NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling live results: Naito vs. Sabre IWGP World title match
G1 winner Zack Sabre Jr. challenges for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship today at NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling.
IWGP Champion Tetsuya Naito puts his title on the line against Sabre in the main event, one of seven title matches set for the show.
In the semi-main, IWGP Global Champion David Finlay defends against Hirooki Goto.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI puts his title up for grabs against SHO.
Hiroshi Tanahashi celebrates his 25th anniversary as part of a six-man tag teaming with Shota Umino and El Phantasmo against EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru of House of Torture.
NJPW World TV Champion Jeff Cobb defends against Ren Narita and Yota Tsuji in a three-way.
NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi puts his title on the line against Ryohei Oiwa.
IWGP Tag Team Champions TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) defend against Bad Luck Fale & Caveman Ugg.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney) defend against Intergalactic Jet Setters (KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight).
Junior heavyweight legends Hiromu Takahashi and Mistico square off in the special singles match opener.
**********
Hiromu Takahashi defeated Mistico
Mistico started the match getting the best of Takahashi, but one Dragon Screw Leg Whip and one hold later, and his best-laid plans were in effect. A Spanish Fly from Mistico nearly put Takahashi away, but couldn’t do the job. Takahashi sought a Tilt-a-Whirl into a roll-up pin, hoping to win the match, but was unsuccessful. Locking Mistico into a Standing Figure-Four, Takahashi forced his luchadore opponent to submit.
– Post-match – Mistico challenged Takahashi to a Hair vs Mask match.
Knowing ahead of time that this was a first-time match between the two in an NJPW ring (they’d fought in CMLL in singles and multi-man and 2024’s Forbidden Door crossover event, this was a fun sprint to begin the show. Takahashi targeting the legs early paid off rather quickly though, and I was expecting more. Looks like we’re getting that.
Intergalactic Jet Setters (KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight) defeated Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney) (c) for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
True to form, the War Dogs leaped to their opponents the second the bell rang. Undeterred, KUSHIDA and Knight stood their ground. That was, until, Connors and Moloney introduced chairs and barricades to the match. Fortunately for KUSHIDA, a counter STO into the chair and a stomp by Knight (also into the chair) put Moloney briefly out of action. However, he made it back into the ring just in time to halt a tag team effort with a Gore alongside Connors. Moloney incapacitated Knight to allow more time for tormenting KUSHIDA.
A hot tag saw Knight soar with a Flying Double Clothesline to instantly turn the match in his favor. Sending the War Dogs over the barricade, Knight flew across the sky for an epic Flying Crossbody. An Electric Chair put Connors out of commission, but Moloney held his own with explosive maneuvers. Recovered, Connors flipped KUSHIDA across the ring and sent Knight off the apron to the floor below. Two gores from Connors and a combined Hit-and-Run nearly won the match for them on KUSHIDA but failed. Knight sent Connors off of the top turnbuckle and worked with KUSHIDA to set up for a Jackknife Pin, and the Intergalactic Jet Setters are the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.
This was a dynamic matchup with decent chemistry. The more I set myself to believe that the War Dogs would reign supreme once more, the more my heart skipped with each comeback Knight and KUSHIDA pushed.
TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste) (c) defeated The Rogue Army (Bad Luck Fale and Caveman Ugg) for the IWGP Tag Team Championship
Ugg and Fale were menacing in the opening minutes, just picking apart TMDK with no remorse. Ugg even dispatched Nicholls, throwing his entire weight on him through a table on the outside. Things looked just as dire for Haste, with an impressive Shotgun Boot from Ugg leaving him the worst for wear. Finding enough adrenaline to enact a defense play, Haste gave himself a moment of respite with a Missile Dropkick.
Nicholls, back into the match, felled the giant Ugg with a Spike DDT and slid to topple Fale who was on the outside. The treacherous Ugg nearly squashed both Haste and Nicholls, but a Power Bottom followed by a Thunder Valley helped the champions retain their title.
– Post-Match – Great-O-Khan and HENARE emerged, challenging TMDK for the IWGP Tag Team Championship.
