Osaka. The final stop before Fantastica Mania at the end of February and the 53rd Anniversary show on March 6th. The New Beginning marked the culmination of the post-Wrestle Kingdom and Wrestle Dynasty stories, continuing the forward-moving momentum for New Japan after the buzz generated from the likes of Gabe vs Kenny, the IWGP Jr Tag title match, Takeshita two-belts, and Goto’s last shot at eternal glory.
The Old Guard’s Last Stand:
Togi Makabe took on New Japan President, Hiroshi Tanahashi, in the opening contest of the main card in what felt like the final stand of the old guard. It’s a theme that feels will become a recurring one in Tanahashi’s final year as he has his final bouts with some of his biggest rivals throughout his career. Though they may not be the same physically, after years of injury and sacrificing their bodies, both Tana and Makabe’s drive to stoke reactions from the crowd remain eternal. With a few less than fluid moments, understandably, it was a flash finish that spelled the end for Makabe, succumbing to a European Clutch for the three-count in a match that won nostalgia points, but is a sad reminder that time seeing legends of the past compete is coming to an end sooner rather than later.
St Drilla and the Dragon:
A bout that marked the graduation of Drilla Maloney from Junior to Heavyweight–something that has felt a long time coming, considering the size he’s put on and the shape he’s been in, winning the New Japan Concurso at the tail-end of 2024.
Drilla shone in this match, his explosive offence taking down the multiple time-NEVER champion in his opponent. Both opponents went tit-for-tat with strikes and impact-based offence, even attempting each other’s finishing moves, as in the case of Drilla landing Made in Japan on Shingo for a near-fall. The finish came with Drilla countering Last of the Dragon, getting Takagi into position for the Drilla Killa for the shocking pinfall victory. This was by far one of his best singles matches in NJPW, presenting him as equal and ultimately better than Shingo on this night, picking up the win. Where he goes from here is an interesting proposition with the momentum from defeating a multiple time NEVER Openweight Champion and former World Heavyweight Champion on his side. My guess is he picks up further wins over established old-guard heavyweights in the New Japan Cup tour, for example, before challenging for the NEVER Openweight Title against (presumably) Takeshita, down the road.
Shooter Strikes Out:
Osaka made their thoughts loud and clear for this match, cheering for the Great-O-Khan (GOK) upon his entrance, contrasting this with their indifference and booing of ‘Shooter’ Shota Umino. That would continue throughout the match…
As a brief side-note, GOK retiring the KOPW Title and moving on to other stories has done wonders for his presentation and severing the cycle of fatigue of the title’s unseriousness that then affected the perception of the wrestlers vying for it. In other words, we’re free from seeing lemon-eating contests in a New Japan ring. In the time since its retirement, GOK has been able to shine as a foil of the likes of Umino, the devil on his shoulder telling him he’s not good enough, only reinforced by the finish and fallout of this match.
The finish in question came with GOK delivering a combination of moves to Umino in succession – a straight right hand, a flatliner, and finally the Eliminator for the pinfall in a ten-minute long match. A month ago Umino was in the Wrestle Kingdom main event, to a less than successful result in terms of the match itself and the fan reception to it globally and it was clear in Osaka, with the boos reverberating in the air at any moment Umino sought to gain some semblance of offence.. Umino has needed a reset for a long time – better late than never. As GOK went to take the clippers to Umino, Umino stopped him, taking the clippers to his own head, right down the middle, leaving the ring despondent. As I said, a much-needed reset for Shota, a similar arc to that of Yuya Uemura and his shaved-arc, so to speak. Hopefully, this leads to Shota ditching the amalgamation of other wrestlers his aesthetic was based on and finding out who *he* is.
Cold-Blooded Meets the Heat Storm:
The shortest match of the night, Taichi vs. SANADA, a contest filled with House of Torture-esque shenanigans (low blows, ref bumps, etc). Sanada once again introduced a new look, entering with lit-up speakers on his shoulders and a guitar in-hand, clearly channelling both his inner Jeff Jarrett and ManLikeDereiss. This match was inoffensive, in my book, nothing mind-boggling and nothing that made me question my interest in pro-wrestling. The match itself came to an end with Sanada grabbing the referee while on Taichi’s shoulders, throwing them to the wayside, providing ample opportunity to land a low blow and Deadfall for the three-count win.
