NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 Night One Results: 4 Title Matches, New Champs Crowned & Katsuyori Shibata Returns!
Welcome to Fightful’s results, live coverage and discussion for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 Night One. We will bring you full, match-by-match coverage of the whole card. Scroll down to the Disqus boards below and chat with fellow fans during the event.
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
Kazuchika Okada def. Shingo Takagi (c) to win the title
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
El Desperado (c) def. Hiromu Takahashi to retain the title
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
Chaos (Yoshi-Hashi & Hirooki Goto) def. Dangerous Tekkers (Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi) (c) to win the titles
NEVER Openweight Championship
Evil def. Tomohiro Ishii (c) to win the title
Katsuyori Shibata def. Ren Narita
United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan) def. Los Ingobernables (Tetsuya Naito, Sanada & Bushi)
Bullet Club (Kenta, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Mega Coaches (Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi) by DQ
Yoh def. Sho
2022 NJPW Ranbo
Final Four Advance To KOPW 2022 Four Way
Winners Are: Chase Owens, Toru Yano, CIMA & Minoru Suzuki
– The show starts with a special video package on Antonio Inoki and NJPW celebrating their 50th anniversary.
Yoh vs. Sho
The match begins with Yoh immediately knocking Sho out of the ring before landing a suicide dive, Yoh grabs Sho and he drags him up the entrance ramp while landing a few strikes. Yoh goes for a Yoh Driver and Sho escapes before sacrificing a ringside attendant, Sho then slams Yoh on the entrance ramp. Sho grabs the ringside attendant and he slams him onto Yoh, Sho gets back into the ring and he jumps Yoh once Yoh returns to the ring, Yoh falls out of the ring and Sho meets him out there before tossing him into the barricade. Sho gets Yoh back into the ring before getting a near fall on a pin attempt, Sho stands over a downed Yoh while stomping away on him. Sho also corners Yoh before choking him in the corner, Yoh tries fighting back and Sho immediately rakes his eyes. Yoh recovers and he nails Yoh with a dragon screw leg whip, Yoh then nails Sho with a running back elbow strike followed by a plethora of forearm strikes and arm trap stomps.
Sho fights back and he cracks Yoh with a forearm strike, Yoh is quick to recover and he nails a charging Sho with a drop kick followed by a German suplex for a near fall. Yoh looks for Direct Drive and Sho blocks it before raking his eyes, Sho uses a referee distraction to nail Yoh with a spear. Sho then lands a running clothesline on a cornered Yoh, Sho stands over a downed Yoh while landing strikes and stomps. Yoh recovers to roll up Sho for a near fall, Sho gets up immediately and he nails Yoh with a clothesline followed by a power bomb. Sho then nails Yoh with a cross arm pile driver for another near fall, Sho sets up for the Shock Arrow and Yoh gets free before getting Sho in the Stargazer. Dick Togo makes his way to the ring and he distracts the ref while Sho taps out, You goes after Togo and Sho nails him with a release German suplex. Sho then cracks Yoh with a lariat before applying Snakebite to Yoh, Yoh eventually makes it to the ropes to break the hold.
Togo goes back to distracting the referee so Sho can grab a wrench, Yoh avoids the wrench shot before sending Sho into Togo. Yoh then catches Sho in a roll up for a three count.
Winner: Yoh
After the match, Sho attacks Yoh and Yoh fights back to drop him with a super kick.
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Mega Coaches (Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi) vs. Bullet Club (Kenta, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo)
The match begins with Phantasmo locking Romero in a headlock, Romero gets free and Phantasmo drops him with a shoulder tackle. Romero recovers and he nails Phantasmo with a hurricanrana and a roll up for a near fall, Romero looks for a monkey flip and Phantasmo blocks it before eating a middle rope hurricanrana. Taguchi tags in and he helps Romero nail Phantasmo with a sliced bread for a near fall, Taguchi immediately nails Phantasmo with hip attacks. Ishimori tags in and he misses a springboard leap against Taguchi, Taguchi gains control by nailing Ishimori with a hip attack. Phantasmo and Romero hit the ring before getting taken out by Romero and Taguchi, Kenta interferes before attacking Taguchi and Romero. A brawl breaks out between both teams that spills to the arena floor, Phantasmo tags in and he double teams a trapped Taguchi alongside Ishimori. Phantasmo rakes the back of Taguchi before tagging Ishimori back in, Ishimori also decides to rake the back of Taguchi.