Fale reminds me of that image of Will Smith standing in the empty set of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, representing the original Bullet Club on his own. NJPW certainly plays to his remaining strength, leaving him looking strong. As for Ugg, he made a great first impression and I wouldn’t mind seeing more. I’m forever in awe of how great TMDK is at being underdogs.
Shingo Takagi (c) defeated Ryohei Oiwa for the NEVER Openweight Championship
Oiwa had an early advantage, taking control of Takagi’s left arm, but the veteran champion wrestled it back. Taking Oiwa to the mat, Takagi unleashed a Sliding Pumping Bomber but couldn’t capitalize. Surviving a standing Pumping Bomber and a Made in Japan, Oiwa’s resilience shone through—he refused to go down easily.
Inflicting the Grip and a Doctor Bomb on Takagi while withstanding two Pumping Bombers and a Powerbomb, it seemed like nothing could stop the young challenger. Unfortunately for him, that was not to be; Takagi brought out one more Pumping Bomber, punctuated with a Last of the Dragon for the victory.
– Post-match – Although brief, there was a staredown between Takagi and Kosei Fujita on the outside, seemingly hinting at a future matchup.
Two hosses, tussling and giving everything in the fight to survive. The sky is the limit for Oiwa, but Takagi makes the case for why he should continue holding the NEVER Openweight. One of NJPW’s shining beacons, he must be capitalized on.
Ren Narita defeated Jeff Cobb (c) and Yota Tsuji for the NJPW World TV Championship
Last month’s foes are today’s allies, as Cobb and Tsuji took to chopping down Narita in their conjoined disdain for House of Torture. With him out of the picture, Cobb and Tsuji resumed their feud with the former standing firm like a tree and the latter aiming to be a lumberjack. The work on Narita was not nearly enough, as he targeted Cobb’s left leg before Tsuji broke it up.
Into the crowd, Narita threw Tsuji and Cobb into the wreckage of chairs and of barricades. Cobb stacked Tsuji and Narita on his shoulders atop the uppermost turnbuckle and sent both Reiwa Musketeers plummeting under his body to a thunderous sound. Tsuji curb-stomped Narita during a pin attempt on Cobb and sought a double pin to which both opponents kicked out. A curb stomp to Cobb was thwarted by his own power. Cobb’s first Tour of the Islands was canceled, but a second one found better success; Narita dragged the referee to quell Cobb’s chances and struck him with a bar and a Double-Cross for the 3-count. Ren Narita is now the NJPW World TV Championship.
First and foremost, I loved the element of a third man introduced into the time constraints of a World TV title match. It stacks the odds, increases the risks, and creates further urgency. Admittedly, I’m bummed. I wanted to see who would finally be the better man between Cobb and Tsuji. But without any interference from the House of Torture, Narita won on his own merit (cheating and dirty tactics aside). Jeff Cobb made for an excellent TV champion.
– The Young Bucks pre-taped promo announcing their upcoming appearance at the Wrestle Dynasty crossover event
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shota Umino, & El Phantasmo (with Jado) defeated House of Torture (EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (with Dick Togo))
House of Torture opted for an early beatdown on the babyface team (as is their wont), and despite the latter’s best efforts, the odds were not favorable. Umino turned the tide with a spirited flurry of offense with Tanahashi following suit nearly securing a Senton-laden pin on Takahashi. This momentum was stalled completely with The Ace handicapped by a Dick-to-Dick Contact, with Umino and Phantasmo as his saviors.
Tricking the referee by setting EVIL up to be caught with the signature House of Torture stick, Umino proved to be just enough of a distraction for Tanahashi to drop a High-Fly Flow to secure a pin. The night rang heavy for Tanahashi as he and his teammates celebrated his 25th Anniversary ahead of his and Tomohiro Ishii’s upcoming title match at Royal Quest IV against TMDK.
– Post-match – Tanahashi thanked the crowd, expressing he wanted to keep fighting forever but “the finish line is in sight.” In the ring, he declared January 4, 2026, would be his final match as he held back tears. House of Torture then proceeded to beat him up. Phantasmo attempted a save, but House of Torture tore him down too, with EVIL saying NJPW is his house. Tanahashi doesn’t get to retire without his say-so.
Standard House of Torture fare, but it’s hard to be annoyed or bored when it’s Tanahashi setting up to revel in this career milestone and what’s to come. Thank you, Ace.