Post-match, Ishimori and Sanada attacked Taichi and Michinoku, scouting Taichi for a guitar-shot shot to the head, Ishimori screaming “GET HIM” repeatedly, like the gremlin he is. They were interrupted, as the crowd erupted seeing a figure sprint down the ramp and into the ring. This figure? Yuya Uemura. Uemura, not seen since 2024’s G1 climax tournament, entered and struck with deep arm drags to the Bullet Club representatives, sending them packing. No doubt, this will lead to a future match against his former Just 5 Guys stablemate at the anniversary show in early March. The Heat Storm’s back for blood.
Young Punks! (Still) Hold Gold!:
Following their win at Wrestle Kingdom, the Ichiban Sweet Boys sought to defend their titles against Roppongi Re-Vice (Rocky Romero and YOH). Prior to the match, there was some emphasis on Romero’s lacking presence on the New Beginning preview events on commentary, also noted by Robbie Eagles before the opening bell. It’s bound to happen when you’re in a high ranking office position in multiple companies, as Romero is, but this small detail provided some interesting story elements to the match as a whole in relation to Romero and YOH’s tag team cohesion. Where some teams don’t need to speak to know what the other is planning on doing, Romero was audibly and clearly calling to YOH what maneuvers to do in tandem- a sign of their lacking experience as a team lately, a bit of rust.
It’s hard to summarise how great this match was. Fujita’s consistent high-level performance is astounding to see for someone so young, and Eagles’ physical transformation these past few months has seen him as fluid as ever. With that being said, a scary dive from Eagles in the late stages of the match made for some concern over the finish, his leg impacting the guardrail and announce tables in a way that resembled Eddie Kingston’s injury in 2024. Thankfully, Eagles was on his feet later in the match, confirming on social media that it was a “banged up and bruised calf.”
Fujita ultimately secured the pin, hitting Abandon Hope on Rocky Romero. Fujita is the future of the Jr Heavyweight division, and pairing him alongside a Junior Heavyweight star like Robbie Eagles, who has held all the gold imaginable in New Japan’s Junior division (barring the BOSJ trophy), has done wonders for his confidence as a competitor. Wrestling, and confidence in his ability, comes so naturally to him–you forget his relative lack of experience and his young age. Surround your future stars with current stars and the benefits will present themselves before your very eyes.
The importance of Junior Heavyweight wrestling has been re-established with tag teams like War Dogs, Catch 2/2, Ichiban Sweet Boys, etc. With so many stars, and stars in the making (namely, Young Lion, Daiki Nagai), the future of the division is in safe hands, and this year’s BOSJ tournament looks to be an interesting prospect for the crop of talent in question. The division hopes to continue this momentum with the next defence of the tag titles, with ISB defending against Bullet Club’s Taiji Ishimori and the returning Robbie X, likely at the 53rd anniversary show.
Takeshita Battles BARS:
The first big challenge in the NEVER Openweight title reign of Takeshita and the biggest singles match of Boltin’s young career thus far. Both men wanted to prove something in this match- for Boltin it was his positioning as a future star of New Japan, and for Takeshita it was continuing to prove his dominance in the wrestling world as one of the best doing it.
In a match that went just over ten minutes long, this felt akin to the half-hour long G1 finals of yesteryear- two stars making the crowd erupt and the venue shake with chants and cheers as they traded blow for blow. The thud of flesh on flesh ringing out as the clock ticked on, truly acting in accordance to the championship’s reputation of being fought between the world’s toughest brawlers. As Takeshita targeted the right shoulder of Boltin and Boltin attempted to outpower Takeshita, the momentum shifted back and forth, making for a breathtaking watching experience. The height of this was when the two locked hands, standing forehead to forehead as they threw elbow after elbow at one another with Takeshita dropping first, then Boltin, then Takeshita on top of Boltin, leading to him hitting the Kamikaze rolling senton for the nearfall.
The finishing sequence was one of the best of the year so far, in my book. Boltin fading in a guillotine choke, taking Takeshita off of his feet and slamming him to the mat, before fading in the choke again, Clark Connors on comms saying “you’re gonna have to kill him!” Just as his arm went limp, referee Marty Asami checked to see if Boltin was conscious, only for Takeshita to grasp the falling arm of his opponent–a powerful display of superiority–and send him into a Raging Fire for the win. They’re at one victory a piece. Bring on the rubber match.
