NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 Results Coverage, Reactions & Highlights For January 3, 2019

Wrestle Kingdom 13 is New Japan’s biggest show of the year. It will start at 3:00 am EST and we will be providing live results during the show. Please keep refreshing this page as the show carries on for more results.

This is going to be a packed show with a loaded card. The Tokyo Dome has sold more tickets than ever for the biggest event on the company’s calendar and like the last twelve years, they’re getting things started with a bang.

This event will be able to tell us about a lot of things to come. This is especially true with All Elite Wrestling coming up. Chris Jericho’s IWGP Intercontental Championship defense against Tetsuya Naito has also received lot of attention and rightfully so.

NJPW sent out a tweet translated from Japanese thanking fans already for the amazing turnout and the show hasn’t even started yet.

“Thanks to you, the number of tickets sold for this year’s Tokyo Dome tournament has already exceeded the number of visitors (34995) of the wrestle KINGDOM 12 in Tokyo Dome last year. I would like to thank all of you who have already requested the ticket.”

You can find the card below and remember that this show starts at 3:00 am EST.

• IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match: Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
• IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match: Tetsuya Naito vs. Chris Jericho
• Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match: Kushida vs. Taiji Ishimori
• IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Match: Juice Robinson vs. Cody
• IWGP Tag Team Championship 3-Way Match: Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga vs. Evil and Sanada vs. The Young Bucks
• British Heavyweight Championship Match: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
• IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship 3-Way Match: Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado vs. Roppongi 3K vs. Bushi and Shingo Takagi
• NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay

Marty Scurll, Hangman Page, & Yujiro Takahashi vs Jeff Cobb, David Finlay, Yuji Nagata – Preshow Match #1 Contender Match For NEVER Openweight Six-Man Titles

Negata and Scurll started things out and both of them looked really great starting out. They traded dropkicks to the knees and then carried on for a bit.

Page hit a shooting star on Cobb from the apron to the floor that popped the crowd as they filed into the Tokyo Dome. Once they returned to the ring, Cobb nailed a nice fallaway slam and then Finlay and Takahashi tagged in.

Then after some miscommunication thanks to Chase Owens, Marty, Hangman, and Takahashi were eliminated.

Up Next: Chuckie T, Beretta, & Goto

The incoming team started making work. Chuckie T and Beretta both hit dives on their opponents to the outside. The Best Friends of Chuckie and Beretta looked good as they tagged in and out.

Nagata started firing back and created some separation before Cobb got the tag. Then Jeff Cob did his thing with a flying shoulder in the corner and a slam followed by a sunset flip for a two-count.

Goto and Cobb clotheslined each other over and over and neither of them budged until Goto got the better of them. Once the Best Friends got back in the ring, Cobb suplexed both of them at the same time.

Then David Finlay rolled Goto to eliminate them.

Up Next: Davey Boy Smith Jr, Lance Archer, & Minoru Suzuki

Nagata and Suzuki started out by hitting each other very hard. They have history with each other.

As Cobb nailed an Olympic Slam, Nagata took a chairshot on the outside from Suzuki and they brawled all over the outside of the ring.

Suddenly, Finlay got hit with the kill bomb and was pinned.

Up Next: Taguci, Makabe, Yano

The new team didn’t make it to the ring before they were jumped. They were beaten around the ring and then fed into the ring where Smith and Archer kept picking them apart.

Makabe and Suzuki traded some very stiff forearms in the middle of the ring and Makabe ended up going off the ropes to hit an elbow to win the exchange.

Yano tried to hit Davey with the long turnbuckle, but he ducked. Yano took a Hart Attack but he kicked out.

Makabe distracted Archer and Smith while Yano hit low blows and rolled one of them up for the win.

Therefore, Taguci, Makabe, Yano are the new #1 contenders for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Titles at New Year’s Dash tomorrow.

