NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19 – Jan. 4, 2025 – Shota Umino vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Jan 4, 2025

January 4, 2025
Tokyo, Japan – Tokyo Dome
English Commentary: Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton
Results via Corey Michaels of F4WOnline.com

Quick Match Results

Pre-show: IWGP World Heavyweight Championship #1 Contender New Japan Ranbo match – Hirooki Goto won via last eliminating Great-O-Khan (34:35)
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Tokyo Terror Ladder match – Ichiban Sweet Boys defeated Catch 2/2 , Bullet Club War Dogs, and Intergalactic Jet Setters (c) via grabbing the titles (13:05)
IWGP Women’s Championship – AZM vs. Mayu Iwatani (c) defeated AZM via Dragon Suplex (pinfall 8:46)
NJPW World Television Championship Four-way match – El Phantasmo defeated Jeff Cobb vs. Ryohei Oiwa, and Ren Narita (c) via Thunder Kiss ’86 (pinfall 10:04)
Lumberjack Deathmatch – Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated EVIL via Roll-up (pinfall 15:07)
AEW International Championship & NEVER Openweight Championship Title vs. Title match – Konosuke Takeshita (AEW) defeated Shingo Takagi (NEVER) via Raging Fire (pinfall 12:42)
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship – El Desperado defeated DOUKI (c) via Referee Stoppage (5:23)
IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship – Yota Tsuji defeated David Finlay (c) via Gene Blaster (pinfall 19:39)
Tetsuya Naito defeated Hiromu Takahashi via Destino (pinfall 17:08)
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship – Shota Umino vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (c) defeated Shota Umino via Sabre Driver (pinfall 43:44)

Pre-show
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship #1 Contender New Japan Ranbo Match

This year’s Ranbo featured the stipulation of determining the #1 contender to the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Having relinquished and retired the King of Pro Wrestling Championship during the Road to Tokyo Dome tour, Great-O-Khan put on an Iron Man performance along the likes of SANADA, Tomoaki Honma, Tomohiro Ishii, and more.

The match came down to a seesaw struggle on the ropes between Khan on the inside and Hirooki Goto on the outside apron. Inevitably, Goto won the Ranbo, earning him the right to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at a later date.

Winner: Hirooki Goto.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Tokyo Terror Ladder Match
Ichiban Sweet Boys (Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles) vs. Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira & TJP) vs. Bullet Club War Dogs (Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors) vs. Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight & KUSHIDA) (c)

With ladders and chairs in hand, the War Dogs got an early advantage by incapacitating everyone else. As they climbed to the top, Kushida propelled his body to the ladder at the last moment to deny them an easy win. TJP and Akira sent Moloney through a table, leaving Connors to contend with Knight and Eagles. Having already landed on a horizontally-hanging ladder, Eagles was once again dropped onto it by TJP. As Kushida held a recovered Moloney on the mat, Knight dived onto the War Dog, only to miss at the last second.

Inches away from grasping the belts, Knight careened off the ladder and out of the ring as Moloney lifted the bottom rung from his prone body. Atop two ladders, the members of Ichiban Sweet Boys and United Empire battled. With TJP and Eagles out of the picture, the hopeful Akira lost his momentum as Fujita held his body over the ladder while grabbing wildly for the hanging belts. Eventually, they were in grasp of Fujita’s firm hands.

Winner: Ichiban Sweet Boys to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.

IWGP Women’s Championship
AZM vs. Mayu Iwatani (c)

AZM’s speedy offense stunned Iwatani initially, who opted for the resilience of her patented zombie state. The champ withstood two Canadian Destroyers like it were a minor inconvenience. A gnarly suplex to Iwatani by AZM managed to earn a 1-count pin.

Despite a failed Tombstone Piledriver breaking her zombie mentality, Iwatani closed the match with a Closed Dragon Suplex for the win.

Winner: Mayu Iwatani via Pinfall to retain the IWGP Women’s Championship.

NJPW World Television Championship Four-way Match
Jeff Cobb vs. Ryohei Oiwa vs. El Phantasmo vs. Ren Narita (c)

Phantasmo immediately displaced Narita with a vicious tope. Meanwhile, Oiwa and Cobb locked horns like two angry wildebeests in a savannah. Narita bounced back, even throttling the still-weak knee of Cobb. Phantasmo, out-maneuvering Cobb, was sent flying to the flattened Narita and Oiwa on the outside; Cobb relished this opportunity to do the same with a Tope Con Hilo. A hopeful Phantasmo’s top rope aspirations onto Cobb were dashed by Oiwa, leading to a Tower of Doom spot with Cobb as a sturdy base.

Seeking out his handy board, a distracted Narita lost his weapon to Jado, leading to a combined beatdown. Mere breaths from victory, OIwa’s Doctor Bomb nearly earned a pinfall over Cobb had it not been for Narita. Cobb broke Narita’s reintroduced board and followed suit with a Tour of the Islands but couldn’t make the pin. Phantasmo, however, took out Narita with a Thunderkiss ’86 for the win.

Winner: El Phantasmo via Pinfall to become the new NJPW World Television Champion.

Lumberjack Deathmatch
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL

Should Tanahashi lose, he would retire sooner than he originally planned. As such, EVIL dished out every dirty tactic he could devise, but the undeterred valiance of The Ace is a fire that refuses to go out so easily. Smashing Tanahashi with chairs and spray-painting colleagues like Master Wato, EVIL sought to ruin anything Tanahashi held dearly: his health, his career, his friends. EVIL sought to flee like a coward now Tanahashi stood with replenished vigor, but was dragged back by lumberjack Oleg Boltin.

