It is the most wonderful time of the year. It is time again for Wrestle Kingdom as we preview NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19! The biggest show of the New Japan Pro Wrestling year is back on its traditional January 4th date.
And it will be followed by a huge Wrestle Dynasty show on January 5th! For Wrestle Kingdom, we have stars from New Japan, Stardom and AEW competing on Saturday night.
It will be great to see some of the best wrestlers in the world in front of a large, appreciative Tokyo Dome crowd yet again.
The Wrestle Kingdom 19 card is a truly stacked card that has been built well over 2024. The main card will have nine matches, eight titles on the line, and a special match that could lead to the retirement of one of the all-time greats!
It will be wonderful to see New Japan begin what should be a wonderful 2025. Here is the preview of Wrestle Kingdom 19:
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19
KOPW 2025 New Japan Ranbo
The always enjoyable battle royal will open Wrestle Kingdom. We usually get some surprising returns and New Japan legends making appearances during this fun match. But this year’s match will be a little different than the past few years.
The KOPW championship contenders were usually determined in the Ranbo. But Great-O-Khan retired from the championship at the end of last year.
Instead, he wanted the winner of the Ranbo to get a future title shot for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. The stakes are certainly higher in the Ranbo in 2025.
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Tokyo Terror Ladder Match:
Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight and Kushida) (c) vs. Ichiban Sweet Boys (Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita) vs. Catch 2/2 (TJP and Francesco Akira) vs. Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney)
It is the first-ever ladder match at the Tokyo Dome, and it is a huge one. The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship will be on the line in this dangerous match, which will involve eight determined wrestlers.
Kevin Knight and Kushida are the current champions, having won the titles at King of Pro Wrestling in October.
However, they lost to TJP and Francesco Akira in the Super Junior Tag League and want a rematch. Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita won the Super Tag League itself, giving them an opportunity for the titles as well.
But the team the Knight and Kushida originally defeated for the titles, Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney want their rematch as well.
The Bullet Club War Dogs forced themselves into the match at Wrestle Kingdom. With four tag teams all with legitimate claims to the title, it could be a brutal, opening match at Wrestle Kingdom.