NEVER (professional wrestling)

Last updated
NEVER
NEVER.png
Logo of the NEVER events
Promotions New Japan Pro-Wrestling
First event NEVER.1
Last event NEVER: Shodai NEVER Musabetsu Kyu Oza Kettei Tournament Final
Event gimmick Showcase for new and younger talent

NEVER was a series of professional wrestling events held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) between August 2010 and November 2012. On July 12, 2010, NJPW officially announced the NEVER project, which was to highlight younger up-and-coming talent and outside wrestlers not signed to the promotion. [1] [2] It was explained that the name of the project was an acronym of the terms "New Blood", "Evolution", "Valiantly", "Eternal" and "Radical". [1] For the events, NJPW recruited several freelancers as well as wrestlers signed to promotions such as DDT Pro-Wrestling and Kaientai Dojo. Some outsiders who became NEVER regulars included Daisuke Sasaki, Kaji Tomato, Madoka, Ryuichi Sekine and Shinobu. Kushida, who entered NEVER as a representative of the Smash promotion in February 2011, signed a NJPW contract the following month and returned to the project the following September, now representing NJPW. [3] Three NJPW trainees; Hiromu Takahashi, Sho Tanaka and Yohei Komatsu, made their professional wrestling debuts at NEVER events. Takahashi, who debuted at NEVER.1, was the only wrestler who wrestled on all thirteen NEVER events.

Contents

On October 5, 2012, NJPW announced that NEVER was going to get its own championship, the NEVER Openweight Championship. [2] [4] [5] The title was originally scheduled to be defended exclusively at NEVER events, but this plan was quickly changed and since its foundation, the title has been defended on the undercards of NJPW events. [4] [6] NJPW has not held a single NEVER event since the tournament, which crowned the first NEVER Openweight Champion on November 19, 2012. [7] A second NEVER title, the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship, was announced on December 21, 2015, with the first champions crowned on January 4, 2016. [8]

On July 18, 2015, NJPW announced "Lion's Gate", a project with a theme similar to NEVER, [9] which held its first show on February 25, 2016. [10]

NEVER championships

ChampionshipCurrent champion(s)ReignDate wonDays heldLocationRef.
NEVER Openweight Championship EVIL 3 January 20, 2023 3+ Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium,

Nagoya, Japan

[11]
NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship CHAOS

(Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, & Hiroshi Tanahashi)

1

(1, 3, 4)

May 3, 2023 74+ Wrestling Dontaku

Fukuoka, Japan.

[12]

Events

NEVER.1

NEVER.1
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateAugust 24, 2010 [13]
City Tokyo, Japan [13]
Venue Shin-Kiba 1st Ring [13]
Attendance300 [13]
NEVER chronology
 Previous
Next 
NEVER.2

The first NEVER event was held on August 24, 2010, in Tokyo at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. [13] The event featured five matches, which involved six outsiders; Taishi Takizawa from Kaientai Dojo, Kazuhiro Tamura from Style-E, Yusuke Kodama from Smash, Shinobu from 666 and freelancers Osamu Namiguchi and Madoka. [13] The opening match of the event featured the professional wrestling debut of Hiromu Takahashi. [13]

No.Results [13] StipulationsTimes [13]
1 Kyosuke Mikami defeated Hiromu Takahashi Singles match 08:28
2 Taishi Takizawa defeated King Fale Singles match11:23
3 Ryusuke Taguchi and Taichi defeated Kazuhiro Tamura and Yusuke Kodama Tag team match 10:50
4 Tomohiro Ishii defeated Osamu NamiguchiSingles match11:01
5 No Limit (Tetsuya Naito and Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Madoka and Shinobu Tag team match18:04

NEVER.2

NEVER.2
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateSeptember 16, 2010 [14]
City Osaka, Japan [14]
VenueSekaikan [14]
Attendance200 [14]
NEVER chronology
 Previous
NEVER.1
Next 
NEVER.3

