After one of the most uneventful, lackluster years in NJPW history the promotion was looking to turn the page with Wrestle Kingdom 19 and show to everyone that their investment in young talent like Shota Umino, ELP, Ren Narita, Yota Tsuji, Douki, David Finlay and others had paid off. That talent did step up making Wrestle Kingdom 19 far better than it should have been. NJPW made some smart decisions with this show but also seemed to be betting on a lot of the wrong horses too.
In a main event that I am still shaking my head about in confusion, upstart Shota Umino challenged Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. I am still confused about not only why this was chosen as the main event of Wrestle Kingdom but why Sabre Jr. was made IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in the first place. It all seems very weak and very dull. This main event was one of the worst in Wrestle Kingdom history.
Umino drove to the ring on a motorcycle from backstage of the Tokyo Dome. In contrast, Zack Sabre Jr. arrived with a lame, dance version of Young Punks. Not very intimidating to say the least, sorta like Zack himself. Some like Zack’s style. I confess that I cannot stand it at all. All those reversals, submissions, I find them incredibly boring to the point that I literally zone out. I become one of Romero’s zombies. I love a good technical wrestling but if that is all there is, no fisticuffs, no aerial moves, nothing to break up all the submissions, reversals and counters, it is nap time for me. It is wrestling from a bygone era that is bygone for a very good reason.
Zack targeted Umino’s left arm and hand snapping the wrist and the shoulder. Lots of arm bars, joint stomps and snapping or the fingers. That kind of stuff. Umino rolled around on the mat and in the ropes. Umino broke up all the monotony by flipping over the top rope and DDTing Zack on the apron. That was cool. Umino whipped Zack into the ringside barricade as the crowd began mumbling under their breath. Umino DDT’ed Zack on the floor and was booed. This dronefest ended with Zack and Umino taking turns slapping each other not punching each other. Zack kicked out of an Emerald Explosion and a Hidden Blade. He pinned Umino with a Zack Driver.
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19 Results
New Japan Ranbo – For a future IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match
Highlights:
- There will be 17 entrants.
- Yuji Nagata and Josh Barnett go to war right away taking things back 20 years.
- Barnett and Oleg take each other out over the top rope.
- Hilarious that Kenta powerwalks all the way down to the ring.
- Walker jokes that he didn’t know that NJPW had Yujiro Takahashi’s entrance music still on file.
- Toru Yano eliminated both Kenta and Yujiro Takahashi. He pushed Yujiro into Kenta knocking him off the apron and then pinned Yujiro.
- Tenzen and Kojima work over Yano together with Mongolian Chops. Yano pins Tenzen though chalking up his third elimination.
- Taichi and Sanada brawl on the floor.
- Honma hits a Kokeshi on Ishii
- Taichi is DQ’ed when Sanada fakes Taichi kicking him in the “lower abdomen”. Taichi then knocks Sanada over the top rope. They brawl to the back.
- Togi Makabe is counted as eliminated but he left the ring through the middle ropes.
- Hirooki Goto and The Great-O-Khan are the final two men.
Winner: Hirooki Goto at 34:37
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Kevin Knight and Kushida (c) vs. Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita vs. TJP and Francesco Akira vs. Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney – Four-way, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, Ladder Match
Th War Dogs come out and head to the ring in fur coats and a gaggle of lovely women on their arms. TJP and Akira arrive wearing some very cool masks. TJP has half his face painted like a skull. At start off the match, Knight splashes everyone but his partner Kushida from the top rope. Fujita and Eagles try to mow down Knight with a ladder. Kushida drop kicks them. They land with the ladder on top of them. Knight splashes them…and the ladder. Ouch!
Drilla introduces a steel chair. He smashes both TJP and Akira as Connors traps TJP’s hand under a ladder by standing on it. Connors uses a ladder to spear TJP and Akira. The War Dogs lay out Fujita with a high, low shot with steel chairs. The War Dogs set up a massive ladder and try retrieving the belts. Kushida gives the ladder a springboard elbow smash to knock The Dogs and the ladder down.
The War Dogs lean a ladder against the barricade. Drilla hits the Drilla Killa on Kushida on the arena floor as he totally misses the ladder. He he expected to hit the ladder at that angle is confusing at say the least. Drilla is put on a table on the floor. Akira leaps onto TJP’s shoulders on the apron. TJP hoists, throws Akira for a senton drop on Drilla putting him through the table. Knight lays Connors on a ladder that is suspended between a standing ladder and the ropes. Eagles hits a 350 splash on Connors. The ladder doesn’t break.
Drilla delivers the Killa. Courtesy: NJPW.
