.

Main Event: Chihiro Hashimoto & Yuu beat Natsupoi & Saori Anou. Hashimoto pinned Natsupoi.

The next event is Saturday at Tex Port Imabari in Ehime. There will be no live broadcast.

UPDATE: There will be last-minute changes to Saturday and Sunday because Koguma is now off both events. Fever.

Pro Wrestling NOAH 12/17/25 Results

Pro Wrestling NOAH continued the final week of the SUNNY VOYAGE 2025 Tour today in Kanagawa.

Today’s event was held at Hodogaya Public Hall in Kanagawa and will be available on demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE Friday. There was no live broadcast.

The announced paid attendance was 321.

Match 1: Ulka Sasaki & Hajime Ohara beat Hiroto Tsuruya & Midpri Takahashi. Ohara beat Takahashi with a Boston crab.

Match 2: Tetsuya Endo & HAYATA beat Shuhei Taniguchi & Black Menso-re. HAYATA beat Menso-re with an armbar.

Match 3: Masa Kitamiya, Takashi Sugiura, Tadasuke & Jun Masaoka (Independent/Freelancer) beat Kazuyuki Fujita, Mohammed Yone, Daiki Odashima & Yuto Koyanagi. Kitamiya pinned Koyanagi after Saito Suplex.

Match 4: AMAKUSA beat Hi69.

Match 5: Kaito Kiyomiya, Harutoki, Alejandro & Kai Fujimura beat Naomichi Marufuji, Kenih, Atsushi Kotoge & Junta Miyawaki. Kiyomiya pinned Miyawaki after a slywalk elbow.

Main Event: Yoshiki Inamura, Will Kroos & Daga beat Manabu Soya, Saxon Huxley & Shuji Kondo. Inamura pinned Kondo after DIS Charge.

The next event is Saturday at 176BOX in Osaka. There will be no live broadcast. On demand at 10 PM PT/1 AM ET.

DEVELOPING: Tokyo Sports Award Winners Announced

Tokyo Sports has announced their annual Pro Wrestling Award winners for 2025 on social media. Here are the winners:
MVP (top prize): Saya Kamitani, Stardom (First time ever a woman has won)
Match Of The Year: Kaito Kiyomiya vs. OZAWA, Pro Wrestling NOAH, 1/1/2025
Best Tag Team: OSKAR (The Grouch) & Yuto Ice (Ice Baby), New Japan
Special Achievement Award: Konosuke Takeshita, New Japan/DDT/All Elite Wrestling
Fighting Spirit Award: Sareee, Independent/Freelancer
Technique Prize: Hiroshi Tanahashi, New Japan
Women’s Grand Prize: Kamitani
Rookie Of The Year: Kaisei Takechi, DDT

Quick thoughts on the MVP: In my eyes there were only two real right choices-Kamitani and Takeshita. Either was a right choice but they nicely chose to recognize 2025 as the year of our PHENEX QUEEN in Stardom, and she undoubtedly was the top Japanese women’s wrestler in Japan (not counting the obvious ones that are on WWE or AEW full-time), but you can’t overlook everything Takeshita has accomplished between Japan and the US, that said his not being in Japan as much could have shifted the balance towards Kamitani but that Special Achievement for Takeshita is well-deserved. Rookie is a toss-up, Takechi no doubt was the most popular and with the biggest impact on DDT but one can only wonder what could have been had we not lost All-Japan rookie Taishin Nagao.

Dragon Gate 12/16/25 Results

Dragon Gate continued the Fantastic Gate 2025 Tour today with their final Tokyo event of the year.

Today’s event was held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched on demand on DRAGONGATE NETWORK. You can also watch the first match FOR FREE on YouTube

The paid attendance has not yet been announced. (UPDATE: The announced paid attendance was 1190)

Pre-show match: Ho Ho Lun, Punch Tomonaga & El Cucuy beat Shachihoko BOY, Takashi & Problem Dragon. Cucuy pinned Dragon after Cucuy Buster.

Match 1: Ryu Fuda & Kazuma Kimura beat Ryoya Tanaka & Daiki Yanagiuchi. Fuda pinned Yanagiuchi after Hiryu.

