NJPW Power Struggle live results: Kenny Omega appearance, four title matches

A special appearance by Kenny Omega is on tap for today’s NJPW Power Struggle event.

Omega, out of action since late last year due to diverticulitis, has been advertised for a special appearance on today’s show in Osaka, potentially setting something up for January’s Wrestle Kingdom and Wrestle Dynasty events.

Four title matches will also take place today.

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Shingo Takagi in the main event in a bout where Shingo’s NEVER Openweight title is not on the line.

IWGP Global Champion David Finlay defends his title against Taichi on the show.

DOUKI puts the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title on the line against Master Wato today.

TMDK’s Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls defend the IWGP Tag Team titles against United Empire’s Great-O-Khan & HENARE.

The Super Junior Tag League finals are also set for the show featuring the winners of A Block vs. the winners of B Block.

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Bullet Club War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney, Robbie X, and Taiji Ishimori) defeated Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight and Kushida), Katsuya Murashima, Paris De Silva, and Jude London

Silva and London dominated in the early sprint, delivering high-octane offense to the War Dogs. However, X gained the upper hand with a Standing Shooting Star Press. Kidd returned the favor to the War Dogs with a stiff lariat to Murashima. The Bullet Club’s representation closed the match by mockingly delivering their finishers to Murashima with each signature finish: X-Express, a Bloody Cross, Drilla Killa, and a No Chaser, punctuated by Kidd unleashing a Piledriver for the win.

A quick sprint. Silva and London have impressed in the Super Junior Tag League, so seeing them get a spot in a fun opener was nice.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji, BUSHI, and Hiromu Takahashi) defeated Dragon Dia, Ryusuke Taguchi, Tomoaki Honma, and Toru Yano

Tsuji immediately overwhelmed Yano, who tagged in Taguchi who was overwhelmed by LIJ as a unit. Dia turned the tide through his vigor and agility, capitalizing with a 619 to Naito. Honma suffered by BUSHI, Takahashi, and Tsuji but countered Takahashi’s offense with a Kokeshi. As Naito held Yano in a Figure Four Leglock, Takahashi submitted Honma via a Boston Crab for the win.

Speedy, yet efficient. Everyone performed excellently – even Naito had me on the edge of my seat.

House of Torture (EVIL and Ren Narita) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi and Boltin Oleg

SHO and Yujiro Takahashi intercepted Tanahashi and Oleg on the way to the ring, leaving Narita and EVIL to pick up the scraps. Hoping for an easy night’s paycheck, Narita worked on Tanahashi’s weakened leg for another quick advantage. Tanahashi began his team’s comeback with a Flying Crossbody as he gave a hot tag to a spirited Oleg. The Kasachstan native mowed down the heavy numbers of the House, lending Tanahashi to drop Narita with a Slingblade.

Seeming as though the Ace and Oleg had the match under wraps with a wishful High Fly Flow, EVIL clutched Tanahashi’s leg on the top rope while Narita rolled up Oleg in the middle of the ring for the win.

– Post-match – House of Torture bullied their downed opponents further. An interfering Jado attempted to make the save, but he met the same fate. Though Oleg fought back, Narita laid him out. Ryohei Oiwa then challenged Narita for the NJPW World TV Championship, as did Jeff Cobb. Oiwa, Cobb, and Narita then brawled.

This lacked the usual House of Torture volume of interference, leading to a sincerely enjoyable tag match. I’m moreso anticipating an impending clash between Cobb and Oiwa, however.

Shota Umino defeated SANADA

Both men started strong, but SANADA gained an advantage after slamming Umino with a Magic Screw on the outside. Sending the Roughneck into the chairs beyond the barricade, SANADA callously punished him, only leading to a 17-count.

Umino’s spirit saw a comeback through a Tornado-DDT, which he followed up with a standard DDT onto the ring apron. Another Magic Screw saw SANADA regain his momentum, only for Umino’s Death Rider to even the odds. Succeeding many offensive transitions, Umino sealed the victory through a Death Rider with a pinfall.

A bit longer than it needed to be, but only a little. Despite that, each man’s comeback heightened the drama of the match. SANADA’s character shift is brimming with frustration and I’m ready to see where it leads him.

United Empire (Great-O-Khan and HENARE) defeated TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste) (c) for the IWGP Tag Team Championship

HENARE and Khan mocked Nicholls soon into the match so he’d inadvertently distract the referee as they dominated Haste in the ring. Nicholls made the rescue for his partner, as he and HENARE exchanged stiff shots until the champion foolishly headbutted HENARE, leaving blood to trickle like a stream down his forehead.

Opting for a DDT, Nicholls’s efforts were thwarted by Berserker, which a Sliding Lariat countered. Khan and Haste took over from there, with the former’s resilience reminding the latter that victory won’t be easy. TMDK’s Takebuster fell Khan, but HENARE broke up any chance for a victory with a falling headbutt, and a Power Bottom did the same to HENARE to no avail. The challengers then collaborated with an Imperial Drop to Nicholls for the pinfall.

As a TMDK fan, this win was so well-deserved by United Kingdom after an incredible match. Nicholls and Haste fighting from underneath gave so much hope, only for this monster team to steal it away.

– Kenny Omega appeared, confirming an in-ring return for January 5, 2025, at Wrestle Dynasty, representing AEW against a young NJPW wrestler

TMDK (Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita) defeated Catch 2/2 (TJP and Francesco Akira) in the Super Junior Tag League Finals

TMDK got an early advantage, leading to Fujita soaring from the top rope to TJP and Akira on the outside. Once tagged in, TJP’s agility gave Catch 2/2 a moment to breathe. Eagles incapacitated Akira on the outside after a Tope Con Hilo, while his partner narrowly avoided TJP’s Falcon Arrow.

