New Japan Pro Wrestling Wrestle Kingdom 20 will be broadcast live from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, kicking off 2026 with one of the most packed cards in company history. From the legendary final battle between Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi to multiple title unifications and historic debuts, Wrestle Kingdom 20 is built to deliver from pre-show to final bell.
The pre-show begins at 1:15 a.m. ET and the main card begins at 2 a.m. ET. Fans around the world can watch the event live through NJPW World. Ringside News provides live match-by-match updates and full show coverage. Keep an eye on this page and update it oftenjoin the conversation in the comments section below!
Wrestle Kingdom 20 Results (1/4/26): Live Match Updates and Highlights
Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton welcome us to the show and let us know that tonight’s Wrestle Kingdom 20 is sold out at Tokyo Dome.
Preshow: Shoma Kato & Tatsuya Murashima vs. Katsuya Murashima & Masatora Yasuda
Inside Tokyo Dome, Murashima and Matsumoto reach a stalemate, but Yasuda changes the momentum with consecutive suplexes. Kato suplexed Murashima and hit three body slams to keep him on top. Murashima returns with a back body drop and follows up with the Murashima Stampede. He gritted his teeth and locked in a Boston crab, forcing Kato to tap.
Winner: Katsuya Murashima & Masatora Yasuda
Pre-show: New Japan Pro Wrestling World Television Championship: El Phantasmo (c) vs Chris Brooks
Phantasmo and Brooks reached a stalemate before their display of sportsmanship backfired. Phantasmo’s handshake was met with a kick to the stomach. Brooks took advantage of this opportunity to attack Phantasmo’s ally Jado, using the DDT crew and brightly colored ropes to throw Phantasmo into chaos.
Brooks leapt up with a top rope senton, shocking the champion, but Phantasmo bounced back with a slingshot Thunderkiss 86. His attempt on the UFO nearly ended the match. Brooks counters a second Thunder Kiss with a knee raise and hits a brainbuster on Phantasmo for a near fall. Phantasmo recovered and hit a CR2 and a final Thunder Kiss 86 to seal the victory and retain the title.
Winner: Phantasmo
The video package spotlighted Hiroshi Tanahashi and covered the entire Wrestle Kingdom 20 card.
Tornado Rambo NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship Match
House of Torture (SANADA, Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru) hotly pursues Yuya Uemura, Shota Unno, and Kainari Takechi. However, the tide turned when the babyfaces cornered Narita. That was when the War Dogs (Yuto Ice, Oscar, and Clark Connors) appeared with AEW’s Thekla in tow. Narita tried to ambush Uemura and his friends, but was trampled. The War Dogs charged and wiped out the enemies that stood in their way.
Thecla distracted the House of Torture long enough for Connors to hit them with a tire. Next, TMDK (Zack Saber Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson) arrived. Oiwa and Yuto Ice trade stiff forearms, and Connors spears Saber with a gore, giving Yuto Ice some space. As Oiwa eliminated OSKAR and defeated the War Dogs, Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Togi Makabe joined the chaos. Next, Bishamon (Hiroki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) and Oleg Boltin were replaced. Taguchi used his funky weapon to create an opening for his team.
Next, Team 100 (Taichi & Satoshi Kojima) and Tomohiro Ishii appeared. Boltin eliminated Tiger Mask by pinfall, then engaged in a suplex battle with Ishii, which Boltin ultimately won. Finally, champion Toru Yano, Master Wato, and YOH appeared, and YOH named it “Toru YOH-no”, a play on Toru Yano. Chaos ensued as Taichi and Uemura spilled onto the ropes and both teams were eliminated.
YOH continued his winning streak against multiple challengers. Wato and Yano made decisive saves to prevent elimination. SANADA also gets ripped off the ropes by House of Torture and goes straight out. Bishamon and Boltin teamed up to defeat TMDK, but Zack Saber Jr. countered Boltin’s kamikaze attempt and scored a bridge pinfall.
Winner: TMDK (Zack Saber Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson)
Winner wins IWGP Women’s Championship & New Japan Pro Wrestling STRONG Women’s Championship: Akari (IWGP) vs. I am Kamitani (STRONG)
Despite their quickness, both champions countered each other’s attacks early on, resulting in a stalemate. Shuri succeeded in trapping Kamiya’s arm, but a well-timed rope break saved the champion. As Kamiya used the referee as a shield to slow down Shuri’s rhythm, HATE dragged Shuri out of the ring, just as Kamiya dove in and they both crashed into the steel blue barricade.
