New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest annual event, Wrestle Kingdom 18, emanates live from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, on January 4th, 2024.
Featured below are results from the massive event.
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 Results (1/4/2024)
Pre-Show Match:
* King of Pro Wrestling 2024 New Japan Ranbo: Taiji Ishimori, Toru Yano, YOH, & Great O-Khan were the final four to advance and challenge for the KOPW 2024 title at New Year Dash!
Main Card:
* IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match: Catch 2/2 (TJP & Francesco Akira) defeated Bullet Club War Dogs (Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors) (c) to become new champions
TJP & Akira from Catch 2/2 hit their tandem knee strike on Moloney, TJP pins Moloney.
* NJPW World TV Championship Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Zack Sabre Jr (c) to become new champion
After back-and-forth roll-ups, Tanahashi secured the final roll-up for pinfall. Sabre Jr hands the title to Tanahashi in an excellent show of respect.
* Yuya Uemura defeated Yota Tsuji
Uemura hit Tsuji with a deadbolt suplex to pick up the pinfall win.
* House of Torture (EVIL & Ren Narita) defeated Kaito Kiyomiya & Shota Umino
Narita used a push-up bar as a weapon on Umino, behind the ref’s back, to pick up the pinfall and win for his team.
NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Tama Tonga defeated Shingo Takagi (c) to become new champion
After multiple gun stuns failed to put Takagi away, Tama hits the DST to pick up the pinfall on Takagi.
* Nic Nemeth (fka Dolph Ziggler in WWE) and his brother Ryan Nemeth came through the crowd and sat at ringside in between matches.
IWGP Tag Team Championship & Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship Match: Guerrillas of Destiny (Hikuleo and El Phantasmo) (c) defeated Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) (c) to become dual champions
Hikuleo hits a splash from the top turnbuckle onto Goto to win the match.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match: El Desperado defeated Hiromu Takahashi (c) to become new champion
El Desperado needed multiple Pinche Loco moves to keep down and pin Takahashi.
IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship Match: David Finlay defeated Will Ospreay & Jon Moxley to become the first-ever champion
Finlay landed Oblivion, a curb stomp, and his finisher to pin Ospreay and win the match.
*After the match, Finlay approached Nic Nameth at ringside. After exchanging some words, Finlay pushed Nameth. The two started punching each other, and security had to get in between them to break them apart.
* Kazuchika Okada defeated Bryan Danielson
Okada hit Danielson with his Rainmaker to pick up the pinfall win. After the match, the two wrestlers knelt down in the ring and shook hands acknowledging each other.
* IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match: Tetsuya Naito defeated SANADA (c) to become new champion
Naito connected with a brainbuster and then a Destino to pick up the win.
After the match, Natio went to address the crowd, but EVIL and Dick Togo attacked him. SANADA returned to the ring to make the save for Naito, who then took the microphone and addressed the fans.
