Although it was claimed that Wrestle Dynasty was a celebration of wrestling it was more of Forbidden Door 2.0 with NJPW superstars taking on AEW talent. The one big surprise of the night was that The Young Bucks won the IWGP Tag Team Championship for the second time in their careers. Perhaps The Bucks haven’t been too thrilled with the reception they have been getting so they decided to head over to Japan to revive their popularity. Who knows?
What I do know is just like making Moxley their IWGP World Heavyweight Champion last year giving the belts to The Bucks is creative admitting they don’t have any confidence in their own talent or getting over that talent and that right now NJPW has a popularity vacuum to fill. They don’t have many breakout stars or big names.
After being absent from in-ring action for exactly one year and one month, Kenny Omega made his return to action at Dynasty taking on…Gabe Kidd? Now, Kidd is an up and coming star but again, there are so many other NJPW talent who could have made for a real marque match-up. Still, I must say, this match surprised the hell out of me and so did Kidd. Kidd more than held his own in the match. He is surely ready for that next step in his career. I just think they jumped the gun with Omega. Omega though didn’t miss a beat. He looked as good as ever, as if he had never been away from the squared circle. This is a Match of the Year candidate for sure.
Kidd and Omega go nose to nose. Courtesy: NJPW.
Gabe was accompanied to the ring by his fellow War Dogs Clark Connors and Drilla Maloney. Omega got a massive welcome from fans in the Tokyo Dome. Before he stepped through the ropes Omega seemed to take a moment to reflect on things as he closed his eyes, held those ropes tightly.
Like boxers both men danced around the ring throwing punches with Omega scoring a couple of shots.
“F–k you, bitch! Let’s go!” snapped Kidd.
Kidd muscled Omega into the ropes. Omega dropped elbows on him. Kidd knocked Omega down with a shoulder tackle. They both exchanged boots to the head and then went head-to-head getting personal as they tried to intimidate one another. They traded chops to the chest back and forth. Omega splashes Kidd in a corner and then executes his “You cannot escape!” moonsault for a two count. Omega slapped and kicked Kidd in the face. Kidd yelled at Omega to: Bring it!
Omega picked his shots pummeling Kidd in the ropes. The crowd actually booed Omega. Kidd began firing back. Kidd suplexed Omega and himself over the top rope to the floor below.
Kidd rammed Omega into the ring and into the steel barricade over and over again. Kidd took the time keeper’s table placing beside another table. A running drop kick from inside the ring knocked Kidd into the barricade. Omega then splashed him on the floor.
Kenny Omega flies. Courtesy: NJPW.
Omega appeared to clutch at his gut and his ribs. The commentators made a point of highlighting that. Not sure why. As someone who has had diverticulitis but not the “complicated” kind that requires surgery like Omega did, it isn’t abdominal pain in that sense, like a sore or torn muscle, so it doesn’t really make sense working that into this match. A bout of that illness is incredibly brutal though, let me say that much.
Omega smashes Kidd’s head off the ring apron over and over. He raises his hand and the crowd boos Omega once again. Bizarre that.
Omega backdrops Kidd on the apron. Kidd bounces off the ropes to the floor. Omega punished Kidd with a Dragon Suplex on the arena floor. As Omega hoisted Kidd up many in the crowd clapped along with him but many also booed him. Omega powerbombed Kidd over the railing and through the announce table.
The official paused the match calling for assistance. Connors and Maloney rushed over to their fallen friend. Omega wandered over, cleared the pieces of the broken table away, leaned Kidd up against the barricade pummeling him. Kidd is busted open. The crowd boos Omega again.
Omega leaps off the ring apron, over the barricade, hitting all the officials as well as Kidd. Everyone is down for quite some time. Omega kicks away a Young Lion who hands him an ice pack to put on his hip. Omega barks that he was too slow. The crowd boos him again. Omega throws the ice pack at Kidd.
A table comes into play. Courtesy: NJPW.
This fires a bloody Kidd up. He lays in some body shots and beats Omega with a steel chair across the back. He rams Omega into a steel post. Kidd pulls a table out from under the ring.
“Kill that motherf—-r!” shout the War Dogs encouraging Kidd on.
Kidd attempts to suplex Omega through the table. Omega grabs onto the ringside barricade. Kidd breaks Omega’s grip though and Omega goes through the table. Kidd breaks what’s left of the table in half smashing it over Omega’s head. The War Dogs go mental cheering on Kidd.
Kidd throws steel chairs into the ring. He bites the cut on Omega’s head. Omega is brought to his feet. He is literally gushing blood.
Back in the ring, Omega slams Kidd on a pile of steel chairs. Kidd suplexes Omega from the second rope onto the chairs. Both men are bloody and both men are down.
