Two matches added to NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo
A NEVER Openweight Championship bout, plus a special singles match in the junior heavyweight division have been added to NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo.
EVIL will defend the NEVER Openweight title against Shota Umino on night one of the event on Friday, February 23. The promotion made the announcement late Wednesday.
EVIL defeated Tama Tonga to win the NEVER title at The New Beginning in Nagoya on January 20. Umino defeated Ren Narita in a singles match in the main event of Wednesday’s Road to The New Beginning show at Korakuen Hall.
Also added to the February 23 lineup, El Desperado will face SHO. Desperado, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, refused to put his title on the line against SHO, but agreed to a match after SHO and Bullet Club’s House of Torture stole Desperado’s mask in an angle on Wednesday’s show.
The New Beginning in Sapporo will feature Kazuchika Okada’s final NJPW appearances in matches yet to be announced on the two-night event.
The updated lineups:
NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo, Friday, February 23 —
- Kazuchika Okada match TBA
- IWGP Global Champion David Finlay defends against Nic Nemeth
- 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
- Shingo Takagi vs. Taichi
- Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura
- Hiromu Takahashi vs. DOUKI
- BUSHI vs. TAKA Michinoku
- Nic Nemeth & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. David Finlay & Gedo
- Toru Yano & Tomoya vs. TBA
