NJPW New Beginning in Osaka: Okada retains title, Jay White loses

Kazuchika Okada vs Shingo Takagi — (c)NJPW

The annual New Beginning tour wrapped up it’s annual January-February rounds in Osaka. After back-to-back shows in Sapporo, Hokkaido last weekend, NJPW finally returned to Osaka with a sold out Edion Arena and loud, boisterous Osaka cheering is BACK! English commentary with Kevin Kelly and Chris Charlton was broadcasted remotely due to the winter weather complicating travel.

Spoiler-Free Synopsis

Tag Match (1/20): New Beginnings brings NJC Greetings – Worth a Watch
8-Man Tag Match (1/20): Junior All-Star Countdown – Worth a Watch
Singles Match (1/30): The Ballad for the Love of Osaka Continues – Recommended
Singles Match (1/30): Of Air Guitars and Speed Walking – Recommended
NEVER 6-Man Championship (1/60): Are the NEVER 6-Man Belts actually retired? – Recommended
Loser Leaves Japan Match (1/30): Who is packing their bags for the last time? – Recommended
NEVER Openweight Championship (1/60): 38th Champion’s 1st defense – Worth a Watch
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (1/60): 6th Champion’s 1st defense – Highly Recommended

Both opening matches were streamed for free on YouTube in Japanese.

Tag Match (1/20): Great O’Khan & Aaron Henare defeated Toru Yano & Oskar Leube (6:38) – with Henare pinning Oskar after Rampage

This match was a solid way to open the show in Osaka. A nice mix of wrestling and shenanigans, largely to start hyping up the potential of the post-NBG tours, especially the New Japan Cup. O’Khan and Henare have become fan favorites and are continually improving and getting larger shares of the United Empire spotlight.

What’s Next

Great O’Khan and Aaron Henare will likely turn their attention toward the New Japan Cup at the start of March. GOK is also the current RevPro UK Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion.
Toru Yano continues his life as a man of many hats. We’ll have to see what the NJC brings for him.
Oskar Leube seems to have the Fantastica Mania shows off from in-ring action.

8-Man Tag Match (1/20): vs. Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask IV, Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma (8:43) – with Hiromu pinning Taguchi after Time Bomb II

While Shota Umino got a taste of the main event spotlight last week in Sapporo against Tetsuya Naito, it was the Naito who walked out of snowy Hokkaido as the victor. Much like his journey with Ospreay that started during his excursion in England, now that Umino’s locked onto Naito, he isn’t satisfied with the loss by any means. With the NJC on the docket for March, The Roughneck is ready to fight his way to the finals, even though the participants and brackets have yet to be announced. With Fantastica Mania and Hiromu’s All-Star Junior Festival as the next tour stops for many of the Junior heavyweights, this match was largely centered around hyping all the events, and SANADA’s inability to get a hold on a very glossy Honma.

Is this the year that we see SANADA win the New Japan Cup, and make his way back into the singles’ title picture? With the US Championship on an excursion in America on the Canadian Champion, I am hoping that The Cup is SANADA’s first step toward something tangible and meaningful in 2023. This was a light sub-ten-minute match that continued to warm up a fiery Osaka crowd. The LIJ fans were particularly heated throughout the show.

I am glad to see Lio healed up, but I am hoping that his video letter to Hiromu pays off sooner rather than later. With the injuries he sustained at Wrestle Kingdom (1/4), it makes me wonder if he was supposed to be Hiromu’s first challenger, instead of YOH.

What’s Next

Shota Umino already has his sights on fighting his way back to Naito in the New Japan Cup after his loss in Sapporo last Saturday.
LIJ will be participating in the Fantastica Mania tour, including the return of Titán. Hiromu Takahashi and Lio Rush have a match, but the time/date has yet to be announced.
Everyone else … any combination of Fantastica Mania, All-Star Jr Fest and/or New Japan Cup.

Singles Match (1/30): Taiji Ishimori defeated Master Wato (11:18) – with Bloody Cross/Pin Combo

The Muscle Chihuahua and the Noge Dojo Cat Whisperer continue their unlikely rivalry in Wato’s hometown of Osaka. While Mr. Way to the Grand Master hails from Osaka, Ishimori is undoubtedly one of the local transplants with a die hard following. Much like Tanahashi/KENTA later on, this match is simply a showcase, which is building on Wato’s journey into the Junior main event scene as well as being the uncanny guy to have Ishimori’s number. The scales were tipped in Ishimori’s favor this time around, and the match was relatively clean without too many Bullet Club Shenanigans.