Eagles dived back into the ring to stop a top rope assault on Fujita, leading to a slow but steady comeback. The situation worsened after the Eagles accidentally kicked Fujita off the ropes, but he survived their Leaning Tower. Eagles kept countering TJP’s roll-ups in a desperate stretch, eventually landing one of his own for the pinfall.

This match stole the show. United Empire wasn’t an easy obstacle to overcome, but TMDK did it, with Fujita and Eagles’s futures proving to be bright within NJPW.

– Post-match – Chris Charlton on commentary mentioned Kenny Omega and Gabriel Kidd had gotten into a backstage altercation. Intergalactic Jet Setters emerged, accepting TMDK’s challenge at Wrestle Kingdom. Catch 2/2 was called back to the ring for another title opportunity. Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors attacked everyone and announced their interest in the belt.

DOUKI (c) defeated Master Wato for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

Trading elbows, the competitors locked horns. DOUKI’s prowess kept him ahead of Wato, leading to a near-count. Ensnaring the challenger in holds, DOUKI held him in a hold before releasing him. Wato’s speed saw him, but nothing was enough.

Wato sought out a Spring Uppercut from the top rope, flattening DOUKI, but lost control due to a baseball slide to the ring apron courtesy of DOUKI. Just when Wato seemed on his feet again, DOUKI’s DOUKI-bomb laid the challenger out beyond the ring. Wrapping Wato within his signature DOUKI Chokie, title retention was nearly in DOUKI’s hands. After landing a TTD, DOUKI hoped for a pinfall, but it didn’t come. Once again keeping Wato in a DOUIKI-Chokie, the champion rendered the challenger motionless and unconscious.

– Post-match – El Desperado made a surprise appearance, setting up a future match with DOUKI for the Junior Heavyweight Championship.

DOUKI does it again. He pulls out memorable title defenses that carve out a space that fills matches with desperation and intensity through his selling and his motivation to succeed.

David Finlay (c) defeated Taichi for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship

Stalking around his challenger, Finlay’s goal was clear, and it was to make Taichi uneasy. The Just 5 Guys member isn’t so easily swayed and he kicked the champion with such disgust and disdain. Finlay managed to eke out some painful agony of his own onto Taichi, slamming him into barricades, commentary booths, and the ring apron. Taka Michinoku and SANADA stayed, accompanying Taichi.

Suplexing Finlay over the top rope, Taichi recovered while Finlay squirmed in pain over landing hard on the steel barricades. Rallying the fans behind him, Taichi’s aspirations were cut short as Finlay attacked Taichi’s spine. Finlay contributed a Canadian Hammer onto the carcass of Taichi but failed to make a successful pin cover. The same can be said for the Oblivion and Jackknife moves which met the same result. Taichi nearly had the match won with a Black Mephisto, but shockingly, SANADA pulled the referee away, costing him the match. SANADA then removed his jacket to reveal a Bullet Club War Dogs shirt underneath. With a shillelagh, Finlay struck the backside of Taichi and gained the pinfall victory.

Going into Power Struggle, I expected Finlay to beat Taichi, but I didn’t see the SANADA betrayal coming. Considering his attitude at Royal Quest and during the Shota Umino bout, it makes all the sense. I came out of this sincerely enjoying a David Finlay match, but the aftermath was a surprise that’ll be in my mind for far longer.

Zack Sabre Jr. (c) defeated Shingo Takagi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship

Saber’s confident and speedy holds held no benefit in the early goings, for Takagi’s power was too much. The overwhelming force of him drew forth a pained grunt from the Brit when Takagi so much as struck his gut with his knee. Despite this torment, Sabre found it in himself to send Takagi into the barricades and the floor in the arena. Scouting Takagi’s signature pose, Sabre damaged Takagi’s fingers and strung him along across the mat with painful holds to keep him from recovery time.

Covering Takagi in an Octopus Hold, the LIJ member had to unleash a Death Valley Driver to survive. In a flurry of offense, both champion and challenger brought out the same flurry of offense, leading to a gnarly lariat by Takagi. Deploying a Stay Dream further cut the distance between Takagi and victory, but Sabre did not yield. Sabre, upon spinning through a Tornado-DDT, remained unable to pin Takagi, but the signs of weakness were visible on his stature. Trying finisher after finisher, Sabre returned once more to the well with a Sabre Driver to gain a pinfall over Takagi.

– Post-match – Shota Umino approached Sabre after the title defense, challenging for the title, shaking his hand after his acceptance. Former WWE talent and current AEW wrestler Ricochet made a shocking return to the cerulean blue, also staking his claim to a title match at Wrestle Dynasty before Umino chased him off.

I love clashes of styles. Takagi, a brickhouse of beef and muscle, against Sabre’s chess-playing tactics creates an unreal presentation to see which style wins out. Sabre’s run so far has been presented well and compliments his long journey to the title.

Power Struggle was an exciting show, filled with surprises and welcome developments. From Kenny Omega’s announcement to United Empire’s title win to SANADA’s Bullet Club defection to Sabre Jr. defending his title, this show had a lot for fans to sink their teeth into. For fans of AEW, the appearance of Ricochet is sure to set some excitement for the upcoming Tokyo Dome show at Wrestle Dynasty. The build has begun, and I am ready.