Will Ospreay vs Kota Ibushi – NEVER Openweight Title Match

It is very interesting that this match is going on first because come on, it’s going to be hard to top.

These two started things out with a string of counters before squaring off and then reversing more reversals. Then Ibushi nailed a dropkick and Will rolled out of the ring. Ibushi went for a dive, but Will jumped on the apron and kicked him on the way down. Suddenly, Ospreay hit his own flipping dive to the outside.

They carried on for a bit and ended up squaring off in the middle of the ring. They traded forearms and then Will hit a kick, but Kota nailed a rana that sent Will out of the ring. Then Ibushi nailed a leaping corkscrew moonsault to the floor off the top rope.

Ospreay hit a rolling kick off of the ropes after a few more reversals and one or two near falls in this fast-paced match. Ibushi nailed a powerslam and then Will caught Kota in the corner with a kick and a roll-up for a two count.

Kota sold for a bit as Will Ospreay hit him, but then Kota started trading strikes with Will. Finally, Ibushi chopped Will down. After about a half-dozen reversals, Ospreay hit a nice Spanish fly on Kota to lay both of them out.

Kota got a nearfall and then Will returned fire with a German suplex. Ibushi shook it off and nailed a sick knee to the side of Ospreay’s head. That hurt a lot, but Ospreay kicked out of a pinfall even after a last ride powerbomb.

Kota climbed up top, but Will clipped his leg and hung Ibushi up. Will sat right in front of him and slapped Kota and Ibushi returned fire before Will just kicked his face in for a bit. They ended up on the top rope where Kota hit a double stomp on Will’s back.

Ibushi was busted open bad somewhere in that spot. Looked like his nose was busted, but the announcers said it was coming from his mouth. Ibushi hit a German, but Will landed on his feet. Then Will came back with a kick and an Oz Cutter, but Ibushi blocked it.

Will avoided a knee strike and landed a kick. Ibushi hit a clothesline, but Will didn’t go down. There were a half-dozen more reversals and then Ibushi nailed a hooked tombstone move for a two count.

Will nailed a stiff elbow to the back of Ibushi’s head and Kota didn’t look conscious. Will Ospreay hit the storm breaker and won.

Winner and New NEVER Openweight Champion: Will Ospreay

Ibushi was led off on a stretcher.

Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado vs. Roppongi 3K vs. Bushi and Shingo Takagi – IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship

This was a fast-paced match with one spot after another. Each man got their chance to shine with Sho and Yo really shining in a big way.

3K were about to close it out, but they were stopped giving Takagi a chance to capitalize. He hit two stiff clotheslines, but it wasn’t enough to close out the match. Then he hit a Last Of The Dragon to pick up the win and the titles

Winners and New IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions: Bushi & Shingo Takagi

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – British Heavyweight Championship

They started trading shots and reversals before ZSJ latched on an armbar and took Ishii down to the mat. He got to the ropes and the Rev Pro referee broke up the hold.

Sabre concentrated onto Tomohiro’s arm and it caused Ishii to not have the power he normally would with his strikes. Ishii was able to turn it into an ankle lock until Sabre got out and then Ishii steamrolled him in the corner.

Zack got hit with a superplex, but he held on and stomped on Ishii’s arm to continue the targeted damage.

ZSJ kept up the pressure on Ishii and then Tomohiro leveled him and nailed a powerbomb for a near fall. Ishiii hit a lariat after some counters and trading shots for another near fall.

After some more fast-paced reversals and pinfall attempts, ZSJ reversed out of a brainbuster and latched on a guillotine, but Ishii lifted him out of it. Zack transitioned into an octopus lock, and Ishii eventually had no choice but to submit.

Winner and New British Heavyweight Champion: Zack Sabre Jr

Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga vs. Evil and Sanada vs. The Young Bucks – IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships

This was a very fast-paced match and they kept the moves coming one after another.