The second NEVER event was held on September 16, 2010, in Osaka at the Sekaikan theater. [14] The event featured five matches, which involved five outsiders; Takuya Tomakomai from Dragon Gate, Daisuke Harada and Tadasuke from Osaka Pro Wrestling and freelancers Yohei Nakajima and Yosuke Takii. [14]

No.Results [14] StipulationsTimes [14]
1 Kyosuke Mikami defeated Hiromu Takahashi Singles match 06:59
2 Tama Tonga defeated King Fale Singles match08:12
3 Taichi and Tomoaki Honma defeated Takuya Tomakomai and Yohei Nakajima Tag team match 12:04
4 Hirooki Goto defeated Daisuke Harada Singles match08:28
5 No Limit (Tetsuya Naito and Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Tadasuke and Yosuke TakiiTag team match14:24

NEVER.3

NEVER.3
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateOctober 8, 2010 [15]
City Tokyo, Japan [15]
Venue Shin-Kiba 1st Ring [15]
Attendance250 [15]
NEVER chronology
 Previous
NEVER.2
Next 
NEVER.4

The third NEVER event was held on October 8, 2010, in Tokyo at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. [15] The event featured six matches, which involved seven outsiders; Keisuke Ishii from DDT Pro-Wrestling, Keita Yano from Battlarts, Shinobu from 666, Tomato Kaji and Taishi Takizawa from Kaientai Dojo and freelancers Daisuke Sasaki and Madoka. [15]

No.Results [15] StipulationsTimes [15]
1 Keisuke Ishii defeated Hiromu Takahashi Singles match 06:43
2 Tomoaki Honma defeated King Fale Singles match08:12
3 Tama Tonga defeated Daisuke Sasaki Singles match11:12
4 Tomohiro Ishii defeated Keita Yano Singles match13:29
5 Madoka and Shinobu defeated Kyosuke Mikami and Ryusuke Taguchi Tag team match 17:39
6 No Limit (Tetsuya Naito and Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Tomato Kaji and Taishi Takizawa Tag team match16:47

NEVER.4

NEVER.4
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateNovember 18, 2010 [16]
City Tokyo, Japan [16]
Venue Shin-Kiba 1st Ring [16]
Attendance450 [16]
NEVER chronology
 Previous
NEVER.3
Next 
NEVER.5

The fourth NEVER event was held on November 18, 2010, in Tokyo at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. [16] [17] The event featured six matches, which involved six outsiders; Keisuke Ishii from DDT Pro-Wrestling, Jun Ogawauchi from Secret Base, Shinobu from 666 and freelancers Antonio Honda, Madoka and Daisuke Sasaki. [16] The event featured Hiroyoshi Tenzan's return match, after being sidelined for fifteen months with a back injury. [16] [17]

No.Results [16] [17] StipulationsTimes [16]
1 Keisuke Ishii defeated Hiromu Takahashi Singles match 07:04
2 Tama Tonga defeated King Fale Singles match07:53
3 Tomoaki Honma defeated Jun Ogawauchi Singles match10:40
4 Tomohiro Ishii defeated Daisuke Sasaki Singles match11:56
5 Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Antonio Honda Singles match13:07
6 No Limit (Tetsuya Naito and Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Madoka and Shinobu Tag team match 16:01

NEVER.5

NEVER.5
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateFebruary 24, 2011 [18]
City Tokyo, Japan [18]
Venue Shin-Kiba 1st Ring [18]
Attendance350 [18]
NEVER chronology
 Previous
NEVER.4
Next 
NEVER.6: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament

The fifth NEVER event was held on February 24, 2011, in Tokyo at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. [18] The event featured seven matches, which involved six outsiders; Kazuki Hirata from DDT Pro-Wrestling, Shigehiro Irie from Team Dera, Shinobu from 666, Kushida from Smash and freelancers Daisuke Sasaki and Madoka. [18] In the opening match, Hiromu Takahashi, six months after his debut match, picked up his first professional wrestling win over Hirata. [18]