Ishimori may have just celebrated his 40th birthday and is preparing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut, but he moves better than most guys half his age. He recently finished this third reign with the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship, so I would love to see him try something different like the NEVER Openweight, STRONG Openweight or even the NJPW World TV Championship. He’ll be one to watch in BOSJ 2023, but I would love to see him do more outside the Juniors Division.

What’s Next

Taiji Ishimori will also be in Nosawa Rongai’s Lucha de Final match at the Keiji Muto retirement show on 2/21.
Ishimori and Master Wato will both participate in the multi-man tag matches during Fantastica Mania as well as are announced for the All-Star Jr. Festival on 3/1.

Singles Match (1/30): Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated KENTA (13:57) – with High Fly Flow/Pin combo

If anyone can stroll into Osaka with three teeth missing, it’s Hiroshi Tanahashi. Earlier in the day, he lost a battle to a rather ornery protein bar that took out his top three veneers. As it was Saturday (and an earlier show time), there was no time to hit up the dental clinic, so the Once in a Century talent arrived as the consummate professional. Full Gear. Love and Energy. Uncharacteristically tight-lipped smile. Of course, this would lead to KENTA doing what he does best and that’s naturally keeping a running commentary about the fact that Tanahashi showed up for a fight, with a gap in his teeth (which we learned were knocked out years ago in a match with Okada).

Personally, Tanahashi/KENTA has been and will continue to be one of my favorite long-term rivalries in NJPW. Their match was less than fifteen minutes, but there was plenty of time for them to play their greatest hits together. Their give and take of wins and losses kept me invested in the match, and much like their previous meeting KENTA took all the ownership for all of his cheap tricks and did all the fighting on his own. How much do I love the Air Race Walking? More than I love the Air Bass, but just as much as I love Tanahashi’s Air Guitar.

Are they a fight-forever scenario, especially with the increased travel between Japan and the international markets? Certainly. However, I wasn’t ready for Tanahashi to float the idea of them putting their rivalry in the past, and possibly TEAMING TOGETHER?! WHEW! The logistics would be a challenge unless KENTA’s leaving Bullet Club, or Tanahashi is going completely dark and joining BC. I mean if MARUKEN can reunite for one night only, then it can be believed that anything is possible…

What’s Next

Hiroshi Tanahashi’s first order of business (after returning to Tokyo and seeing a dentist about his veneers) will be revealed later in the show. With NJC around the corner, I am certain there will be no Ace shortage. He’s also being advertised for the NJPW Collision shows in the US in April.
Before KENTA will team with Bullet Club allies Ace Austin & Chris Bey to take on Time Machine (KUSHIDA, Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) at IMPACT’s No Surrender on 2/24, he has to sort out some unfinished business with Fred Rosser concerning the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship at Battle in the Valley on 2/18.

NEVER 6-Man Championship (1/60): Ren Narita, El Desperado & Minoru Suzuki defeated House of Torture © (EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & SHO with Dick Togo) (12:51) – with Narita submitting Yujiro with the Cobra Twist

In one of the wildest post-Suzuki-gun dissolution and complete baby-face turns in 2023 (we’re only in FEBRUARY for those counting), Minoru Suzuki and El Desperado aligned themselves with Ren Narita. In the spirit of New Beginnings, the unlikely trio elected to force the NEVER 6-Man Championships out of retirement by taking on the House of Torture.

While House of Torture decided to forego their fancy entrance in Osaka to get the jump on Narita and his associates, the guests in attendance seemingly have waited over four years to boo and jeer House of Torture out of the building. There was a certain catharsis in finally having the appropriate soundtrack to everything EVIL, Yujiro, Togo… and even SHO has done over the last 18 months.

More satisfying than finally wrenching the belts from their hostage situation was seeing Suzuki, Desperado, and Narita tying up House of Torture in submission moves. Equally so, was Narita being given the spotlight to Cobra Twist Yujiro into a pretzel, leading to the Tokyo Pimp begging for mercy.