Kenta briefly interferes and he attacks Taguchi, Kenta tags in and he attacks a downed Taguchi with stomps and kicks for a near fall. Taguchi tries fighting back and he misses a hip attack attempt, Taguchi recovers and he eventually drops Kenta with a hip attack. Tanahashi tags in and he immediately starts cleaning house against the opposing team, Tanahashi nails the opposing team with dragon screw leg whips. Kenta avoids a sling blade before sending Tanahashi into the ref and rolling him up for a near fall, Kenta then nails Tanahashi with a DDT before getting his kendo stick. Kenta nails Tanahashi with multiple kendo stock shots, Tanahashi fights back and another brawl breaks out between the teams. Mega Coaches return to take out Ishimori and Phantasmo with dives, Tanahashi grabs the kendo stock and he attacks Kenta with it until the referee calls for the bell.
Winners: Bullet Club (Kenta, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo), by DQ
Los Ingobernables (Tetsuya Naito, Sanada & Bushi) vs. United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan) w/Aaron Henare
The match begins with the United Empire jumping LIJ and a brawl breaks out between both teams, Naito nails Cobb with an atomic drop. Cobb recovers to block a combination from Naito and land a shoulder tackle, everybody brawls on the arena floor while Cobb sends Naito into the barricade. Cobb gets Naito back into the ring before getting a near fall on a pin attempt, Great-O-Khan tags in and he stands on the head of Naito. Naito fights back and Great-O-Khan nails him with a series of Mongolian chops for a near fall, Ospreay tags in and he sends Naito into the corner before tagging Cobb in. Cobb keeps Naito in the corner while landing strikes to his injured back, Naito tries fighting back and he avoids a leap from Cobb. Naito then lands an enziguri on Cobb before dropping him with a flying forearm strike, Cobb fights back and Naito escapes a suplex before triple teaming him with the rest of LIJ. Sanada and Great-O-Khan are tagged in by their respective partners, Sanada quickly starts cleaning house against the opposing team.
Sanada gets Great-O-Khan into the Paradise Lock before drop kicking him in the backside, Great-O-Khan leaves the ring before returning to avoid a dive from Sanada. Sanada gets back into the ring and Great-O-Khan nails him with a knee smash to the face, Sanada escapes a pin from Great-O-Khan before getting kicked in the face for a near fall. Great-O-Khan gets Sanada into an arm triangle choke, Sanada gets free and he eventually nails Great-O-Khan with a springboard drop kick. Bushi tags in and he nails Great-O-Khan with a DDT for a near fall, Great-O-Khan fights back and he nails Bushi with a judo throw. Ospreay tags in and he nails Bushi with a springboard forearm strike, Ospreay goes for Storm Breaker and Naito breaks it up. Everybody from both teams hit the ring and they all take each other out, Bushi escapes the Storm Breaker and Ospreay nails him with a power bomb for a near fall. Ospreay then hits Bushi with the Hidden Blade for a three count.
Winners: United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan) w/Aaron Henare
– Before the match begins, Katsuyori Shibata says that the match will be held under normal wrestling rules.
