New champions crowned at NJPW New Year’s Golden Series

New champions were crowned at today’s NJPW New Year’s Golden Series event in Hokkaido. 

In the show’s main event, SANADA defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to win the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. SANADA used a clutch hold to pin Tanahashi and capture his first singles title in NJPW. 

Tanahashi’s second reign with the US title ends at 45 days, and without a single successful defense. 

Elsewhere on the card, Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, defeating Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask, El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo in a four-way. 

For Wato, this is his first NJPW title win. For Taguchi, this is his seventh IWGP Junior Tag title win, and he holds the distinction of having the 69th IWGP Jr. Tag title reign, as well as the 69th IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship reign.

Eagles and Tiger’s first reign as a duo ends at 116 days, with one successful defense. 

In the show’s other title match, Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI made a successful defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team titles, defeating EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi to retain.