Uetani gained the upper hand from a heavy forearm exchange, then hit a bridging Northern Lights suplex to maintain the momentum. Shuri roared, dragging Kamiya over the top rope and twisting his arm back. Kamiya panicked and grabbed both arms and went for a rope break. A confident Blue Thunder Bomb and Star Crusher almost sealed the victory for Kamiya.
Shuri turned the tide with Fujiwara’s armbar and punishing knee to the face. Kamiya tries to counterattack, but Akari performs a roundhouse kick and then a powerful buzzsaw kick. After signing the contract, Shuri hit her specialty, Syu-Sekai, and became a double champion.
Winner: Juri
10 man tag match: David Finley, Shingo Watch, Gabe Kist, Dorilla Moloney, Hiromu Ka. United States, and X)
Charlton called for caution over the revelation that Andrade is the mysterious businessman behind United Empire’s recent actions. Lee turns out to be an unexpected member of the opposing team. The match descended into chaos as both teams began fighting during the introductions.
Finlay wasted no time targeting Lee while Kidd tried to catch up with Idolo, but Idolo overpowered him with conditioning and dropped him with a flying crossbody. Takagi and Henare collide like tanks, and Takagi gains the upper hand with a DDT. Henare withstood most of Takagi’s attacks, but not the lariat. Moloney used his speed to outwit Henare and hit a dropkick. Henare joins up with Takagi and receives a combination elbow from both.
Takagi’s lariat and Moloney’s gore continued to wear down Henare, and he powered through with a berserker bomb to make a long-awaited comeback. Tension between Finlay and Newman reached a boiling point during a hot tag, with Finlay dropping Newman with a backbreaker. Lee jumped in and hit a powerslam on Finlay, but Takahashi and Finlay used each other as weapons and threw Lee in the corner to turn the tide. Finlay’s Dominator slams Takahashi into Lee for a two count.
Newman nearly knocked Moloney down, but Moloney responded with a devastating Drilla Killa. Finlay threw Takahashi into a sea of War Dogs and United Empire members at ringside, but Takahashi got the last word, flipping Finlay over everyone from top to bottom. Takahashi, who was left alone, fell victim to Lee’s face-break shot, clinching the victory.
Winners: Lee, Newman, Idol, Tagi, &EN
After the game, Jacob Austin Young walked in wearing a white collared shirt and tie and joined the group. The masked person then revealed himself to be Francesco Aquila, and reunited with the United Empire during the celebration.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship #1 Candidate Match: SHO vs. El Desperado vs. Taiji Ishimori vs. Kosei Fujita
SHO quickly became the punching bag of the match, receiving a barrage of kicks from everyone involved. In a moment of desperation and comedy, he pointed to a random corner and hurried away. Desperado and Ishimori briefly teamed up and chased Fujita, but SHO re-entered and immediately hit Fujita with a drop toehold. There was also help from both rivals.
Ishimori stunned Desperado with a brilliant La Mistica, but Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI made him jump with a stomp, and DOUKI’s fierce lead pipe shot cut off Desperado’s momentum. SHO almost hits Ishimori with a wrench, but Robbie Eagles, Robbie X, and Kukai run in and make the save.
Fujita almost joins in the rescue, but SHO surprises him with a black sheet pan and hits him with a shock arrow. His celebration didn’t last long, as Desperado dropped him with a Pinch Loco, stealing the moment.
Winner: Desperado
The show was officially announced on April 16, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada under the title “Death Vegas Invitacional.” Additional major events have also been confirmed, including New Japan Cup, Sakura Genesis, Wrestling Red Zone in Hiroshima, Wrestling Dontaku, and G1 Climax 36, which will include some US tour dates.
NEVER Openweight Championship:EVIL(c) vs. Aaron Wolfe
Wolf appeared with a shaved head and black trunks, ditching his usual judo uniform for a more pared-back look. When EVIL appeared, the rock guitarist moved around wildly on stage.
He wasted no time and kicked Wolfe towards the bell to start the match. As Wolf retaliated, both men exchanged heavy blows in the center of the ring, after which the fight spread to ringside. So EVIL wraps a chair around Wolf’s neck and slams him with another chair. With Wolfe down, EVIL returned to the ring and soaked in the crowd’s reaction.
Another whip to the corner staggers Wolf, and EVIL follows up with multiple pin attempts, but none of them reach. Wolff used his judo background to fight off the invading Torture House members with surprising ease. However, EVIL is blinded by powder and trapped in a deep Texas cloverleaf. The Tokyo crowd roared as Wolf made his way to the bottom rope.
