NJPW announces WarGames rules for New Beginning in Osaka cage match

When The United Empire and Bullet Club War Dogs face off in a cage match on Sunday, it will be contested under WarGames rules.

The five-on-five match at The New Beginning in Osaka will likely use just one ring but follow the format of modern WarGames matches, with pinfalls and submissions determining the winner. Two wrestlers start and a new wrestler enters every two minutes. The match can’t end until all competitors are in the ring. 

The Bullet Club team will have the advantage. David Finlay has requested that he and Will Ospreay be the first entrants for their teams. 

From NJPW1972.com:

In a format similiar to team cage matches overseas, the match will begin as a singles contest, with a new member added to the match every two minutes. Finlay has declared that the War Dogs will have the advantage, his wrestlers making their entrance first and alternating until all ten men are in the match. From that point on, a pinfall or submission will decide the bout. 

Additionally, NJPW confirmed the bout between Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura at the New Beginning in Sapporo on February 24 will be a hair vs. hair match. 

Upcoming NJPW schedule

NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka, Sunday, February 11 —

  • Drilla Maloney, Clark Connors, Gabe Kidd, Alex Coughlin, & David Finlay (Bullet Club War Dogs) vs. Francesco Akira, TJP, HENARE, Jeff Cobb, & Will Ospreay (United Empire) in a steel cage match
  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Bryan Danielson
  • IWGP Tag Team Champions El Phantasmo & Hikuleo vs. Chase Owens & KENTA
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, & Tetsuya Naito vs. TAKA Michinoku, DOUKI, Yuya Uemura, Taichi, SANADA
  • Tiger Mask, Tomoaki Honma, El Desperado & Shota Umino vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita, SHO, & EVIL
  • Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman
  • YOH & Toru Yano vs. Boltin Oleg & Ryusuke Taguchi

NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo, Friday, February 23 —

  • Kazuchika Okada match TBA
  • IWGP Global Champion David Finlay defends against Nic Nemeth
  • IWGP Women’s Champion Mayu Iwatani vs. Mina Shirakawa
  • NJPW World TV Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi defends against Matt Riddle
  • NEVER Openweight Champion EVIL defends against Shota Umino
  • El Desperado vs. SHO
  • Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. SANADA, Taichi, Yuya Uemura, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku
  • Toru Yano & Tomoya vs. TBA

NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo, Saturday, February 24 —

  • Kazuchika Okada’s final NJPW appearance
  • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito defends against SANADA
  • Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura in a hair vs. hair match
  • Shingo Takagi vs. Taichi
  • Hiromu Takahashi vs. DOUKI
  • BUSHI vs. TAKA Michinoku
  • Nic Nemeth & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. David Finlay & Gedo
  • Toru Yano & Tomoya vs. TBA