Results:
- Drilla Moloney & Daiki Nagai over Yuya Uemura & Masatora Yasuda in 5:55
- HENARE, Great O-Khan, Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young over Oleg Boltin, Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano & Tatsuya Matsumoto in 7:03 (Recommended)
- Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa over Yuto-Ice & Gedo in 4:41
- Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi over Don Fale & Yoshinobu Kanemaru in 5:23
- Ren Narita, SHO, Yujiro, Chase Owens & Dick Togo over Shota Umino, Satoshi Kojima, Tatsumi Fujinami, Aaron Wolf & LEONA in 11:17
- New Japan Cup – First Round: Jake Lee over YOSHI-HASHI in 14:06
- New Japan Cup – First Round: Callum Newman over OSKAR in 11:15 (Recommended)
- IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles: Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X over Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita © in 14:55 (Recommended)
- IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: DOUKI © over Master Wato in 19:35
DOUKI held onto the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in the main event of New Japan’s 54th Anniversary card on Friday in Tokyo.
The show attracted 2,949 at Ota City Gymnasium, which housed New Japan’s first event in 1972, but saw a drop off in attendance from last year’s card. The 2025 show in the same venue drew 3,335, headlined by Hirooki Goto defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi in Goto’s first IWGP World Heavyweight title defense.
DOUKI kept his junior heavyweight title by beating Master Wato with countless run-ins by the House of Torture. Wato did have the audience engaged and believing the champion could be unseated. Wato used the Vendeval for a pair of submission teases and used Recientemente. There were several ref bumps, including back-up official Marty Asami sent to the floor. Don Fale appeared and went for the Grenade as Aaron Wolf thwarted his efforts and disposed of Fale.
DOUKI introduced the black mirror and tried to hit Daybreak with the weapon, unsuccessfully. The champion did manage an Impaler DDT onto the object and finished Wato with Suplex de la Luna.
YOH returned to the ring after being sent away and attacked DOUKI to set up the next title defense later.
The Ichiban Sweet Boys failed to defend their IWGP junior heavyweight tag titles, falling to Taiji Ishimori and Robbie X in the co-main event. Ishimori took out Eagles on the floor with a Golden Triangle moonsault, and the X Express was hit by Robbie on Fujita for the win.
The New Japan Cup resumed its opening round as Jake Lee and Callum Newman moved to the second round. Lee submitted YOSHI-HASHI with the front chancery, and Newman struck OSKAR with Excalibur onto a chair and pinned one-half of the IWGP tag champions.
72-year-old Tatsumi Fujinami, who wrestled on the inaugural card in 1972, was part of a ten-man tag, including his son, LEONA, against the House of Torture. Fujinami showed of a series of dragon screw leg whips to SHO and Dick Togo, and for his cameo in the match. LEONA took the pin in the match after being struck by Yujiro’s cane and Pimp Juice.
One highlight from the undercard was an eight-man tag featuring Oleg Boltin and HENARE on opposite sides, showing off their intensity and engaging in a physical brawl throughout the match. The two are set to meet in the second round of the New Japan Cup next week, and this match was a tremendous teaser.
New Japan returns on Sunday for another New Japan Cup show
- New Japan Cup – First Round: Shota Umino vs. Chase Owens
- New Japan Cup – First Round: Yuto-Ice vs. Ryohei Oiwa
