Wrestle Kingdom is a professional wrestling event produced annually by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), a Japan-based professional wrestling promotion.
Wrestle Kingdom | |
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Promotions | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
First event | Wrestle Kingdom I |
Since 1992, NJPW has held the January 4 Tokyo Dome Show. The January 4 Tokyo Dome Show became NJPW's premier annual event and the biggest event in Japanese wrestling, similar to what WrestleMania is for WWE and American professional wrestling. It has been described as "the largest professional wrestling show in the world outside of the United States" and the "Japanese equivalent to the Super Bowl". [1] [2] From 1992 to 2006, the event was promoted under different names. In 2007, the event was rebranded as Wrestle Kingdom which has been the event name ever since.
From 2007 until 2019, Wrestle Kingdom was held on January 4 on Tokyo Dome, but the show expanded to two nights in 2020. Wrestle Kingdom 14 was the first one to include matches on January 5, and further expanded to include a third night (January 8) in 2022.
Wrestle Kingdom VI drew the highest single-day attendance since the annual event was branded as Wrestle Kingdom, at 43,000. [3] Counting events held over two nights, Wrestle Kingdom 14 had the highest overall attendance, with 40,008 announced for night one [4] and 30,063 for night two, [5] a total of 70,071 attendees.
The lowest attendance was for Wrestle Kingdom 15, held under attendance restrictions due to COVID-19; NJPW announced an attendance of 12,689 for the first night and 7,801 for the second. [6] Prior to COVID-19, the Wrestle Kingdom I and Wrestle Kingdom V events drew the lowest unofficial gates, with only 18,000 in attendance. [7]
Hiroshi Tanahashi is a Japanese professional wrestler, sports executive and podcaster. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he serves as the president and representative director of the promotion, and is also an active wrestler.
The January 4 Tokyo Dome Show is a professional wrestling event produced annually on January 4 in the Tokyo Dome by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), a Japan-based professional wrestling promotion. NJPW has promoted events in the venue every January 4 since Super Warriors in Tokyo Dome in 1992.
Tetsuya Naito is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in his record-tying second reign and is the leader of the Los Ingobernables de Japón stable.
Kazuchika Okada is a Japanese professional wrestler. As of March 2024, he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Elite stable and is the current AEW Continental Champion in his first reign. He is best known for his 18-year tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling where he was a five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, with his fourth reign being the longest in the company's history at 720 days. He also holds the record for most successful title defenses with 12. After the title was unified into the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, Okada went on to hold the new championship a record two times.
Toru Yano, is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was the KOPW 2020 and the KOPW 2021. He is one of the first NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions, a record 6 time and current holder of the titles. He is also a three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion and two-time GHC Tag Team Champion.
Chaos is a professional wrestling stable, primarily performing in the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion and All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The group was formed in 2009, when nearly all the members of the Great Bash Heel (G.B.H) stable turned on leader Togi Makabe and reformed under new leader Shinsuke Nakamura. Soon after, the new group was named Chaos, with Nakamura as the leader. As the leader of Chaos, Nakamura was one of NJPW's top wrestlers, winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP Intercontinental Championship as well as the 2011 G1 Climax and the 2014 New Japan Cup.
Wrestle Kingdom VI in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion, which took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2012. It was the 21st January 4 Tokyo Dome Show and the sixth held under the "Wrestle Kingdom" name. This was the final Wrestle Kingdom where a Roman numeral was used as part of the event's name. The event featured twelve matches, three of which were contested for championships.
Bad Intentions was the professional wrestling tag team of American wrestlers Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson. The team was formed in the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion in October 2008 and reached its first major accomplishment in November 2009 by winning the G1 Tag League. From June 19, 2010, to January 4, 2012, Bad Intentions held the IWGP Tag Team Championship for a record 564 days, while also setting the new record for most successful title defenses with ten. During the reign, the team also won Pro Wrestling Noah's GHC Tag Team Championship. After losing both titles, Bad Intentions disbanded, when Bernard left NJPW to return to the WWE.
Wrestle Kingdom 7 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion, which took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2013. It was the 22nd January 4 Tokyo Dome Show and the seventh held under the "Wrestle Kingdom" name. The event featured eleven matches, five of which were contested for championships.
Wrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion, which took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2014. It was the 23rd January 4 Tokyo Dome Show and the eighth held under the "Wrestle Kingdom" name. Like the previous year, the event aired worldwide on internet pay-per-view (iPPV).
Wrestle Kingdom II in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion, which took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2008. It was the 17th January 4 Tokyo Dome Show and the second held under the "Wrestle Kingdom" name. The event featured ten matches, four of which were contested for championships.
Wrestle Kingdom III in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion, which took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2009. It was the 18th January 4 Tokyo Dome Show and the third held under the "Wrestle Kingdom" name. The event featured eleven matches, five of which were contested for championships.
Wrestle Kingdom IV in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion, which took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2010. It was the 19th January 4 Tokyo Dome Show and the fourth held under the "Wrestle Kingdom" name. The event featured ten matches, five of which were contested for championships.
Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion, which took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2011. It was the 20th January 4 Tokyo Dome Show and the fifth held under the "Wrestle Kingdom" name. The event featured thirteen matches, four of which were contested for championships.
Wrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on January 4, 2016, in Tokyo, Japan, at the Tokyo Dome. It was the 25th January 4 Tokyo Dome Show. The event featured ten matches and was main evented by Kazuchika Okada defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi.
The NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. The current champions are Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Oleg Boltin, who are in their second reign as a team. It is Yano and Tanahashi's record sixth reign as individuals, and the second for Boltin. They defeated Los Ingobernables de Japón on June 16, 2024 in Sapporo, Japan on Night 1 of New Japan Soul.
Wrestle Kingdom 11 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on January 4, 2017, at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It was the 26th January 4 Tokyo Dome Show.
Wrestle Kingdom 12 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on January 4, 2018, at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It was the 27th January 4 Tokyo Dome Show.
Wrestle Kingdom in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event co-produced by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) promotions, which took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2007. It was the 16th January 4 Tokyo Dome Show and the first held under the new "Wrestle Kingdom" name.
This is a list chronicling the history of professional wrestling at the Tokyo Dome. The Tokyo Dome stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan has hosted a number of professional wrestling supercard events over the years. These events often air on pay-per-view (PPV) or are recorded for a future television broadcast. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is the promotion which has held the most shows at the Tokyo Dome, including the very first professional wrestling event in the Dome – Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome on April 24, 1989. NJPW also holds their annual January 4 Tokyo Dome Show event, currently promoted under the Wrestle Kingdom name – Wrestle Kingdom is considered NJPW's biggest show of the year, their version of WrestleMania. The first January 4 show, Super Warriors in Tokyo Dome, took place in 1992 and has been held each year since then. With night two of Wrestle Kingdom 15, NJPW has held a total of 55 shows in the Tokyo Dome.