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Ren Narita
The match begins with Shibata and Narita doing some chain wrestling, Shibata gets full mount on a downed Narita before attempting an arm bar. Narita blocks the submission attempt and both eventually get back to their feet, Narita gets Shibata into the ropes before landing a chop. Narita then gets Shibata into a headlock, Shibata gets free and he gets Narita in a headlock of his own before taking him down. Narita gets free and he avoids a penalty kick from Shibata, Shibata trips up Narita and he gets him in a figure four leg lock. Narita eventually gets to the ropes to break the submission attempt, Shibata corners Narita before landing a plethora of strikes. Narita gets free and he corners Shibata before stomping away on him, Narita shoves the ref before going back to work on Shibata. Shibata gets out of the corner and Narita nails him with a few kicks, Shibata recovers and he nails a charging Narita with an STO. Shibata corners Narita again before nailing multiple kicks to his face, Shibata also nails Narita with a bunch of strikes and stomps.
Shibata keeps Narita in the corner before landing a delayed drop kick, Shibata follows up by nailing Narita with a suplex for a near fall. Shibata goes for a triangle choke and Narita gets free before getting Shibata in the Narita Special, Shibata eventually gets to the ropes to break the submission hold. Narita goes for a leg lock next and Shibata gets to the ropes once again, Narita gets up and he stomps away on the injured leg of Shibata. Shibata recovers and he nails a charging Narita with a knee to the midsection, Narita gets up and Shibata knocks him out of the ring after landing a few kicks. Shibata gets Narita back into the ring before getting him in a rear naked choke, Shibata releases the hold and Narita nails him with headbutts. Narita looks for a cobra twist and Shibata gets him in one of his own instead, Narita gets to the ropes and Shibata nails him with a back drop driver followed by a chop.
Narita falls to his knees and Shibata nails him with a plethora of kicks, Narita tries fighting back before eating a bicycle kick and clothesline for some near falls. Narita fights back and he attacks Shibata with a ton of his own kicks, Shibata recovers and he drops Narita while landing kicks of his own. Shibata then slaps Narita in the face before applying a rear naked choke, Shibata releases the choke and he nails Narita with a penalty kick for a three count.
Winner: Katsuyori Shibata
NEVER Openweight Championship
Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Evil w/Dick Togo
The match begins with Evil jumping Ishii as Ishii was getting into the ring, Evil meets Ishii on the arena floor before sending him into the ring post. Evil grabs a steel chair and he attacks Ishii with it, Ishii grabs a chair of his own and a chair duel breaks out between them. Togo distracts Ishii and Evil sends Ishii into the barricade, Evil grabs a steel chair and he wraps it around the head of Ishii before nailing him with another steel chair. Evil gets into the ring and he waits for Ishii to make his way into the ring, Evil grabs Ishii and he sends him into the exposed corner a few times. Evil picks Ishii up and he quickly sends him out of the ring, Togo gets Ishii back into the ring so Evil can get a few near falls on him. Evil stands over a downed Ishii and he kicks away at his head, Ishii gets up and he nails Evil with a forearm strike. Ishii then sends Evil into the exposed corner before nailing him with a shoulder tackle, Evil fights back and Ishii hits him with a back suplex.
Ishii goes for a lariat and Evil avoids it before taking out the referee, Togo hits Ishii from behind with a weapon before Evil nails him with a fisherman buster suplex. Ishii avoids a lariat from Evil and Evil still sends him into the exposed corner, Ishii recovers and he nails Evil with a clothesline. Ishii places Evil on the top rope and he follows him up there while looking for a superplex, Ishii goes for the superplex again and he nails it for a near fall. Ishii gets Evil into a seated position before Togo interferes to prevent a sliding lariat, Ishii goes for a lariat again and Evil causes him to hit the referee. Togo hits the ring and he attacks Ishii with the steel wire, Yujiro Takahashi interferes as well and he attacks Ishii. Ishii fights back and he sends Takahashi into Togo before taking Takahashi out, Ishii corners Evil before nailing him with a ton of strikes. Sho interferes and he nails Ishii with a release German suplex, Yoh hits the ring and he takes a bunch of people out with a dive.