Kidd works over Omega’s abdomen with a steel chair. Omega battles back with a head butt. Kidd immediately stands up from a Dragon Suplex smashing a steel chair over Omega’s head twice. For some reason Kidd throws away the chair. Omega hits Kidd twice in the head with a chair.
Omega brings in an equalizer. Courtesy: NJPW.
Both men get to their feet and with the crowd cheering on they trade haymakers. Omega splatters Kidd on the floor with his Terminator Dive. Omega just nails Kidd with a missile drop kick to the back of the head off the top rope. As Kidd lays stunned in a corner Omega hits him with a V-Trigger. Omega lays out Kidd with a Dragon Suplex from the top rope. Omega gets a two count. Omega raises his hand in victory after a Jay Driller. Kidd kicks out.
Omega lifts Kidd up for a One-Winged Angel but drops him. He tries again. Kidd reverses it into an abdominal stretch. Kidd piledrives Omega for a two count. He tries it again but Omega drapes his leg over the ropes breaking the count. A kamigoye and a One-Winged Angel pins Kidd.
In the not-so main event after Omega and Kidd crazy bout, ‘Mr. Excitement’ Zack Sabre Jr. put the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Ricochet. I must say I have not been impressed by Ricochet’s recent behaviour on social media. He comes off as whiny and some would dare say even entitled?
Yes, Ricochet is a superhero brought to life. He can do things that are unimaginable and amazing but being a main event star is about more than that. It is about having that charisma that engages people through promos, scripted segments and a whole lot more. That is where Ricochet is not as gifted and never has been. That is not a slight against the man. It is just the reality, this coming from a person who has the math skills of a fourth grader. We all have to know our strengths and our weaknesses, be honest about them to progress in our careers and life in general.
Sabre at his most electrifying. Courtesy: NJPW.
Ricochet has one thing going for him in this match though. His energy makes Sabre Jr. look like the department store mannequin he is in the ring.
Ricochet starts things off kicking Sabre off the apron as he poses for the crowd during his entrance. The crowd is booing Ricochet already. Ricochet is in constant motion with dives, flips and drop kicks on Sabre who hasn’t even gotten his jacket off yet. A 450 splash gets Ricochet a two count. Sabre slows down Ricochet tying him up in the ropes kicking at him.
Ricochet leaps off the barricade on the floor. Sabre catches him in a cravat lock. Lots of submission moves and kicks from Sabre. Ricochet has to smash Sabre into a corner to free himself from a sleeper.
Ricochet suplexes Sabre on the ring apron, holds onto Sabre, suplexes him on the arena floor. The two get into a slapping match. What is with these guys and slapping each other not punching each other?
Red Shoes admonishes Ricochet for using closed fists? So glad he wasn’t around during the last match. Sabre wins with a straight-jacket submission. The Sabre Borefest Tour continues.
Wrestle Dynasty 2025 Results
Persephone vs. Athena vs. Willow Nightingale vs. Momo Watanabe – International Women’s Cup Match
Momo Watanabe cracks Athena with her bat. Courtesy: NJPW.
Stardom’s Thekla accompanies Momo to the ring. Persephone means “bringer of destruction” in Greek. Lots to call. Too much to call. Willow crushes Momo from corner to corner. An Argentine Breaker sends Momo rolling out of the ring. Persephone picks up and slams Willow. Momo tries to bring her bat into the ring. Willow pushes Athena into Persephone’s spear. Willow splashes and covers both Momo and Persephone. Momo takes Willow out with double knees on the floor. Athena leaps onto both Momo and Willow on the floor. Persephone does so as well. Willow pounces Athena right out of the ring. Athena slams Persephone on the apron. Thekla pulls the official out of the ring when Athena hits her stunner on Willow stopping the count. The official argues with Thekla demanding she go to the back. Momo takes advantage of the distractions hitting a homerun with her bat and Athena’s skull. Momo pins Athena with the Peach Sunrise suplex.
Winner: Momo Watanabe
Rating: 7.5 / 10
The Sons of Texas (Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes) (c) vs. House of Torture (Yoshinobu Kanemaru and SHO) – ROH Tag Team Championship Match
Dustin Rhodes spits Kanemaru’s own whiskey into his face. Courtesy: NJPW.
Guevara is wearing what looks like Wolverine ring gear. As Dustin shakes Sho’s hand Kanemaru attacks from behind. Guevara hits a flying body press from the top rope then leaps onto Kanemaru on the floor. Sho removes one of the turnbuckle pads. Sho whips Sammy chest-first into that buckle. Dustin is goaded into coming into the ring. Sho and Kanemaru whip Dustin into the exposed buckle too. House of Torture work over Sammy not letting him tag out. Sho retrieves one of the RoH tag belts and stomps on it in the middle of the ring. Dustin hot-tags in clotheslining everyone in his way delivering scoop powerslams to the House as the crowd cheers him on. Kanemaru attacks Dustin’s knee with drop kick after drop kick. Kanemaru splashes Dustin’s knee. Sammy nails Sho with a cutter. Dustin takes a drink from Kanemaru’s bottle spitting the whiskey in his face. Finale Reckoning from Dustin and a splash from Sammy puts Kanemaru away.