No.Results [18] StipulationsTimes [18]
1 Hiromu Takahashi defeated Kazuki Hirata Singles match 06:48
2 King Fale defeated Kyosuke Mikami Singles match09:12
3 Tomoaki Honma defeated Shigehiro Irie Singles match09:37
4 Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Daisuke Sasaki Singles match13:28
5 Yujiro Takahashi defeated Shinobu Singles match09:02
6 Madoka defeated Taichi Singles match09:44
7 Tetsuya Naito defeated Kushida Singles match17:30

NEVER.6: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament

NEVER.6: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateApril 7, 2011 [19]
April 8, 2011 [20]
City Tokyo, Japan [19] [20]
Venue Shin-Kiba 1st Ring [19] [20]
Attendance(April 7) 250 [19]
(April 8) 300 [20]
NEVER chronology
 Previous
NEVER.5
Next 
NEVER.7: Go to the Next Level

The sixth NEVER event, subtitled "Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament", was held over two days on April 7 and 8, 2011, in Tokyo at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. [19] [20] During the events, NJPW held two single-elimination tournaments, with both winners earning spots in the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. [19] [20] Both events featured eight matches and thirteen outsiders; Kazuki Hirata, Keisuke Ishii, Ken Ohka and Shinichiro Tominaga from DDT Pro-Wrestling / Union Pro Wrestling, Kaji Tomato, Marines Mask and Ryuichi Sekine from Kaientai Dojo, Shinobu from 666, Kazuhiro Tamura from Style-E and freelancers Daisuke Sasaki, Madoka, Osamu Namiguchi and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi. [19] [20]

April 7
No.Results [19] [21] StipulationsTimes [19]
1 Keisuke Ishii defeated Hiromu Takahashi Singles match; first round in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament B08:18
2 Ryuichi Sekine defeated Kyosuke Mikami Singles match; first round in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament A08:56
3 Shinobu defeated Kaji Tomato Singles match; first round in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament B08:32
4 Madoka defeated Kazuki Hirata Singles match; first round in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament B08:53
5 Kazuhiro Tamura defeated Marines Mask Singles match; first round in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament A04:21
6 Daisuke Sasaki defeated Shinichiro TominagaSingles match; first round in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament A10:08
7 Tsuyoshi Kikuchi defeated Ken Ohka Singles match; first round in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament A08:18
8 Taichi defeated Osamu NamiguchiSingles match; first round in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament B08:48
April 8
No.Results [20] [22] StipulationsTimes [20]
1 Daisuke Sasaki defeated Ryuichi Sekine Singles match; semifinals in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament A05:52
2 Tsuyoshi Kikuchi defeated Kazuhiro Tamura Singles match; semifinals in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament A07:14
3 Taichi defeated Keisuke Ishii Singles match; semifinals in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament B04:15
4 Madoka defeated Shinobu Singles match; semifinals in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament B09:13
5 Hiromu Takahashi and Kyosuke Mikami defeated Kazuki Hirata and Shinichiro Tominaga Tag team match 10:11
6 Chaos (Gedo, Jado, Tetsuya Naito and Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Kaji Tomato, Ken Ohka, Marines Mask and Osamu Namiguchi Eight-man tag team match 15:50
7Daisuke Sasaki defeated Tsuyoshi KikuchiSingles match; finals in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament A14:26
8Taichi defeated MadokaSingles match; finals in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament B17:45
Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament A
First round Semifinals Finals
         
Kyosuke Mikami Pin
Ryuichi Sekine 08:56 [19]
Ryuichi Sekine Pin
Daisuke Sasaki05:52 [20]
Daisuke Sasaki Pin
Shinichiro Tominaga 10:08 [19]
Daisuke SasakiPin
Tsuyoshi Kikuchi 14:26 [20]
Tsuyoshi Kikuchi Pin
Ken Ohka 08:18 [19]
Tsuyoshi KikuchiPin
Kazuhiro Tamura 07:14 [20]
Kazuhiro Tamura Pin
Marines Mask 04:21 [19]
Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament B
First round Semifinals Finals
         
Hiromu Takahashi Pin
Keisuke Ishii 08:18 [19]
Keisuke Ishii Sub
Taichi04:15 [20]
Taichi Pin
Osamu Namiguchi 08:48 [19]
TaichiPin
Madoka 17:45 [20]
Madoka Pin
Kazuki Hirata 08:53 [19]
MadokaPin
Shinobu 09:13 [20]
Shinobu Pin
Kaji Tomato 08:32 [19]

NEVER.7: Go to the Next Level

NEVER.7: Go to the Next Level
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateSeptember 21, 2011 [23]
City Osaka, Japan [23]
VenueSekaikan [23]
Attendance200 [23]
NEVER chronology
 Previous
NEVER.6: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament
Next 
NEVER.8: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament

The seventh NEVER event, subtitled "Go to the Next Level", was held on September 21, 2011, in Osaka at the Sekaikan theater. [23] The event featured six matches and for the first time included no outsiders. [23]

No.Results [23] StipulationsTimes [23]
1 Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Takaaki Watanabe Singles match 10:26
2 Yujiro Takahashi defeated Kyosuke Mikami Singles match08:37
3 Hideo Saito defeated King Fale Singles match08:19
4 Toru Yano defeated Hiromu Takahashi Singles match08:53
5 Hirooki Goto defeated Tama Tonga Singles match10:32
6 Tetsuya Naito defeated Kushida Singles match12:35

NEVER.8: Go to the Next Level

NEVER.8: Go to the Next Level
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateFebruary 10, 2012 [24]
City Osaka, Japan [24]
VenueSekaikan [24]
Attendance220 [24]
NEVER chronology
 Previous
NEVER.7: Go to the Next Level
Next 
NEVER.9: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament 1st.

The eighth NEVER event, also subtitled "Go to the Next Level", was held on February 10, 2012, in Osaka at the Sekaikan theater. [24] The event featured seven matches, which involved one outsider; freelancer Shoichi Uchida. [24] The event featured King Fale's farewell match, before going on an overseas learning excursion. [24]

No.Results [24] StipulationsTimes [24]
1 Kushida defeated Shoichi Uchida Singles match 08:32
2 Yoshi-Hashi defeated Takaaki Watanabe Singles match08:08
3 Captain New Japan defeated Gedo Singles match07:46
4 Toru Yano defeated Hiromu Takahashi Singles match06:54
5 Karl Anderson defeated Tama Tonga Singles match09:59
6 Yuji Nagata defeated King Fale Singles match08:14
7 Yujiro Takahashi defeated Tomoaki Honma Singles match11:48

NEVER.9: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament 1st.

NEVER.9: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament 1st.
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateApril 13, 2012 [25]
City Tokyo, Japan [25]
Venue Shin-Kiba 1st Ring [25]
Attendance250 [25]
NEVER chronology
 Previous
NEVER.8: Go to the Next Level
Next 
NEVER.9: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament Final

NEVER.9: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament 1st. was held on April 13, 2012, in Tokyo at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. [25] The event saw the start of a single-elimination tournament, where the winner would earn a spot in the 2012 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. [25] The event featured six matches, which involved six outsiders; Hiro Tonai, Kaji Tomato and Ryuichi Sekine from Kaientai Dojo, Yusuke Kodama from Wrestling New Classic (WNC) and freelancers Black Tiger and Madoka. [25]

No.Results [25] StipulationsTimes [25]
1 Ryuichi Sekine defeated Takaaki Watanabe Singles match; first round in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament07:45
2 Black Tiger defeated Yusuke Kodama Singles match; first round in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament08:23
3 Hiro Tonai defeated Hiromu Takahashi Singles match; first round in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament07:48
4 Madoka defeated Kaji Tomato Singles match; first round in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament09:38
5 Suzuki-gun (Taichi and Taka Michinoku) defeated Gedo and Jado Tag team match 12:50
6 Chaos (Takashi Iizuka and Toru Yano) defeated Captain New Japan and Tetsuya Naito Tag team match09:29

NEVER.9: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament Final

NEVER.9: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament Final
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateApril 15, 2012 [26]
City Tokyo, Japan [26]
Venue Shin-Kiba 1st Ring [26]
Attendance250 [26]
NEVER chronology
 Previous
NEVER.9: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament 1st.
Next 
NEVER: Shodai NEVER Musabetsu Kyu Oza Kettei Tournament 1st Round

NEVER.9: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament Final was held on April 15, 2012, in Tokyo at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. [26] The event featured the semifinals and finals of a single-elimination tournament, where the winner would earn a spot in the 2012 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. [26] The event featured six matches, which involved six outsiders; Hiro Tonai, Kaji Tomato and Ryuichi Sekine from Kaientai Dojo, Yusuke Kodama from Wrestling New Classic (WNC) and freelancers Black Tiger and Madoka. [26] The winner of the tournament, Black Tiger, never entered the 2012 Best of the Super Juniors, as on May 25 NJPW publicly fired the character's performer Kazushige Nosawa, a day after he had been arrested under suspicion of smuggling cannabis. [27]

No.Results [26] StipulationsTimes [26]
1 Madoka defeated Hiro Tonai Singles match; semifinals in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament08:49
2 Black Tiger defeated Ryuichi Sekine Singles match; semifinals in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament06:29
3 Yoshi-Hashi defeated Takaaki Watanabe Singles match09:05
4 Chaos (Gedo, Jado and Tomohiro Ishii) defeated Captain New Japan, Kaji Tomato and Yusuke Kodama Six-man tag team match 15:02
5 Suzuki-gun (Taichi and Taka Michinoku) defeated Hiromu Takahashi and Kushida Tag team match 14:08
6Black Tiger defeated MadokaSingles match; finals in the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament09:56
Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament
First round Semifinals Finals
         
Hiromu Takahashi Sub
Hiro Tonai 07:48 [25]
Hiro Tonai Pin
Madoka08:49 [26]
Madoka Pin
Kaji Tomato 09:38 [25]
Madoka Pin
Black Tiger09:56 [26]
Takaaki Watanabe Pin
Ryuichi Sekine 07:45 [25]
Ryuichi Sekine Pin
Black Tiger06:29 [26]
Yusuke Kodama Pin
Black Tiger 08:23 [25]

NEVER: Inaugural NEVER Openweight Championship Tournament 1st Round

NEVER: Inaugural NEVER Openweight Championship Tournament 1st Round
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateNovember 15, 2012 [28]
City Tokyo, Japan [28]
Venue Shibuya-AX [28]
Attendance250 [28]
NEVER chronology
 Previous
NEVER.9: Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament Final
Next 
NEVER: Shodai NEVER Musabetsu Kyu Oza Kettei Tournament Final

NEVER: Inaugural NEVER Openweight Championship Tournament 1st Round was held on November 15, 2012, in Tokyo at Shibuya-AX. [28] [29] The event featured the start of a tournament to determine the inaugural NEVER Openweight Champion. [28] The event featured nine matches, which involved six outsiders; Hiro Tonai, Kengo Mashimo, Ryuichi Sekine, Shiori Asahi and Taishi Takizawa from Kaientai Dojo and freelancer Daisuke Sasaki. [28] Technically, Masato Tanaka was an outsider, being signed to Pro Wrestling Zero1, but due to having been a regular for NJPW for several years, he was co-billed as a representative of the NJPW stable Chaos. [30] The opening match of the event saw the professional wrestling debut of Sho Tanaka. [30]