Evil avoids a lariat from Ishii before nailing him with a release German suplex, Evil looks for another low blow and Ishii blocks it before landing an enziguri. Togo returns and Yoh stops him from interfering, Ishii then crushes Evil with a lariat for another near fall. Ishii looks for a brain buster and Takahashi interferes to nail him with a low blow, Evil then grabs the title belt and he hits Ishii with it while the referee was distracted. Evil then hits Ishii with Everything Is Evil for a three count.
Winner: Evil w/Dick Togo, your new NEVER Openweight Champion
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
Dangerous Tekkers (Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi) (c) w/Miho Abe vs. Chaos (Yoshi-Hashi & Hirooki Goto)
The match begins with Sabre doing some work on the arm of Yoshi-Hashi, Yoshi-Hashi gets free and Sabre cracks him with a few strikes. Goto hits the ring and he double teams Sabre alongside Yoshi-Hashi, Taichi hits the ring and he battles Goto while Yoshi-Hashi battles Sabre. Taichi and Goto take their battle to the arena floor, Sabre and Yoshi-Hashi follow suit and they brawl outside of the ring. Taichi grabs a cable wire and he chokes Goto with it, Sabre gets back in the ring and he attacks Yoshi-Hashi when he returns to the ring. Sabre holds Yoshi-Hashi down while applying a head scissors to him, Sabre traps the legs of Yoshi-Hashi until Yoshi-Hashi gets himself to the ropes. Taichi tags in and he stomps away on a downed Yoshi-Hashi, Taichi gets Yoshi-Hashi into a seated position before kicking him in the back for a near fall. Taichi keeps Yoshi-Hashi down while illegally choking him a few times, Sabre tags in and he nails a cornered Yoshi-Hashi with a headbutt.
Sabre takes Yoshi-Hashi down before applying a cravat to him, Yoshi-Hashi fights back and Sabre kicks him in his injured arm. Yoshi-Hashi recovers and he eventually drops Sabre with a Headhunter, Goto tags in and he immediately starts cleaning house against the opposing team. Goto nails Sabre with a bulldog for a near fall, Sabre fights back and he eventually gets Goto into the octopus stretch. Everybody from both teams hit the ring and they all take each other out, Goto gets Sabre up and he gets into a striking exchange with him. Sabre ends the exchange by getting Goto into a modified triangle choke and Taichi also gets Yoshi-Hashi into a modified chicken wing. Goto eventually makes it to the ropes to break the submission on him, Sabre looks for a Holy Zack Driver and Goto avoids it before getting double teamed for a near fall. Yoshi-Hashi returns and he grabs Taichi to prevent a super kick while Goto rolls up Sabre for a near fall, Sabre then catches Goto in his own roll up for a near fall.
Sabre misses a penalty kick before nailing Goto with a kick to the arm, Goto recovers and he nails Sabre with a Ushigorishi. Taichi and Yoshi-Hashi are tagged in by their respective partners, Yoshi-Hashi and Taichi immediately get into their own striking exchange. Taichi hits Yoshi-Hashi with a super kick followed by a back drop driver to end the exchange, Taichi goes for a super kick and Yoshi-Hashi nails him with one of his own. Taichi recovers and he drops Yoshi-Hashi with a super kick on his second attempt, Sabre interferes and he knocks Goto off the ring apron. Yoshi-Hashi fights back against the double team before nailing Taichi with a lariat for a near fall, Yoshi-Hashi goes for Kharma and Taichi blocks it. Goto interferes and he nails Taichi with a GTR, Yoshi-Hashi and Goto hit Taichi with Goto Time for a near fall. Yoshi-Hashi and Goto then nail Sabre with an assisted GYW, Taichi fights back and he catches Yoshi-Hashi in a roll up for a near fall. Sabre returns and he applies an ankle lock to Yoshi-Hashi before getting Goto in a guillotine choke, Goto gets free and he works withYoshi-Hashi to take out Sabre.