House of Torture forwent the lumberjack formalities as they proceeded for Dick-to-Dick Contact. Tiger Mask, Wato, and Boltin came to The Ace’s rescue, giving him enough respite. Tanahashi made a rousing comeback, featuring a Sling Blade and a failed High Fly Flow, thwarted by Dick Togo. EVIL proceeded to throw everything at Tanahashi, confident that this would be it. After a Dead End, EVIL went for a pin, ending in a nearfall, reversed by Tanahashi. In this reversal, Tanahashi gained the pinfall victory.

Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi via Pinfall.

House of Torture gave a cruel beatdown to the victorious Ace, stopping at nothing. Then, Katsuyori Shibata emerged to his rescue. Following the save, Shibata challenged Tanahashi for Wrestle Dynasty.

AEW International Championship & NEVER Openweight Championship Title vs. Title Match
Konosuke Takeshita (AEW) vs. Shingo Takagi (NEVER)

Two behemoths collided, with AEW’s International Champion delivering ruthless power. Takagi prevented a dive from Takeshita, turning the tide with a Death Valley Driver. Through an evenly-matched collision and standoff, Takeshita swung the trajectory to his favor, broken by a Pumping Bomber by Takagi.

Making a spirited comback, Takeshita nearly gained a pinfall with a Blue Thunderbomb, but Takagi soundly countered it with a Last of the Dragon. Lariats and clotheslines, one after the other, led to Takeshita clutching control of the match. With one last Blue Thunderbomb, Takeshita added the NEVER Openweight Championship to his collection of now two belts.

Winner: Konosuke Takeshita via Pinfall to become the new NEVER Openweight Champion and retain the AEW International Championship.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
El Desperado vs. DOUKI (c)

From the first bell, Desperado sought to slow the flow of this match. Throwing everything (including himself) at the champ, Desperado maintained relative control. Douki attempted a top rope seated senton to Desperado on the outside, but landed his elbow nastily on the blue steel barricade. Officials declared Douki was unfit to continue. Desperado was visibly upset by this turn of events.

Winner: El Desperado via Referee Stoppage to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.

IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay (c)

Finlay’s underhanded tactics gained him an early advantage, with an impactful barricade bump to his challenger. Briefly losing control, Finlay regained it by tossing Tsuji into the ring post and through an abandoned table near the announcers. The champ could only look on with malicious glee as Tsuji crawled and tripped to a 19-count return to the ring. Three consecutive Dominators by Tsuji immobilized Tsuji, but could not get the job done.

Tsuji made a brief comeback, trounced by four consecutive powerbombs, once again to no avail. Tsuji pulled out a Gene Blaster, but Finlay countered with a Gun Stun into Oblivion. Tsuji successfully landed a Gene Blaster, and went for the pin but Finlay lifted his leg to the rope at the 2-count. Finlay threw everything else he could, but Tsuji reached deep within himself to deliver a Powerbomb and one last Gene Blaster to a pinfall victory to a thunderous Tokyo Dome crowd.

Winner: Yota Tusji via Pinfall to become the new IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion.

Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiromu Takahashi

Five years of destiny denied. Takahashi’s face told the story all too well, that this match means more than friendship—it means graduating out of junior heavyweight competition. Naito’s prepared for any and everything Takahashi could think of. It won’t be easy. A Time Bomb to the outside finally granted Takahashi an opening, planting a Dynamite Plunger to his stablemate.

Naito began a comeback, but a failed second Destino returned the momentum to Takahashi courtesy a Time Bomb. Softening the neck of Takahashi with elbows, Naito’s efforts were countered with a Destino by Takahashi followed by another Time Bomb. Naito weakened Takahashi with holds and Destinos, leaving Takahashi on his knees. Eventually, Naito landed one that granted him a bittersweet pinfall victory.

Winner: Tetsuya Naito via Pinfall.

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
Shota Umino vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (c)

Umino’s back, while not noticable at first, grew to being an important factor. While in Sabre’s realm of holds and submissions, Umino barely clawed his way out, but in terms of high-paced frenetic action, he surpassed the champion. Spiking Sabre’s head on the apron, Umino gained a moment to catch his breath, save for the fact his ankle has been weakened thorughout his landing. Propelling the champion into the guardrails, Umino is showered in boos, just like in Ryogoku. Throughout any swing in momentum, his eyes glare in reproach, eschewing the babyface heroics he’d adopted throughout 2023.

With spite in his arsenal, Umino had a modicum of control, but still Sabre did implore him to bring his best to this match, that he’s in the main event and should act like it. Wrenching back Umino’s arms, Sabre nearly put the challenger to sleep. A rageful Umino rampaged through the champion, but fell to a lariat. Both men frenzied, urgently exchanging stiff strikes until Sabre landed a Sabre Driver to a 2-count. Umino planted the champion with a Death Driver, also to a 2-count. An extended leglock hold on Umino brought Umino beyond his threshold of pain, yet he crawled to the ropes in sheer desperation.

Meekly throwing weak elbow strikes, Umino is fueled by the derisive laughs in the crowd. Slipping on his way to the top rope via his hurt ankle, Umino was ensnared by Sabre. A last-ditch effort by Umino saw a Death Driver from the top rope, leaving Sabre prone. Viciously, Umino kicked and stomped on the champ’s helpless body. Vitriol, no remorse. At last, Umino’s ankle caught up with him. Sabre, ever the opportunist, deployed Sabre Drivers and a Suzuki-esque Piledriver before one last Sabre Driver put Umino down once and for all.

Winner: Zack Sabre Jr. via Pinfall to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.