No.Results [28] [29] StipulationsTimes [28]
1 Takaaki Watanabe defeated Sho Tanaka Singles match 04:53
2 Shiori Asahi defeated Hiromu Takahashi Singles match; first round in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament 06:14
3 Yoshi-Hashi defeated Ryuichi Sekine Singles match; first round in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament07:14
4 Taishi Takizawa defeated Captain New Japan Singles match; first round in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament07:22
5 Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Hiro Tonai Singles match; first round in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament08:19
6 Tomohiro Ishii defeated Daisuke Sasaki Singles match; first round in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament08:39
7 Kengo Mashimo defeated Bushi Singles match; first round in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament08:02
8 Karl Anderson defeated Yujiro Takahashi Singles match; first round in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament11:12
9 Masato Tanaka defeated Kushida Singles match; first round in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament13:02

NEVER: Inaugural NEVER Openweight Championship Tournament Final

NEVER: Inaugural NEVER Openweight Championship Tournament Final
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateNovember 19, 2012 [30]
City Tokyo, Japan [30]
Venue Shibuya-AX [30]
Attendance300 [30]
NEVER chronology
 Previous
NEVER: Shodai NEVER Musabetsu Kyu Oza Kettei Tournament 1st Round
Next 

NEVER: Inaugural NEVER Openweight Championship Tournament Final was held on November 19, 2012, in Tokyo at Shibuya-AX. [30] [31] The event featured the second round, semifinals and finals of a tournament to determine the inaugural NEVER Openweight Champion. [30] The event featured ten matches, involving the same wrestlers who had taken part in the "1st Round" event four days earlier. [30] The opening match of the event saw the professional wrestling debut of Yohei Komatsu. [30] In the main event of the show, Masato Tanaka defeated Karl Anderson to win the tournament and become the first NEVER Openweight Champion. [30] [32] [33] NJPW has not held a single NEVER event since. [7]

No.Results [30] [31] StipulationsTimes [30]
1 Takaaki Watanabe defeated Yohei Komatsu Singles match 06:48
2 Kengo Mashimo defeated Ryusuke Taguchi Singles match; second round in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament 07:54
3 Karl Anderson defeated Shiori Asahi Singles match; second round in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament03:59
4 Masato Tanaka defeated Taishi Takizawa Singles match; second round in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament04:28
5 Tomohiro Ishii defeated Yoshi-Hashi Singles match; second round in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament06:57
6Karl Anderson defeated Kengo MashimoSingles match; semifinals in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament06:14
7Masato Tanaka defeated Tomohiro IshiiSingles match; semifinals in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament10:47
8 Yujiro Takahashi defeated Captain New Japan Singles match05:55
9 Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi and Kushida defeated Daisuke Sasaki, Hiro Tonai and Ryuichi Sekine Six-man tag team match 11:12
10Masato Tanaka defeated Karl AndersonSingles match; finals in the NEVER Openweight Championship tournament14:11
NEVER Openweight Championship tournament
First round Second round Semifinals Finals
        
Karl Anderson Pin
Yujiro Takahashi 11:12 [28]
Karl AndersonPin
Shiori Asahi 03:59 [30]
Hiromu Takahashi Pin
Shiori Asahi 06:14 [28]
Karl AndersonPin
Kengo Mashimo 06:14 [30]
Ryusuke Taguchi Pin
Hiro Tonai 08:19 [28]
Ryusuke Taguchi Sub
Kengo Mashimo07:54 [30]
Bushi Pin
Kengo Mashimo 08:02 [28]
Karl Anderson Pin
Masato Tanaka15:12 [30]
Kushida Pin
Masato Tanaka 13:02 [28]
Masato TanakaPin
Taishi Takizawa 04:28 [30]
Captain New Japan Pin
Taishi Takizawa 07:22 [28]
Masato TanakaPin
Tomohiro Ishii 10:47 [30]
Tomohiro Ishii Pin
Daisuke Sasaki 08:39 [28]
Tomohiro IshiiPin
Yoshi-Hashi 06:57 [30]
Yoshi-Hashi Pin
Ryuichi Sekine 07:14 [28]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isami Kodaka</span> Japanese professional wrestler (born 1981)

