The retiring President and Ace of New Japan Pro Wrestling, Hiroshi Tanahashi, faced off with a special guest at the New Japan Road event.
The Ace’s first point of business was to fend off challenger Yuto-Ice of The Knock Out Brothers. He and Oskar are the current IWGP Tag Team Champions. Tanahashi took everything Ice had to offer for 20 minutes before pinning him with a flying body press and two High Fly Flows.
As The Ace celebrated in the ring, AEW’s current Continental, International, AEW Unified Champion and five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kazuchika Okada, came to the ring.
“Mr. Tanahashi, congratulations on your retirement and thank you for all your hard work,” he began.
“As long as The Rainmaker is here, it’s going to be the greatest retirement match in history! You know why? The level is completely different, you guys. Wrestle Kingdom at the Tokyo Dome, golden rain will fall!” said Okada revealing he will be Tanahashi final opponent in his final match.
Tanahashi and Okada’s rivalry in NJPW was the stuff of legend. The rivalry symbolizes a clash between eras: the veteran versus the rising superstar, who would define NJPW’s future. It was never about wins and losses between the two though. It was about pride and passing of the torch.
The official matches for Wrestle Kingdom are:
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada – Tanahashi’s Retirement Match
Evil (c) vs. Aaron Wolf – NEVER Openweight Championship Match
Saya Kamitani (Strong) vs. Syuri (IWGP) – Winner Takes All match for the IWGP Women’s Championship and Strong Women’s Championship
Konosuke Takeshita (World) vs. Yota Tsuji (Global) – Winner Takes All match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship and IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
New Japan Road in Anjo Results
Tatsuya Matsumoto versus Katsuya Murashima
Murashima makes Matsumoto submit to the Boston Crab.
Winner: Katsuya Murashima
Taichi and Masatora Yashuda versus Shoma Kato and Zane Jay
Taichi pins Kato with a side suplex.
Winners: Taichi and Masatora Yashuda
Oleg Boltin, Tomoaki Honma and Tiger Mask versus The United Empire (Great O-Khan, Callum Newman and Jakob Austin Young)
Young clobbers Honma with a running knee strike and his suplex, stunner deal for the win.
Winners: The United Empire (Great O-Khan, Callum Newman and Jakob Austin Young)
Shingo Takagi, Taiji Ishimori and Gedo versus House of Torture (DOUKI, SHO and Yujiro)
Douki gets the ref’s attention so that Yujiro can head butt Ishimori in the “lower abdomen”. Takagi and Gedo make the save sparking a brawl in the middle of the ring. Sho distracts the official. Douki goes for his pipe. Ishimori fights off Douki and Yujiro kicking them both in the “lower abdomen”. Ishimori gives Sho a pop-up kick in the testicles and a Bloody Cross for the three count. As Douki is heading to the back, El Desperado appears behind him. Douki turns tail and runs to the hills…without Bruce Dickinson and the rest of the band.
Winners: Shingo Takagi, Taiji Ishimori and Gedo
Yota Tsuji, OSKAR and Daiki Nagai versus Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura and Ryusuke Taguchi
Uemura makes Nagai submit with his arm lock. Oskar is so mad at Taguchi he chases him to the back tossing aside Young Lions who get in his way.
Winners: Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura and Ryusuke Taguchi
TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita and Hartley Jackson) versus Hirooki Goto, Taichi, YOSHI-HASHI and El Desperado
Hashi catches Jackson with a super kick to the face. Goto holds him in place for a spinning neckbreaker from Hashi. Jackson is pinned with Shoto (Lights Out).
Winners: Hirooki Goto, Taichi, YOSHI-HASHI and El Desperado
Master Wato, YOH and Toru Yano (c) vs. House of Torture (EVIL, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Dick Togo) – NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Championship Match
Olympic gold medalist judoka Aaron Wolf, Evil opponent at Wrestle Kingdom is on the floor with the Young Lions.
Togo shoves the official out of the ring. He tries to low-blow Yoh. Yoh blocks him. Wato flips over Togo. Yoh kicks Togo in the face. Wato puts Togo in his Rings of Saturn like submission. Evil pulls the official out of the ring. Kanemaru breaks the hold.
As Evil goes to to nail a fallen Wato with a steel chair Wolf covers him to protect him. Evil cracks Wolf with the chair across the back instead. Yano stops Evil from executing another shot. Yano punches Togo and Kanemaru in the testicles both at the same time, from behind. Yoh spits Kanemaru’s own whiskey into his face. Wato makes Togo submit to Vendaval. The faces thank Wolf for his help.
Winners: …and still NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Champions…Master Wato, YOH and Toru Yano.
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yuto-Ice
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi
