NJPW New Beginning in Osaka live results: Naito vs. KENTA
Big title matches headline tonight’s NJPW New Beginning in Osaka.
The latest event to take place at Osaka-jo Hall will be headlined by Tetsuya Naito defending the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles against KENTA. Although KENTA lost his match at Wrestle Kingdom, he sent a message to Naito at the end of the second night by laying him out immediately after Naito became the double champion.
Jon Moxley and Minoru Suzuki will finally come to blows for the IWGP United States title. The two have been going after each other all tour, brawling all over the crowds and even backstage.
Hiromu Takahashi and Ryu Lee will continue their rivalry that began years ago in Mexico by facing off for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight title. This was the same match back in 2018 where Hiromu Takahashi broke his neck, putting him out of action for over a year.
A special singles match between SANADA and Jay White will also take place.
Join us for live coverage starting at 2 a.m. EST.
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MANABU NAKANISHI, SATOSHI KOJIMA, YUJI NAGATA & HIROYOSHI TENZAN DEFEATED TOA HENARE, RYUSUKE TAGUCHI, TOGI MAKABE & TOMOAKI HONMA
Taguchi began with Nakanishi, who hit some strikes in the corner. Tenzan entered and they worked over Taguchi’s bum. Henare and Nagata tagged in and traded strikes. Henare teased an Argentinian backbreaker, as he’s been doing all tour, taunting Nakanishi.
Taguchi and team went 4-on-1 against Nagata. Taguchi gave Nagata a stinkface. Makabe got a tag and Nagata hit him with an exploder. Nakanishi got a tag and hit a double clothesline on Honma and Makabe. Nakanishi used the Argentinian backbreaker on Makabe. Nakanishi’s team did a quadruple submission spot on their opponents.
Makabe and Nakanishi hit a series of simultaneous lariats, and both dropped. Kojima and Honma tagged in. Kojima hit machine gun chops. Honma cut him off before a top rope elbow. Honma hit a kokeshi for a near fall.
Makabe jumped in and hit a double clothesline. Nakanishi hit a series of double sledges. Kojima held Honma, allowing Nakanishi to hit him with a top rope chop. Kojima then hit Honma with a lariat for the pin.
Makabe cut a promo after the match. He thanked the crowd for coming out. He said he got his start in Osaka 27 years ago. He said he was terrible when he began, but he accomplished all he did because of the support of the fans.
He said he has four matches left, he’ll give them his all, and he hopes everyone supports him. He said NJPW will go on without him to new heights.
Nakanishi’s team left the ring to him, he took a bow and waved to the crowd. This was nice. The match itself was nothing.
IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: SHO & YOH (W/ROCKY ROMERO) DEFEATED EL DESPERADO & YOSHINOBU KANEMARU TO RETAIN THE TITLES
The story of the match was whether or not Roppongi 3K would be able to retain the titles given that SHO was coming in with a leg injury, suffered earlier in the tour after a Suzuki-gun attack.
3K attacked just before the bell, employing a Suzuki-gun tactic. SHO and YOH hit a double dropkick. Kanemaru and Desperado made a quick comeback. Kanemaru hit a leg slice over the barricade. Desperado used a chair in the aisle on SHO’s left leg.
Back in the ring, Kanemaru used a stretch muffler. Desperado used a single-leg crab, continuing to punish the left leg. SHO made a comeback with a backdrop to Despy, a suplex to Kanemaru, then made a tag.
YOH ran wild with leg lariats and flying forearms. YOH and Desperado traded strikes. Desperado hit a misdirection spear. Kanemaru tagged in and hit a knee lift, then a tornado DDT for a two count.
Kanemaru went for Deep Impact. YOH moved out of the way and hit a DDT, into a double down. SHO tagged in and traded strikes with Kanemaru. SHO hit a spear. SHO went for a powerbomb but his leg gave out.
Kanemaru hit a dropkick and locked on a figure four. Desperado used a crossface on an interfering YOH. SHO finally forced a rope break. Kanemaru hit Deep Impact, but SHO kicked out at two.
