A number of AEW superstars anchored NJPW’s King of Pro-Wrestling event today.
While Konosuke Takeshita teamed with Toru Yano to face the House of Torture (Ren Narita & Shun Skywalker) and Gabe Kidd defended the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship against Shota Umino, AEW World Champion Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley made their presences felt as well.
After The United Empire (Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan and HENARE) lost the NEVER to Unbound Co. (OSKAR, Yuto-Ice and Jeff Cobb), Callum Newman came into the ring attacking Oskar with a steel chair.
The rest of United Empire swarmed Cobb at ringside. Newman took out his sword. Will Ospreay attempted to stop him and Newman blindly took a swing at him. Ospreay shoved Newman. Ospreay and Newman got face to face. Ospreay read Newman the riot act. Newman put the sword to Ospreay’s throat. Ospreay dared Newman to “do it”. Newman walked away throwing the sword at Ospreay’s feet. Ospreay kicked it out of the ring.
“Congratulations, well done! I just want you to know we would still have those championships if the referee was doing his job,” Ospreay said to Ice challenging Ice and Oskar to a IWGP Tag Team Championship match on November 3rd.
Ice accepted asking Ospreay who his partner would be? Ospreay didn’t have an answer off the top of his head so Ice offered to pick Ospreay’s partner for him.
“We choose Callum,” said Ice.
Ospreay wasn’t the only AEW superstar to show up. So did Jon Moxley via video after Shingo Takagi and Daiki Nagai defeated Hirooki Goto and Tatsuya Matsumoto. Takagi used the Death Rider on Matsumoto to do so.
“The Death Riders ride east. Jon Moxley returns to NJPW,” Moxley said with Marina Shafir in the background.
Takagi responded: “What the hell does that video mean? You didn’t even mention my name. If he is coming to Japan, put me in a match with Jon Moxley. I will show him the strength of a man Made in Japan.”
In the main event, Yota Tsuji put the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line against Ryohei Oiwa who was awarded the match after winning the G1 Climax Tournament.
Oiwa walks out wearing a Hiroyoshi Tenzan inspired mask and the G4 trophy.
Oiwa put Tsuji in his big headlock for minutes and minutes on end but Tsuji finally got back to his feet. Tsuji pops up after a suplex from Oiwa and a Zack Driver. Oiwa goes for the Grip but Tsuji counters with a Fire Blaster. Tsuji runs at Oiwa for his Gene Blaster but gets clotheslined. Tsuji kicks out of the Grip. Tsuji gets a two with another Fire Blaster. Tsuji pins him with a Gene Blaster to retain.
Tsuji’s celebration was cut short by a video of Kenny Omega. Omega announces he is back.
“New stars have been born in NJPW and there is a champion the world can be proud of: Tsuji. I cannot help but feel a little confused. You didn’t want to come to Forbidden Door and wouldn’t go to America. I am supposed to respect you as the champion?” he asks.
Omega says the “I” in IWGP means international.
“Isn’t it weird to call yourself the World Champion and not being willing to travel the world? Because this is a 50/50 relationship (with AEW) I will bring the challenge to you. I am not a hard man to find and I’ve got nothing but time,” says Omega asking Tsuji to set this match up.
Tsuji says anyone who is willing to come to Japan can try and fight him. He accepts the challenge.
Boltin Oleg enters the ring to get in Tsuji’s face but…out comes Kenny Omega, with an AEW jacket! He gives Oleg a Dragon Suplex and does the same to Tsuji. He then gives Tsuji a One-Winged Angel as fans boo. He holds the belt up high and drops it on Tsuji.
NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2026
Unbound Co. (Shingo Takagi and Daiki Nagai) vs. Hirooki Goto and Tatsuya Matsumoto
Not much to see here. Matsumoto takes all that Takagi can dish out and hits back as best that he can but…Takagi hits a Pumping Bomber and pulls up Matsumoto from the pin. Death Rider for the win.
Winners: Shingo Takagi and Daiki Nagai
Yuya Uemura, Taichi and El Desperado vs. House of Torture (SANADA, Yujiro Takahashi and Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Surprise. Surprise. The House doesn’t jump start the match. Are they getting soft? Hmmmm. Kanemaru goes for his whiskey bottle which draws the attention of the official. Yujiro brings his cane into the ring. Tachi ducks kicking Yujiro in the face. Taichi pins him with Black Mephisto. Kanemaru and Taichi have a staredown.
