Led by new stars, New Japan is rebuilding
Plus–a look at the Seth Rollins/CM Punk interview from Raw–and Mina Shirakawa on her friendship with Mercedes Moné
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The Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.
This week’s edition of The Week in Wrestling:
New Japan Pro-Wrestling rebuild is in full effect
This past week in wrestling
Mina Shirakawa on her friendship with Mercedes Moné
Tweet of the Week
New Japan rebuild on full display this weekend
For years, there was one guarantee about Wrestle Kingdom.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s signature event would always–yes, always–feature a victory from either Kazuchika Okada or Hiroshi Tanahashi.
But Wrestle Kingdom is going to look a lot different in 2025.
Gone is Okada, the former face of the entire promotion. He is now in AEW, feuding with former NJPW star Kenny Omega. While Tanahashi is on the Wrestle Kingdom card, he no longer operates anywhere near the main event. The longtime “Ace of New Japan” is now a company executive and two years shy of turning 50.
More changes will be visible. Tetsuya Naito is showing constant signs of the wear and tear acquired from carrying the company. Like Okada, Jay White now wrestles in AEW. So do Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher. Bullet Club still exists, but it no longer holds the gravitas it did when it included stars like Finn Balor, AJ Styles, or Cody Rhodes.
These are no longer the glory days of New Japan. Yet there is plenty of reason for optimism.
Led by Zack Sabre Jr., New Japan is showcasing a new collection of stars at Wrestle Kingdom 19. That includes Shota Umino, who challenges Sabre in the main event for the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Even if it doesn’t happen here, Umino is a special talent and his reign atop the company will soon begin. There are also building blocks in Konosuke Takeshita, who alternates between AEW and New Japan, Yota Tsuji, and David Finlay.
Centering the rebuild around Sabre, a vastly skilled wrestler who has spent the past two decades honing his craft, is an excellent choice. In order to prolong his title reign, he has his match at Wrestle Kingdom–then another the following day against Ricochet at the joint NJPW/AEW Wrestle Dynasty show–to prove why the title belongs around his waist for the foreseeable future.
These next two days mark a pivotal stretch for New Japan. The company will not be rebuilt in 48 hours, but it is possible that the foundation will be laid.
Wrestle Kingdom 19 is tomorrow at the Tokyo Dome, beginning at 2am ET, and then the AEW/NJPW joint Wrestle Dynasty show will take place at the same venue a day later, starting at 11pm ET. That show will feature The Young Bucks’ return to New Japan, as well as a familiar face in Omega.
Gabe Kidd isn’t scheduled to wrestle at Wrestle Kingdom.
But he is in line for the biggest match of his career at Wrestle Dynasty.
Kidd wrestles Omega, the former face of New Japan who left to become a founding father and EVP for All Elite Wrestling. This is also Omega’s first match since December of 2023, when he was forced out of action due to a serious bout with diverticulitis.
“Coming back to wrestle me is laughable,” said Kidd, who adds a ferociousness to NJPW. “Look at what I’ve done this year. I’m dangerous, I’m hungry. I’m always on the road, waking up somewhere in Japan and driving four hours to the show. Kenny isn’t doing that. He’s going to the nearest wrestling school, and he’s going to find out the hard way with me what it’s really like.”
Over the past year, Kidd continued his aggressively antagonistic assault on the company. It has led to Kidd becoming one of New Japan’s most compelling acts. He is physical, charismatic, and nonstop action when he steps between the ropes.
With AEW now streaming on MAX and WWE debuting on Netflix, Kidd was asked how New Japan is going to make its own distinct impact this weekend in Tokyo.
“Everything else, I don’t care,” said Kidd. “It’s not on my peripheral. I don’t care what they’ve got going on over there. All I’m focused on is what I’m going to do to Kenny Omega at the Tokyo Dome.”
Just like Sabre possesses an opportunity to highlight why the future of New Japan remains bright, so does Kidd. And, win or lose, he plans to seize the moment against Omega.
“This should be the main event of Wrestle Dynasty,” said Kidd. “Kenny’s a traitor who left, then realized he fucked up and wants to come back. That’s the truth. He realized he made the wrong choice. All the money in the world can’t replicate the feeling of hearing the crowd in the Tokyo Dome going crazy for your fight, and he knows that. Whether we’re last or not, we’re the main event, and you’re going to see why.”
This past week…
Seth Rollins and CM Punk were spectacular this past Monday on Raw. It will be fascinating to see how their match plays out on the Netflix debut of Raw, as well as how Roman Reigns’ bout with Solo Sikoa will unfold. I see Drew McIntyre getting involved in the latter. As for the former, I still think this is only the beginning of a Rollins-Punk feud that is destined to run to WrestleMania 41.
And yes, that was Punk running to the ring last week in a towel during WWE’s yearly December 26 house show at Madison Square Garden. Also–congrats to Damian Priest, a New Yorker who finally got the chance to close out a show at MSG.
Beginning this Friday, WWE announced SmackDown is moving to three hours. Even though Netflix will have some explosive episodes of Raw, expect WWE to continue making SmackDown on The USA Network an important piece of its weekly programming.
Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens will have their rematch at the Royal Rumble in a ladder match. It gives an out to Rhodes if he loses since he doesn’t have to get pinned… but it also provides the same luxury for Owens if he does not win the match.
Is anyone else getting the sense that Lyra Valkyria will win the WWE women’s Intercontinental title tournament?
Omos made an immediate impact in NOAH, arriving in Japan and immediately becoming one half of the tag team champions with Jack Morris.
Adam Copeland returned to Dynamite on Wednesday, teaming with FTR to defeat Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta. Copeland’s new ring–Cope–was also introduced, but I see that more of a nickname than a ring name.
Ricochet is building momentum in AEW as a heel, with his sights set on Swerve Strickland.
No, I don’t think Jeff Jarrett will win the AEW world title. But… yes, I will be watching his pursuit of it.
Elkin James, best known in professional wrestling as Sweet Daddy Siki, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 91.
Mina Shirakawa on Mercedes Moné: “We met when she came to Japan, and we’ve been close ever since”
Mina Shirakawa and Mercedes Moné will also face off at Wrestle Dynasty, meeting in a winner-take-all bout for the New Japan Pro-Wrestling Strong Women’s Championship and RevPro’s Undisputed British Women’s Championship.
“We’ve been friends for the last four or five years, and it’s been my dream to wrestle Mercedes,” said Shirakawa. “We met when she came to Japan, and we’ve been close ever since.”
It feels like this is bound to end with Moné winning more gold. But Shirakawa, who impressed every time she appeared on television this past year for AEW, is up for the challenge of facing one of the best wrestlers in the world.
“It’s time for us to finally wrestle,” said Shirakawa. “I’m very excited for the match, and I want to be the champion with the New Japan Strong title belt.”
Tweet of the Week
