Daily Update: Fallout from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20
Daily Update
Latest News
- AJ Styles, Finn Balor pay tribute to Hiroshi Tanahashi
- NXT wrestler announces departure from WWE
- John Cena, Kazuchika Okada, others comment on Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement
- Kenny Omega shares statement on Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement
- Adam Pearce drops possible Chris Jericho tease for WWE Raw
- NJPW reveals full lineup for New Year’s Dash
- Report: NJPW star rumored to be ‘looking for options’ outside company
Latest Audio
- B&V: Bryan Alvarez reviews Smackdown and Collision
- WOL: Wrestle Kingdom 20 review & Hiroshi Tanahashi’s last match
- Pacific Rim: Live from Wrestle Kingdom 20
Latest YouTube Video
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- January 5, 2026 Observer Newsletter: AEW Worlds End review, key text exchanges revealed in WWE shareholder lawsuit
*Polls on Worlds End plus Continental Classic MVP and best match polls.
*The story of the WWE/UFC merger and Vince McMahon’s resignation, how real was it, the big unanswered question about the WWE Board of Directors, lots of Discovery information in the shareholders lawsuit against WWE, McMahon, TKO, Nick Khan and others, things behind the scenes about the merger, and the change in plans prior to the 2023 WrestleMania in more detail than ever before.
*Full coverage of AEW Worlds End and business notes on the show
*The retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi and the Tokyo Dome show
*The record setting 2025 at Arena Mexico and biggest attendance week in the 92 years of CMLL, a look at the last week as well as how many Americans are at the shows.
*The few times in history that a company sold out a major arena three times in the same week.
*A look at the Stardom Dream Queendom show
*Pro Wrestling NOAH hosts the first major show of 2026
*Weekly ods
*2026 Observer award ballot
*Most detailed look at the TV ratings from the past week.
*Weedings and engagements in pro wrestling this past week
*All Japan has its best match of 2025
*William Regal and others talk about neck injuries in pro wrestling and our thoughts on it as well as the reaction of some
*Who had the most great matches in 2025
*How Eric Bischoff’s new promotion is similar to Sam Muchnick starting out as a promoter
*Company does a Vince McMahon/Janel Grant angle on its TV show
*AEW business partner delisted
*Tony Khan talks a ton of different subjects
*Top merch sellers in US outside of WWE
*Tom Aspinall update
*Don Frye talks health issues
*Lots of injury updates
This Week’s Back Issue
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Sunday Update
–Bryan and I will be back tonight taking Wrestle Kingdom, SmackDown, and other weekend news. Our week in review show with Garrett Gonzales is also on the site with a lot of thoughts on last week’s biggest news stories, notably a lot on the discovery in the shareholders vs. WWE lawsuit which gave a lot of info and we talk about a lot of aspects of Vince McMahon’s leaving, that he clearly first thought he was always coming back, if he’s coming back this time and the Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns finish at their first Mania match and how it went down.
–Wrestle Kingdom, or at least the last two hours plus of the show felt historic. Evil did as good a job as possible with Aaron Wolf, which was very similar to the debut of Hiroshi Wajima in the 80s against Tiger Jeet Singh, where you do a lot of wild stuff to make the newcomer look good. The crowd was behind Wolf. Yota Tsuji vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi were almost perfect matches. The latter was among the best storytelling matches in history. The ceremony lasted forever but it was also the best job any company has ever done with that kind of a ceremony. And the work of announcers Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton can’t be praised enough. They made Tanahashi come across as the greatest wrestler of all-time, which he’s not either, although he is one of the best I’ve ever seen and among the most important of the generation.
A comment by Konosuke Takeshita regarding a Shinsuke Nakamura-like armband ended up causing a lot of controversy. He said Nakamura asked him to wear it as a tribute to Tanahashi since he wasn’t allowed to be there. That would give the implication that Nakamura was not allowed to go. Nakamura said he did everything he could to be there but it didn’t happen. That’s pro wrestling politics and in any other generation, he would not have been allowed either, but for a number of reasons, there would be more of a chance now, but it still didn’t happen.
Those appearing in the ring with Tanahashi in the closing ceremony were Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi (who was not moving well at all, limping badly but he made it from the back to the ring and back, but it was clearly very difficult for him to do so). Will Ospreay, Jay White, Keiji Muto, Tatsumi Fujinami, Katsuyori Shibata, Tetsuya Naito and Bushi. Naito’s situation was very interesting indicating it’s probably his last time in a New Japan ring. Tanahashi was out there forever and nobody left. He admitted he was tired.
At this writing cage match lists the main event as the No. 11 greatest match of all-time, but it was as high as No. 1 earlier today. As a story telling match, it’s among the best ever.
— Jake Lee returned and attacked Tsuji after his win over Takeshita. It looks like that will main event the 2/11 New Beginning show in Osaka. Lee has been added to the United Empire unit and was the mystery partner in the ten-man tag, and pinned Hiromu Takahashi to win it. Lee does nothing for me past make it clear Kento Miyahara is the most underrated wrestler of our generation, since Miyahara actually made people think Lee was a viable world champion. Francesco Akira returned as well.
