NJPW reveals lineups for New Beginning in Sapporo & Osaka

With Wrestle Kingdom 12 and New Year’s Dash in the rearview mirror, New Japan Pro Wrestling has revealed the lineups for their next three major shows.

NJPW will be in Sapporo for two New Beginning shows later this month and in Osaka for a third New Beginning event on February 10th. The Osaka show has the most loaded card of the three, with IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada defending against SANADA, NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto defending against EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi challenging for Will Ospreay’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight title, and Tetsuya Naito facing YOSHI-HASHI.

There are also four title matches set for Sapporo. Hiroshi Tanahashi will put his IWGP Intercontinental Championship on the line against Minoru Suzuki on night one, and Togi Makabe, Henare & Ryusuke Taguchi will challenge for the Bullet Club’s Six-Man tag titles.

Kenny Omega defending his IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Jay White will headline on night two, and Roppongi 3K will get their Junior Heavyweight tag title rematch against The Young Bucks.

Most of the big matches for this tour were set up at New Year’s Dash. As part of the storyline where Okada accepted SANADA’s challenge to a title match, Okada & Goto will be challenging for SANADA & EVIL’s IWGP Tag Team Championship at a Road to the New Beginning show at Korakuen Hall on February 6th.

Both nights in Sapporo and the New Beginning in Osaka will air live on New Japan World with English commentary available. Here are the full cards for the shows:

The New Beginning in Sapporo (night one, January 27th) —

  • IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi defending against Minoru Suzuki
  • Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks vs. Jay White & Roppongi 3K (Sho & Yoh)
  • Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto & Gedo vs. SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI
  • Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi vs. YOSHI-HASHI & Will Ospreay
  • Cody, Marty Scurll & Hangman Page vs. Kota Ibushi, Juice Robinson & David Finlay
  • NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa defending against Togi Makabe, Henare & Ryusuke Taguchi
  • Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV & KUSHIDA vs. Takashi Iizuka, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, El Desperado & Taka Michinoku
  • Michael Elgin vs. Katsuya Kitamura (second match in Kitamura’s trial series)

The New Beginning in Sapporo (night two, January 28th) —

  • IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega defending against Jay White
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks defending against Roppongi 3K (Sho & Yoh)
  • Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Will Ospreay & Gedo vs. SANADA, EVIL, Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
  • Cody, Marty Scurll & Hangman Page vs. Kota Ibushi, David Finlay & KUSHIDA
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Michael Elgin vs. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka
  • Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Chase Owens vs. Togi Makabe, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Henare
  • Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga
  • Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV, Ryusuke Taguchi & Shota Unno vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, El Desperado & Taka Michinoku
  • Juice Robinson vs. Katsuya Kitamura (third match in Kitamura’s trial series)

The New Beginning in Osaka (February 10th) —

  • IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada defending against SANADA
  • NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto defending against EVIL
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay defending against Hiromu Takahashi
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. YOSHI-HASHI
  • Gedo vs. BUSHI
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, KUSHIDA & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka, Taichi & Taka Michinoku
  • Michael Elgin, Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Jay White, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano
  • Roppongi 3K (Sho & Yoh) vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado
  • Yuji Nagata vs. Katsuya Kitamura (sixth match in Kitamura’s trial series)