NJPW presented Wrestle Kingdom 18 on January 4th, 2024.
Always starting the year strong with multiple match-of-the-year contenders, the show saw just about every title defended change hands. The main event saw SANADA’s lengthy run as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion come to an end as Tetsuya Naito reached the top of the mountain once again.
In a rematch from AEW Forbidden Door, Kazuchika Okada defeated Bryan Danielson to bring their rivalry to one win each. Many are expecting an inevitable rematch to take place at some point in 2024.
In a surprising debut in The Tokyo Dome, Nic Nemeth [FKA Dolph Ziggler in WWE] made his way to the ringside area earlier in the night and confronted new IWGP Global Champion David Finlay, with each man coming to blows after the 3 way match between, Finlay, Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay.
.@HEELZiggler appears in NJPW.
Sign up Now & Stay tuned to https://t.co/CeQLGjTmZ5#njwk18 #NJPW #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/oF74jZZgUi
— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 4, 2024
Ospreay made a special entrance at Wrestle Kingdom 18, taking inspiration from the popular Assassin’s Creed videogame franchise.
Thank you to @Ubisoft and @assassinscreed for allowing me to live a lifelong dream at Wrestle Kingdom! I hope you all enjoyed it! pic.twitter.com/Sgwfi2IF2C
— Will Ospreay • ウィル・オスプレイ (@WillOspreay) January 4, 2024
The Following Results Took Place At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18:
Pre Show:
- Great-O-Khan, Taiji Ishimori, Toru Yano and Yoh won the New Japan Ranbo
Main card:
- Catch 2/2 [TJP and Francesco Akira] defeated Bullet Club War Dogs [Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney] to become the new IGWP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions
- Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Zack Sabre Jr. to become the new NJPW World Television Champion
- Yuya Uemura defeated Yota Tsuji
- House of Torture [Evil and Ren Narita] defeated Shota Umino and Kaito Kiyomiya
- Tama Tonga defeated Shingo Takagi to become the new NEVER Openweight Champion
- Hikuleo and El Phantasmo defeated Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi to win a winner-take-all match for the IWGP and Strong Openweight Tag Team Championships
- El Desperado defeated Hiromu Takahashi to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
- David Finlay defeated Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay to become the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion
- Kazuchika Okada defeated Bryan Danielson
- Tetsuya Naito defeated SANADA to become the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion
Featured image: NJPW