Kanemaru missed a moonsault but landed on his feet. YOH intercepted him with a dropkick. YOH hit Kanemaru with a superkick, then hit a rewind kick to Desperado. All four men went down.
SHO and YOH hit some tandem offense on Kanemaru. They set up for the 3K but Desperado cut them off and took the referee. Kanemaru tried to spit whiskey but SHO blocked and spit whiskey in the air.
SHO tossed YOH over the top into a dive on Desperado. SHO hit a lariat to Kanemaru, then hit Shock Arrow, but Kanemaru kicked out at two.
YOH climbed to the top, hit Strong X, then SHO covered for the pin.
YOH and Desperado traded slaps to the face after the match. Taguchi then entered with a basketball. He said Rocky Romero is not just a manager, he’s a great wrestler. He asked Rocky to challenge Roppongi for the title. He threw Rocky the basketball, made a basket with his arms, and Rocky shot the ball through his arms.
YOH cut a promo. He said he expected Taguchi to show up, but not to face Rocky. He then said that 3K hasn’t surpassed Rocky yet, and if that means they have to beat him, they will.
So Taguchi and Romero are the next challengers for the Jr. Heavyweight Tag titles.
Good match, but not great, as they didn’t get a ton of time.
HIROSHI TANAHASHI, KOTA IBUSHI, JUICE ROBINSON & DAVID FINLAY DEFEATED TAMA TONGA, TANGA LOA, YUJIRO TAKAHASHI & CHASE OWENS
This was really more about the post-match than the match itself.
Tana and Tonga started out. Tonga broke cleanly against the ropes, but Loa grabbed Tana by his glorious mane and Bullet Club tried a 4-on-1 beatdown. Tana’s teammates jumped in and the match broke down. When the dust settled, Tonga and Finlay were the legal men.
Tonga and Loa hit slingshot sentons to Finlay. Loa tagged in and got a two count. Owens tagged in. Finlay made a comeback, then tagged Ibushi. Ibushi hit a dropkick, a mid kick, then used a standing moonsault for a two count.
Juice and Loa got tags. Juice hit a ful nelson bomb and a cannonball. He teased Pulp Friction, but Tonga jumped in to cut him off. Tana got a tag. Yujiro jumped in and hit a fisherman buster, Owens hit a shining wizard, then Loa covered for a two count.
The match broke down, with everyone eating a big move. Jado hit Ibushi with a kendo stick from the floor, leaving Tanahashi to go 1-on-2 against Tonga and Loa. Tonga got hit witth a slingblade. Loa took a dragon screw.
Jado hit Tana with a kendo stick. Loa went for Apeshit, but Tana blocked, then used a cradle for the pin.
Tonga, Loa and Jado attacked Tanahashi after the match. Ibushi saved with a missile dropkick. Jado tried another kendo stick shot. Ibushi blocked, then pie faced Jado.
They out over on commentary that Tanahashi and Ibushi just beat the tag team champs. Tana, Ibushi, Finlay and Juice faced off after the match. Juice and Finlay just lost the tag titles, so perhaps a three-way, or perhaps a number one contenders match with Ibushi and Tana vs. Finlay and Juice is on the way.
Tanahashi was really moving poorly tonight. A tag team feud feels like a waste of him in one way, but in another, it’s probably the best thing for his body at this point not to be in main events all the time.
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A video announcement played. A Madison Square Garden date was announced, as well as G1 details, as well as NJPW World returning to a prime time slot on Japanese TV.
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KAZUCHIKA OKADA & WILL OSPREAY DEFEATED TAICHI & ZACK SABRE JR.
This was good, but they only got about 12 minutes. Good matches that could have been great with a few more minutes is the theme of the night.
Okada and Taichi began in the ring, while Sabre and Ospreay brawled on the outside. Taichi hit a high kick, then continued working over Okada with short kicks. Sabre tagged in, Okada hit a flapjack, then tagged out.