TJP puts Fujita on his shoulders carrying him down from a ladder. Akira leaps off the ladder with a cutter on Fujita…or as they call it, the Leaning Tower. TJP spits the red mist into Eagles eyes as they both climb ladders. With Eagles, TJP leaps off a ladder putting him through a ladder balanced in the ropes. Kevin Knight leaps off the top of a ladder so he and Kushida can hit perfect timing on Drilla who by all rights should be in traction by now. They lay Drilla under the ladder so he cannot move or interfere. Drilla though powers out pushing the ladder with Knight on it. Knight falls hitting the ropes.
Akira, TJP, Fujita and Eagles end up on two ladders beside each other. They start throwing hands at each other. TJP and Eagles fall off the ladders. Fujita pulls down the belts making him the youngest IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion in history.
Winners: …and new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions, TMDK (Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita)
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Mayu Iwatani (c) vs. AZM – IWGP Women’s Championship Match
It is amazing that Stardom is on the card. Both AZM and Iwatani are so hyped as they make their entrances. Such a big moment for both of them. Tonight must be just a ball of insanity, in a good way, for the 22-year-old AZM. She began her wrestling training at just age 11. Stardom’s Momo Watanabe is on guest commentary for the Japanese team.
No hard feelings between AZM and Mayu Iwatani. Courtesy: NJPW.
The women begin with a slugfest in the middle of the ring. Both women have won more matches in Stardom than anyone. AZM takes Mayu down with a series of kicks and a kip-up to put an exclamation on things. AZM runs full speed across the ring, leaps onto the top rope and onto Mayu on the floor. Mayu drop kicks AZM into the ropes. Mayu frog splashes AZM for a two count from the top rope. AZM gets a two with a stomp from the top rope.
Mayu hits a shotgun drop kick from the top rope but misses a moonsault. AZM spikes Mayu with two Canadian Destroyers. Mayu barely kicks out. AZM dives off the top rope catching two boots to the face. AZM’s mouth is bleeding. Mayu has bruising under her right eye.
Tombstone Piledriver and a moonsault from the top rope by Mayu. AZM kicks out. Mayu pins AZM seconds later though with her version of a German Suplex.
Winner: …and still IWGP Women’s Champion, Mayu Iwatani.
Match Rating: 7.5 / 10
Ren Narita (c) vs. Jeff Cobb vs. Ryohei Oiwa vs. El Phantasmo – Four-way, NJPW TV Title Match
Cobb flies high. Courtesy: NJPW.
As per the TV Championship matches, that match has a 15 minute time limit. Too much action to call although TJP starts the match by leaping through the ropes on Narita. Narita starts choking everyone and raking their eyes. Oiwa suplexes Narita over the ropes to the floor. ELP walks the ropes while holding Cobb’s arm. Cobb punches him in the face. ELP falls landing on Oiwa and Narita on the floor.
Cobb does the impossible. He dives over the top rope splashing everyone on the floor. WOW! Oiwa is able to muscle Cobb up for a suplex slam. As Cobb poweslams Oiwa, Oiwa suplexes ELP from the second rope. Crazzzy!
As Narita crawls around the ring trying to pin anyone and everyone, ELP kicks out sending Narita into the official. The dazed official rolls to the floor. Narita retrieves his push-up board. Jado takes it away. Everyone beats the hell out of Narita. He rolls out of the ring.
ELP is your new TV champion. Courtesy: NJPW.
Cobb throws ELP halfway across the ring with an F5. Iowa lifts up Cobb for a Doctor Bomb on Cobb. Narita pulls the official out of the ring as Oiwa goes for the pin. Narita clobbers Oiwa with the push-up bar. He tries to hit Cobb. Cobb stops him cold hurling him across the ring. Cobb has the board. Cobb breaks the board over his knee. Holy shit! Narita punches Cobb in the “lower abdomen”. Cobb fights back with a Tour of the Islands on Narita. ELP flies across the ring with a senton on Cobb, a dive on Oiwa on the floor and Thunder Kiss ’76 on Narita for the pin.
Winner: …and new NJPW TV Champion…ELP.
Rating: 8 / 10
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Evil – Lumberjack Match – Tanahashi must retire if he loses
A creepy organist plays in Evil. Evil has an enhanced ELP-like theme song, lots of synthesizer. House of Torture parades Evil to the ring as they will be his lumberjacks. The Ace has a new haircut courtesy of Evil. He brings his lumberjacks to the ring with him too.
The crowd roars and cheers for Tanahashi. The official admonishes both men as they grab hold of each other’s hair. The Ace plays some air guitar after body splashing Evil. Evil bails to the side with his House of Torture pals. They pull a chair out for him to sit on, fan him and give him some water. Togo distracts The Ace from the apron. Evil throws him over the top rope. Ace skins the cat kicking Togo into the ringside barricade. As The Ace attempts to flip himself back into the ring Evil bites his calf and gives him a leg whip in the ropes. The Ace falls to the floor. House of Torture attack him. The Ace’s lumberjacks rush over to even the odds.