Match 2: Open The Owarao Gate Champion Jiro Shinbashi beat Ultimo Dragon by DQ. But based on audience support, Dragon wins the title. Dragon becomes the 37th Open The Owarai Gate Champion. But the title is now VACANT. Dragon vacated it immediately.

Match 3: Susunu Yokosuka & Yasushi Kanda beat Don Fujii & Ryo Saito, Genki Horiguchi & Kenichiro Arai and Masaaki Mochizuki & Don Fujii in a 4-way when Yokosuka pinned Horiguchi.

Match 4: Kota Minoura, Jason Lee, KAI, ISHIN & Yoshiki Kato beat YAMATO, KAGETORA, Dragon Kid, BxB Hulk & Naruki Doi (Independent/Freelancer). ISHIN pinned KAGETORA.

Match 5: Open The Triangle Gate Championship Tournament: Strong Machine J, Kzy & U-T vs. Hyo, Ben-K & Mochizuki Junior went to a 20 minute time limit draw.

Match 6: Shun Skywalker & El Cielo beat Yuki Yoshioka & Dragon Dia. Cirlo pinned Dia after Cielo Genesis.

Match 7: Open The Twin Gate Champions JACKY KAMEI & Riiita beat Luis Mante & Demus to retain the titles. Riiita pinned Demus after Riiitanic. V1 for the champs.

Main Event: Open The Dream Gate Champion Madoka Kikuta beat Gianni Valletta to retain the title. V3 for Kikuta. Given how unstoppable Valletta has been in Dragon Gate, I count this as an upset.

The next event is tomorrow at Lasukabe Fureai Cube in Saitama. There will be no live or on demand broadcast. (After tomorrow 3 of the remaining 4 events this year will be live & on demand)

TJPW News: Full 12/21 Card Decided

During a live stream last night, Tokyo Joshi Pro held a random draw to determine the 7 single matches for Sunday’s pre-Christmas event. The drawing was conducted by WRESTLE UNIVERSE semi-regular special guest and former SKE48 member Marika Tani and can be watched FOR FREE on YouTube. Here are the matches that were drawn, all will have a 7 minute time limit:
Mahiro Kiryu vs. Shino Suzuki
Mifu Ashida vs. Shoko Makajima
Hyper Misao vs. Ren Konatsu
Mizuki vs. Rika Tatsumi
Kira Summer vs. Raku
Arisu Endo vs. Pom Harajuku
Uta Takami vs. Chika Naase
Miyu Yamashita vs. Yuki Arai
Kaya Toribami vs. Toga

Rounding out the card, as previously announced, is Miu Watanabe, Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara vs. Yuki Aino, Suzume & Haru Kazaahiro. No HIMAWARI at the event (scheduling conflicts).

New Japan News: Final Tokyo Dome Card Announced, More (Updated)

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.

Pro Wrestling NOAH 12/14/25 Results

Pro Wrestling NOAH began the final week of the SUNNY VOYAGE 2025 Tour today in Toyama.

Today’s event was held at Volfert Toyama in Toyama and should be available on demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE at a later date. There was no live broadcast.

The announced paid attendance was 235.

Match 1: Tetsuya Endo beat Midori Takahashi.

Match 2; AMAKUSA & Junta Miyawaki beat Atsushi Kotoge & Hi69. AMAKUSA pinned Kotoge.

Match 3: Naomichi Marufuji, Kenoh & Eita beat Daga, Daiki Odashima & Black Menso-re. Eita pinned Menso-re after Diablo Wings.

Match 4: Ulka Sasaki, HAYATA & Hiroto Tsuruya beat Mohammed Yone, Hasjime Ohara & Yuto Koyanagi. Sasaki beat Koyanagi with an armbar.

Match 5: Yoshiki Inamura & Will Kroos beat Manabu Soya & axon Huxley. Kroos pinned Huxley after Kroos Control.

Main Event: Masa Kitamiya, Takashi Sugiura, Tadasuke & Jun Masaoka (Independent/Freelancer) beat Kaito Kiyomiya, Harutoki, Alejandro & Kai Fujimura. Kitamiya beat Harutoki with Stranglehold y.

The next event is Wednesday at Hodogaya Public Hall in Kanagawa. There will be no live broadcast. On demand Friday.