NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 Results 1/4/26

Katsuya Murashima & Masatora Yasuda defeated Shoma Kato & Tatsuya Matsumoto

Murashima and Matsumoto began grappling to a standstill in the Tokyo Dome. Yasuda gained control following two suplexes. Kato quickly recovered with a suplex to Murashima. Three consecutive bodyslams saw Kato maintain an edge over Murashima. He bounced back with a Back-Body Drop. and a Murashima Stampede. Through gritted teeth and applied pressure, Murashima’s Boston Crab tapped Kato.

El Phantasmo (c) defeated Chris Brookes for the NJPW World Television Championship

Phantasmo and Brookes wrestled to a standstill. Employing sportsmanship with a handshake, Phantasmo earned a kick to the midsection as recompense for his good deed. Attacking Phantasmo’s ally, Jado, Brookes exploited the confusion and the environment using his DDT cohorts to inflict whiplash via a brightly colored rope.

Brookes from the top rope landed a senton that rattled the champion. Phantasmo slingshot himself from the ropes to deliver a Thunderkiss 86. His UFO attempt nearly finished the match. Brooks regained control, sneaking his knees up to disrupt another Thunderkiss 86. The challenger’s Brainbuster resulted in a nearfall. Phantasmo’s CR2 preceded a final Thunderkiss 86 that secured a title retention over Brookes.

TMDK eliminated Oleg Boltin & Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) in the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship Rambo

House of Torture (SANADA, Ren Narita, & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) promptly went to work on Yuya Uemura, Shota Umino, & Kaisei Takechi. They bounced back, however, flinging Narita into the corner as War Dogs (Yuto-Ice, OSKAR, & Clark Connors sauntered to the ring, accompanied by AEW’s Thekla. Narita unwisely took this time to sneak up on Umino, Uemura, and Takechi and was stomped out. War Dogs barreled into the standing babyfaces.

Thekla distracted House of Torture so Connors could batter them with a tire. TMDK emerged next, featuring Zack Sabre Jr, Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson. Oiwa and Yuto-Ice clobbered each other with forearms. Connors punctured Sabre with a Gore to allow Yuto-Ice more breathing room. Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Togi Makabe joined the four teams as Oiwa battled OSKAR and Yuto-Ice in the ring. Oiwa flung OSKAR out, thereby eliminating War Dogs. They were replaced by Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) & Oleg Boltin.

Team 100 (Taichi & Satoshi Kojima) & Tomohiro Ishii were the new entries as Boltin eliminated Tiger Mask via pinfall. Boltin and Ishii teetered in a vertical suplex standoff, which the latter gained the upper hand in. The champions Toru Yano, Master Wato, & YOH rounded out the participants; YOH came out emulating “Toru YOH-no”. Taichi and Uemura tumbled into the ropes, each spilling outside, therefore eliminating their teams.

YOH singlehandedly stood his own against the challengers. Wato and Yano saved YOH from elimination. However, House of Torture pulled him off the ropes after nearly toppling SANADA, who fell out as well. Bishamon and Boltin coordinated well to disorient TMDK. Sabre outwrestled Boltin’s Kamikaze attempt to secure a pinfall with a bridged pin.

Syuri (c) defeated Saya Kamitani (c) for the IWGP Women’s Championship & NJPW Strong Women’s Championship

Despite the swift agility of both champions, each woman evaded the other’s lethal strikes to a stalemate. Syuri trapped Kamitani’s arm, but a rope break was her salvation. Kamitani used the referee as a shield to break up Syuri’s momentum. H.A.T.E. pulled Syuri out of the ring, allowing Kamitani to dive at her into the steel blue barricade.

Kamitani weakened Syuri following a spiteful forearm exchange. A Bridging Northern Lights Suplex lent the Strong champion more momentum. Syuri swung a comeback as she dragged Kamitani over the top rope and cranked back on her opponent’s arm. The terrified and panicking Kamitani squirmed to a rope break, even though both of her arms were within Syuri’s grasp. A confident Blue Thunderbomb placed Kamitani inches from victory, as did a Star Crusher. Syuri grounded Kamitani with a Fujiwara Armbar, followed by a knee to the face. Kamitani garnered some steam, but Syuri caught her with a roundhouse kick. A Buzzsaw Kick dazed Kamitani. Syuri became a double champion by use of her signature Syu-Sekai.

United Empire (Jake Lee, Andrade El Idolo, Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan & HENARE) defeated War Dogs (David Finlay, Drilla Moloney & Gabe Kidd) & Unaffiliated (Hiromu Takahashi & Shingo Takagi)

Finlay quickly went to work on Lee. Meanwhile, Kidd contended with Idolo, whose conditioning overwhelmed the madman, resulting in a Flying Crossbody. Takagi and HENARE collided, two bulls clashing in tackles, the former gaining an upper hand with a DDT. HENARE withstood most of Takagi’s offense, but couldn’t survive a lariat. Moloney outcircled him, leading to a dropkick. Reunited with Takagi, HENARE fell prey to an elbow from him and Moloney.