I wondered how Ren Narita would make himself stand apart from Katsuyori Shibata’s shadow despite being his heir apparent from the LA Dojo… and the answer is his expanding his horizons and willingly partnering with Minoru Suzuki and El Desperado. While he may be the most straight-laced of the three, I feel both bring a wealth of knowledge that could be exceptionally beneficial for him. Prior to his excursion, Narita was substantially slimmer and shorter, and much like Desperado, a Junior Heavyweight. During his time in LA, he carved a name for himself as an openweight fighter, especially with his matches against Fred Rosser and Tom Lawlor. Suzuki has offered to teach Ren everything he knows from his over thirty years of experience, which could be the secret ingredient for success.

I can’t wait to see who steps up to take on STRONG STYLE, as Suzuki announced in the post-match in-ring promo as House of Torture vamoosed from the venue. Part of me is relieved they were about to fight off all four members of the House of Torture, but I am curious to see who they recruit next as well.

What’s Next

STRONG STYLE is now the 25th NEVER 6-Man Champions, and while Suzuki and Desperado are the veterans, they’re pushing Narita forward into the spotlight which is precisely what needs to be done to help begin laying the foundation for their new reign as STRONG STYLE. Desperado will participate in Fantastica Mania and All-Star Jr Festival. He’ll also tag with Nosawa Rongai against YO-HEY & Yasutaka Yano tomorrow (2/12) at NOAH’s show in Osaka.
Minoru Suzuki will have his Mania Week tour of the US as he heads over between March 23rd-April 5th. He’ll make a stop in Vancouver, Canada on 3/24 for Nation Extreme Wrestling before heading south. He’ll compete at Prestige Wrestling on 3/26.
House of Torture head back to Tokyo with their tails between their legs, but who knows which direction their morally gray compasses will point them next. SHO will participate in Fantastica Mania, but isn’t announced (yet) for the All-Star Jr. Festival. No announcements or declarations for the NJC from the rest of HoT.

Loser Leaves Japan Match (1/30): Hikuleo defeated Jay White (25:08) – with an emotional Too Sweet followed by a Powerbomb/Pin

I was invested in the match, especially for what this means for the future of the wrestlers and the company moving forward, but it wasn’t until Hikuleo had Jay by the throat and White held up his hand for a Too Sweet, that the gravity of the situation hit me. Hikuleo obliged before sending Jay on his final ride in Japan. I felt my heartstrings tug a bit, but this felt like a necessary first step for the Grand Slam Champion. It was a good match, albeit it was a little on the longer side. I don’t know if the Japan crowd would have been all right with a twenty-minute match, but the feel-good post-match and lack of ex-communication from Bullet Club, felt strangely refreshing.

On his way out Jay stopped at the Japanese commentary, right in front of Tanahashi. I thought this would be his last parting shot before leaving Japan, but Jay held out his hand for a fist bump. Jay’s rivalry with Tanahashi, especially prior to the pandemic, was one of the key arcs in his meteoric rise as the big bad in the post-Elite era. Yes, I shed a tear. Did I expect to? Not at all, but having Jay walk out of Osaka with only Gedo at his side, makes me curious to see where his journey takes him next. Unlike previous leaders of BC departing, he hasn’t been unceremoniously deposed by the group… not yet anyway.

What’s Next

Hikuleo isn’t scheduled for Battle in the Valley or anything for the rest of February. His history-making win over Jay could make him a lock for participation in the NJC.
Jay White will face Eddie Kingston* at Battle in the Valley next weekend (2/18). However, how can he remain in power in Bullet Club, when he’s finally geographically cut off from the group? Or after years of award-winning post-Wrestle Kingdom meltdowns (in character, of course), is The Switchblade’s Era actually over?
- *This is contingent on Kingston being cleared after getting pulled from DEFY’s show earlier today.

NEVER Openweight Championship (1/60): Tama Tonga © defeated El Phantasmo (27:07) – 38th Champion’s 1st defense – with a J-Driller/Pin

Personally, when it comes to the NEVER Openweight Championship, I love a “less is more” approach. Fewer shenanigans and showboating. More throttling your opponent to see who is the last one standing. When Tama first won the NEVER last year, the expectations were high as it was his first singles championship, and then it was instantly spirited away, and while that resulted in some dividends with Tama going to the semi-finals of the G1 last summer, it felt like he spent most of the second half of 2022, waiting for Karl and some long overdue Bullet Club Closure. After the weird 2022 situation involving Tama, Karl Anderson and the NEVER Openweight Championship, this match with El Phantasmo felt like a hard reset for everyone involved in the best possible way.