Winners: …and still ROH Tag Team Champions, The Sons of Texas (Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes).
Rating: 7 / 10
Lucha Gauntlet Match
Mascara Dorada flies high. Courtesy: NJPW.
The first pinfall or submission wins the matcb. Hechicero and Kosei Fujita are the first to enter.
The other entrants are:
Soberano Jr.
Master Wato
Mascara Dorada
Taiji Ishimori
Titan
El Desperado
Everyone watches as Desperado makes his way down the ramp. They rush out to meet the new champion. They all begin hitting him with their finishing moves in the ring one by one.
Walker: It is like we are in the Dojo running drills tonight. Each take their turn splashing all the others on the floor.
Fujita has Desperado in a submission. Ishimori throws the official into Fujita. He pins El Desperado with a Superman pin. Ishimori and Fujita push and shove after the match.
Winner: Taiji Ishimori
Rating: 6 / 10
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata – Special Exhibition Match
Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuyori Shibata trade chops. Courtesy: NJPW.
Not much of a match and quite frankly a total waste of time. There is only five minutes on the clock and both men waste a lot of the time just jockeying for position back and forth. They then trade chops back and forth for the rest of the time limit. They shake hands and hug. Does this count as a Worst Match of the Year?
Winner: No Decision
Rating: 0 / 10
Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Mina Shirakawa (c) – NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship & RPW Undisputed British Women’s Championship
It is great to see Stardom’s Mina breakout in 2024. Her talent has gone unnoticed in Stardom for far too long. Mone puts Mina in the Bank Statement early on. Mina reaches the ropes though. Mone drop kicks Mina through the ropes. She then splashes Mina on the floor. Mone climbs to the top rope. Mina slaps her in the face and slams her to the mat. Mina works over Mone’s leg smashing it around a steel post and then putting it in a figure four around the post. Mina works over the knee with several knee breakers. Mone fights back with a back breaker and forearms in a corner. Mina is prone in the corner. She gets those double knees from Mone.
Mone tries another double knee drop. Mina catches her damaging the knee more smashing it into the mat and with a figure four. Mone hits a facebreaker but hurts her knee again. Both women trade haymakers while on their knees. Mone knee buckles on an attempted Money Maker. Mina spikes Mone with a tornado DDT. Mone lands the Three Amigo suplexes.
Mone wins it all. Courtesy: NJPW.
Mina hits a DDT off the top rope. While Mina has Mone in a figure four the women trade punches and slaps. Mone reaches the ropes to break the hold. Mina gets a two count with a implant DDT. Mone barely kicks out of Mina’s driver. Mina kicks out of two Code Breakers. Mone wins with the Money Maker. The crowd sighs. Mone offers her hand to Mina. Mina slaps it away.
Winner: …and new Rev Pro Undisputed British Women’s Champion and still NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion, Mercedes Moné.
Rating: 7 / 10
David Finlay vs. Brody King
Brody King hangs Finlay out to dry. Courtesy: NJPW.
King starts the match just tossing Finlay around. Finlay flees the ring after being chopped to the mat. Finlay starts targeting King’s knee with a shot block. Finlay clotheslines King and himself over the top rope. King catches Finlay as he dives out of the ring. Finlay reverses a whip into the ropes. Finlay charges in. King moves out of the way. Finlay collides with the barricade. King body splashes Finlay into the barricade.
King chops and haymakers Finlay around the ring. Finlay running shoulder tackles King into the barricade. He then leaps off the top rope knocking King into the steel railing. A Death Valley Driver back in the ring scores King a two count. King lands four or five haymakers knocking Finlay to the mat. King piledrives Finlay for a two count. King slams Finlay into a corner and then hits a running cannon ball. Finlay hits Snake Eyes, a powerbomb and Overkill for the win.
Winner: David Finlay
Rating: 8 / 10
Shota Umino vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio tells Shota he is Number One. Courtesy: NJPW.
