NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 Night 1 Results: Takagi vs Okada Live Blog
Welcome to the live results and updates blog for the NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 Night 1 on January 4, 2022, from Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan.
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi vs G1 Climax 31 Winner Kazuchika Okada is the main event match for night 1. In the co-main event of WK16, Best of Super Junior 28 winner Hiromu Takahashi will challenge for IWGP Jr. Heavyweight title against El Desperado.
Katsuyori Shibata is returning to the ring with a catch wrestling match. IWGP Tag titles will also be contested as Zack Sabre Jr and Taichi face off against Chaos. Tomohiro Ishii will defend NEVER Openweight title against EVIL. The likes of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito and many other NJPW stars will be in action this evening.
Join us as we bring results, live updates, winners and highlights from the Wrestle Kingdom 16(2022) Night 1.
Show – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 Night 1
Date – January 4, 2022
Location – Tokyo dome, Tokyo, Japan
Time – 3 AM EST/5 PM JST
Pre-show from 2 AM EST
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 Night 1 Results
- Toru Yanu, Minoru Suzuki, Tatsumi Fujiname and CIMA are the final four in New Japan Ranbo Match to advance to KOPW 2022 Final.
- YOH defeated SHO in a singles match via pinfall.
- Bullet Club(El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori & KENTA) defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Rocky Romero & Hiroshi Tanahashi in a tag team match via pinfall.
- United Empire(Great-O-Khan, Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobb) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon(Sanada, Bushi & Tetsuya Naito) in a tag team match via pinfall.
- Katsuyori Shibata defeated Ren Narita in a singles match via pinfall.
- EVIL defeated Tomohiro Ishii(c) via pinfall to win Never Openweight Championship.
- Chaos(Hirooki Goto &YOSHI-HASHI) defeated Dangerous Tekkers(Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.)(c) via pinfall to win IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.
- El Desperado(c) defeated Hiromu Takahashi via pinfall to retain IWGP Jr Heavyweight Championship.
- Kazuchika Okada defeated Shingo Takagi(c) via pinfall to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 Night 1 Live Updates
New Japan Ranbo Match – 4 Finalist Advance to KOPW 2022 Final
Chase Owens is the first entry in Ranbo match. Aaron Henare is starting with him. They start with forearm strikes. Owens hits a big boot and Henare replies with a shoulder tackle. Owens drops him face first into corner pad. Kosei Fujita joins the match.
Owens and Fujita start brawling. Fujita hits a dropkick. Owens with a backbreaker on him. Henare looks to eliminate Owens but he hangs on. Yuto Nakashima enters the match. He goes toe to toe with Henare. Rhoheo Oiwa is in at 5.
Owens and Henare have taken control over the young entries. Master Wato is in at 6. Henare works on Fujita’s arm. Wato with quick strikes on Owens. Wato takes on Henare with innovative kicks. Owens attacks his leg. Hiroyoshi Tenzan is in at 7. Henare is going after Nakashima with sidekicks to his face. Tenzan starts with headbutts on Owens.
Minoru Suzuki enters at 8. He takes eternity to come in. Suzuki puts Fujita in a knee bar and eliminates him by submission. Satoshi Kojima enters at 9. Suzuki eliminates Nakamshima and Oiwa with submissions. Kojima, Suzuki and Tenzan fight among each other for a while. Taka Michinoku enters at 10.
Taka fights against Kojima and Tanzen. They hit him with a double team move. CIMA(from Strong Hearts) enters at 11. He hits Meteora on Michinoku and pins him to eliminate him. Wato and CIMA fight now. Suzuki works Kojima’s arm. Tamoaki Honma enters at 12. CIMA nad Wato runs the ropes before Wato hits headscissors. CIMA hits a dropkick and ducks on the ropes to eliminate CIMA.
CIMA and Wato runs the ropes before Wato hits headscissors. CIMA hits a dropkick and ducks on the ropes to eliminate Wato. Douki enters at 13. CIMA and Kojima try to eliminate Henare but he hangs on. Suzuki uses the ropes to work on Owens’ arm. Yuji Nagata comes in at 14. Nagata and Suzuki trade forearms. CIMA and other get involved. Yoshinobu Kanemoru enters at 15. Tanzen gets eliminated with a pin after several moves by other wrestlers.
