NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo 2024 Preview

New Japan returns to Sapporo for Kazuchika Okada’s final farewell

General Information

NJPW heads to Sapporo this weekend for its next two-night event in The New Beginning chronology. The card features fresh title opportunities for new imports Matt Riddle and Nic Nemeth – FKA WWE’s Dolph Ziggler – and Kazuchika Okada’s farewell. Tetsuya Naito will also defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in a Wrestle Kingdom rematch, and the Guerillas of Destiny will meet, well, the Guerillas of Destiny in what is being billed as Tama Tonga’s last match before heading Stateside.

On night one, Nemeth and Riddle will have respective shots at the IWGP Global and NJPW World Television titles against David Finlay and Hiroshi Tanahashi. Both were only brought to the King of Sports in January following their departures from WWE in late 2023.

Night two will see various solo collisions within the wider Los Ingobernables de Japon vs. Just 5 Guys faction war, including a Hair vs. Hair Lucha De Apuestas between Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura and capped off with the IWGP World title bout between Naito and SANADA.

The event will stream via NJPW World at 5 PM JST | 3 AM EST | 9 AM CET on Friday 2/23 and at 2 PM JST | 12 AM EST |6 AM CET on Saturday 2/24.

SATURDAY!

The IWGP World Heavyweight Championship headlines a night with Hair vs Hair for Uemura and Tsuji, and farewells to Okada and Tama Tonga!

Live in English on @njpwworld! SPECIAL FRIDAY PRIME TIME PACIFIC STARThttps://t.co/rA36KEmUcx#njpw #njnbg pic.twitter.com/Q473J1N9u7

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) February 21, 2024

Full Cards for NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo

Night One

Toru Yano & Tomoya vs. Tomoaki Honma & Tomoaki Honma & Shoma Kato
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Yuji Nagata
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji & BUSHI vs. SANADA, TAKA Michinoku, Yuya Uemura, Taichi & DOUKI
Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi vs. Togi Makabe, Ryusuke Taguchi & Boltin Oleg
Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, YOH, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, TJP, Francesco Akira & Callum Newman

IWGP Women’s Championship: Mayu Iwatani (c) vs. Mina Shirakawa
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado (c) vs. SHO
NEVER Openweight Championship: EVIL (c) vs. Shota Umino
NJPW World TV Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Matt Riddle
IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship: David Finlay (c) vs. Nic Nemeth

Night Two

Toru Yano & Tomoya vs. Tomoaki Honma & Katsuya Murashima
EVIL, Ren Narita, SHO, Dick Togo & Yujihiro Takahashi vs. El Desperado, Shota Umino, Togi Makabe, YOH & Boltin Oleg
Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, HENARE, Francesco Akira & Matt Riddle
Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. Hikuleo & El Phantasmo
David Finlay & Gedo vs. Nic Nemeth & Ryusuke Taguchi
BUSHI vs. TAKA Michinoku
Hiromu Takahashi vs. DOUKI
Shingo Takagi vs. Taichi
Hair vs. Hair: Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. SANADA

Mayu Iwatani Sits Down With NJPW and Trashes Mina Shirakawa