It’s hard to pinpoint what it is that evokes this feeling, but there’s something about Takeshita wrestling in Japan that feels different to his matches in the States. I don’t know if it’s the presentation in the entrance, or the respect that is shown to in-ring competition in New Japan that is not present in the same way elsewhere, but when in Japan, Takeshita is in a league of his own. With TMDK’s Ryohei Oiwa marked as his next opponent, it’s safe to say that we as wrestling fans are gonna be eating well.
Destino Realised:
Hiromu and Naito facing The Young Bucks was not initially on my 2025 wrestling predictions list, but on paper, it sounds like an intriguing bout.
With the best intended meaning possible, The Bucks were The Bucks – smooth, effortless, in phenomenal form. Their motivation and energy was palpable, a nice change of pace from their “intentionally boring” style while Stateside. Even entering to their old New Japan theme song, there was something that felt like the Bucks of old, but with a newer sense of sophistication to their work that comes with age for any wrestler- knowing when to dictate pace, controlling the crowd, making themselves and their opponents shine, etc.
Hiromu in the heavyweight division is the best move for him right now, a list of refreshing match-ups that will help cement this as a new chapter in his career, considering he’s won everything in the Junior division (in some cases *multiple times over*). It also gives good purpose for Naito in this current stage of his career- no longer the performer he once was, physically speaking, the stakes of a match can now be balanced between the two, allowing them to remain in high-stakes matches, without the fear of fatigue (for Hiromu, facing the same Juniors, for Naito, not working to the high expectations of fans in singles bouts, given his history of injuries). For the two of them, as the new IWGP Tag Team Champions, it truly is a New Beginning.
For the Lion Mark:
Kidd vs. Tsuji. Global Title on the line. Both this match and Boltin/Takeshita can be described as “Irresistible force meets immovable object.” There’s a lot of talk in wrestling nowadays about restored feelings, restoring the feeling, etc, but nothing has restored my feeling in wrestling like New Japan in the last year or so- matches with the likes of Gabe Kidd, Yota Tsuji, ZSJ, and so on. This match was just another to add to the list of matches that made me feel that burning passion for the sport again. Two young, undeniable, main event stars locking horns to be the face of the heavyweight division, the company, for the years ahead. They’re not motivated by a hatred for one another but by their mutual love for the Lion Mark and what it represents. Within the confines of professional wrestling, a match between these competitors, for these stakes, is competition in its purest form.
Kidd stated that he’s never faced anyone more times than he has faced Tsuji- before the show stood at 11-9-1, favouring Tsuji. They are no longer the black-clad Young-boys, they are older, stronger, wiser, but with just as much passion for the King of Sports as those early days, just as hungry, just as war ready. This was on full display as the two battered each other from pillar to post, harkening back to their Young Lion days in the early stages of the match, the basis of their experience against one another, before evolving to their current violent selves, just as they have in the eyes of the audience. It was a spectacle, much to the delight of those in attendance, and if you’ve looked at social media, the world. The match wasn’t perfect, but that’s what makes it amazing- it wasn’t ‘pretty,’ it was violent, and that’s what this match needed to be- it needed to be a war between two people with one goal, seeing each other as the thing getting in the way between them and accomplishing it. To quote @lyricwresting on Twitter/X, “f*ck the Global belt right now, this feels like the Lion Mark is on the line.” No better way to say it.
The double knockout was an interesting way to end the bout, another draw for their record against one another. A Young Lion finish for two of the best Young Lions to leave the dojo in the last decade. On this night, both men were equal, no doubt leading to future clashes between them, but on a deeper level, it shows they’re both as qualified and both as responsible for continuing the momentum generated by New Japan going forward.
Post-match, the two continued brawling, collapsing again as House of Torture ran out to ambush Tsuji. This was followed by the return of EVIL and Dick Togo, claiming that Bullet Club didn’t need the War Dogs. EVIL asked Gabe to send this message back to David Finlay, who hasn’t been seen in NJPW since New Year Dash.