Togi Makabe enters at 16. Nagata hits a German suplex bridge on Kojima and others help in getting a pin over Kojima to eliminate him. Bad Luck Fale enters at 17. Fale eliminates Nagata. Tatsumi Fujiname enters at 18. Fujiname hits dragon screw leg on everyone one by one. Fujiname and Suzuki throw out Michinoku, Honma and Kanemoru.
Toru Yano enters at 19. More eliminations before Yanu enters. Henare gets eliminated as Yano uses a low bridge. More quick eliminations. Fale is the last elimination. CIMA, Suzuki, Fujiname and Toru Yano are the final four. Suzuki had Yanu in a sleeper before they realize that match is ended.
Winners – CIMA, Minori Suzuki, Chase Owens & Toru Yano(advance to KOPW 2022 Final)
The show opens with a video package for NJPW’s 50th anniversary.
YOH vs SHO
Yoh puts Sho down on the mat. He sends Sho to the floor. They go to the ramp now. Yoh looks for a underhook DDT but Sho counters and slams him on the ramp with a body slam. Sho picks a person from the crew and drops him on Yoh. Sho stops Yoh from entering the ring and then whips him to the railings. He gets a two-count as they return to the ring. Sho is kicking at Yoh’s left shoulder.
Yoh fights back and hits a dragon screw leg. He unloads with forearms and then stomps on his face. Sho comes back with a forearm strike. Sho hits a dropkick and then gets two-count with a German suplex bridge. Sho goes for DDT again but Yoh counters. Sho hits a spear. Both men are down now. Yoh stomps on Sho’s face. Yoh hits an underhook piledriver. More back and forth action.
Sho taps out and but the referee is distracted by Togo on the apron. Sho runs Yoh over with a clothesline. Sho puts on a submission move. Yoh starts to find his wind back and puts his leg on the ropes. Sho is handed a wrench by Togo to attack Yoh while the referee is distracted again. Yoh ducks him and Sho crashes into Togo at the apron. Yoh rolls up Sho to get the pin.
Winner -YOH
Bullet Club(El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori & KENTA) vs Ryusuke Taguchi, Rocky Romero & Hiroshi Tanahashi
Rocky and Phantasmo start the match. Phantasmo hits a shouler tackle. Lots of ducking each other and runnins the ropes. Rocky gets a two-count with a backslide. Phantasmo misses a dropkick. Rocky hits headscissors from the top and brings in Taguchi. Taguchi hits a low dropkick to get a two-count. Ishimori tags in from the other side. Back and forth action with hip attacks from Taguchi. Rocky and Phantasmo come in. Taguchi and Rocky take control with double team on Phantasmo and Ishimori. KENTA gets involved and Bullet club triple team on Rocky.
KENTA attacks on Taguchi and backside. He beats down Tanahashi on the floor as he tries to save Taguchi. Phantasmo and Ishimori with quick tags to keep control over Taguchi. Rocky comes in but gets beat down. KENTA works on Taguchi now. Taguchi comes back with a hip attack from the corner. Tanahashi tags in and drops KENTA with a flying forearm. He drops Phantasmo from the apron and hits dragon screw on Ishimori. KENTA rolls him up and Tanahashi sends up send KENTA into the referee.
The referee is down on the floor. KENTA brings in a kendo stick to unload on Tanahashi. Rocky and Taguchi take Phantasmo and Ishimori to the floor. Tanahashi get his hands on the kendo stick and starts to unload on KENTA. The referee gets back in the ring and tries to stop him. But Tanahashi is too angry. The referee calls for disqualification.
Winner – Bullet Club(KENTA, El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori)
After the match, Rocky and Taguchi get into the ring to calm down Tanahashi. Bullet Club is on the floor as KENTA recovers. KENTA has marks on his back from kendo stick.