EVIL continues to apply pressure with hard strikes, but Wolf counters with an Olympic slam and a big splash. Just when it looked like the match was won, House of Torture pulled the referee out of the ring. Eliminated YOH, Master Wato, and Toru Yano who rushed to Wolf’s aid.
Don Faret then set up a wooden table and drove Wolf onto it with a big splash. Wolf kicks out EVIL’s follow-up lariat. Wolfe wrapped his legs around EVIL’s neck and continued a brutal arm-stretching submission hold until EVIL went limp.
Winner: Aaron Wolfe — NEW NEVER Openweight Champion‘
Mr Charlton announced the number of people in attendance at 46,913. A video package then played, setting the stage for the second double championship match of the night.
Winner wins all IWGP World Heavyweight & IWGP Global Championship matches: Yota Tsuji (Global) vs. Konosuke Takeshita (World)
The match started with a gentle exchange of headlocks with both men feeling each other out. After a momentary pause, Tsuji painted Takeshita’s face with a paintbrush, followed by a sharp hurricanrana that sent the champion reeling. Takeshita slowed his pace, stepped outside the ring, and readied himself.
Back inside the arena, the sound of Takeshita’s brutal chop echoed through the arena, making the crowd wince as he slammed Tsuji in the chest. Tsuji fights back with a double knee gut buster, but Takeshita responds with a vertical suplex. Immediately after, Tsuji was hit head-first on the apron with a DDT. When he returned to the ring, he applied a sleeper hold and remained calm after the rope break. Furthermore, Takeshita launched Tsuji out of the arena with a Frankensteiner.
Tsuji turned the tide with a counter power drive, backbreaker and stomp, followed by a stunning Fosbury flop that electrified the crowd. Using that energy as fuel, Tsuji supported Tokyo.
Takeshita hit a power drive followed by his version of the Gene Blaster. However, Tsuji dodges a forearm and Takeshita hits a low blow elbow. Moments later, the Canadian destroyer left Takeshita stunned on the mat. Even after receiving a suplex from the champion, Tsuji unleashes his own Gene Blaster. He survived Takeshita’s knee kick, Blue Thunder Bomb, and Raging Fire before nearly ending the match with the Guerrero Special, all broken only by a desperate rope break.
Takeshita got his moment of hope with a poison rana and a top-rope Blue Thunder Bomb that set Tokyo on fire, but another power drive couldn’t seal the victory. Tsuji broke the next chain with a merciless headbutt. When Takeshita aimed for the final power drive, Tsuji blocked Takeshita with the final Gene Blaster.
Tsuji, who was locked in a deep Boston Crab, lowered his hold more and more, leaving Takeshita with nowhere to go. The IWGP World Heavyweight Champion finally tapped out.
Winner: Yota Tsuji — New IWGP World Heavyweight & IWGP Global Champion
After the match, Tsuji congratulated Takeshita on winning both titles and expressed his respect by shaking hands with Takeshita. As he proudly addressed the crowd, Jake Lee attacked him from behind, threw the World Heavyweight Title into his lap and walked away.
Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
Charlton pointed out that Tanahashi holds a 2-1 record against Okada at the Tokyo Dome, with Okada winning his last fight at the Dome 10 years ago. When the bell rang, the crowd was full of energy. Okada took control from the beginning and targeted Tanahashi on the floor.
Tanahashi jumped off the top rope, hit a crossbody on Okada at ringside, and slid into the ring first. As Okada assembled, Tanahashi caught him with a Dragon Screw over the ropes.
Tanahashi charged forward, but Okada caught him in the air and dropped him face-first onto the mat. Okada then hits a knee neckbreaker and hits Tanahashi with a top rope elbow drop. He teased the rainmaker pose, but turned the camera off instead. Tanahashi responded with three twist and shout neckbreakers, but when he ran to the ropes, Okada scooped him up and hit him with a spectacular Tombstone Piledriver. He kicked Tanahashi out of the ring and chased him.
Okada hits another tombstone on the entrance ramp and Tanahashi falls flat. Back in the ring, Red Shoes started the count. Tanahashi scored a last-minute goal at 7:00 p.m. Okada hit another tombstone and the match appeared to be won, but he pulled Tanahashi up with a smile at two. Next, a lariat, he grabs Tanahashi’s wrist as he stands up and drops him with a lariat.
Tanahashi ducks the next lariat and hits one of his own. Okada countered with a Rainmaker, but Tanahashi surprised the crowd by kicking out at two. Stewart said it would take multiple hours. Okada transitions into a Boston Crab and targets Tanahashi’s lower back. Tanahashi tries to relax but falls down. With the last of his strength, he crab-walked toward the ropes to force a break.