Ospreay hit Pip Pip Cheerio, then a handsrping kick. Sabre used the submission that earned him a victory over Ospreay last week, but Ospreay forced a break. They did an incredible series of counters and reversals, then traded cradles on the mat. Sabre used a guillotine, then slid to a triangle, which Ospreay broke with a one-armed powerbomb.
Okada and Taichi tagged in. Okada hit a back elbow in the middle of the ring, then another in the corner. Okada hit a dropkick. Ospreay and Sabre jumped in. Ospreay hit a cheeky Nando’s kick to Sabre. Taichi hit a high kick to Ospreay, then an axe bomber to Okada.
Taichi removed his trousers. He used a buzzsaw kick for a near fall. Okada escaped a Last Ride. Ospreay jumped in and hit an Oscutter, then hit a Sasuke special to Sabre. Okada hit Taichi with another dropkick, then hit the Rainmaker for the pin.
JAY WHITE DEFEATED SANADA
In kayfabe why does SANADA always give up the Skull End? He always gives up the hold, then misses a moonsault. Not a fan of that spot in every big SANADA match, it makes him look really dumb.
This was good. A patterned Jay White match with lots of Gedo interference.
Gedo was a factor in the opening minutes, first jumping on the apron for a distraction, then tripping SANADA, then choking SANADA with a towel on the floor. White went to work from there, hitting stomps, strikes and a crab.
SANADA hit a missile dropkick, then a dropkick to the left knee. White came back with a DDT, an uppercut forearm, then a DVD. SANADA fell victim to another trip from Gedo. White ran into a big boot in the corner, then SANADA used a paradise lock.
SANADA hit a leapfrog dropkick, then a plancha, then hit a missile dropkick for a two count. SANADA tried for a TKO, then a Skull End, but White hit a thumb to the eye. They traded uppercuts. White hit a flatliner and a deadlift German.
White hit a Blade Buster and Kiwi Krusher for a two count. SANADA came back with a draping neckbreaker. SANADA used a high-angle suplex for a two count. SANADA teased Skull End. Gedo jumped on the apron for a distraction. White used a schoolboy for a two count.
SANADA hit a TKO. White took the referee. Gedo jumped on the apron. SANADA crotched him on the top rope.
SANADA used a moonsault press threat to float over into a Skull End. He used a spinning Skull End, then dropped to the mat with the hold applied, adding a bodyscissors. SANADA gave up the hold, then missed a moonsault.
They traded finisher teases in a great sequence. SANADA used an O’Connor Roll, then a Japanese leg roll for near falls.
They tried a spot where SANADA was going to come off the middle rope into a Skull End again, but he landed wrong and both guys almost broke their necks.
White hit a sleeper suplex, a Regal suplex, then a cross-armed suplex, all for near falls. White then hit the Blade Runner and pinned SANADA.
IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: HIROMU TAKAHASHI DEFEATED RYU LEE TO RETAIN THE TITLE
Well, good luck to everybody that has to follow this tonight, or any night.
These are two of the best ten wrestlers in the world. They should not be allowed to wrestle again. They do so many things together where there is no margin for error, and they can’t help themselves. The matches are incredible. They are also beyond dangerous.
They came out firing, trading lariats and German suplexes, ending with both men down less than a minute in. They traded dozens of open-hand chops to the chest. They paused, then traded several more, paused again, then traded a ton more.
Hiromu dropped Lee with an unanswered series of chops. Lee popped up, hit the ropes, then hit a chop. They traded MORE CHOPS. Hiromu hit a corner clothesline, then they traded chops again. At the five minute call here, and almost all chops to this point.
Hiromu tried a tijeras, Lee blocked, Hiromu hit a handspring out, then landed a chop. More chops. Lee finally got a knockdown off a chop. Lee hit a Shibata dropkick, falcon arrow, then a PK. Hiromu rolled outside. Lee hit a tijeras over the top rope to the apron, tossing Hiromu to the floor.
Lee sat Hiromu on the barricade. Lee hit a tope suicida at a thousand miles an hour, sending both men over the barricade, bouncing off a table, then crashing to the floor in front of the second barricade. They made it back in after a countout tease.