United Empire(Great-O-Khan, Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobb) vs Los Ingobernables de Japon(Sanada, Bushi & Tetsuya Naito)
United Empire attacks as the bell ring. Cobb and Naito are the legal men and the only ones remaining in the ring. Cobb slams Naito into the cornerpad. He keeps control on the floor. Khan tags in. Khan hits double handed chops on the shoulder blades. Ospreay tags in and slams Naito. He tags out quickly to Cobb. Cobb keeps Naito under control in the corner. Naito tries to fire back but Cobb just swats him away. Cobb crashes into the corner. Naito follows with a low dropkick and and flying forearm.
Naito looks to tag out. Cobb grabs his leg. He goes for a suplex but Naito counters and tags out. Sanada and Bushi comes in with their attack bon Cobb. Khan tags in. Sanada drops him with big shots. Sanada puts on the paradise lock and hits a dropkick on his hips. Sanada misses a move on the floor. Khan asks him to come back and wrenches his arm. He slams Sanada’s face to his knees and ends up getting a two-count.
Khan puts him in the arm choke. Sanada hits him with an elbow and then hits a missile dropkick. Bushi tags in and hits a kick to the ribs. A DDT gets him a two-count. Khan coutners the swinging neckbreaker and hits a DDT. Ospreay hits a flying clothesline. Naita comes in for the save. Everyone starts getting involved with big moves. Khan puts down Bushi and Sanada. Ospreay hits pop-up powerbomb on Bushi and then hits a big shot to the back of his head to get the pin.
Winners – United Empire(Will Ospreay, Great O-Khan & Jeff Cobb)
After the match, Great-O-Khan takes the mic and says that Tokyo Dome has to bow down because every single men from United Empire will dominate in the ring tomorrow and show their power. The stables poses in the ring before heading back.
Katsuyori Shibata vs Ren Narita
Ren Narita is Shibata’s opponent. Shibata takes the mic after his entrance. He asks Narita whether they can do a regular match and hypes up. They both go for some MMA style low kicks before going into grappling. Shibata puts Narita on the mat and puts on a choke with her legs wrapped around the neck. Narita gets up and kicks at the shoulder. They lock up and get to the ropes. Shibata hits a slap before another lock up. Shibata puts on a headlock.
Narita misses his kick. Shibata puts on the figure four. Narita powers out of it and sends Shibata to the corner. Narita stomps on his chest viciously. Narita with kicks to the chest. Shibata with an inside trip to bring Narita down. Shibata whips him to the corner and unloads with forearms. He hits his signature running dropkick to get a two-count. Shibata goes for a triangle choke but Narita counters with the sharpshooter.
Shibata struggles but gets to the ropes to break the move. Narita puts on the kneebar and again Shibata survives by grabbing the ropes. Shibata hits a knee cut off Narita’s charge. A back heel kick on the chest from Shibata. They get to the floor. Narita puts on a choke on the apron. Back and forth action before Shibata puts on the octopus stretch.
Shibata with a knee to the face and a Geramn suplex. He slaps Narita’s chest and then kicks at it a few times. Shibata hits a big boot to get one count. He hits a clothesline for a two-count. Narita fires back with multiple side kicks in succession. Shibata hits back with his kicks and then hits the penalty kick to get the pin.
Winner – Katsuyori Shibata
Tomohiro Ishii(c) vs EVIL – Never Openweight Championship
Evil attacks Ishii as he was entering the ring. He slams Ishii to the ring post. Both Ishii and Evil get steel chair and fight with it. Togo attacks Ishii from behind to get Evil an advantage. Evil wraps a chair around Ishii’s neck and hits it with a stick. Ishii is down on the floor. Evil gets into the ring and waits for Ishii to enter. Evil whips him hard to the exposed corner. He does the same move again.
Evil throws Ishii to the floor and distracts the referee so that Togo could take a shot at Ishii. Evil kicks at his face with disrespect. This fires up Ishii and he chops at Evil. Ishii drops Evil with a shoulder tackle. Evil puts on the headlock before Ishii hits him with a back suplex. Evil pushes the referee away and Togo hits him with a steel chair from the floor.
Evil whips Ishii to the exposed corner again but Ishii explodes out with a clothesline. Ishii hits a superplex to get a near fall. Ishii runs to the corner and Togo trips him from the floor. Evil uses the referee as a shield. Ishii ends up dropping the referee with a clothesline. Togo gets into the ring and uses a steel wire to hurt Ishii. Yujiro Takahashi comes in to join the attack. Ishii fights back against them and send them to the floor.