Like Wrestle Kingdom, Umino drives down to the ring on a motorcycle. Claudio attacks Umino from behind as Umino makes his entrance. Claudio punches and hammers Umino all the way down the ramp to the ring. Umino begins no-selling and shoving Claudio. Claudio bails to the floor. He catches Umino who jumps off the top rope. He slams him back-first into the steel post and the ringside barricade. He lifts him up dropping Umino on the barricade. Holding his chest and ribs in pain Umino makes it back to the ring breaking the official’s count. Umino leaps over the top rope DDTing Claudio on the apron. He drapes Claudio over a barricade DDTing him on the arena floor. Coast-to-Coast and a Trident Slam for a two count on Claudio. Claudio hoists Umino on the top rope. He ends up just slamming him after whatever moves he was planning is botched. Claudio puts Umino in the Giant Swing for 20 revolutions. Umino DDTs Claudio off the top rope and lands a Hidden Blade. Umino kicks out of a Ricola Bomb. Umino pins Claudio with Death Rider. The crowd audibly groans. Claudio offers Umino his hand then flips him off.
Winner: Shota Umino
Rating: 7 / 10
Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii – NEVER Openweight Championship, AEW International Championship Match
Tomohiri Ishii and Konosuke Takeshita go head-to-head. Courtesy: NJPW.
Konosuke stomps, punches and kicks Ishii down. He gets a two count with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Konosuke hits a Falcon Arrow off the second rope for a two count. Bastard Driver, German Suplex and Ishii gets up as if nothing happened. Konosuke stands up from a German Suplex. Both men grab each other’s trunks and pound each other. Ishii lands a hurracanrana from the top rope. Konosuke drops Ishii with a brainbuster. Konosuke wins with Raging Fire.
Winner: …and still NEVER Openweight Champion, AEW International Champion, Konosuke Takeshita.
Rating: 8 / 10
Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb (c) vs. The Young Bucks (Matthew & Nicholas Jackson) vs. Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito – IWGP Tag Team Championship Match
They need to get a new opening for The United Empire. It still shows Will Ospreay’s name. I don’t know what The Young Bucks are wearing but they are dressed as clowns. It looks like they are there to workout or go deep sea fishing. I don’t know which to be honest. One of them is even wearing a pearl necklace around his neck and pearl ear rings. They have totally lost the plot. At least the crowd in Japan seems to acknowledge them unlike crowds in North America.
The Bucks and LIJ team up. Courtesy: NJPW.
Naito and Hiromu are still buddies even after their Wrestle Kingdom match. Hiromu and Cobb are just as sick of The Bucks as I am as they take a moment to stop fighting and knock them off the apron early on. The Bucks pull Hiromu out of the ring slamming him on the apron. The Bucks then leap onto everyone on the floor. Naito and Hiromu take over working over The Bucks. When Khan enters the match though he takes over clobbering everyone. The Bucks and LIJ work together to suplex Cobb off the second rope. The Bucks eventually spike Khan with a Meltzer Driver that totally misses as it always does.
Winner: …and new IWGP Tag Team Champions, The Young Bucks.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Yota Tsuji (c) vs. Jack Perry – IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
Perry takes a boot to the chops. Courtesy: NJPW.
Of all the people Tsuji could be fighting he is taking on Jack Perry? Is this a joke? Why not someone like Lance Archer, Brian Cage, Bobby Lashley, Powerhouse Hobbs? Another bad booking decision by NJPW, just as bad as having the Young Bucks as their tag champs. Tsuji leaps upon the second ropes. Perry drop kicks him to the floor. Perry attacks Tsuji from behind driving him into the barricade. He then whips Tsuji into the fencing. Perry slams Tsuji on the ring apron. Tsuji fights back with a Stinger Splash in a corner. They battle on the top rope with Tsuji giving Perry a massive Spanish Fly to the mat. Tsuji goes for his spear but Perry hits him with a running knee. Perry hits a running DDT for a two count. Perry shoves Tsuji into the official. He punches him in the “lower abdomen”. Tsuji kicks out though. Both men run the ropes. Tsuji hits his big spear for the three count.
Winner: …and still IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, Yota Tsuji.
Rating: 7 / 10
Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd
Winner: Kenny Omega
Rating: 9 / 10
Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Ricochet – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match
Winner: …and still IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Zack Sabre Jr.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Wrestle Dynasty Summary
This show was far better than Wrestle Kingdom mostly because of such surprises as Brody versus Finlay, Konosuke Takeshita vs. Tomohiro Ishii and that astounding Match of the Year candidate: Kidd versus Omega. It speaks to how talented Omega is that in his first match in over a year he puts in a MOTY performance. This event is worth it just to see that match alone.
NJPW is still making some questionable booking decisions though. They need to ignore whatever is holding them back. Push those breakthrough stars like Kidd, like Tsuji, like Oleg and others. Their biggest issue is though is that they don’t have the marquee talent that they used to and talent like The Bucks isn’t going to change that. They need to realize it just isn’t the talent you have but the booking decisions you make. 2025 seems like more of the same for NJPW rather than them beginning a new chapter which is disappointing for those who want the promotion to recapture its former glory.