The Young Bucks dominated the first portion of the match and then they sold for a bit. They all set up a tower of doom and then Nick Jackson hit a 450 Splash on Sanada for a two count.

The Bucks started rolling and hit a pair of Superkicks, but Tonga jumped in and hit a gun stun when the Bucks went for a Meltzer Driver.

The Evil and Sanada pulled off the win after hitting a moonsault.

Winners and New IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions: Evil & Sanada

Cody Rhodes vs Juice Robinson – IWGP US Championship

This match was hyped as Cody being an executive for “another company” and it is an interpromotional match. They said that Juice needs to take the title back to NJPW.

Cody tried to hit Juice with the title before the match could start, but Robinson ducked. It didn’t take long for Brandi Rhodes to get kicked out from ringside.

Cody nailed a crossroads, but Juice kicked out. They wrestled around a bit more and Cody nailed Pulp Friction and Robinson kicked out of his own finisher.

Then Cody took off his weightbelt and started whacking Juice Robinson. Juice stayed on his feet through a few shots from Cody and then Juice landed two Left Hand Of God punches.

Juice then hit a Pulp Friction, but he stalled and didn’t pin Cody. Instead, he picked him up and tried for it again and he hit it.

Then Juice Robinson pinned Cody to win the match and the title.

Winner and NEW IWGP US Champion: Juice Robinson

Kushida vs. Taiji Ishimori – IWGP Jr Heavyweight Championship

Kushida had the best entrance so far in the night as a child came out with his title and then a Doc Brown character put him on a platform and he put him in the future to turn him into Kushida with the help of a bunch of smoke pyro. It’s good to have favorite movies.

They started out by trading moves and holds and were working very fast. Ishimori hit a sliding German Suplex and tried for a 450, but Kushida turned it right into an armbar hold which he transitioned into a crossface.

Ishimori picked Kushida up out of the crossface, but Kushida kept the key lock on his arm only to have Taiji turn it around for a counter.

The finish came Ishimori nailed a Bloody Cross to win the title.

Winner and NEW IWGP Jr Heavyweight Champion: Taiji Ishimori

Kazuchika Okada vs Jay White

Okada stated things out by punishing White around the ring. Jay returned fire and Gado looked happy about that outside of the ring and then White tossed Okada over the top rope.

White followed Okada outside and beat him down only to toss him back in the ring to continue much of the same. Okada sold as Jay kept up the offense.

Okada started to amp himself back up with a slap and then a shoulder block off the ropes. He hit a DDT followed by a two count. Okada threw Jay over the barricade followed by Gado. Then he hit a flying crossbody splash over the railing onto the two.

White hit a German suplex to avoid a Rainmaker lariat. He tried for a Bladerunner, but Okada blocked it. Gado put a chair on the apron and tried to get in the ring. Then White took a swing at Okada with the chair, but he ducked and Gado got knocked off of the apron.

Then White reversed a Rainmaker for another release suplex. He hit a Kiwi Crusher for another two count. Okada avoided another Bladerunner and hit a tombstone piledriver.

They both reversed each other’s finishers twice again, but then Okada finally hit a Rainmaker. Suddenly, White nailed a Bladerunner and got the win.

Winner: Jay White

Tetsuya Naito vs Chris Jericho – IWGP Intercontinental Championship No DQ Match

Naito jumped Jericho from behind during his entrance and they got to work out side the ring early. They started the match as Naito continued the abuse on Y2J outside the ring including a piledriver on the entrance ramp.

Naito ripped off the turnbuckle and beat Jericho with it. He tried to throw Y2J into the exposed turnbuckle, but it was reversed. Naito had to settle for a rana.

Jericho nailed Naito in the head with a kendo stick as he went for a suicide dive. Then he brought the stick in the ring to whack Tetsuya a few times.

Jericho choked Naito out with the kendo stick until he decided to let go. Naito ended up on the apron so Jericho whacked him again and then hit a springboard dropkick sending Naito outside.