Although Tama versus ELP was another stone in the Tama breaking up with his Bullet Club exes, this one had a particularly subtle finish. After a wild back and forth of finishers-and-counters, until we got to the kitchen sink portion of the match, Tama used the J-Driller, Jay Briscoe’s butterfly piledriver to put ELP felt like Gun Stun to the heart. Definitely an unexpected end to the match, but one of many homages in the best sense in the last few weeks since the passing of Jay Briscoe.

With the tall task of being between Hikuleo/Jay and Okada/Takagi, I would have loved to see about five to ten minutes of this match shaved off, especially if Tama plans on keeping this breakneck pace in future defenses.

What’s Next

Tama Tonga successfully defended the NEVER Openweight championship, and I hope that moving forward, he is able to line up former champions as challengers to help give his reign reset a bit of weight. I would love to see Hirooki Goto, Shingo Takagi, SANADA, Tomohiro Ishii, KENTA, and even Hiroshi Tanahashi in the mix. Heck, throw in Will Ospreay to keep Tama on his toes. The most likely next stop for Tama is the NJC.
El Phantasmo with Jay White packing his bags for North America, it is possible that he could make a play for the Frontman of BC slot unless someone beats him to the punch. Since he’s “a heavyweight now”, it’s likely we’ll see ELP in the brackets for the NJC.

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (1/60): Kazuchika Okada © defeated Shingo Takagi (32:07) – 6th Champion’s 1st defense; with a Rainmaker/Pin

After the two matches preceding it totaling nearly an hour, I really wanted a concentrated, slugfest that clocked in at under twenty minutes. I love Shingo Takagi’s upgraded Main Event Dragon mantle. Seeing Kazuchika Okada making currency shower down once more, warmed my heart on this chilly winter evening. Yet my gut told me, given that this first defense was against arguably the first champion of this new belt to give it any sense of stability and consistency at the height of the pandemic (and cheering was allowed finally), that bare minimum, we were getting a 30-minute spectacle.

What I like about this incarnation of Okada, is that he oscillates between beloved CHAOS faction leader Okada and angsty ‘oh BTW I’m supposed to be a bad guy’ Rainmaker Okada. I’m truly enjoying seeing Okada wear the black hat, despite being a baby face champion because he typically saves it only for opponents like Jay White and Will Ospreay. Embracing this edgier side with guys like Shingo Takagi and even Kaito Kiyomiya gives Okada a bit more dimension that I feel he’s been lacking or hiding throughout the 50th Anniversary celebration and the passing of Antonio Inoki. Last year was all about honoring the lineage and history of the company, however, 2023, might become the evolution of The Rainmaker.

Honestly, this match should have been the second night of Wrestle Kingdom last year, with Takagi defeating Ospreay on night one for the ‘Other IWGP World Heavyweight Championship’ to combine the two; followed by Takagi defending as the true champion against the 2022 G1 Climax Winner. I loved this match leaps and bounds above their Tokyo Dome match which clocked in at around three minutes long. The story in the commentary was that Okada was previously not at 100% in either of their meetings, but there was something decidedly different between those matches and this one, and I can’t give all the credit simply to the audience being able to cheer again. Takagi’s reign as IWGP World HW Champion was criminally underrated, so I am glad that he stepped up to challenge because this is the match they should have had.

Stars above, how I have missed the boisterous reactions of cheering in New Japan. I’m not mad at the Clap Crowd Era because it was a necessary means to an end in order to keep the lights and the shows going on The NJPW World.

After the match, Okada addressed the elephant in the venue, citing that the World Heavyweight Championship needs to start being defended around the world, and the first stop is at Battle in the Valley next Saturday. Without any opponent coming forward, the Champion elects to call out an old favorite when it comes to making history together in Hiroshi Tanahashi, who was minding his business on Japanese commentary. Their forever rivalry started with the Rainmaker Shock, so Tanahashi vows to finally return the favor, by staging an upset in San Jose next Saturday. They smile and shake on it like only the two of them can.

What’s Next

Kazuchika Okada will face Hiroshi Tanahashi at Battle in the Valley next Saturday to defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Then he may-or-may-not fight Kaito Kiyomiya in the semi-main event of Keiji Muto’s retirement (2/21). I am wondering should Tanahashi stage an upset if Okada will suggest Kiyomiya put the GHC Championship on the line.
Shingo Takagi is still the KOPW Champion and continues to grow his successful YouTube Channel. Also, can someone put some proper snaps on that KOPW Championship, please? I like the light blue strap, but the black Velcro patches just make me miss the broken trophy days.

