NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 Review – January 4, 2024
Location: Tokyo Japan
Venue: Tokyo Dome
KOPW 2024 Title Qualifying 20 Man New Japan Rambo
NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion Tomohiro Ishii vs. Great O Khan vs. Taiji Ishimori vs. Toru Yano vs. Yoh vs. Gabriel Kidd vs. Alex Coughlin vs. Jeff Cobb vs. Henare vs. Shane Haste vs. Mikey Nicholls vs. Master Wato vs. Fujita Jr Hayato vs. Douki vs. Sho vs. Yujiro Takahashi vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Takashi Iizuka vs. Taichi vs. Chase Owens (Pre Show)
#1 Chase Owens & #2 Great O Khan starts this match then Gabe Kidd is #3 & Alex Coughlin is #4. Jeff Cobb was #5 and he tossed everyone around. Henare is No. 6.
Both Kidd & Coughlin were tossed then Tomohiro Ishii is #7 then Mikey Nicholls is #8 follow by Shane Haste is #9 follow by Yujiro Takahashi is #10 as Cobb was tossed.
Henare was tossed as Master Wato is #11 and he kicks at Owens as Yoshinobu Kanemaru is #12 then Yoh is #13 then Sho is #14 and he immediately brawled with Yoh.
Fujita Jr Hayato is #15 then Taiji Ishimori is #16 as Haste & Nicholls were tossed.
Ishii was tossed as Douki is #17 & Douki & Hayato locked up along the ropes and were both tossed. Toru Yano is #18 but he was hesitant to get into the ring.
Takashi Iizuka is #19 and he beats up Yano on the entrance ramp and he fought with the House Of Torture in the ring & Taichi is #20 as Takahashi was pinned then Iizuka shook Taichi’s hand but then bites him on the forehead.
They were both tossed and we are down to 5 people for 4 slots: Yano, Ishimori, O Khan, Chase Owens & Yoh as everyone tried to work over O Khan but O Khan tossed Owens to the floor for the win.
Winners & Gets Into The KOPW 2024 Title Match At New Year Dash: Great O Khan, Taiji Ishimori, Toru Yano & Yoh (32:40)
Rate: 6
Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles Match
Bullet Club War Dogs (Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors) (c) vs. 2023 Super Junior Tag League Winners Catch 22 (Francesco Akira & TJP)
TJP was chained to the guardrail early on but he got free and hits a double stomp on Drilla Moloney as he was tied in the tree of woe then Francesco Akira hits a top rope Spanish Fly follow by Catch 22 hitting 2/2 for the win.
Winners & New Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions: Catch 22 (9:38) (NEW CHAMPIONS!!!!)
Rate: 7
Television Title Match
Zack Sabre Jr (c) vs. NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi hits Ace’s High then went for High Fly Flow but Zack Sabre Jr got his knees up & rolls up Tanahashi and got a near fall.
Tanahashi applied a Texas Cloverleaf then they traded mat holds then ZSJ locks in an Octopus stretch.
They traded more roll ups before Tanahashi got a roll up of his own for the win.
Winner & New Television Champion: NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi (8:53) (NEW CHAMPION!!!!)
Rate: 7
Yuya Uemura vs. Yota Tsuji
Yota Tsuji hits an electric chair drop for a near fall then Yuya Uemura hits some dropkicks then a high back suplex.
Uemura came off the top rope but Tsuji caught him with a superkick and got a near fall.
Tsuji hits a Curb Stomp before Uemura hits a German suplex and a uranage follow by Deadbolt Suplex for the win.
Winner: Yuya Uemura (10:57)
Rate: 7
Tag Team Match
House Of Torture (Ren Narita & Evil) vs. Shota Umino & Kaito Kiyomiya
Both teams started fighting before the bell then Kaito Kiyomiya & Shota Umino locks in submission holds early on and the bell rang but it was just Yujiro Takahashi ringing it.
Dick Togo hits a knife edge chop to Kiyomiya’s groin for a near fall then Evil chokes Umino with a shirt and hits Everything Is Evil on Kiyomiya.
