Wrestle Kingdom 13

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Wrestle Kingdom 13
Promotion
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateJanuary 4, 2019
CityTokyo, Japan
VenueTokyo Dome
Attendance38,162 (paid)[1]
Tagline(s)Professional wrestling's Winterfest! January 4th!! (Japanese: プロレス! 冬フェスト! イッテンヨン!!, Hepburn: Puroresu! Fuyufesuto! Ittenyon!!)
Event chronology
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Wrestle Kingdom 13 Fan Festa 		Next →
New Year Dash!!
Wrestle Kingdom chronology
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12 		Next →
14

Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Tokyo Dome was a

FITE TV and was aired on tape delay on AXS TV.[2][3] Wrestle Kingdom is traditionally NJPW's biggest event of the year and has been described as their equivalent to WWE's WrestleMania.[4]

The card was composed of ten matches, including one occurring on the pre-show.

Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate
won his Wrestle Kingdom title match.

Production

Other on-screen personnel
Role: Name:
Commentators Don Callis (English-language announcer)
Kevin Kelly (English-language announcer)
Chris Charlton (English-language announcer)
Ring announcers Kimihiko Ozaki (First half)
Makoto Abe (Second half)
Referees Kenta Sato
Marty Asami
Red Shoes Unno
Tiger Hattori

Background

The January 4 Tokyo Dome Show is NJPW's biggest

annual event and has been called "the largest professional wrestling show in the world outside of the United States" and the "Japanese equivalent to the Super Bowl".[6][7] The show has been promoted under the Wrestle Kingdom name since 2007.[8]

Wrestle Kingdom 13 was officially announced during the final of the annual G1 Climax on August 12, 2018.[9]

Storylines

Wrestle Kingdom 13 featured professional wrestling matches that involve different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[10]

On August 12, 2018, Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Kota Ibushi to win the G1 Climax 28. As is an annual tradition since the 2012 G1 Climax, the winner of the tournament receives the Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate, which grants him a match at the next Wrestle Kingdom event for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Tanahashi went on to defend the certificate against Kazuchika Okada on September 23 at Destruction in Kobe and Jay White on October 8 at King of Pro-Wrestling. Similarly, the IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega went on to defend his title against Tomohiro Ishii on September 15 at Destruction in Hiroshima and in a three-way match against Cody and Kota Ibushi also on October 8 at King of Pro-Wrestling. The match was then officially announced, with Omega defending the title against Tanahashi.

After the main event match at New Year Dash!! on January 5, 2018,

Los Ingobernables de Japón stablemate Evil. After the end of the match, Naito went on to save Evil after Jericho's continued assault on him and proceeded to challenge Jericho for the championship. Despite Jericho's refusal, NJPW management went on to announce the match for Wrestle Kingdom 13. At Fan Fest on January 3, the match was changed to a no disqualification match.[11]

On October 27, 2018 at the Road to Power Struggle, the tag teams of

Super Junior Tag League. The Bullet Club team went on to win that match with Ishimori pinning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Kushida, laying a possible challenge on the table. On November 3 at Power Struggle, Kushida was set to team with the Great Bash Heel to face Eagles and the Guerrillas of Destiny
in a six-man tag team match. Ishimori in crutches was in the corner of his Bullet Club stablemates and ended up costing Kushida the match, hitting him with a crutch. After the match, he revealed that he had faked the injury and held up Kushida's title. On the following Monday, NJPW management announced a match between the two for the championship.

On January 5, 2018 at New Year Dash!!, newly returned Jay White was invited by Bullet Club's leader Kenny Omega to join his faction. White seemed to accept, but then turned on Omega and left the ring. On the following day, NJPW hosted a post-

Beretta to defeat the team of White and Bad Luck Fale
. White proceeded to challenge Okada to a singles match, anytime and anywhere, which NJPW management officially announced for Wrestle Kingdom 13.

On November 3, 2018 at Power Struggle, the team of

Bushi and Shingo Takagi
) in a three-way tag team match to win the Super Junior Tag League. On the following Monday, the same match was scheduled for this event—this time for Suzuki-gun's championship.

On October 14, 2018 at

British Heavyweight Championship. At Power Struggle, Ishii defeated Suzuki to retain the title. On November 9 at Revolution Pro Wrestling's Uprising event, Tomohiro Ishii successfully defended the championship against David Starr. Following the match, Ishii was attacked by Zack Sabre Jr.
and Suzuki-gun, with Sabre challenging Ishii for a championship match at Wrestle Kingdom 13.

On July 7, 2018 at

IWGP United States Championship. During his first defense at Fighting Spirit Unleashed
, Robinson was defeated by Cody. A rematch was later scheduled for Wrestle Kingdom.

On December 9, 2018, Los Ingobernables de Japón (

Sanada and Evil) defeated Bullet Club's Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa to win the World Tag League
. Following the match, Sanada and Evil challenged for an IWGP Tag Team Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom before being interrupted by The Young Bucks. A three-way match was later announced for Wrestle Kingdom.

Taichi for the NEVER Openweight Championship
at Power Struggle, however, the match was later cancelled due to an injury suffered by Ospreay. On the final day of World Tag League, Ospreay defeated Taichi to become the number-one contender to the NEVER Openweight Championship. On the same night, he challenged the new NEVER Openweight Champion, Kota Ibushi, to a championship match at Wrestle Kingdom 13.

Results

No.Results
Singles match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
39:13
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
P – the match was broadcast on the pre-show

See also

References

  1. Wrestling Observer
    . Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  2. ^ "NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 set to be available Live on FITE". FITE.TV. November 29, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  3. ^ Dave Meltzer (November 21, 2018). "TOP WRESTLE KINGDOM 13 MATCHES TO AIR ON AXS TV ON SAME-DAY DELAY". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  4. ^ Martin, Garrett (January 16, 2015). "Japanese Wrestling's Golden Age Comes to America". Paste. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  5. ^ "WRESTLE KINGDOM 13 in 東京ドーム" [Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Tokyo Dome] (in Japanese). Retrieved 8 November 2018. 全8～10試合予定
  6. ^ "GFW News: New Japan Pro Wrestling "Wrestle Kingdom 9" press conference details". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. December 23, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  7. ^ Keller, Wade (December 13, 2016). "New Japan's WrestleKingdom 11 to air on AXS TV starting Jan. 13 in four weekly special episodes with Ross & Barnett on commentary". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  8. ^ Hoops, Brian (January 4, 2017). "Daily Pro Wrestling History (01/04): NJPW Tokyo Dome cards". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  9. ^ "Fight Size Update: Wrestle Kingdom 13 Logo Revealed, New PROGRESS Tag Team Champions, Kairi Sane Responds To Cody's Comments, More - Fightful Wrestling". www.fightful.com. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  10. Discovery Communications
    . Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  11. ^ "Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito For NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 Now A No DQ Match; Final Updated Card | Fightful News". www.fightful.com.
  12. ^ "Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Tokyo Dome". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  13. Wrestling Observer
    . Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  14. Wrestling Observer
    . Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  15. ^ Jason Powell (January 4, 2019). "1/4 NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 results: Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, Cody vs. Juice Robinson for the IWGP U.S. Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
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