Isami Kodaka is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to Pro-Wrestling Basara (Basara). He originally started his career in the Kaientai Dojo (K-Dojo) promotion in July 2002, but later left the promotion to become a freelancer, before signing with Union Pro Wrestling in 2005. Through Union Pro's working relationship, Kodaka also began working for Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW), where he adopted his current, hardcore wrestling-based style. Kodaka remained affiliated with Union Pro until the promotion folded in October 2015, after which he became a founding member of Pro-Wrestling Basara (Basara).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetsuya Endo (wrestler)</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Tetsuya Endo is a Japanese professional wrestler, who has worked for DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) since his debut in April 2012. He is a three time KO-D Openweight Champion and a former four time KO-D Tag Team Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kazuhiro Tamura</span> Japanese professional wrestler (born 1980)

Kazuhiro Tamura is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Pro Wrestling Heat Up where he is the owner of the company and the current Heat Up Universal Champion. Tamura also works for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) where he is a former Gaora TV Champion. Tamura is also known for the time at Style-E Pro Wrestling, holding the Style-E Openweight Championship three times and won the E-1 Climax 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lion's Gate Project</span> Developmental branch of Japanese professional wrestling promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling

Lion's Gate is the developmental branch of professional wrestling promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), which holds events under the banner of Lion's Gate Project. The branch was officially announced on July 18, 2015, and held its first show on February 25, 2016. In addition to NJPW wrestlers, the Lion's Gate Project shows also feature wrestlers from other promotions, resulting in unique cards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super J-Cup (2016)</span> Professional wrestling

Super J-Cup: 6th Stage was the sixth Super J-Cup professional wrestling single-elimination tournament produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It was a two-night event, taking place on July 20, 2016 and August 21, 2016. The first round held on July 20 took place at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, while the next three rounds took place on August 21 at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan. The tournament featured interpromotional matches between junior heavyweight wrestlers from various Japanese promotions as well as North American promotions. Kushida defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru in the final round on August 20 to win the 2016 Super J-Cup tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Ohka</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Ken Ohka is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryuichi Sekine</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Ryuichi Sekine is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working as a freelancer and is best known for his time in the professional wrestling promotion Kaientai Dojo (K-Dojo).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masato Inaba</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Masato Inaba is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for his time in the Japanese promotion Big Japan Pro Wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomato Kaji</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Tomato Kaji is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for his tenure with the Japanese promotions Kaientai Dojo, Big Japan Pro Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling and many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiro Tonai</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Hiro Tonai is a Japanese retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure with Kaientai Dojo. He is also known for his work in various promotions of the Japanese independent scene.

References

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  2. 1 2 Caldwell, James (October 5, 2012). "News items: Velvet Sky launches clothing line, Details on Nash's next int'l tour, NJPW introducing new title". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
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  4. 1 2 "あの『NEVER』がリニューアル!! "無差別級王座"も新設!! 11.15&11.19Shibuya AXで再出発!!". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). October 5, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
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  7. 1 2 内藤「俺の使命はNEVER復権」. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). October 3, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  8. 【WK10】1.4東京ドームは“8大選手権”! 第2試合は初代NEVER無差別級6人タッグ王座戦! 第3試合はROH世界選手権に! NJランボー参戦選手も追加!. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). December 21, 2015. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  9. 木谷オーナーが「ファーム設立プラン」「21世紀のIWGP構想」、そして「新日本プロレスは株式上場を目指す」と宣言! 【7.18戦略発表会】. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). July 18, 2015. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
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  17. 1 2 3 天山がどん底から1年3カ月ぶりに復帰!ファンの大声援を受けて男泣きした天山だが、次なる標的に小島聡を指名!. Battle News (in Japanese). November 18, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
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  21. "BOSJ予選トーナメント1回戦で菊地に敗れた大家、本戦出場の夢☆破れる!大物ルーキーの片鱗を見せた冨永だが、佐々木に惜敗!". Battle News (in Japanese). April 7, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  22. "2日間に渡る予選トーナメントを制してタイチとフリーの佐々木がBOSJ出場権を獲得!大家と対戦した内藤が健闘を称えたが..." Battle News (in Japanese). April 8, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
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