Ren Narita hits Umino in the head with a push up bar to get the win for House Of Torture.
Winners: House Of Torture (7:06)
Rate: 5
NEVER Openweight Title Match
Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Tama Tonga
Shingo Takagi & Tama Tonga traded punches and exploder suplexes early on before Takagi hits a flip dive to the floor then in the ring Takagi hits a top rope superplex and they were both down. Tonga hits Tongan Twist then Supreme Flow for a near fall.
Takagi hits a standing powerbomb with a jackknife for a near fall then a Pumping Bomber before Tonga hits Gun Stun out of nowhere and they were both down.
Tonga hits a brainbuster but Takagi pops up at 1 so Tonga hits a clothesline then Takagi hits a hurricanrana then hits Gun Stun then Made In Japan for a near fall.
Tonga hits Styles Clash then hits another Gun Stun for a near fall then drills Takagi to the mat with DSD for the win.
Winner & New NEVER Openweight Champion: Tama Tonga (13:46) (NEW CHAMPION!!!!)
Rate: 7
Winner Takes All Match
Guerrillas Of Density (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo) (Strong Openweight) vs. Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & Yoshi Hashi) (IWGP)
El Phantasmo & Yoshi Hashi starts this match before Hikuleo hits a double suplex then ELP hits a Frankensteiner sending Hirooki Goto flying onto Yoshi Hashi then Hikuleo hits a double clothesline.
Bishamon hits Shoto on ELP then a cover but Hikuleo made the save. ELP hit a moonsault to the floor on Yoshi-Hashi.
In the ring Hikuleo hits Godsend and ELP hits springboard Thunder Kiss 86 on Goto for a near fall then ELP hits CRIII then Hikuleo hits Thunder Struck 91 for the win.
Winners & Still Strong Openweight & New IWGP Tag Team Champions: Guerrillas Of Density (9:47) (STILL & NEW CHAMPIONS!!!!)
Rate: 7
Junior Heavyweight Title Match
Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. El Desperado
El Desperado dove through the ropes and barreled onto Hiromu Takahashi to start the match. Takahashi hits a shotgun dropkick off the apron to the floor.
In the ring Takahashi hits a Falcon Arrow for a near fall then a Death Valley Driver into the corner. Desperado locks in Numeros Dos but Takahashi quickly reached the ropes.
Desperado works over the legs but he couldn’t hit Pinche Loco before again locking in Numero Dos. Desperado hit a series of forearm strikes.
Takahashi hits some superkicks then Desperado hits an Angle Slam then Pinche Loco for a near fall before Desperado hits Jay Driller then another Pinche Loco for the win.
Winner & New Junior Heavyweight Champion: El Desperado (14:21) (NEW CHAMPION!!!!)
Rate: 8 (Recommend)
Global Title Triple Threat Match
Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley vs. David Finlay
Jon Moxley & Will Ospreay attacks David Finlay then they brawled to the floor before Moxley hits a snap suplex then Ospreay & Moxley slams Finlay through a table at ringside and they got in the ring and traded forearm strikes.
They traded back suplexes before Moxley hits a series of punches in the corner and he applied a cross armbreaker but Ospreay powerbombed him into the corner to escape.
Finlay hops up and shoves Moxley head first into the ring post then Ospreay hits a heel hook kick to Finlay’s face then in the ring Finlay hits some crossface blows on Moxley.
Ospreay hits a handspring back double Pele on both opponents then Moxley hits a dive through the ropes. Ospreay hits a top rope moonsault to the floor onto both men.
Ospreay went for a springboard move but Moxley caught him with a forearm strike then Death Rider for a near fall then Moxley hits a piledriver on Finlay onto Ospreay’s chest.
Finlay slams Moxley across the top of an open chair then he slams Ospreay onto Moxley to get a near fall before Ospreay hits a Stundog Millionaire on Finlay.
Moxley hits Death Rider on Ospreay as Finlay tried to steal a win on Moxley but only got a near fall then hits Oblivion on Moxley.