Okada slams Tanahashi into the ropes and hits a dropkick. He goes for the Rainmaker, but Tanahashi ducks and connects with the Sling Blade. He followed with a sleeper hold, but Okada got up, sat down and escaped. Tanahashi released the hold and fired a PK, but the announcer called it a comeback. After that, he landed a knee strike on Bomaye and soared with a high fly flow, nearly resulting in a near fall.
Tanahashi continues to apply pressure and lands a full nelson. Okada slips out and goes for the Rainmaker, but Tanahashi counters with a sling blade. He then bridged with a suplex and got another strong nearfall. Tanahashi climbs onto the ropes again and hits a high fly flow onto Okada’s back. He rolled him over and went for another attack, but this time Okada took a knee.
Both men ended up on their knees and traded rolling elbows. They continued to shake as they stood up. Okada hits a series of elbows, but Tanahashi hits back. Running to the ropes, Okada sealed him with another picture-perfect dropkick.
Okada regained control and hit a rainmaker, covering Tanahashi for a near fall and Tanahashi barely kicking out. Tanahashi uses Okada’s body to pull himself up, and Okada follows up with a body slam and a top rope elbow drop. As the hard camera rolled back, Okada struck a rainmaker pose and performed the final rainmaker, securing the three count.
Winner: Kazuchika Okada
After the match, Tanahashi remained on his back, looked up at Okada, said something, and smiled. Okada took the microphone and Charlton translated for the audience. Okada: “Let me tell you one thing.” “Thank you.” He lowered his head as Tanahashi started to get emotional. Okada exited the ring, celebrated with Gedo, and left Tokyo Dome with his victory in hand. Fans roared as Tanahashi fell face down. He slowly stood up with tears streaming down his face.
White appeared in a suit. Charlton said Whyte would not pass up the chance to rub another defeat in Tanahashi’s face. Tanahashi gritted his teeth as White came down the ramp and into the ring. White handed Tanahashi a bouquet of flowers, bowed, and hugged him. Tanahashi cried. They took pictures, shook hands, and White left the ring.
Then Will Ospreay’s music became a hit. He appeared in a suit with a smile and handed Tanahashi flowers. They hugged, took pictures and shook hands, and Ospreay bowed before leaving.
Kenny Omega then appeared wearing a suit. Kota Ibushi also limped after him. Still recovering from a broken femur, he struggled to get into the ring. Omega gave Tanahashi flowers and bowed, and Ibushi did the same. Ibushi and Tanahashi shared a long, emotional hug. Omega and Ibushi took a photo together.
Katsuyori Shibata’s song played, and Tanahashi burst into tears again. Ibushi came back with his ears covered and an ops shirt on. Shibata handed Tanahashi flowers, said a few words, and took off his shirt. The two exchanged a few light chops before hugging each other. We both got emotional. Shibata raised Tanahashi’s arm, hugged him again, and left.
Keiji Muto then stood at ringside and went up to the ring to present a bouquet of flowers. The commentary team joked that they saved the walk because of the time limit. They posed for photos.
Then, Tatsuji Fujinami stood up, entered the ring, and presented him with a bouquet of flowers. Tanahashi also shared the moment. Muto, Fujinami, Omega, Ibushi, White, and Ospreay took a group photo. Muto took a selfie with Tanahashi, and then with Tanahashi and Fujinami. Everyone said goodbye. Ibushi needed support to exit the ring.
Tetsuya Naito’s songs received a great response. When he didn’t show up right away, Tanahashi playfully pointed to his wrist. BUSHI won the GHC Tag Team Championship, and Naito also appeared wearing the “Los Tranquillos de Japon” armband. He walked towards the ring slowly, expressionless. Bushi sprayed the flowers and handed them to Tanahashi. Naito entered and turned away, pumping his fist.
The microphone was handed to Naito. He spoke in Japanese and Charlton translated. I thanked Tanahashi for giving me the chance. Naito raises his fist in the LFI pose. Tanahashi hesitated, but smiled and joined in. Naito finally smiled. As Tanahashi was about to take a bow, Naito spat in the air. Tanahashi pretended to be hit in the eye and Naito was ejected.
Tanahashi then told his fans that he loved them. He had someone throw an invisible guitar from under the ring. Rock music was playing and he played his specialty, air guitar. Fans also clapped along with them. When he stopped, the crowd yelled for more, and he gave them an encore, then threw a “guitar” into the crowd. It was thrown back and he played one last time. Tanahashi greeted every fan he could, as he had always done at the final stop of his run.