DOUKI (c) defeated SHO for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
SHO attacked DOUKI before the match could even start, going so far as to throw Young Lions onto the referee Marty Asami. Taking DOUKI to the ring for further damage to earn an easy, unearned victory, he unmasked the champion, displaying a kishin image of his full face; DOUKI spat red mist in SHO’s face and delivered two Suplex de la Lunas for a quick and decisive win.
– Post-match – Yoshinobu Kanemaru attacked the re-masked DOUKI but a returning black-haired Master Wato made the save. He indicated to DOUKI that he wanted a title match.
This happened as quickly as Mistico vs Hiromu Takahashi did. The added layers to DOUKI’s character are interesting and Master Wato stepping forth with a more subdued presentation is curious.
David Finlay (c) (with Gedo) defeated Hirooki Goto for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
Goto’s offense rang heavy at the start of the match, fueled by the desire to win gold in front of his offspring, but Finlay’s underhanded tactics ended that. The persevering Goto earned himself a reprieve, tossing Finlay to the barricade before his children.
Weakening his challenger, Finlay rested after casting a Northern Irish Curse. After a rapid rush of offense, Finlay survived a reverse GTR with a clothesline and battered Goto while taunting his children. Goto fired back with a lariat. Goto pulled the match in his favor with a series of sleeper holds that he refused to relinquish. Following a brief escape, Goto tried a Ushigoroshi and a GTR to no avail. He tried a Shouten Kai to the same effect. Capitalizing on a Gedo interference, Finlay opted for an Overkill which bore him a successful title retention. Goto’s daughter cried.
– Post-match – Finlay announced that he had a loss he wanted to rectify, against Yuya Uemura but Taichi accepted it instead.
Hirooki Goto always pulls me in. This was a heartbreaking loss.
Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tetsuya Naito (c) for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
No one moved after the bell and still, the crowd voiced their excitement. Upon locking up, Sabre Jr. contorted and twisted Naito with transition after transition. Sabre Jr. continued to work the legs of the champion but temporarily let fury get the best of him once Naito spat in his face. Interestingly, Sabre Jr.’s Article 50 caused Naito to writhe in agony.
Naito shifted the trajectory of the match in his direction, with a Pluma Blanca applied to Sabre Jr.’s shoulders. Targeting the arms and shoulders of Naito in kind, Sabre Jr.’s plans were beginning to pay off. A Tornado DDT disoriented Sabre Jr., sending him to the ropes. A Destino almost put the match to an early end but was ultimately unsuccessful. Trapping the champion into a Clarky Cat and transitioning into another hold, tightening it to gnarly effect; Naito eked out an escape with a rope break. A Gotch-style Piledriver almost gave him the win, but a Destino reached the same effect. A lariat and a Sabre Driver teetered the odds further in the challenger’s favor. Another Sabre Driver later, and Zack Sabre Jr. heads into Royal Quest IV as the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
– Post-match – Zack Sabre Jr. thanked a smiling, bittersweet Tetsuya Naito. Sanada, Shota Umino, and Shingo Takagi entered the ring, all vying to challenge the new champion. Sabre Jr. promised them each a chance — with Sanada getting first dibs at Royal Quest IV. He then told them all to get out and let TMDK celebrate with him.
An absolute thrill. All of Zack Sabre Jr.’s hard work paid off. With AEW’s Bryan Danielson retired from full-time wrestling, the new king of technical wrestling is coronated hitherto as the top champion in NJPW. It’s been a long road to get here, but the Brit has stretched and held his way to heights one could only dream of. The future of NJPW rests on talents like him, Shingo Takagi, and the up-and-comers. As for the match itself, Naito trying desperately to fight beyond his body’s rigors made for a compelling story as a foil to someone who was bound and determined to reach this milestone.
2024’s KOPW was an incredible show. Intergalactic Jet Setters, Ren Narita, and Zack Sabre Jr. becoming champions, Hiroshi Tanahashi announcing his impending in-ring retirement, and The Young Bucks announcing their Wrestle Dynasty appearance combined with the phenomenal matches makes this one of the best events I’ve seen all year. My match of the night is Shingo Takagi vs Ryohei Oiwa, but Zack Sabre Jr. vs Tetsuya Naito is a close second.