Ospreay hits Hidden Blade and all 3 were down then they got up and Finlay hits forearm strikes on Ospreay & Moxley so they beat up on him then Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd hits the ring and attacks Moxley & Ospreay.
Ospreay hits a top rope stunner on Coughlin then hits a top rope Swanton Bomb onto the Bullet Club War Dogs through 2 tables at ringside.
In the ring Moxley hits a pair of Death Riders on Finlay then Ospreay hits Hidden Blade on Moxley for a near fall.
Ospreay hit another Hidden Blade and a Storm Breaker on Moxley but Finlay hits Oblivion on Ospreay for a near fall Finlay hits a modified Go 2 Sleep on Ospreay for the win.
Winner & 1st Ever Global Champion: David Finlay (22:17) (NEW CHAMPION!!!!)
Rate: 7
After the match Finlay confronts Nick Nemeth at ringside and shoved him so Nick punched him & we get a brawl before they get separated.
NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson
Match starts off with some mat wrestling before they went to the floor where Kazuchika Okada hits a DDT then charges at Bryan Danielson but Danielson caught him with a jumping knee. Danielson slams Okada’s arm in a door on the guardrail.
In the ring Danielson hits a northern lights suplex for a near fall and he stomped on the left arm and he targeted it then Okada hits a neckbreaker over his knee.
Danielson hits a top rope butterfly suplex and applied a Crossface, but Okada got a foot on the ropes before Okada hits a Tombstone Piledriver on the ring apron and they both were down then in the ring Okada stomps on Danielson’s eye as the eyepatch is now off.
Okada hits a dropkick to the eye then a top rope elbow drop before Danielson hits elbow strikes to the side of Okada’s head. Danielson hits a running knee for a near fall and he went back to the crossface.
Danielson ties Okada up on the mat and shouted for him to tap out but Okada reaches the ropes but Danielson held Okada’s wrists and stomps on his face.
Okada hits Rainmaker, and both men were down then hits a German suplex. Danielson hits a roundhouse kick and a Busaiku Knee and he fired up.
Okada hits a swinging side slam and a dropkick then hits Rainmaker for the win.
Winner: NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion Kazuchika Okada (23:24)
Rate: 10 (Recommend)
IWGP World Heavyweight Title Match
Sanada (c) vs. 2023 G1 Climax Winner Tetsuya Naito
Match starts off with some mat reversals as Sanada clutched at his right shoulder and Tetsuya Naito targeted it. Naito tied up Sanada’s head and shoulders on the mat.
Sanada hits a high back suplex and they were both down. Sanada hits a dropkick that sent Naito to the floor so Sanada hit a plancha on him. In the ring Sanada hits a TKO and he locks in Skull End on the mat.
They fought to the floor where Naito places Sanada’s feet on the guardrail and he hits a neckbreaker then back in the ring Naito hits a Frankensteiner. Sanada placed Naito’s feet on the ropes and hits a swinging neckbreaker and they were both down.
He went for a moonsault but Naito got his knees up & hits Destino then went for a 2nd one but Sanada caught him and slams him face first to the mat.
Sanada hits a moonsault then hits a 2nd moonsault for a near fall then sets up for Deadfall but Naito hits a German suplex.
Naito hits another Destino then a 3rd one but only got a near fall before Sanada hits Deadfall and they were both down. Sanada hit a Destino but he couldn’t hit a Deadfall.
Naito hits another tornado DDT before Sanada got an O’Connor Roll for a near fall then a Shining Wizard.
Sanada couldn’t hit Deadfall but Naito hits Deadfall then hits a Brainbuster then a another Destino to put Sanada away.
Winner & IWGP World Heavyweight Champion: Tetsuya Naito (25:42) (NEW CHAMPION!!!!)
Rate: 7
After the match Naito grabs the mic but before he could speak Evil & Dick Togo attacked but Sanada helps fight off House Of Torture. Naito got the mic back and spoke and fired up the crowd to close out Wrestle Kingdom 18.