— New Year’s Dash is at 4:30 a.m. Eastern tomorrow morning from the Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo:
- Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura & Katsuya Murashima vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Taichi & Satoshi Kojima
- El Phanttasmo & Shoma Kato vs. Konosuke Takeshita & Rocky Romero
- Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi & Oleg Boltin vs Sanada & Yujiro Takahashi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru in a non-title match
- Gabe Kidd & Hiromu Takahashi & Clark Connors vs. Andrade & Francesco Aira & Jakob Austin Young
- Aaron Wolf & Toru Yano & Yoh & Master Wato vs. Evil & Ren Narita & Don Fale & Dick Togo
- Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi & David Finlay & Drilla Moloney vs. Jake Lee & Great O’Khan & Henare & Callum Newman
- Sho & Douki defend the IWGP jr. tag titles against Desperado & Kuukai, Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita and Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X
- Oskar & Yuto-Ice defend the IWGP tag titles against Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa
— Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre in a cage match headlined the house show last night in Worcester, MA, with Rhodes winning of course. That’s likely the same card as tonight in Bridgeport, CT.
— Tomorrow’s first anniversary of Raw on Netflix has 9,461 tickets out. They are definitely pushing for a big walk-up because Adam Pearce talked about breaking down the walls, on purpose, which fuels the idea Chris Jericho is returning. We don’t have it confirmed but many believe that is the case, if not tomorrow, by the end of the month. The show will have a Stranger Things tie-in and fans are being encouraged to dress in costumes from the show. CM Punk vs. Bron Breakker for the World title and Kabuki Warriors vs. Iyo Sky & Rhea Ripley for the tag titles plus Maxxine Dupri vs. Becky Lynch for the IC tille headline the show.
— People have been raving about the Arena Coliseo main event last night with Mistico & Templario vs Soberano Jr. & Cavernario Barbaro, yesterday’s Mayu Iwatani GHC women’s title defense against Takumi Iroha from yesterday’s Marigold show at the Ota Gym and today’s Miu Watanabe vs. Suzume main event at the Tokyo Joshi Pro show at Korakuen Hall which was held before the Wrestle Kingdom show.
— Konosuke Takeshita did two matches yesterday at Korakuen Hall, although the first was only 56 seconds where Takaeshita & Akito beat Danshoku Dino & Super Sasadango Machine, and then Takeshita beat the other three in a handicap match using raging fire on Dino.
— Alex Windsor was in Japan yesterday wrestling for Stardom. She did an afternoon and evening show at Shinjuku Face, first teaming with Mei Seira & Starlight Kid over Natsupoi & Saori Anou & Anne Kanaya when she beat Kanaya, and then teaming with Kikyo Furusawa over Konami & Fukigen Death when she beat Fukigen Death.
— New Japan announced 4/16 in Las Vegas for a show called Death Pain Invitational and 7/11 in Hoffman Estates, IL at the NOW Arena for opening night of the G-1 Climax tournament.
— Brinley Reece (Breanna Ruggerio) announced tat she was leaving pro wrestling. She had been in WWE developmental and appeared on many episodes of NXT, but has been out of action after shoulder surgery, and said she was choosing her health, her body and her future first. She praised WWE for her learning lessons.
— We’re looking for your thoughts on Wrestle Kingdom, you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
— We’re also looking for reports from last night’s AEW tapings in Arlington, TX with the matches not on the live show, WWE last night in Worcester, MA and tonight in Bridgeport, CT with results, finishes and highlights to [email protected]
— Former UFC champion Holly Holm faced Stephanie Han in a match for the World Boxing Association lightweight championship last night in San Juan. Holm, 44, was being outboxed when there was an accidental head-butt and Han was bleeding badly. They stopped the fight during the seventh round and went to the cards and Han was ahead 69-65, 69-64 and 68-65to retain the championship. Han said she would give Holm a rematch in El Paso or Albuquerque. It was only Holm’s second pro loss as a boxer.
— On the Google searches for this weekend, Holly Holm was No. 99 with 20,000, Matt Cardona was No. 175 with 10,000, WWE SmackDown was No. 301, Wrestle Kingdom was No 342, Trick Williams was No. 477 and Randy Orton was No. 480
— The Garcia twins (Nikki & Brie) are among 30 celebrities competing for $1 million for charity in Beast Games 2, which airs on Wednesday on Prime Video.
— Add Progress and New Japan to the list of promotions that will be running in Las Vegas the week of WrestleMania. Progress announced it would be running on Thursday, 4/17 as part of The Collective produced by Game Changer Wrestling.
— Mickey Rourke, the star of “The Wrestler,” was evicted from his home for being $60,000 behind in rent. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Rouke was given approval for a GoFundMe campaign to raise money.
— Jim Powers (James Manley) turns 68 today. Today would have been the 60th birthday of Jesus Escoboza, the second La Parka. Paula Kaye would have turned 77 today. Vilano I died 25 years ago today at the age of 50. Famed mini star Harold “Cowboy” Lang was 56 when he died 19 years ago today (thanks to Tony Richards)
— Brianna Coda, the former Cora Jade, is in Machine Gun Kelly’s music video for the song “Times Of My Life.” Coda plays the love interest of Kelly.
Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.