Initially it was conveyed by Walker Stewart, with a rough live translation that HoT had separated from Bullet Club- which made sense to me given their distinctive positioning away from the Bullet Club main unit and War Dogs, however the removal of War Dogs from BC proposed by EVIL is interesting. Does this signal another incoming BC Civil War? Turning the War Dogs babyface itself is an interesting idea. It’s a good way of keeping Gabe (whose reactions have been wholly positive from the crowd, and reciprocated by the man himself) within the BC/WD dynamic, but still allowing that edge and comradery. It’s not an impossible task for War Dogs to be viewed sympathetically by the audiences. After all, each member was before their defection to Bullet Club. In terms of where this leads, I can see Gabe or Finlay vs. EVIL occuring at the anniversary show and/or a multiman tag between War Dogs and House of Torture.
The Goto Revolution Arrives:
Hirooki Goto. The man who never reached the summit. The Uncrowned King. New Beginning marked his first shot at the World Championship since 2016. His entrance, a montage of his previous (failed) attempts to win the big one, stirred the crowd. Osaka was firmly Goto Territory–it wasn’t that they were booing Zack. They were cheering Goto.
I could write an essay on this match and particular moments that occurred in-ring, but you’e already been reading for a while, so let’s run through some of the highlights, shall we? Sabre’s Penalty Kick to Goto of all people was an act of arrogance, not uncommon for Sabre. Displaying shades of Katsuyori Shibata, Goto’s long-time friend and training partner in his use of the move, it only went on to prove the strength of will that burned within Goto, not enough to defeat the Fierce Warrior of CHAOS. ZSJ locking in the double armbar with the leg extension to prevent the rope break had me convinced that the match was going to end. We’ve seen this be the downfall of many opponents in the past, only for Goto to slip through the cracks and lunge at the bottom rope for the break. Goto’s offence was monumental – landing a rope-assisted Naraku, inverted GTR, and Shouten-Kai on Zack, each move reigniting the raging fire of cheers that was Osaka.
Two GTRs for the pinfall victory, to the eruption of the Osaka crowd – the right call, coming from a strong ZSJ and TMDK fan. Overall, this match was an out-of-body experience. The main event of a show filled with amazing matches, and the crowd didn’t dip in their energy for a single second. The organic connection between Goto and the fans is like nothing I’ve ever seen, and I cannot wait to see where this reign goes.
To comment on Zack and his reign for a moment, as a Brit, seeing one of our own accomplish what he did, in the timeframe he did, was something I didn’t think would ever happen. We got to see him win the G1, face Hechicero in the Copperbox, walk out at Wembley, win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, defend it that week in London, and win back-to-back Tokyo Dome main events in the space of just over four months. Most would kill to do that in the span of their whole career. I have no doubt he’ll be back on top as champion before his days are done in-ring, but for that run alone, he deserves his flowers for the performances, passion, and energy he gave us. Most of all, he deserves his flowers for the way in which it all ended, making Goto the uncrowned King of New Japan – look like an indomitable titan in victory.
As the title was placed around his waist, the emotions were rife. Goto paid a touching tribute to his father, dedicating the biggest victory of his 20+ year long career to him. “I know my dad was watching and this is for him. […] I’ve been an idiot as I’ve pursued this pro-wrestling life, but now this idiot is a champion. Dad, I did it!”
From there, calling his children into the ring, there wasn’t a dry eye or unsmiling face in the house–even Clark Connors mentioned how touched by the moment between a father and his children. Humble doesn’t begin to describe Hirooki Goto- even on the biggest night of his career, he went on to describe how well his children were doing in school, a father standing in the ring, with his biggest accomplishments standing beside him, and the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship around his waist. I’m not ashamed to say it, I teared up.
Looking to the future, post-match comments revealed his next challengers to be Yuji Nagata and Hiroshi Tanahashi, the latter of which he will face at the anniversary show on March 6th. “Let’s show the younger ones what it’s all about!”, says Goto. This year is unlike any other in New Japan – it’s one where the old guard are stepping up for one last hurrah, while the younger generation establish themselves as new main event standouts. It’s a time of change within New Japan that has (and will continue to) generate a refreshing feeling to old and new fans alike – new faces, but the same hard-hitting, awe-inspiring in-ring contests.
All is well on the Cerulean Blue.