Takagi’s lariat and Moloney’s Gore continued to rock the Maori wrestler. Finally, HENARE snagged a comeback with a Berserker Bomb. Finlay and Newman’s hate boiled over in their hot tags; a backbreaker crushed the latter. Lee joined in, powerslamming Finlay. Takahashi and Finlay used each other as a weapon, flinging the other into Lee in the corner. By way of Finlay’s Dominator, Takahashi landed on Lee in a 2-count pin attempt. Moloney endured Newman’s onslaught to return fire with a Drilla Killa. Finlay tossed Takahashi into the sea of War Dogs and United Empire members. Irate, Takahashi flipped him over onto all their partners and opponents.

The jubilant Takahashi, now isolated, looked at the lights after Lee’s Facebreak Shot awarded him the pinfall victory.

Post-match: Jakob Austin Young joined the group in a white-collared shirt and tie. A masked figure also joined the United Empire’s celebration, revealed to be Francesco Akira.

El Desperado defeated Taiji Ishimori, SHO, Kosei Fujita for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Contender

SHO found himself on the receiving end of everyone’s ire, absorbing everyone’s kicks. He pointed into a random corner and scurried away. Desperado and Ishimori formed a temporary alliance toward Fujita. SHO returned to the fray and promptly fell to a drop toe-hold from Fujita (with a Desperado and Ishimori assist). Ishimori left Desperado reeling with a La Mistica. Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI swarmed Ishimori with stomps and a lead pipe from the latter. SHO almost struck Ishimori with a wrench when Robbie Eagles, Robbie X, and Kuukai came to his rescue.

Fujita would have helped them, had it not been for SHO striking him with a black sheet pan. He followed up with a Shock Arrow. Desperado usurped him, nevertheless, with a Pinche Loco.

Death Vegas Invitacional and further event dates

An April 16, 2026, show in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, was revealed to be titled “Death Vegas Invitacional”. Further shows revealed were the New Japan Cup, Sakura Genesis, Wrestling Red Zone in Hiroshima, Wrestling Dontaku, and G1 Climax 36 (with U.S. dates).

Aaron Wolf defeated EVIL (c) for the NEVER Openweight Championship

Wolf emerged with a shaved head and black trunks, eschewing his judogi.

EVIL and Wolf wasted no time, sharing forearms. The fiery Wolf used EVIL’s headlock against him, hurling him every which way. An elbow drop left EVIL fleeing to the outside. Propping a chair on Wolf’s neck, EVIL swung like he was famed baseball player Ken Griffey Jr in 1997. The arrogant EVIL taunted Wolf after an Irish Whip into the corner wrecked the former judoka.

Another whip into the corner devastated Wolf. EVIL tried several pinfalls to no avail. Using his judo experience, Wolf overcame the flood of House of Torture members with relative ease. EVIL swung powder in his face and sank in a deep Texas Cloverleaf. Tokyo erupted as he crawled to the bottom rope. EVIL regained dominance as he bullied Wolf with strikes. Wolf found his spirit with an Olympic Slam. He rocked EVIL with a Splash. House of Torture stole the referee before he could get a pin. Preventing further aid, the team wiped out YOH, Master Wato, and Toru Yano, who stormed in on Wolf’s behalf.

Don Fale erected a wooden table and splashed Wolf through its unforgiving structure. Miraculously, Wolf kicked out of EVIL’s lariat. Wrapping his legs around EVIL’s neck, Wolf stretched EVIL’s arms until he was left unconscious. Wolf became the new NEVER Openweight Champion.

Yota Tsuji defeated Konosuke Takeshita for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship and IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship

Exchanging headlocks, both men remained remarkably calm. Reaching a standstill, Tsuji paintbrushed Takeshita in the face. He sent Takeshita reeling courtesy of a hurricanrana. Slowing the match to a crawl, Takeshita took a stroll to regain composure. The audience audibly grimaced, hearing the thud of Tsuji’s chest from Takeshita’s chops.

Tsuji rocked Takeshita with the double-knee Gut Buster. The World Heavyweight Champ retaliated with a vertical suplex. Takeshita dropped Tsuji with a DDT onto the apron, to head-crunching effect. He sent Tsuji outside with a Frankensteiner. Tsuji countered a Power Drive with a backbreaker and a stomp to grasp a comeback. Tokyo clamored for Tsuji following a well-executed Fosbury Flop.