Upcoming Marquee Events

NJPW STRONG LIVE: Battle in the Valley (2/18) San Jose, California – available internationally on FITE TV

0-1 Opening Buy-In Singles Match (1/20): Alex Coughlin vs. JR Kratos
0-2 Opening Buy-In Singles Match (1/20): David Finlay vs. Bobby Fish
8-Man Tag Match (1/20): Adrian Quest, Josh Alexander, Mascara Doroda & Rocky Romero vs. KUSHIDA, Volador Jr., Kevin Knight & The DKC
‘Filthy Rules’ Singles Match (1/30): Homicide vs. Tom Lawlor
Singles Match (1/30): Eddie Kingston vs. Jay White
STRONG Openweight Tag Championships (1/30): MCMG © (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. WCWC (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs)
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (1/60): Kazuchika Okada © vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – Sixth Champion’s second defense

Keiji Muto Grand Final (2/21) Tokyo Dome with PPV availability on Wrestle Universe

Final de Lucha: Gedo/Taiji Ishimori (NJPW) vs. Nosawa Rongai/Mazada
Special Junior Singles: Hiromu Takahashi (NJPW) vs. AMAKUSA (NOAH)
Semi-Main Event: Kazuchika Okada (NJPW)vs. Kaito Kiyomiya (NOAH)
Main Event: Keiji Muto vs. Tetsuya Naito (NJPW)

Some notes about the recent crossover between NJPW and NOAH, including details on Muto’s Retirement can be found in my WK17 Yokohama and Great Muta Final: BYE-BYE event reports as well as an updated match card in last month’s Dream Slam Monthly.

All-STAR Jr. Festival 2023 (3/1) Korakuen Hall with availability via NJPW World PPV (roughly $27 US)

Full Card & participants to be announced on 2/25
NJPW: Hiromu Takahashi, El Desperado, Master Wato, BUSHI, Ryusuke Taguchi, Taiji Ishimori
NOAH: AMAKUSA, YO-HEY, Alejandro
AJPW: Atsuki Aoyagi, Black Mensore
Michinoku Pro: MUSASHI
Dragon Gate: Dragon Kid
Ryukyu Dragon PW: Gurukun Mask
2AW: Chicharitto Shoki
ZERO-1: Katsuya Kitamura
Osaka PW: Tigers mask, Billiken Kid
GLEAT: El Lindaman
DDT: Yuki Inoue
BJW: Kazuki Hashimoto
CMLL: Volador, Jr.
AND MORE!

2023 Domestic Schedule

NJPW x CMLL Fantastica Mania 2023 (2/22-28) – multiple venues
All-Star Junior Festival 2023 (3/1) Korakuen Hall
New Japan Cup Opener (3/5) Korakuen Hall (and multiple venues 3/8-21)
New Japan Cup Finals (3/21) Aore Niigata
Anniversary Show (3/6) Ota Ward Gymnasium
Antonio Inoki Final Farewell (3/7) Ryogoku Sumo Hall
Sakura Genesis 2023 (4/8) Ryogoku Sumo Hall
- Road to Sakura Genesis 2023 (multiple venues 4/1-7)
Wrestling Dontaku 2023 (5/3) Fukuoka International Center
- Road to Wrestling Dontaku 2023 (multiple venues 4/20-21; 23-27; 4/30-5/1)
- Hirooki Goto’s 20th Anniversary Show (4/22) Sports Center, Mie Prefecture
- Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni (4/29) Kagoshima

2023 NJPW STRONG Live/International Schedule

IMPACT x NJPW: Multiverse United (3/31) Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, CA – streaming on Fite+ at 8PM US Pacific Time; Full Card TBA
- Singles Match: Josh Alexander (Impact) vs. KUSHIDA (NJPW)
- Singles Match: Speedball Mike Bailey (Impact) vs. Will Ospreay (NJPW)
- Singles Match: Moose (Impact) vs. Jeff Cobb (NJPW)
Capital Collison (4/15) Entertainment & Sports Arena, Washington, DC
Collision in Philadelphia (4/16) 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, PA