First matches in Korakuen Hall for 2023
January 24 will see the first matches of 2023 in Korakuen Hall. With fresh combinations created in the fallout from Wrestle Kingdom 17, the energy is sure to be high in the hallowed Hall as we get on the road to big events in Sapporo and Osaka.
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Main event: Shota Umino, Toru Yano & kazuchika Okada vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & SANADA)
An all star six man tag main event will see Los Ingobernables De Japon tangle with Toru Yano, Shota Umino and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada. Umino and Tetsuya Naito are preparing for a main event clash on February 4 in Sapporo, while Shingo Takagi, should he retain his KOPW 2023 belt in Nagoya on January 22, will be facing Kazuchika Okada February 11 in Osaka. Umino will continue to try and ‘open the eyes’ of Tetsuya Naito to the Shooter, while Shingo wants Okada to sit up and take notice of the Dragon a year removed from the Rainmaker’s victory over Takagi for the world heavyweight gold on January 4 2022.
7th Match: United Empire (TJP & Will Ospreay) vs Just Two Guys (Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
In the wake of an emotionally devastating loss to Kenny omega in the Tokyo Dome, Will Ospreay had a lot of pent up frustration to take out on the nearest target- a target who turned out to be Taichi at new Year dash. A vicious brawl would see a match made between the Commonwealth Kingpin and the Holy Emperor in Taichi’s home town of Sapporo Feberuary 4. With the night also seeing Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI challenging TJP and Francesco Akira for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag team Championships, this will be a double preview in the Hall.
6th Match: YOH & Ryusuke Taguchi vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi)
A championship preview of February 5 in Sapporo sees YOH face Hiromu Takahashi. Less than three weeks before this Korakuen tag battle, YOH caught and pinned Hiromu to claim his place as Takahashi’s first challenger in his fifth championship reign. Now a new man since his previous championship challenge way back in 2021, YOH could stand to end the Time Bomb’s run before it even gets started. He’ll look to make another statement tonight as Hiromu seeks to fire back.
5th Match: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs BULLET CLUB (El Phantasmo & KENTA)
With seven singles matches over three and a half years, Hiroshi Tanahashi has been the most persistent rival for KENTA in his NJPW career. Their feud has spanned everything from more classical fare to an all out streetfight that put KENTA on the injured list for a broad swathe of 2022. Yet KENTA is still far from done with the Ace, a fact established with a belt shot with the NEVER Openweight Championship at New Year Dash that led to a singles meeting made at New Beginning in Osaka.
That same NEVER title was what El Phantasmo used in Ota to waffle current holder Tama Tonga, an action that set up a title bout on February 11. With ELP seeking his first singles championship in NJPW, he’ll be looking to show just how much of a threat he is in Korakuen tonight.
4th Match: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Oskar Leube vs TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Kosei Fujita)
With Zack Sabre Jr. as its frontman and Kosei Fujita its official Young Lion, the TMDK quartet form for the first time in Nagoya on January 22. Two days later, they’ll pit themselves against Sabre’s February 5 NJPW World TV title challenger in Tomohiro Ishii, IWGP Tag Team Champions Bishamon, and Noge’s Oskar Leube. Tensions will continue to build ahead of Sapporo, while Fujita will be working to establish himself in his new environment.
3rd Match: United Empire (Francesco Akira & Aaron Henare) vs Just Two Guys (TAKA Michinoku & DOUKI)
New Year Dash saw DOUKI earn he and Yoshinobu Kanemaru an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship opportunity with an expertly applied Jorge Rivera Special to Francesco Akira. That made two wins for DOUKI over Catch 2/2, and Akira in particular in as many months. Can he continue to assert superiority in Korakuen?
2nd Match: Jado & Master Wato vs BULLET CLUB (Gedo & Taiji Ishimori)
After Master Wato defeated Taiji Ishimori back in October in Ryogoku, he earned his way into the four way IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom, a match he almost won. With both scheduled to meet February 11 in a special singles bout in Osaka, it’s quite possible another win could give Wato a one on one shot against either Hiromu Takahashi or YOH over the junior heavyweight gold. Can he set himself up for greatness tonight in Korakuen?
1st Match: Ryohei Oiwa vs Great-O-Khan
Singles record: 2-0 O-Khan
Singles action will kick off the night as Ryohei Oiwa gets his third try at Great-O-Khan. The Young Lion fell in defeat to the Dominator twice before, but went from a speedy 5:27 loss last February to lasting 8:37 in December, showing his growth in the ring. Will he be able to fight harder still against an O-Khan who could very well be the new KOPW 2023 holder and number one contender to the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship by the time Korakuen rolls around?
