post in : AEW , NJPW , Sports , TV| Tagged : new japan pro grapple , wrestle
The second night of NJPW action mechanism in the Tokyo Dome contract post this eventide , as Wrestle Dynasty took the Forbidden Door off the hinges
Article Summary
Less than 24 hours afterWrestle Kingdom 19took place in the Tokyo Dome , New Japan Pro Wrestlingwas back with multiple promotions for day two , which they dub Wrestle Dynasty 2025 . This is their version of AEW ’s Forbidden Door PPV they do with NJPW every twelvemonth , only this one included representatives from CMLL , AEW , DDT , Stardom , RevPro , and Ring of Honor . Night One was already pretty good , but how did Night Two hold up ?
Now , before we continue , we ’re just going to say this : THERE ARE SPOILERS forward . So , if you do n’t desire to acknowledge the results and desire to watch the show on your own time , this is your only warning that we ’re travel to talk about the show . If you keep fit , that ’s on you ! ! !
International Women’s Cup Final Four Way Match – Athena vs. Momo Watanabe vs. Willow Nightingale vs. Persephone
They kicked the evening off with the Women ’s Four - Way , which palpate like a missed luck in hindsight as these four put on a show . All four of them got some impressive offense in , giving them a chance to shine with some cloggy hits from all four . The most impressive to me was Persephone , as she is just tall and nimble and can pull off moves other women her size commonly do n’t . Willow and Athena deplete this couple up , as they appear to be the two trading off being in charge at different times , which should have been the sign of thing to come in with Momo involve . Near the end of the couple , everyone stumble their finishers to a grade , but Momo snagged her baseball game bat from the exterior , clobbered Athena in the side of the head with it , and take advantage for the 1 - 2 - 3 .
Momo has make a shot at the Women ’s Strong Championship at a later appointment . At the end when everyone was walk forth , I noticed the prize Momo won from this just said " Victory " on it and nothing else , like it was an achievement you earned on the PS5 . I mean … if you wanna show you do n’t like about woman ’s rassling that much on your own show , that ’s certainly a way of doing it . This company wee-wee customs duty trophies all the time , but for this one , they snagged one from a instrument shop and called it a day . These women all did awe-inspiring and deserved well .
ROH World Tag Team Championship Match – The Sons Of Texas (Dustin Rhodes & Sammy Guevara) (c) vs. House Of Torture (SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
This was the weaker of the two match on the pre - show and probably the easiest match to predict , as there ’s no way SHO and Kanemaru were going back to the States to fight a pair of tag titles . This was Guevara ’s first time in the Dome and Rhodes ' first time since 1993 . Both team were impressive in their own right , and this was n’t a bad compeer . It just was n’t anything particular to save home about . The title-holder retained and got some applause , but its reset the bunch knew how as make headway this ahead of time as well .
Lucha Gauntlet Match
This is basically a fun exhibition compeer between NJPW and CMLL , as they had four unpredicted competitors from both promotions . The eight names includedHechicero , Kosei Fujita , Soberano Jr. ,Master Wato , Mascara Dorada , Taiji Ishimori , Titan , andEl Desperado . The match was basically a lucha case until Desperado ’s music polish off , and then everyone put their differences by and wanted a piece of the new champion . They all performed a move on him before breaking down and turning the entire affair into a high up - fly spot fest , which is precisely what you would anticipate from this match . Just a great showcase of what they can all do . The match come to an end when Ishimori shoved Fujita off El Desperado for a underhanded profits , which we ’re sure will derive around to a rubric compeer in the next calendar month or so .
Special Exhibition Match – Katsuyori Shibata vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Shibata has made a big career for himself out of doors of NJPW , as he is currently wrestling around the world , but primarily for AEW and Ring of Honor . Which has more to do with NJPW not wanting to take a chance on him after his near - calamitous Einstein injury in 2018 . So when we do see him in the Cerulean blue ring , it ’s in shortsighted expo friction match . After last dark ’s events , we got this match between him and longtime friend / rival Tanahashi for Wrestle Dynasty , another stoppage added to his 2025 retreat tour . The two trade small offenses before jumping into chop battle that can up the bunch . In the heart of it , there was a headbutt , which gave flashbacks to Shibata ’s mates with Okada . Since it was an exposition , they were " guess " it base on pointedness . Sounded like it terminate in a tie , to which they plume each other and left over acquaintance .
NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship / RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Championship Match – Mercedes Mone (c) vs. Mina Shirakawa (c)
You never really jazz what goes through a grappler ’s mind before they go out , but I like to think these two need to try out they should have been put on a better spot in the card and made up for the first woman ’s peer being the opener . Mina showed up in full Stardom glamour as opposed to how we ’ve seen her in AEW , complete with tassels on half her cogwheel . Meanwhile , Mone prove up spruced up as Sailor Moon . This was a trade - off match through and through , as one would get some offence rolling , then the other would take over for a bit with a few moves of her own . A lot of the match revolved around both of their legs as the two worked over the knees .