Taichi fights back and he takes out both of his opponents, Taichi goes for Black Mephisto on Yoshi-Hashi and Yoshi-Hashi counters with a destroyer. Goto then hits Taichi with a GTR, Yoshi-Hashi and Goto then hit Taichi with an assisted swinging neck breaker for a three count.
Winners: Chaos (Yoshi-Hashi & Hirooki Goto), your new IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
El Desperado (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi
The match begins with a striking exchange breaking out between Takahashi and Desperado, Desperado and Takahashi exchange back elbow shots until they both go down multiple times. Takahashi nails Desperado with a corner clothesline, Desperado looks for a power bomb and Takahashi gets him in a triangle choke. Desperado gets free before nailing Takahashi with a back suplex, Takahashi gets up and he nails Desperado with a release German suplex for a near fall. Desperado knocks Takahashi out of the ring before nailing him with a suicide dive, Takahashi recovers and he hits Desperado with a sunset bomb on the arena floor. The competitors make it back into the ring to barely beat the twenty count, Desperado and Takahashi have another striking exchange in the middle of the ring. Takahashi takes over and he corners Desperado while landing more strikes, Takahashi charges at Desperado and Desperado nails him with a spine buster.
Desperado then hits Takahashi with a pump handle sit out power bomb for a near fall, Desperado follows up by landing a frog splash on Takahashi for a near fall. Desperado sets up for his finisher and Takahashi fights back to break the hold, Takahashi then hits a charging Desperado with a pop up power bomb. Takahashi gets up and he propels a charging Desperado into the corner, Takahashi keeps Desperado cornered while nailing him with a shotgun drop kick. Takahashi follows up by hitting Desperado with a Dynamite Plunger for a near fall, Takahashi then hits Desperado with a death valley driver into the corner. Takahashi looks for a Time Bomb and Desperado counters with a roll up for a near fall, Desperado and Takahashi go back and forth until Desperado gets Takahashi into a horse collar. Takahashi gets free and he manages to send Desperado into the ropes, Takahashi follows up by landing a lariat on Desperado.
Takahashi then hits Desperado with a Victory Royal for another near fall, Takahashi looks for a Time Bomb and Desperado rolls him up again for a near fall. Takahashi and Desperado go back and forth until Takahashi lands a super kick, Takahashi looks for a power bomb and Desperado counters with a modified pile driver for a near fall. Desperado looks for his finisher again and Takahashi counters with a roll up for another near fall, Desperado then cracks a charging Takahashi with a right. Desperado then nails Takahashi with Pinche Loco, Desperado looks for a second Pinche Loco and Takahashi counters with a roll up for a near fall. Takahashi looks for a right and Desperado cracks him with a right of his own, Desperado nails Takahashi with a pair of Pinche Locos for a three count.
Winner: El Desperado, still your IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada
The match begins with a feeling out process between Takagi and Okada, Takagi and Okada do some chain wrestling until Takagi works over Okada’s arm. Okada takes Takagi down and Takagi quickly regains control, Okada gets up and he gets Takagi into a headlock. Okada takes Takagi down while holding him in the headlock, Takagi gets free and he works over the arm of Okada. Okada backs Takagi into the ropes before taunting him and getting him back into a headlock, Okada drops Takagi with a drop toe hold before landing an elbow drop to his back. Okada follows up by landing a neck breaker on Takagi for a one count, Okada holds Takagi down while applying a chin lock to him. Okada releases the hold before nailing a downed Takagi with a basement drop kick, Okada misses a slingshot swanton bomb before Takagi nails him with a clothesline. Takagi follows up by knocking Okada out of the ring with another clothesline, Takagi then drops Okada face first on the edge of the ring.