Ishii unloads with chops in the corner on Evil. Sho attacks him with a German suplex. Yoh runs in for the save, Yoh takes out all the intruders with a suicide. Evil hits a German suplex on Ishii. Ishii gets up quickly. He stops a low blow and hits an enziguiri. Yoh stops Togo from interferring as Ishii hits a big lariat for a near fall. Sho distracts the referee and Takahashi hits Ishii with a low blow. Evil runs Ishii over with the title belt and hits STO(Everything is Evil) to get the pin.
Winner – EVIL
Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs Chaos(Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) – IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
Sabre and Hashi start the match. Goto tags in to double team on Sabre. Taichi also comes in and the champions takes the opponents to the floor for some beatdown. Sabre wraps his legs around YH’s neck. He tries to stop YH from getting his legs on the ropes but YH still manages it. Taichi tags in and hits a big kick to the back to get a two-count. Sabre and Taichi with quick tags to keep control over YH.
YH hits back with a neckbreaker on Sabre. Goto tags in and drops Sabre with a shoulder tackle. He drops Taichi from the apron before hitting a bull dog on Sabre. Sabre puts him in the Octopus Stretch. Goto runs him over with a lariat. Everyone starts getting involved and drops each other with lariats and kicks.
Sabre and Goto trade strikes in the ring. Sabre puts on a submission move on Goto while Taichi comes in and keeps YH at bay with another submission move. Goto gets his leg to the ropes for a break. Dangerous Tekkers hit double team back breaker on Goto for a near fall. Goto counters with a crucifix pin for a two-count. Sabre also gets a two-count with his pin attempt. Goto hits a Pele kick and then Ushi Garoshi.
Taichi and YH tag in and start trading strikes. Taichi keeps kicking at YH’s thighs while YH keeps nailing him with forearms to the face. Taichi ends up dropping him with a back suplex to get a two-count. YH hits a superkick and Taichi fires back with a superkick of his own. YH with more thrust kicks on Sabre and Taichi. YH hits another superkick as Goto comes in. Goto hits Ushi Garoshi on Taichi. Chaos hits their double team finisher but Sabre breaks the pin.
Sabre is thrown out of the ring. Taichi fights back and gets a two-count on YH with O’Connor’s roll. Chaos with their double team finisher on Sabre now. Taichi hits dropkicks on both opponents. YH hits him with a sunset flip. Goto and and YH hits the double team finisher on Taichi to get the pin and win for the titles.
Winner – Chaos(new IWGP World Tag Team Champions)
Hiromu Takahashi vs El Desperado(c) – IWGP Jr Heavyweight Championship
They crash as they charge at each other after the bell. Forearm strikes are traded now followed by chest slaps and chops. Both men have red chests. They are trading back elbows and then drop each other with running back elbows. Takahashi puts on the triangle choke. Desperado gets and drops Takahashi on his back for a two-count. Takahashi is sent to the floor and hits with a senton.
Takahashi hits a sunset powerbomb from the apron onto the floor. Both men are down on the floor. They barely beat the referee’s count. They trade forearm strikes while on their knees. Takahashi unloads with forearms in the corner. He hits him with a knee and then with a big boot. El Desperado hits him with a spinebuster and spin-out powerbomb. Desperado hits a splash for a two-count.
Takahashi hits a pop up powerbomb now. He follows up with a German suplex into the corner. A missile dropkick in the corner and a DDT get him a near fall. Takahashi slams Desperado into the corner pad. Desperado get a two-count with a backslide. Back and forth as they try to counter each other. Takahashi manages to get him in the fireman’s carry but Desperado counters and puts on the muffler stretch.
Takahashi manages to hit a sunset flip after rolling over. He runs over Desperado with a lariat. Takahashi hits a brainbuster for a near fall. Desperado gets a near fall with a backslide. Takahashi hits a superkick. He gets ready for the double overhook but Desperado him with Air Raid crash to get a near fall. Takahashi gets a near fall with a sunset flip. Takahashi hits a superkick. Desperado fires back with a big punch. Desperado hits Kudo Driver. Takahashi counters the second one and gets a two-count.