We got to see Mina ’s crude side , which American audiences have n’t been break to , and Mone really countenance loose in a way we have n’t seen her do in year . Mina hit a Super DDT from the top rophy but could n’t capitalize , followed by a Fallaway Electric Chair and a Figure Four . Mina made a few peg endeavour , but Mone made a brief comeback for another swap - off before pip the Mone Maker for the pinfall . Mercedes is now a Triple Crown sensation , as she has the RevPro deed to tally to the collection .
Singles Match – David Finlay vs. Brody King
One of the several singles peer with no claim on the line ; this is the first of the AEW vs. NJPW match on the Wrestle Dynasty poster . This was King ’s first catch in the Dome , while Finley was here a mean solar day ago , fall behind the Global Championship . This was a classical powerhouse versus speedy fighter kind of fight , where King essentially played Big Van Vader , with Finley being any turn of challenger to his IWGP title back in the mean solar day . The crowd got on their feet for King barrel into Finlay on the outside , who was invest in a chair against the guard rail .
One of the best elements was listening to King dress down Finley , telling him to " waken the fuck up , " which he did by getting him off balance back on the exterior and torpedoing King with his dead body into the guard rail , follow by a top forget me drug plunk to the outside . King regained the reward and essentially expend three solid minutes beating Finley down , Until Finley pull out a Spear . Finley grapple to take out out a powerbomb on King when he blend in to the Mexican valium , then ace him with two of his heavy - tariff bang to get the disorder over King .
Singles Match – Claudio Castagnoli vs. Shota Umino
Before this match even started , the crowd booed the sight of Umino . Umino showed up on his punch-drunk - looking motorcycle again to do another drive around the Tokyo Dome to look cool . But really , if you ’re not going to slew in on the Akira - style bicycle in Japan , did you even ride a motorcycle ? Claudio ran out and jumped Umino on the ramp , father him a fair share of hiss , because even if they ’re not fans of Umino , they really do n’t wish Western wrestlers jumping masses before the mate starts . While Umino got in some offence here and there , the bulk of this equal was Claudio beat the tar out of him like he affront his mom .
Umino got in his regalia of DDT offenses when he could , but we finally got the Big Swing and the Sharpshooter from Claudio . Umino crusade through it and mounted a slender retort again with a large DDT from the top rope , but then Claudio strike a powerbomb . After switching off close finisher , Umino got the Deathrider DDT off for the pin . Its clear at some point , Mox is likely going to baffle track with Umino as they look to say the story of him surmount his master .
NEVER Openweight Title / AEW International Championship Match – Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Less than 24 hours after winning the NEVER title fromShingo Takagi , Takkeshita was back in the Dome defending both titles against The Stone Pitbull . The crew down for this when they showed the graphic above on the large screens , because they knew the kind of match we were about to get . Ishii got a hero ’s welcome while Takeshita popped out withDon Callisagain to a pop of his own , have on both belts at once . Much like last night , we start this off with more of a spectacular trade - off between these two as we plunk into a different kind of Hoss Match . These two were trading hits that you feel for years on last with bruising and soreness to come .
At one point , Takeshita strike a Raging Fire from the top Mexican valium for a 2 1/2 , follow by a Bastard Driver and a German Suplex , conform to by a Lariat for a one - count . Ishis responded with a pair of his own that got a two numeration , with both gentleman collapse and the crowd getting on their feet ! The two continued to trade off on having dominance in the mates , but the tried looked to switch when Ishii shoot his own " FrankenIshii " from the corner . More intemperately - hitting blows and wicked Lariats followed , with high suplex from Takeshita , then a Poisonrana that dropped Ishii on his school principal . A few more heavy hits precede Takeshita to nailing a Blue Thunder Bomb and secure the win over Ishii . This was a definite candidate for match of the Nox as the crowd was louder there than for most of the match tonight .
IWGP Tag Team Championship Three-Way Match – The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito) vs. United Empire (Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb)
So the short variation of how we got here is that Great - atomic number 8 - Khan was already a tag champ with Henare until the latter got spite , and they need to vacate the titles . To get them back , O - Khan had to find a novel spouse , which plow out to be fellow United Empire member Jeff Cobb . Meanwhile , Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito , who struggle each other the night before , come through the World Tag League this year , realize a snapshot at the belts . Then , for no real explained reason beyond the shock of it all , the Young Bucks were add together . The Bucks came out to their sometime - schooling NJPW music , but still dress like they were trying out for the LA Clippers .
listen to the Bucks yell at the crowd was a delicacy . " Let ’s do something super amazing " as they rack up a high - wage increase dropkick on Cobb was peachy . This was high spot after mellow spot as all six men delivered some of their greatest hits and best sequence you ’ll see anywhere . It ’s a prissy reminder that the Bucks can go and that LIJ is still among the effective in the company . For a long full stop of time , the match was just The Bucks sit in the center of the ring taking people out in various ways . Which should have been the game show to it all as the two pip the Tony Khan driver on O - Khan at the end for the win , becoming IWGP Tag Team Champions once again , winning the whang five and a half year later on after they had them last .
IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship Match – Yota Tsuji (c) vs. Jack Perry
Jack Perry return to NJPW for the first time in several months , as this is where the Scapegoat soubriquet was pay following the insanity from All - In 2023 . Taking on Tsuji , who returns just one day out from winning the globose title from Finley . I got nothing against either of these guys , but this integral match felt forgettable . A spate of what we control was what you ’d normally see from either of them in their equal . Not a lot of risks , not a lot of big spots , just a simple match with some heel bit thrown in . The most interesting part was look out the outstanding craft - off , along with the low blow after the nigh hit on the reader . The outcome for this one was also never in doubt , but they made all the effort to make certain the crowd enjoy it . I just bid there was something here to separate it from the other matches .
Singles Match – Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd
The grudge mates that started with Omega ’s surprisal return , followed by a him messing up Kidd ’s name in an audience . The simple thing to set off a current grappler from returning name , and you got a match . Kidd came out with a ballock of fire and a ton of support , but it was percipient from the ingress that Omega had the crowd in the palm of his deal to get urge and be booed in a heartbeat . This was no stock friction match ; they went to the outside within five minutes and were already tearing up table and guard rails . They even pulled off the authoritative Bret Hart / Dynamite Kid suplex to the outside perfectly . The tale of this one was Kidd going after Omega ’s ribs after coming back from Diverticulitis , testing whether or not Omega was fully cure . Kidd was about to piledriver Z on the forestage , but he flipped Kidd over , who attain his leg on the ropes and took a shivery fall to the floor .
The highlight that get the crowd on their feet and really boo Omega was when he powerbombs Kidd to the exterior through a table , getting break open in the process . Omega keep abreast it up with a forward-moving diving senton . Omega sold the hip getting back up , which Kidd answer to with chair shots to his body while bleeding from the mind . Kidd abide by it up with a suplex onto a half - fold tabular array and then giving a salute back to his training at the LA Dojo . Omega was bleeding at this point ; the War Dogs at ringside load up the ring with chairs while Kidd bit into Omega ’s head , but it backfired when Omega gave him an Iron Claw Slam into the pile , followed by Kidd super - plexing Omega into the voltaic pile . Omega did his Terminator Dive as Red Shoes Umoni indicate up to supercede the ref , who had been wiped out , followed by V - Trigger in the street corner and a top - roofy Snapdragon suplex for a faithful two .
Kidd mounted a comeback , which included some callbacks to classic NJPW wrestlers , a duo of dissimilar piledrivers , and a close-fitting call with Z getting his foot on the ropes . Kidd was feeding off the bunch at this point , as they were the loudest they had been all night . The two traded off collision before Omega strike a dyad of V - Triggers . At this point , we knew the end was near , as Kidd flipped off Omega on his knees , which he turned into a Kamigoye , watch over by the One - fly Angel for the win . That was a hell of a peer that got the two an standing ovation from the bunch . Hiroshi Tanahashi was in rent at ringside on commentary because , to him , he sleep together what he witnessed when it come to professional grapple .
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match – Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Ricochet
Well , the bar has been set as we entered the last match of the night . With ZSJ retaining the IWGP title , this became a patronage mates and a fortune for Ricochet to charm the top loot . ZSJ come out with his new " Young Punks Grow Old " idea with the ease of TMDK in tow . Ricochet jumpstart ZSJ too soon before he had a chance to get in the closed chain , performing a act of in high spirits luxuriously - aviate hit to advance an vantage . ZSJ respond with some of his classics , including wrenching the next between his feet . People may not recall because it has been several years , but the first part of this was a highlight reel of former matches they had in NJPW and other promotions , as they know what works with each other and how to get the expert match . Which they demand to do as a follow - up to what we just got from Kidd and Omega .
The middle of this match saw the two becoming heavy strikers , with Ricochet relying more on his fists and elbows while ZSJ focused on his kicks . Both men side suplexed themselves around to the outside , which led to a close tally - out . Ricochet jawing at ZSJ , " You gon na fend up , prick ? " while flipping him off led to a slapping competition with more jawing , which turned to elbows and European uppercuts . ZSJ started going to his submission and joint manipulation game , which came with a Zack Driver from the top Mexican valium . After hitting a number of quick moves , Ricochet went for and miss a 630 Splash , then got hit with a PK for a close two count . ZSJ tie him up in submission until he cried out in botheration that he gave up , lend a surprise verbal submission to the end of this equal . This was a Scheol of a catch , but I feel like if you give them another five minutes , it could have been even good .
Wrestle Dynasty 2025 definitely delivered some majuscule matches , but overall , they play it dependable . There was only one title change on the entire card with Mercedes Mone , and only one surprise with the Young Bucks come out with gold . With two exception , you could call almost every outcome of the night . But hey , that ’s the same experience we had with Forbidden Door 2024 . A lot of cool matches , but not much change . In compare toWrestle Kingdom 19 , I felt they were pretty much even . Neither show was so amazing that it trump itself , but neither was a bad show either . I think NJPW did a great job of book the weekend and fall in people some matches they wanted to see and experiences they would n’t have gotten in many other places . We ’ll see how they observe all of this up with New Year ’s Dash tomorrow at the Ota City General Gymnasium .
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