Winners: Yuya Uemura, Taichi and El Desperado
Hechicero and Boltin Oleg vs. Zack Sabre Jr. and Hartley Jackson
Oleg pins Jackson with a Kamikaze. Hechicero and ZSJ share some words after the match. Hechicero holds his CMLL World Heavyweight Championship up high.
Winners: Hechicero and Boltin Oleg
Konosuke Takeshita & Toru Yano vs. House of Torture (Ren Narita & Shun Skywalker)
Narita and Skywalker attack Takeshita and Yano from behind as they are making their entrance. Takeshita breaks up Togo trying to do his chop from the top rope. Narita holds the official as Sanada and Kanemaru rush the ring. They lay a beatdown on Takeshita. Takeshita ducks and Kanemaru spits whiskey into Sanada’s face. Takeshita dives over the top rope onto Kanemaru and Sanada.
As Narita holds the official in a headlock, Dick Togo hits his chop on Yano from the top rope. Skywalker tries to hit Yano with the TV championship as Togo distracts the official. Yano ducks, hits a double low blow on Narita and Skywalker. He pushes Skywalker into Togo and does the same. Yano rolls up Skywalker for the win. Skywalker kicks the belt along the floor to the back.
Winners: Konosuke Takeshita & Toru Yano
The United Empire (Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan & HENARE) vs. Unbound Co. (OSKAR, Yuto-Ice & Jeff Cobb) (c) – NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship
Cobb grabs Ospreay so he cannot leap off the top rope so he dives onto Cobb. Oskar and Khan battle on the floor. Ice and Henare trade blows in the ring. Henare leaps into the air for his head butt. Ice moves out of the way and Henare hits Khan instead. Henare is pinned with Ice and Oskar’s KOB.
Winners: …and new NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions…Unbound Co. (OSKAR, Yuto-Ice & Jeff Cobb)
Aaron Wolf (c) vs. Kosei Fujita – NEVER Openweight Championship Match
Fujita attempts to hoist Wolf on his shoulders. Wolf escapes and they trade blows. Wolf gives Fujita the Angle Slam. Fujita kicks out but is pinned by a Northern Lights Bomb.
Winner: …and still NEVER Openweight Champion, Aaron Wolf
Gabe Kidd (c) vs. Shota Umino – IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
Umino gets right in Kidd’s face as he enters the ring. The official has to wave Umino off. Umino drop kicks him as soon as he steps through the ropes. Kidd bails to the floor. Umino clobbers Kidd with a cannonball off the apron. Kidd starts biting Umino bringing in the official. Kidd shoves him to the ground.
Umino bounces Kidd off the ringside barricades. Kidd takes the title belt off the announce table hitting Umino in the head with it. When the official confronts Kidd he throws him over the barricade and onto the announce table. Kidd climbs up on the apron and throws the belt to the floor. A piece of it breaks off.
Umino gets back to his feet bleeding from the forehead. Kidd bites Umino’s forehead. Kidd moonsaults off the top rope onto Umino. Kidd suplexes Umino onto the ring apron. Kidd sets up a table on the floor. Umino blocks being suplexed on the table and powerbombs Kidd through it instead to a roar from the crowd.
When Kidd gets to his feet he has a deep gash, cut on his back. Blood is streaming down this back. Umino bounces Kidd off a steel post. Kidd is now bleeding from the forehead. As Kidd is slumped in corner, Umino hits Kidd from behind with a running knee. Umino suplexes Kidd off the second ropes for a two count. Back in the ring, they get into a hockey brawl throwing punches and palm strikes.
Kidd piledrives Umino and then pins him with his own finishing move, the Second Chapter (a scoop brainbuster).
Taichi enters the ring. He tells Kidd he doesn’t have the right to come to NJPW and do what he pleases.
“This is a New Japan Pro Wrestling and you don’t belong in it. The next time you step in the ring will be your last. I will end you,” he says.
Winner: …and still IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, Gabe Kidd.
YOH (c) vs. Robbie Eagles – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match
I will ask again why hasn’t anyone signed Eagles to a contract? Eagles focuses on Yoh’s leg and knee. Yoh escapes the Ron Miller Special but stumbles and falls as he tries to charge ahead. Eagles escapes the Anaconda Vice. Eagles super kicks Yoh’s knee and leg over and over. Yoh rolls Eagles up with his Five Star Clutch to retain.
Winner: …and still IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, YOH.
Yota Tsuji (c) vs. Ryohei Oiwa – IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match
Winner: …and still IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Yota Tsuji