Evil locks up The Ace. Courtesy: NJPW.
Evil bounces The Ace off the steel post. Evil hits his one man band chair shot on The Ace. He stares into the audience after the imaginary baseball he sent out of the arena. Master Wato is held by the House as Evil spray-paints his chest. As the action returns to the ring, Evil chokes out The Ace with a chain. The Ace is clotheslined into an exposed turnbuckle and dropped to the mat with a Fisherman’s Suplex for a two count. The Ace takes out Togo on the apron with a basement drop kick. He then stuns Evil with a flying forearm smash. The rest of Evil’s lumberjacks are knocked off the apron as well. The crowd cheers. A senton gets The Ace a two count.
Evil telegraphs a slingblade so he bails from the ring scampering up the ramp. Oleg rushes over, picks up Evil and throws him back into the ring. Evil begs off. The Ace lifts up Evil for a suplex but Evil grabs onto the official so The Ace cannot lift all that weight. The angry official actually slugs Evil in the face. The Ace lands Twist and Shout. As The Ace bounces off the ropes Evil pitches the official into him.
The House floods the ring keeping The Ace’s lumberjacks out. The Ace is stomped and kicked into the mat. Togo hits his chop to the “lower abdomen” on The Ace. Togo chokes out The Ace with his garotte. Toru Yano breaks that up. Tiger Mask is whipped off the ropes by The House. He flies through the ropes knocking Yujiro into the barricade. Oleg double suplexes both Kanemaru and Sho. Wato splashes them on the floor.
A new official arrive. The Ace goes for a Stinger Splash. Evil dodges so that he hits the exposed turnbuckle. A running clothesline doesn’t take The Ace down. Evil labels him with another. The Ace won’t go down. A third takes him down for a two count. The Ace reverses Everything is Evil. Dragon Suplex, Slingblade for a two count. The Ace goes to the top rope. The Ace hits Ace’s High but when he goes for High Fly Flow, Evil pushes the official into the ropes. The Aces loses his balance. Togo throws powder, salt in The Ace’s eyes.
Evil nails a superplex and Darkness Falls for a two count. Evil puts The Ace in a Scorpion Death Lock. The Ace won’t tap out. Evil lets go and admonishes the official. Evil drags The Ace to his feet. He clotheslines him. The Ace don’t move. He slaps Evil in the face. Evil clotheslines him to the canvass. Evil lands Everything Is Evil but The Ace rolls him up for a three count.
Shibata challenges The Ace. Courtesy: NJPW.
The House attacks everyone. Togo starts choking him again. Katsuyori Shibata dives into the ring wearing an AEW hoodie. The House flees the ring. He helps The Ace up to his feet. He demands a microphone.
“If you aren’t tired how about we have a match tomorrow?” asks Shibata extending his hand.
“I have NEVER been tired. Let’s do it!” replies The Ace shaking Shibata’s hand.
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi
Rating: 7.5 / 10
AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita vs. NJPW Never Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi – Title vs. Title Match
Konosuke Takeshita is now a double champion. Courtesy: NJPW.
The match opens with a shoulder block extravaganza. Konosuke roars off the ropes like a freight train taking Shingo down with a flying shoulder tackle. Shingo does the same to him seconds later. Shingo throws some forearms. Konosuke smiles asking for more. Shingo hits Konosuke. Konosuke fires back knocking Shingo to the mat. Senton off the second rope gets a two count for Konosuke. Shingo spikes Konosuke with a Death Valley Driver on the floor. Shingo superplexes Konosuke and hits him with a sliding clothesline for a two count. They punish each other with suplex after suplex. A clothesline takes rattles Shingo’s brain. A Bastard Driver, a German Suplex by Konosuke but he runs into a clothesline from Shingo. Konosuke kicks out of Made in Japan. Hurricanrana from the top rope and a running knee strike has Shingo kicking out before the official can slap a one count. Shingo kicks out of a Thunder Bomb. Shingo hoists up Kokosuke for Last of the Dragon but has no energy to pin him. Poisonrana and a forearm to the back of the Shingo’s head. A head butt to the jaw knocks Konosuke back into the ropes. He returns fire with a knee strike to the head. Takagi gets right back up with a Pumping Bomber on Konosuke. Konosuke nails him with an elbow strike. Shingo kicks out. Konosuke pins Shingo with a Cinnabomb.
Winner: …and new NJPW Never Openweight Champion, Konosuke Takeshita.
Rating: 8 / 10
Douki vs. El Desperado – IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match
El Desperado looks on at a fallen Douki. Courtesy: NJPW.
Shido Nakamura, a famed Japanese kabuki and film actor, comes out before Douki, whipping his really long hair around. Douki appears with an explosion. Douki and Nakamura bump fists before they head to the ring. Nakamura holds the ropes open for Douki. Streamers come out of Douki’s hands as he poses with his title.
