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1/19 From Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan:
These early single matches are being called the Young Lion Cup.
1 - Masatora Yasuda vs. Tatsuya Matsumoto
Yasuda gets the submission win with a Boston Crab.
2 - Daiki Nagai vs. Zane Jay
Nagai applies a Boston Crab to Jay. Callum Newman comes to the ring and gets on the apron. Nagai hits Newman and pushes the referee aside. Newman elbows Nagai in the face and throws a chair into the ring. Jay hits Nagai with the chair.
Jay is disqualified. Nagai wins.
Newman shakes hands with Jay and they continue to beat down Nagai. Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi, Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and Shingo Takagi rush in to make the save.
Looks like Zane Jay is now with the United Empire.
3 - Master Wato, YOH, Toru Yano, El Desperado and Aaron Wolfe vs. Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi, DOUKI, Ren Narita and EVIL
Wato forces Togo to submit to Vendeval.
It has been reported on by PWInsider that SANADA has decided to leave New Japan. His departure will affect House of Torture because he brought a unique element to the group.
4 - Gedo, Taiji Ishimori, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi and Yota Tsuji vs. Jakob Austin Young, Francesco Akira, Great O-Khan, Callum Newman and Jake Lee
The new faction is Unbound Company, which is the remnants of Bullet Club and Los Ingobernales de Japon.
Akira pins Gedo with a modified fisherman suplex.
After the match, Tsuji called out Jake Lee. Lee chokes out Tsuji with a Dragon Sleeper.
United Empire needs to earns wins here. Jake Lee might not win the IWGP World Title from Tsuji, but United Empire needs to establish themselves as dominant faction. Also, Andrade El Idolo needs to be present periodically in New Japan with his group and not just in AEW.
5 - Kosei Fujita vs. SHO
SHO tries to use his tricks, but Fujita got tired of cheating. Fujita uses a metal sheet on SHO and hits him multiple times.
Fujita is disqualified. SHO gets the win.
Kanemaru attacks Fujita. Eagles comes to save his partner.
6 - Robbie Eagles vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Kanemaru sprays Eagles with whiskey and pins Eagles with a head scissors into a cradle.
7 - NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Championship: Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Boltin Oleg, YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto
Really good match. Bishomon hit a Shoto on Oiwa and Boltin came off the ropes with a Splash. Goto hit a GTR on Oiwa.
Goto pins Oiwa.
Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI and Boltin Oleg win the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Championship.
8 - IWGP Tag Team Number One Contender Match: Yuya Uemura and Shota Umino vs. Taichi and Tomohiro Ishii
The Knockout Brothers join the Japanese commentary team at ringside.
Another really good match. All four men worked very stiff. Ishii busted up his nose and was bleeding. Ishii and Taichi pointed to the Knockout Brothers and hit a K.O.B. of their own on Umino. Umino kicks out at two. Taichi and Uemura trade strikes. Uemura goes for the Deadbolt but Taichi fights it. Uemura hits the Deadbolt. Uemura hits a Dragon Suplex with and Umino lariat. Umino hits another lariat and a Second Chapter.
Uemura pins Ishii.
Shota Umino and Yuya Uemura earn the Number One contender spot to the IWGP World Tag Team Championship.
Uemura and Umino both thank Taichi and Ishii for the match.
Umino and Uemura call Yuto and OSKAR into the ring. The champions got a bigger ovation than the challengers. Yuto tells them to "Lets Get High".
Uemura says he feels the frustrations of the losses. Umino says all emotions will be put into this match. Umino bowed to the crowd and thanked audience who is watching. Umino and Uemura spent a good amount of time shaking hands with the fans afterwards.
This match was important to get over both Umino and Uemura. Both men were booed by the Korakuen Hall crowd after Wrestle Kingdom. I am not sure if they still buy them as replacements for Tanahashi or Okada. However, this is what New Japan has right now. Umino and Uemura need to do everything to get themselves over to the next level. Uemura and Umino's promo at the close of the show was to the Japanese fans to support him in this new era. After this promo, Uemura and Umino need to win the IWGP Tag belts. They will be hurt severely if they do not.
1/20 From Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan:
1 - Shoma Kato vs. Masatora Yasuda
Kato forces Yasuda to tap to a Fujiwara Armbar.
2 - Katsuya Murashima vs. Daiki Nagai
Murashima forces Nagai to tap out to a Boston Crab.
3 - Shota Umino and Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Yuto-Ice and OSKAR
Knockout Brothers hit the K.O.B. on Matsumoto. Yuto pins Matsumoto.
The Korakuen Hall crowd pops big for the Knockout Brothers' win. OSKAR and Yuto badmouth Uemura and Umino after the match, who enter the ring to confront them. Smartly, OSKAR and Yuto do not attack them, and simply laugh in their face.
4 - Aaron Wolfe, Toru Yano, Master Wato and YOH vs. Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo and EVIL
Wolfe gets the submission on Yujiro with an armbar.
On commentary, they kept talking about how House of Torture has lost every televised match since 2026 began. I am not sure why they would focus on this.
5 - Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori and Gedo vs. Callum Newman, Jakob Austin Young, Great O-Khan, Francesco Akira and Jake Lee (with Zane Jay)
Lee hits the Facebreak Shot on Takagi and gets the pin.
United Empire holds Tsuji while Lee takes out all of Unbound Company with knee strikes. Lee officially makes his challenge for the IWGP World Title. Tsuji accepts.
This is a a good build up to te World Title Match. However, United Empire needs to keep winning to stay relevant and keep fans wanting to see what happens.
6 - IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Kosei Fujita and Robbie Eagles vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru and SHO
Solid match. Eagles takes out SHO with a tope suicida. Fujita hits a Thrill Ride on Kanemaru.
Fujita pins Kanemaru.
Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita retain the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.
7 - IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado vs. DOUKI
House of Torture comes to the ring with DOUKI.
Good match. House of Torture's interference was constant, but Desperado fought hard despite the interference. Desperado locked in Numero Dos but DOUKI gets to the ropes. SHO tries to hit Desperado with a metal sheet, but Desperado takes it away. DOUKI gets the sheet and hits Desperado in the head. DOUKI hits Daybreak on Desperado. Desperado kicks out at two. DOUKI kicks Desperado in the head, then kicks him in the groin. DOUKI hits Suplex de La Luna.
DOUKI pins Desperado.
DOUKI retains the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship.
House of Torture wins when it matters.
On New Japan World, the Road to The New Beginning continues on February 1 and 2, with The New Beginning in OSAKA on February 10.
Thank you for reading.
James Kurokawa
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