Takeshita’s Power Drive hit its mark on Tsuji, and he hit his own version of the Gene Blaster. Escaping Takeshita’s forearms, Tsuji was devastated with an elbow low blow. Takeshita lay dizzied on the mat after suffering a Destroyer. Though he suplexed Tsuji, Takeshita still ended up on the receiving end of a Gene Blaster. Readying for another Blaster, Tsuji withstood Takeshita’s knee, a Blue Thunderbomb, and a Raging Fire with a rope break. Takeshita found some wiggle room with a Poisonrana. Tokyo became unglued after a top rope Blue Thunder Bomb and Power Drive failed to put Tsuji away. Aiming for one last Power Drive, Takeshita instead fell victim to a Gene Blaster. Tsuji sank in a Boston Crab and lowered it further to keep Takeshita grounded. Ultimately, Takeshita acquiesced, tapping out to Tsuji’s pressure.

Post-match: Tsuji celebrated, enjoying sportsmanship from Takeshita and expressing his pride as the new World Heavyweight Champion, as well as retaining his Global Heavyweight Champion. Jake Lee attacked him from behind and tossed his title carelessly into his lap.

Kazuchika Okada defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi

Tanahashi soon wrestled control of the match in his favor. Okada wrenched it to his with a relentless headlock, taunting him by saying, “Go, Ace!” Tanahashi retorted with an elbow drop and a senton. Slamming his opponent to the mat, he teased a High-Fly Flow when Okada dropkicked him to the ringside. The Rainmaker faced Tokyo with a cheesy grin as he tormented Tanahashi with a knee to the barricade and a DDT off of it.

Bullying his old rival in the corner, Okada planted him with a DDT. Fighting back with punches, Tanahashi dazed Okada with a slam and a senton. Okada flung Tanahashi over the top rope, but he ricocheted back, replying with a Dragonscrew Leg Whip. Recuperating on the outside, Okada returned to the floor upon a top rope High-Fly Flow. Giving the camera the middle finger, Okada hinted at a Rainmaker Lariat, only for Tanahashi to flop him around with three successive Twist ‘n’ Shouts. A Tombstone from Okada was The Ace’s reward. The crowd pleaded with Okada not to drop Tanahashi with a Tombstone on the ramp, but he did it anyway. With the weight of the world and the match crushing his body, Tanahashi narrowly slipped back in the ring at a close 19-count.

Okada greeted him with a series of Rainmakers, with a third one eliciting a fire from The Ace. Wrist control firmly locked, Okada resumed his unloading of Rainmakers. With a second wind, Tanahashi reversed one with a Rainmaker of his own. Okada employed one more Rainmaker with some extra emphasis added to it. Changing strategies, Okada targeted Tanahashi’s knees with a Boston Crab. As though holding his last breath to savor life itself, Tanahashi refused to give in, grasping for that rope break. Distancing himself from another of Okada’s Rainmakers, Tanahashi pulled out a Slingblade.

Sitting Okada down with a sleeper hold, Tanahashi evoked Katsuyori Shibata with a Penalty Kick. He then paid homage to Shinsuke Nakamura with a Bomaye. While he did land a High-Fly Flow, Okada denied him a successful pinfall. Once more, Tanahashi reversed a Rainmaker with a Slingblade. At the last second, Okada lifted his knees to rupture Tanahashi’s midsection to disrupt a High-Fly Flow. Tanahashi absorbed a series of uppercuts, doling out forearms in return. Battling for leverage, Okada stole Tetsuya Naito’s Destino, followed by a Cobra Flowsion. Visibly exhausted, he struck with a stiff Rainmaker. Using a classic Rainmaker pose, Okada followed suit with his patented lariat and retired Hiroshi Tanahashi in the middle of the ring.

Post-match: Okada bowed to Tanahashi, and on the microphone, he said, “Thank you.” Officials gifted Tanahashi his flowers. Former NJPW talents Jay White, Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, and a tearful and agonized Kota Ibushi gave The Ace more flowers, embracing him with a hug as the locker room joined at ringside.

Katsuyori Shibata, playing heel, wearing an Opps t-shirt, handed Tanahashi his own bouquet, and they locked up one last time before hugging. Keiji Muto also gave his flowers, as did Tatsumi Fujinami. Just when it seemed everyone had their moment, BUSHI and Tetsuya Naito surprised Tokyo with his presence as he gave his own flowers, taking his time as he did so, as is his wont. He took the microphone and said that even if he didn’t ever wrestle in an NJPW ring again, he’d hope to meet Tanahashi again someday. Tanahashi concluded the evening’s proceedings, giving a heartfelt thank you and a couple of air guitar solos. As was the case throughout the last dates of his run, Tanahashi greeted every fan he could feasibly reach.