Much of the action is far too quick to call. Both men want to make an impact on the card, at the event. That is abundantly clear. Douki dives into Desperado sending him into the steel barricade. Douki goes to throw Desperado back into the ring. Desperado reverses things, chucks Douki into the barricade, jumps back into the ring, flies out onto Douki but hits his ankles on the steel barricade as he does. Desperado flips the Douki Chokey into a cloverleaf submission.
Douki leaps off the top rope for a Douki Bomb on the floor sending Desperado into the steel barricade. Douki ends up trying to stop his landing with his hand but the force of the fall, sudden stop bends his elbow the wrong way, very, very badly. Douki is severely injured. The match is called.
Desperado calls for the microphone. He praised Douki for putting it all on the line tonight. Desperado explains that he will not apologize for winning the title though. It was inevitable.
“We will do this again and I hope you will all be there to see it!” said Desperado to the disappointed crowd.
Winner: …and new IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, El Desperado.
Rating: N/A
David Finlay vs. Yota Tsuji – IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship Match
Tsuji comes out dressed as a gangster of sorts. Finlay carries a massive gatling gun. He fires it off as fireworks explode. Does any really care about David Finlay or this match? He has to be the most useless Bullet Club leader of all time. Can we have someone else please? A backbreaker sends him to the floor. Tsuji dives through the ropes. Finlay catches him smashing his back into the ring apron then shoulder tackles him into the barricade. Tsuji dives backwards over the ropes crushing Finlay. Finlay clotheslines Tsuji over the top rope to the floor. Finlay runs Tsuji into the steel ring post. Finlay clears off the time keeper’s table slamming Tsuji through it. Tsuji barely makes it back into the ring. Forearms to the face have Finlay staggered. A head butt drives him down to his knee. Tsuji curb stomps Finlay. Finlay flips a Gene Blaster into Overkill for a two count. Tsuji halts another Overkill with a boot to the jaw. Powerbomb, Gene Blaster, Tsuji wins.
Winner: …and new IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, Yota Tsuji.
Rating: 7 / 10
Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiromu Takahashi
Naito stands tall. Courtesy: NJPW.
Hiromu comes to the ring wearing some massive outfit like the mascot of a baseball team. Naito raises his hand in the air for the LIJ salute. Hiromu thinks about it, smiles and turns his back on Naito leaving him hanging. Naito and Hiromu bounce off the ropes. Naito strikes his ‘Tranquillo’ pose in the middle of the ring. Hiromu attempts to drop kick him but misses. Naito drop kicks him in the face instead. Naito puts Hiromu in a leg lock submission. Hiromu reaches the ropes. Naito refuses to break the hold. Hiromu lays in some chops. Naito spits in his face. Naito takes down Hiromu with a delayed neckbreaker and then poses again. Hiromu powerbombs Naito off the apron to the arena floor. A German Suplex in the ring has Naito seeing stars. Naito barely kicks out of a Time Bomb.
Naito delivers elbows over and over to Hiromu before hitting Destino. Hiromu kicks out at two. Hiromyh blocks another with a Time Bomb. Naito kicks out at two. Naito lands 35 or so elbows to Hiromu’s neck. The assault drives Hiromu to his knees. Shotgun drop kick by Hiromu and a Destino. Time Bomb 2 has Naito kicking out at two. Naito fights back with another Destino. Hiromu kicks out again.
Naito slams Hiromu down. He looks to be going to the top rope. Hiromu grabs Naito’s boot. Naito slaps him in the face. Naito hits Valencia and another Destino for the three count. Naito stands over Hiromu and does the LIJ salute again. Hiromu bows to Naito.
Winner: Tetsuya Naito
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Shota Umino – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match
Winner: …
Rating: 6 /10
Top Photo: Zack remains your champion. Courtesy: NJPW
Wrestle Kingdom 19
Wrestle Kingdom 19 started out strong and then its second half was a flop. Accidents happen and I wish Douki all the best. It is was heart-breaking to see his 2025 start that way after an amazing 2024. Finlay and Tsuji didn’t have any passion or heat. It was just a match. Naito and Hiromu are two of my all-time faves ever but their match was so lackluster. It was a massive disappointment after what we have come to expect from those two, two of the best of their generation. The main event was the dreary, tedious nonsense I thought it would be. Zack’s style is only appreciated by select fans and Umino was not ready for main event billing although he was decent in the match itself. Wrestle Kingdom 19 is indicative of NJPW’s continued woes. Although they have a lot of bright, young talent they are not pushing the ones who should be pushed and the promotion has a severe lack of star power to draw fans in. Umino versus Zack was a huge mistake and keeping Zack as champion just compounds NJPW’s issues. NJPW remains directionless.