Jericho dragged Naito to the tables at ringside and hit a spike DDT on the table that didn’t break. Jericho sounded the bell himself and tried to get Red Shoes to hold up his hand in victory, but he wouldn’t do it.

Jericho hit a crossbody off the top on Naito when they got back inside for a near fall. Y2J hit a Lionsault, but Naito kicked out again.

Naito caught Jericho’s legs in the corner and spit in his face before hitting a neckbreaker for a two count of his own. He kicked Chris in the head a couple of times and then he posed for the LIJ fans.

Jericho caught Naito on a slingshot and put him in the Walls Of Jericho. Naito fought out and blocked a Codebreaker with a swinging DDT. Y2J eventually fought out and locked in the Walls Of Jericho again, but Naito grabbed the kendo stick and hit Y2J until he let go.

Naito teed off on Jericho a couple of good times with the kendo stick for a receipt. Jericho ducked under a third kendo stick shot and nailed a Codebreaker for a very close two count.

Jericho went under the ring and he tossed in as many chairs that he could find which was eight. He hit Naito with one chair twice while the rest remained in a pile. Then Jericho went to powerbomb Naito on the chair, but it was switched to a DDT.

Naito hit a Codebreaker on Jericho for a near fall. Tetsuya climbed to the top rope with the kendo stick, but Y2J heaved a chair at his face. Then Naito reversed a suplex onto the chairs with one of his own.

Jericho nailed another Codebreaker for another two count. Jericho threw the chair down and got his title. He encouraged Naito to get up so he could hit him with the title. Naito put Jericho into the exposed turnbuckle and then Y2J kicked out after Naito’s finisher.

Naito picked up the title and nailed Jericho before hitting another finisher for the win.

Winner and NEW IWGP Intercontinental Champion: Tetsuya Naito

Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match

This match had a lot of heat in it. These two took each other to the limit early on and the crowd was fully with them. Tanahashi stopped Omega when he got a table out and stopped him.

Omega was mocking the crowd about being graceful, and instead of using the table, Tanahashi decided not to. Omega laid in some sick chops on Tanahashi and they were both working very snug.

Tanahashi was there for a counter like hitting a dragon screw on Omega. He also hit a shotgun dropkick to the turnbuckle before hitting a somersault senton.

Omega hit the Rise Of The Terminator dive on Tanahashi, but he took a lot of damage too.

They continued to work on each other as Omega tried to gain the upperhand. Tanahashi hit a dragon screw on Omega while he was on the middle rope and it wrecked his knee. Tanahashi hit the Twist And Shout before locking in a cloverleaf for a bit before transitioning into a Styles Clash which he nailed.

Omega got his knees up when Tanahashi went for the High Fly Flow. Then Tanahashi moved out of the way so Kenny Omega nailed a V Trigger on the turnbuckle.

Tanahashi kept working on Omega’s leg whenever he could and this proved to be working as Kenny sold it. Tanahashi also hit a slingblade on the apron which didn’t help Omega either.

Then Tanahashi went for the big splash through a table, but Omega moved so Tanahashi took the bump by himself.

Tanahashi kicked out of three powerbombs so Kenny resorted to choking him for a second. Then Tanahashi hit a sling blade as Kenny was going for a V Trigger.

Tanahashi hit a High Fly Flow, but he only got a one count. Omega fought on and nailed a V Trigger, but Tanahashi reversed out of a One-Winged Angel with a reverse rana.

Then Tanahashi nailed another High Fly Flow for a very long two count.

Omega set Tana up on the top rope and nailed him with a release suplex off the top rope that turned Tanahashi inside out sending his face crashing to the mat. Omega nailed another V Trigger before getting set up for the One Winged Angel, but Tanahashi countered again.

Tana hit another sling blade before jumping on top and hitting another High Fly Flow for the win.

Winner and NEW IWGP Heavyweight Champion: Hiroshi Tanahashi