[NJPW World] NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 on 1/4/24 LIVE

The matches that took place at Wrestle Kingom 17 in January 2023 are still being talked about, yet 2024 is just around the corner as NJPW will present Wrestle Kingdom 18 on January 4th, 2024, at the Tokyo Dome, one of the most legendary venues in the pro-wrestling industry. The event starts at 1:30am EST and will be broadcast LIVE via NJPW World, NJPW's video streaming website.

In the main event, SANADA will defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito.

This will be a true test for SANADA, as this will be his first time defending NJPW's top singles championship on the company's grandest stage. Meanwhile, Tetsuya Naito is no stranger to being in the Wrestle Kingdom main event -both as a champion and a challenger- and he intends to leave the Tokyo Dome as champion.

In a special singles match, former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada will go against AEW star Bryan Danielson.

This will be their third encounter, and Danielson was the victor the two times they have opposed each other in the ring. This time Okada will have the home country advantage, but Danielson won't just be trying to win this match- he plans on getting revenge.





The IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship highlights NJPW's focus on international talent and expansion, signifying success within the international side of the company. It unifies championships with different styles and focuses, making versatility and adaptability a necessity. And we will indeed see a clash of three different styles when former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay, former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, and former NEVER Openweight Champion David Finlay compete to decide the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion.

In exciting junior heavyweight action, Hiromu Takahashi will defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado.

These two men have faced each other many times in singles matches, exchanging wins and losses since 2018, and only one match ending in a draw. Desperado and Takahashi have three wins over each other, and at Wrestle Kingdom 18 their rivalry will continue, with championship implications.

OTHER MATCHES ON THE CARD

IWGP Tag Team Championship / NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship
Bishamon
Hirooki Goto (IWGP Tag Team Champion)
YOSHI-HASHI (IWGP Tag Team Champion)
vs.
Guerrillas Of Destiny
Hikuleo (NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champion)
El Phantasmo (NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champion)

NEVER Openweight Championship
Shingo Takagi (NEVER Openweight Champion)
vs.
Tama Tonga (former NEVER Openweight Champion)

Shota Umino
Kaito Kiyomiya (Open The Twin Gate Champion)
vs.
HOUSE OF TORTURE
EVIL (former IWGP Tag Team Champion)
Ren Narita

Yota Tsuji
vs.
Yuya Uemura

NJPW World Television Championship
Zack Sabre Jr. (NJPW World Television Champion)
vs.
Hiroshi Tanahashi (former IWGP Heavyweight Champion)

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
BULLET CLUB War Dogs
Clark Connors (IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion)
Drilla Moloney (IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion)
vs.
Catch 2/2
Francesco Akira (former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion)
TJP (former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion)



Pre-Show: "NJPW King Of Pro-Wrestling Championship (KOPW) 2024 Right To Challenge / New Japan Rambo" match
In this modified battle royal, participants will enter the ring at timed intervals. The four wrestlers that are remaining at the end of the match will compete against each other at New Year Dash!! 2024 the next night to decide the first 2024 holder of the KOPW Championship.