Hiromu blocked a springboard move, then hit a sunset bomb from the ring to the floor. Hiromu hit a Dynamite Plunger for a two count. He hit a DVD into the buckle. Lee blocked a Time Bomb and teased a spike package driver, the move where Hiromu broke his neck in 2018. Hiromu rolled through into his triangle choke submission, D, but Lee forced a rope break.
They sat on the top rope, trading punches. Lee hit a double stomp from that position. Lee landed on his feet on the apron, while Hiromu hit the edge of the ring, then hit the floor.
They traded strikes on the apron. Hiromu hit an overhead throw on the apron, sending Lee to the floor. They pulled it off, but thats the kind of move where there’s no margin for error.
Hiromu asked the ref to stop the 20 count, then hit a Hiromu bomb off the post to the floor. They did a countout tease, but Lee made it in at 19.
They traded a series of strikes and suplexes that had to be seen to be believed. Lee went for a Desnucadora. Hiromu rolled through into D. Lee escaped and hit a buckle bomb. Hiromu countered with an overhead throw into the buckle.
Lee hit a bastard driver for a two count. Hiromu was draped over the top rope, where Lee hit a double stomp. Lee hit a V-Trigger and made a cover. Hiromu forced a rope break.
Hiromu teased a package driver. Hiromu reversed into a destroyer for a near fall, threw Lee like a dart into the buckle, then went for Time Bomb. Lee rolled through into a cover for a near fall.
Lee exposed his right knee, then hit a running knee for a near fall. He hit a second knee. Hiromu hit another destroyer. Hiromu hit Time Bomb for a two count, then hit a second Time Bomb, covered, and retained the title.
IWGP UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: JON MOXLEY DEFEATED MINORU SUZUKI TO RETAIN THE TITLE
What can you say about these guys? An awesome feud, an awesome brawl to cap it off, just great stuff.
Suzuki entered first. Moxley entered through the crowd, then walked to the ramp, where he beckoned Suzuki to join him. Suzuki grabbed two chairs, threw one to Moxley, then they had a duel.
Moxley got the best of the chair duel. They brawled into the crowd, tearing up pieces of barricade and using them as weapons. They fought into the time keeper’s area. They teased a table spot, but Moxley blocked. Somewhere in here the opening bell rang. They did a countout tease before either man got in the ring.
In the ring, they traded strikes. Suzuki hit a big boot in the corner. Moxley caught a PK, then bit Suzuki. Suzuki hit a series of headbutts and bit Moxley. They brawled outside again.
Moxley set up a table on the outside. He teased putting Suzuki through it. Suzuki fought it off, then hit a con-chair-to to Moxley’s arm. Suzuki posted the arm, then used an armbar on the apron. Moxley powerbombed Suzuki off the apron through the table. Suzuki sold it by laughing, then stumbling as he got to his feet.
Each man grabbed a piece of broken table and beat themself in the head with it. Back inside, they traded super stiff forearm shots. Suzuki slipped behind and locked on a rear naked choke. Suzuki gave up the hold when it looked as though Moxley was passing out, then covered for a near fall.
Suzuki hit a running boot for another near fall. Moxley came back with a knee strike and a Regal knee for a near fall. Suzuki blocked a Death Rider. They traded shots. Suzuki hit a dropkick.
Moxley escaped a Gotch-style piledriver and hit Death Rider. Suzuki kicked out at two. Moxley kissed Suzuki on the forehead.
Moxley brought two chairs into the ring. Red Shoes tried to pull the chairs away, but got shocved down.
Moxley hit a gimmicked chair shot to the head, then hit a Death Rider on a chair, but there was no referee.
Suzuki fired up. Suzuki hit a series of strikes. Moxley hit a rebound lariat, Suzuki didn’t go down, but the way he sold not going down was incredible.
Moxley hit a second lariat, then hit Death Rider for the pin.
Suzuki left, tearing up the barricade on his way to the back.
As Moxley posed in the ring, Sabre ran in and choked him out, then posed with the U.S. title, so there’s something for the future.
