Winners, News And Notes At The Tokyo Dome

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 is the first major wrestling event of 2023. Fittingly, it combined all corners of the Big 3 promotions (NJPW, WWE and AEW).

In addition to the return of Sasha Banks, top AEW star Kenny Omega clashed with top NJPW star Will Ospreay in a dream match, especially among hardcore fans who will predominately be watching this event. The match lived past its lofty expectations with Kenny Omega winning the NJPW United States Championship for a second time. The main event saw Kazuchika Okada challenge Jay White for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Other AEW stars on the Wrestle Kingdom 17 card include FTR, who defended the IWGP Tag Team Championships against Bishimon. Meanwhile, WWE’s Karl Anderson defended his NEVER Openweight Championship against Tama Tonga. Both Anderson and FTR dropped their titles before heading back to WWE and AEW, respectively.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 Results | January 4, 2023

• Catch 22 def. LiYoh | IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship
• KAIRI def. Tam Nakano | IWGP Women’s Championship
• Bishimon def. FTR | IWGP World Tag Team Championship
• Zach Sabre Jr. def. Ren Narita | NJPW World TV Championship
• Tama Tonga def. Karl Anderson | NEVER Openweight Championship
• Shota Umino, Tanahashi and Kenji Muto def. Los Ingobernobles de Japon
• Hiromu Takahashi def. Taiji Ishimori, El Desperado, and Master Wato | IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
• Kenny Omega def. Will Ospreay | IWGP United States Championship
• Kazuchika Okada def. Jay White | IWGP World Heavyweight Championship

Possible FTR WWE Return | Pro Wrestling Bits

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 Winners And Highlights

Catch 22 def. LiYoh

It was great to see the fast-paced offense that Lio Rush brings, but the rest of the field kept up fantastically. To their credit, so did the commentary team.

Rush was suffered a cut above his eye, but somehow, the match only got better from there.

KAIRI def. Tam Nakano; Sasha Banks Debuts

Half of this segment was meticulously spent on each entrance, and it was worth every moment. By the time the match started, and after great narration by the commentary team, this felt like a main event.

This hard-hitting match could have doubled as a tryout for the Blackpool Combat Club.

KAIRI’s elbow looks better than ever in NJPW.

There was a loud gasp even among a crowd with restrictions on how to cheer. Sasha Banks/Mercedes Mone came off as a star, but that pop would be tripled if she shows up in Los Angeles next week.

Bayley and Naomi were shown in the crowd during Banks’ return.

Bishimon def. FTR

Kevin Kelly took aim at Pro Wrestling Illustrated, calling it a fiction magazine for leaving Bishimon out of its list of top tag teams.

FTR’s losing streak continues as they have now dropped all of their gold in the span of a month. For one reason or another, April can’t come soon enough for the top tag team. I expect a Revival in WWE.

Zack Sabre Jr. def. Ren Narita

This TV Championship match was given a 15-minute time limit, and therefore had a much faster pace than most Zack Sabre Jr. Matches (thank God.)

Zack Sabre Jr. delivered some stiff kicks to Narita throughout, and Narita absorbed them fantastically.

To this point, this match had the most consistent noise and activity from the tentative crowd. The thrilling nearfalls helped.

Sabre Jr. won this match in typical Sabre Jr. fashion: by making his opponent immediately tap out.

The Television Championship is the same shape as an actual television and I think it looks great.

Following this match, Zack Sabre Jr. joined TMDK.

Tama Tonga def. Karl Anderson

The announce team deemed this a sad day for Bullet Club fans as it was a matchup between Core 4 members.

Karl Anderson received immense heat for hitting Tama Tonga with a cheap shot before the bell rang.

Anderson did his job as a heel, because the crowd really got behind Tama Tonga for his comeback.

Keiji Muto, Tanahashi and Umino def. Los Ingobernobles de Japon

Kevin Kelly pointed out how Kenji Muto’s knees have deteriorated, just like Tanahashi’s knees are starting too. Interesting tactic to get people excited for this match.

It goes without saying, but a six-man tag team spot like this is far beneath Tanahashi, Muto and Naito. Kevin Kelly was already talking about Wrestle Kingdom 18 while Naito was on his way to the ring.

Sanada comes as close to flying during a dropkick as anybody.

In a pleasant surprise, Shota Umino scored the winning pinfall in a star-studded match.

Takahashi def. Ishimori, El Desperado and Wato

Kevin Kelly noted 28.16% is the lowest change rate for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. That number almost doubles inside the Tokyo Dome.

To the credit of this pay-per-view, the bloated card was paced very well and they really sped through the first six matches.

During this match, Chris Charlton begun reporting about a backstage brawl involving Naito and Umino.

Kelly became furious on commentary when Wato passed up a pin to go for a high-risk maneuver.

Takahashi won the match, but based on his performance, Master Wato deserved it.

Kenny Omega def. Will Ospreay

To the surprise of nobody, Don Callis was tremendous on commentary. While criticizing Will Ospreay, Callis remarked “they wouldn’t even cheer for him!”

Omega stomped a perfect circle through a table and proceeded to pay homage to Jack Nicholson’s iconic scene from The Shining.

Kenny Omega delivered a brutal DDT on the top turnbuckle to Ospreay. Ospreay bled immediately.

One match earlier, the announcer continued his count even after Ishimori dove to the outside. This time around, the ring announcer stopped the count after Kenny Omega performed a baseball slide dropkick, and didn’t even get to the outside of the ring.

Omega smashed Ospreay’s face into a table, leaving a patch of blood behind.

NJPW used long-term storytelling by calling back to Ospreay’s issues with Red Shoes— and New Japan officiating—as a reason why Red Shoes allowed the match to continue.

This match quickly became about how incompetent these officials and doctors were for not (kayfabe) ending the match.

The first 30 minutes of this match flew by.

Kenny Omega used the Kamigoye before delivering the One Winged Angel to win the NJPW United States Championship. The Golden Lovers reunion rumors have more life than ever.

Kazuchika Okada def. Jay White

Brock Lesnar was the last non-Japanese wrestler to win in the main event of the Tokyo Dome.

Jay White wore all white while Kazuchika Okada dressed in all black.

Jay White facetiously led an “Okada” chant, and the people ate it right out of his hands.

Jay White repeatedly screamed out “too!” as a means to egg the crowd into saying “sweet!”

While mocking Okada, Jay White even got the wide camera angle.

Okada and Jay White had a helluva time following Ospreay and Omega, but they still put on a very good main event.

Jay White desperately clung to the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship before reluctantly giving it up to Red Shoes.

After Okada’s win, Shingo Takagi challenged him to a world title match.