Takagi sets up for Made In Japan and Okada gets free before nailing him with a DDT on the arena floor, Takagi powers himself to his feet before nailing Okada with a suplex on the arena floor. Takagi gets Okada to his feet before ramming him back first into the ringside edge, Takagi gets Okada back into the ring before standing on him and stomping on him. Takagi traps Okada by the ropes before landing knee strikes to his midsection, Takagi then drops Okada with a shoulder tackle and a back suplex for a near fall. Takagi keeps Okada down while holding him in a body scissors, Takagi looks for a chin lock and Okada makes it to the ropes. Takagi gets up and he nails a downed Okada with a few elbow drops followed by a senton, Okada fights back and he trades strikes with Takagi. Okada then drops a swinging Takagi with a running elbow smash, Okada drops Takagi a few more times before nailing him with a flapjack.
Okada corners Takagi before landing a leaping elbow strike and a DDT for a near fall, Okada looks for a neck breaker and Takagi fights back. Okada places Takagi on the top rope before using a drop kick to knock him to the arena floor, Okada meets Takagi on the arena floor before knocking him over the barricade. Okada follows up by diving over the barricade and onto Takagi, Okada eventually gets Takagi back into the ring before cracking him with a missile drop kick for a near fall. Okada follows up by locking Takagi in the Money Clip, Takagi makes it to the ropes to break the submission attempt from Okada. Takagi fights back and he tricks Okada before planting him with a DDT, Takagi and Okada have a back and forth until Takagi sends Okada face first to the mat below. Takagi follows up by nailing Okada with a wheelbarrow suplex, Takagi holds Okada down while nailing him with elbow strikes.
Takagi goes for a sliding lariat and Okada counters by getting him back in the Money Clip, Okada then hits Takagi with a tombstone pile driver before reapplying the Money Clip to him. Okada trips up Takagi before getting him back in the Money Clip, Takagi eventually gets to the ropes to break the submission. Okada then hits Takagi with a slam before landing a top rope elbow drop on him, Okada goes for a Rainmaker and Takagi counters with a short arm clothesline of his own. Okada fights back and he cracks Takagi with a plethora of strikes, Okada knocks the ref down and he exchanges strikes with Takagi. Takagi eats a drop kick before dropping Okada with a clothesline, Okada falls out of the ring and Takagi follows him out there. Takagi and Okada take their battle up the entrance ramp, Okada looks for a tombstone pile driver and Takagi defends against it.
Okada looks for the tombstone again and Takagi defends before nailing him with a death valley driver on the entrance ramp, Takagi and Okada make it back into the ring to beat the ref’s count. Takagi then hits a cornered Okada with a running clothesline, Takagi places Okada on the top rope before nailing him with a superplex. Takagi follows up by nailing Okada with a sliding lariat for a near fall, Okada fights back and he nails a charging Takagi with a drop kick. Okada follows up by nailing Takagi with a Rainmaker, Okada holds onto Takagi before nailing him with a second Rainmaker. Takagi avoids a third Rainmaker before landing Made In Japan for a near fall, Takagi then hits Okada with a Last Of The Dragon for a near fall. Takagi follows up by nailing Okada with a lariat for another near fall, Okada escapes a Last Of The Dragon to hit Takagi with another Rainmaker.
Takagi and Okada then have another striking exchange in the middle of the ring, Takagi goes for Last Of The Dragon again and Okada counters with a Money Clip. Takagi gets free and he nails a downed Okada with a sliding forearm strike, Takagi picks Okada up and he climbs the ropes. Okada fights back and he nails Takagi with a super DDT, Okada follows up by hitting Takagi with a German suplex. Takagi avoids the Rainmaker again before landing strikes and a clothesline on Okada, Takagi goes for Last Of The Dragon and Okada escapes. Takagi then nails Okada with a dragon suplex before eating a drop kick, Okada then hits Takagi with a Michinoku Driver followed by a Rainmaker for a three count.
Winner: Kazuchika Okada, your new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion
After the match, Will Ospreay interrupts the festivities to confront Kazuchika Okada. Ospreay promises to defeat Okada to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Title tomorrow night, Ospreay says Okada will have to leave NJPW to become an actor. Okada gets the microphone and he calls Ospreay a fake champion, Okada goes back to addressing the fans after Ospreay leaves.