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Gedo, Jado, White, Yujiro, Tonga, Loa and Owens accompanied KENTA to the ring for the main event. Tama Tonga took a swing at Red Shoes before the bell. Red Shoes took a bump, then ejected Bullet Club.
IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT & INTERCONTINENTAL DOUBLE TITLE MATCH: TETSUYA NAITO DEFEATED KENTA TO RETAIN THE TITLES
After the ref bumps, this was a good match. The problem was that they went about 20 minutes before the ref bumps.
KENTA did his customary stalling at the outset. They finally locked up. Naito broke against the ropes. KENTA rolled outside. Naito teased a dive, then hit his Tranquilo pose.
Naito finally got his hands on KENTA in earnest. He hit a rana and some stomps, then threw KENTA into the barricade. Naito hit stomps in the corner. KENTA countered with a slingshot knee strike, then sent Naito outside.
KENTA tossed Naito into all four sides of the barricade, then hit a DDT in the aisle. Back inside, KENTA exposed a buckle, then whipped Naito into it. We were past the ten minute mark here and this was still moving at a snail’s pace.
KENTA hit a knee lift, then did some more crowd work. He hit a snapmare, then used a chinlock. KENTA hit a DDT for a near fall.
Naito made a comeback with a low dropkick, combinacion cabron, then hit a neckbreaker for a two count. Naito hit another neckbreaker, then used a crucifix hold. KENTA reached the ropes for a break.
KENTA snapped Naito’s neck on the top rope, then hit a top rope clothesline for a two count. KENTA tried for Game Over, but Naito reached the ropes before the hold was applied.
KENTA went for a draping DDT. Naito hit a leg sweep, then hit a neckbreaker on the apron. KENTA answered with a draping DDT off the barricade. They teased a countout, but Naito made it back in.
KENTA hit a running knee in the corner, then a KENTA/Shibata dropkick. KENTA missed a double stomp off the top. Naito hit a spinebuster. They traded strikes. Naito got the better of the exchange.
KENTA ducked a back elbow, threw Red Shoes in Naito’s path, then used the distraction to lock Naito in Game Over. Naito fought for a long time, then reached the ropes. KENTA hit a PK, a knee strike in the ropes, then hit a busaiku knee for a near fall.
KENTA teased G2S. Naito blocked, then hit a tornado DDT. Naito hit a neckbreaker, top rope frankensteiner, then hit Gloria for a near fall.
Naito went for Destino. KENTA blocked and threw Naito into Red Shoes twice. Red Shoes took a bump and rolled outside.
White ran in and hit a sleeper suplex. BUSHI ran in and tried to spit black mist at White. White ducked, then hit BUSHI with Blade Runner. Hiromu ran in and hit White with a superkick then dragged White to the back.
Naito hit an enziguri and a flying forearm. KENTA blocked a Destino with a lariat for a near fall.
KENTA tried Go 2 Sleep. Naito slid out and hit an inverted DDT.
KENTA blocked Valentia and sent Naito into the exposed buckle, then used a schoolboy for a near fall.
Naito was bleeding a gusher after going into the buckle, and it appeared to be hard way blood, as Naito really didn’t have time to blade before the blood started pouring.
KENTA hit some slaps and a busaiku knee for another near fall.
Naito reversed a G2S into a poison rana, then hit Valentia for a near fall.
Naito then hit Destino for the 1-2-3.
Naito cut a promo. KENTA was still lingering in the aisle. Naito told him no tranquilo, just get out of here.
He rhetorically asked what was next for him. He called out Hiromu. Traditionally, the IWGP Heavyweight champ wrestles the Jr. Heavyweight champ at the anniversary show.
Hiromu entered. He said Naito taught him wrestling when he was a Young Lion. He said when he was about to go on excursion, Naito told him they’d have a match when he got back. So the answer is yes.
Naito said the LIJ roll call, then confetti showered the ring. Hiromu and Naito bumped fists, then posed with their respective titles. Hiromu left the ring to Naito to close the show.