Source: NJPWGlobal

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16: Night 1 Results- Takagi vs. Okada, New Champions Crowned (1/4)

SECOND MATCH: Bullet Club (KENTA, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi

Romero and ELP start the match with a fluid and swift exchange of grappling and pin attempts. Romero hits a big Frankensteiner and tags in Taguchi. Taguchi rocks ELP with a sliding attack for a nearfall.

Ishimori tags in and outmaneuvers Taguchi, only to eat a Hip Attack. KENTA tries to interfere but Romero chases him off. Romero & Taguchi hit tandem hip attacks on ELP & Ishimori. Tanahashi sends KENTA into Taguchi’s waiting ass. KENTA and Tanahashi brawl to the outside.

ELP tags in and helps Ishimori take back control in the ring. They stand on Taguchi’s crotch. Ishimori tags in and gets his shots in on Taguchi. KENTA tags in and humiliates Taguchi, kicking and grinding his foot into him while he’s down. KENTA tries to block a hip attack but ends up eating one anyway. Tanahashi tags in and clears the apron.

Dragon Screws for everyone in Bullet Club. Tanahashi kicks out of a rollup, but the referee is taken out in the process. KENTA whacks Tanahashi with a Kendo Stick over and over. ELP & Ishimori hold Tanahashi up for a final blow, but Romero and Taguchi make the save. Stereo planchas take out ELP & Ishimori. Tanahashi attacks KENTA with the Kendo Stick for the disqualification in 8:39.

WINNERS: Bullet Club

After the match, Romero and Taguchi had to restrain Tanahashi.

THIRD MATCH: United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI)

United Empire rushes all three members of LIJ before the bell and begin to dismantle them on the outside. Cobb brings Naito into the ring, where Naito eventually mounts a comeback. Naito uses strategic strikes to undermine Cobb’s size advantage. Cobb prevents a tag but all of LIJ run in to hit him with a triple team move. SANADA tags in. O-Khan tags in.

SANADA knocks O-Khan around and traps him in Paradise Lock. SANADA follows up with a sliding dropkick that sends O-Khan to the outside. O-Khan dodges a plancha. O-Khan feigns a plancha but backs out. SANADA gets back in the ring, where O-Khan goes on the offensive.

O-Khan attempts a number of creative pinfalls, then settles for a Head & Arm Lock. O-Khan releases the hold and pummels SANADA. SANADA comes back with a springboard dropkick. BUSHI tags in and gets a nearfall off a DDT. Ospreay tags in.

Ospreay hits a big springboard forearm. Naito breaks up a Stormbreaker attempt. Cobb hits Naito with Suplex. SANADA hits Cobb with a dropkick. O-Khan and SANADA trade blows. BUSHI takes out O-Khan. BUSH counters Stormbreaker. Ospreay hits BUSHI with a folding Powerbomb for a pinfall attempt. Ospreay hits Hidden Blade for the pinfall in 9:27.

WINNERS: United Empire

FOURTH MATCH: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Ren Narita

Shibata announced this match would be under normal rules. The match started with them exchanging testing kicks. Then came a flurry of grappling. Shibata eventually locked in a Figure Four Leglock. Narita fought to the ropes.

Narita fired back with some stiff attacks, trampling Shibata in the corner. Shibata comes back with stiff kicks in the corner, followed by a shotgun dropkick. Shibata gets a nearfall and transitions to a Cross Armbreaker. Narita counters with a Narita Special. Narita transitions from that into an Ankle Lock. Shibata fights to the ropes.

Narita continues to attack the leg. Shibata comes back with a running knee to the gut. Shibata kicks Narita out of the ring. Shibata chokes Narita on the apron. Shibata counters an Overhead Suplex. Narita headbutts Shibata in the neck. Shibata counters with a Cobra Twist. Shibata hits a Backdrop Suplex. Shibata hits a ripcord chop to the chest. Narita struggles to his feet. Shibata hits a lariat for a nearfall.

Narita attacks the leg. Narita kicks away at Shibata. Shibata covers up. Shibata wings Narita in the knee. Shibata smacks Narita square in the jaw and hits a Penalty Kick for the pinfall in 11:47.

WINNER: Katsuyori Shibata

NEXT PAGE: Results continued…

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