Hiroshi Tanahashi announces updated ticket sales for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20
Tickets for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 continue to sell strongly one month after going on sale.
At a press conference on Tuesday, NJPW president Hiroshi Tanahashi announced that 31,548 tickets have been sold to the January 4 event in the Tokyo Dome. This comes after over 20,000 tickets were sold on the first day of sales on October 1.
Tanahashi said at Tuesday’s press conference, via Nikkansports (translated):
“I’ve heard that it’s the fastest selling event in history. I’ve never seen such an incredibly sold-out venue in my career, so there’s a chance that I might be able to see that. I’m a little sad that it’s my retirement match. This will be the very last match of my career, and I’ll be reaching 26 years. I want to make sure that I leave behind one thing that I haven’t accomplished yet.”
It’s the first time NJPW has sold more than 30,000 tickets to a Wrestle Kingdom event since before the 2020 global COVID-19 pandemic. Night one of Wrestle Kingdom 14 that year drew 40,000 fans to the Tokyo Dome on January 4, and night two drew just over 30,000. Wrestle Kingdom 19 in January drew 24,107 fans to the Tokyo Dome, which was down from 27,000 in 2024, and 26,000 in 2023.
NJPW WrestleKingdom 20 (January 4)
- IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita vs. IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji in a winner takes all match
- Hiroshi Tanahashi retirement match, opponent yet to be named.
- EVIL vs. Aaron Wolf for NEVER Openweight title
- NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Saya Kamitani vs. IWGP Women’s Champion Syuri in a winner takes all match
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.