The New Year has come to New Japan Pro Wrestling, which means it’s time for another Wrestling Kingdom. The event marks a major transition period for NJPW, after the coronavirus pandemic impacted promotional booking plans.
Wrestle Kingdom 16 will take place over three nights. The first two nights will revolve around the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Shingo Takagi, the current champion, will face off against Kazuchika Okada in the Night One main event for the title. Okada won the G1 Climax for the third time for the right to fight for the title. Night One will also feature the return of Katsuyori Shibata, who has been out of action since 2017 due to a subdural hematoma. It is unknown who he will face until the event begins.
The second night will feature the finals to determine the KOPW 2022 Trophy Interim winner. It will also feature a special STARDOM draw, where Mayu Iwatani and the Starlight Kid face off against Tam Nakano and Saya Kamitani. The main event will see winner Takagi-Okada defend the IWGP world heavyweight belt against Will Ospreay. Ospreay was the champion before vacating the title due to a neck injury.
Tuesday night will feature wrestlers from New Japan Pro Wrestling against wrestlers from Pro Wrestling NOAH. Every match except one will be a multiplayer match.
What time is Wrestle Kingdom 16?
- Date: Wrestle Kingdom Night One – Tuesday, January 4
- Time: 2 a.m. ET before | 3am ET main card
- Location: Tokyo Dome in Tokyo
- Date: Wrestle Kingdom Night Two – Wednesday, January 5
- Time: 2 a.m. ET before | 3am ET main card
- Location: Tokyo Dome in Tokyo
- Date: Wrestle Kingdom Night Three – Saturday, January 8
- Time: 2 a.m. ET before | 3am ET main card
- Location: Yokohama Gymnasium in Yokohama, Japan
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 will air live on Tuesday, January 4, and Wednesday, January 5. The pre-show is scheduled to begin at 2 a.m. ET on both days, and the main pass will be starts at 3 a.m. ET. The third show, featuring NOAH talent, will take place on Saturday, January 8th.
How to watch Wrestle Kingdom 16?
Network: NJPWWorld.com, FITE.tv
Price: $29.99 for FITE.tv
Fans in the US who want to watch Kindgom Wrestling 16 will have to tune in to NJPWWorld.com or FITE.tv. The cost to purchase the event on FITE.tv will be $29.99. You can sign up for NJPWWorld.com for 999 yen, about $9.
Wrestle Kingdom Match Card 16
Night one
- Shingo Takagi (c) vs Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
- El Desperado (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
- Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. EVIL for the championship belt NEVER in the open weight division
- Dangerous Tekker (Taichi and Zack Saber Jr.) (c) vs CHAOS (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) for the IWGP Tag Team Championship
- Katsuyori Shibata vs. TBA – Catch wrestling match
- Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, SANADA and Bushi) vs United Empire (Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi and Rocky Romero vs. Bullet Club (KENTA, Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo)
- Yoh vs. Sho
- New Japanese Ranbo
Night two
- Shingo Takagi or Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Will Ospreay competes for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
- Kenta (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship match without disqualification
- Tetsuya Naito vs. Jeff Cobb
- SANADA vs Great-O-Khan
- House of Torture (EVIL, Yujrio Takahashi and Sho) vs CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Yoshi-Hashi and Yoh)
- TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD to compete for the temporary cup of the King of Professional Wrestling 2022
- Mayu Iwatani and Starlight Kid vs Tam Nakano and Saya Kamitani
- Flying Tiger (Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask) (c) vs. Bullet Club’s Cutest Tag Team (Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo) vs. Mega Trainer (Ryusuke Taguchi and Rocky Romero) for the Team Heavyweight Championship for children IWGP
- TBA vs TBA
Third night
- Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Sanada, Bushi and Hiromu Takahashi) vs Kongoh (Katsuhiko Nakajima, Kenoh, Manabu Soya, Tadasuke and Aleja)
- Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Keiji Mutoh and Kaito Kiyomiya
- House of Torture (Evil and Dick Togo) vs Go Shiozaki and Masa Kitamiya
- Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Minoru Suzuki and Taka Michinoku) vs. Sugiura-gun (Takashi Sugiura and Kazushi Sakuraba) and Kenta
- Suzuki-gun (Zack Saber Jr. and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) vs Naomichi Marufuji and Yoshinari Ogawa
- Chaos (Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) and Six or Nine (Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi) vs Daisuke Harada, Hajime Ohara, Daiki Inaba, Yoshiki Inamura and Kinya Okada
- Suzuki-gun (El Desperado and Douki) vs Los Perros del Mal de Japon (Yo-Hey and Nosawa Rongai)
- Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori and Gedo) vs Stinger (Hayata and Seiki Yoshioka)
- Sho vs. Atsushi Kotoge
- Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima) and Yuji Nagata vs Funky Express (King Tany, Muhammad Yone and Akitoshi Saito)
- Kosei Fujita vs. Yasutaka Yano