Takahashi hits a big punch now. Desperado nails him with a back fist. Desperado hits two Kudo Drivers back to back to get the pin and retain the titles.
Winner – El Desperado(retains Jr. Heavyweight title)
Shingo Takagi(c) vs Kazuchika Okada – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
They switch the waistlock to start. Takagi wrenches Okada’s arm. Okada brings him down with a drop toe hold. Takagi puts on a front facelock. Okada puts on side headlock. They finally come to a stalemate. They lock up again and Okada pushes Takagi to the ropes. He walks away from a chest chop. Takagi invites him to attack and Okada puts on a headlock.
Takagi then no-sells shoulder tackles from Okada until he brings him down with a drop toe hold and quickly hits an elbow drop. Okada with a takedown and follows quickly with a dropkick. Takagi avoids a senton and drops Okada with a clothesline. He then clotheslines him to the floor. Shingo drops him on the apron now. Okada fights back from pumphandle slam to hit a DDT. Takagi hits an elevated DDT. Back to the ring, Takagi in control with elbow drops and senton.
Okada looks to fight back with forearm strikes. Takagi fires back with double chops. Okada runs over with double ax handle. He hits quick clotheslines and drops Takagi with flapjack. A flying elbow and DDT gets him a two-count. He puts Shingo on the top and sends him to the floor with a dropkick. Okada whips him to the barricade and then drops him into the steel chair with a crossbody.
Back to the ring, Okada hits a missile dropkick. Okada puts on the money clip. Shingo reaches the ropes. Shingo fires back with back elbows and a DDT. They fight for control. Takagi hits an armdrag and then drops Okada with Oshigami. A wheelbarrow German suplex from Takagi. He hits elbow to the shoulder. Okada hits a tombstone piledriver and puts the money clip again.
Shingo gets to his feet, so, Okada hits a backbreaker and puts on the money clip again. Shingo gets his feet to the ropes to break the move. Okada hits a body slam. He climbs to the top to hit an elbow drop. Okada signals for the rainmaker but Shingo drops him with a lariat.
Shingo now mimicks Okada’s rainmaker to entice Okada. Okada nails him with punches in response. Okada hits a dropkick but Shingo nails him with a clothesline. Okada is down on the floor. Shingo gets to him and Okada rams him into the apron. They go to the ramp now. Okada looks for the piledriver on the ramp but Shingo stops it. Shingo ends up dropping Okada on the ramp with a death valley driver.
Shingo gets into the ring. Okada manages to beat the 20 count barely. Shingo hits a clothesline in the corner. He hits a superplex next. A low lariat gets Takagi a two-count. Takagi looks for Made in Japan but Okada hits a dropkick. Takagi ducks a clothesline a few times before Okada connecst a few. Okada hits a pumping bomber twice to get a near fall. Back and forth action continues. Okada hits the rainmaker to get a near fall.
They are back at trading elbows. Takagi rains with elbows from both arms to finally drop Okada. Okada counts Lost to the Dragon with Money Clip. Takagi comes out of it quickly and hits a clothesline. Takagi takes him to the top rope in fireman’s carry. Okada slips out and hits a DDT from the top turnbuckle to get a near fall. Okada hits a German suplex. They avoid each others’ finishers before Takagi hits a lariat.
More back and forth action. Shingo hits a dragon suplex. Okada hits a dropkick. Okada hits a piledriver and then the purple rainmaker to get the pin and the win.
Winner – Kazuchika Okada(wins IWGP World Heavyweight Championship)
After the bell, Okada refuses to accept the new belt right away. He brings the old belt and gives his respect. He gives back the old belt and then accepts the new belt. Ospreay comes out to the floor and announces Okada as the interim champion. Ospreay says Okada looks exhausted while he is not so much. He adds that he will beat Okada tomorrow and Okada will be gone from New Japan, which will be safe in his hands. Ospreay leaves with his belt.
Okada takes the mic now and says he is the real champion. Ospreay mocks him a bit before leaving. Okada thanks the fans after this in his promo.