Following their just-for-fun tour with Mexican promotion CMLL, which wrapped up this weekend, New Japan Pro Wrestling is gearing up for their first major tour of 2017 coming off an incredible Wrestle Kingdom 11 event, and a New Year Dash show that completely shook up the roster.
The Road to the New Beginning kicks off at Korakuen Hall this Friday with a live event streamed on New Japan World, followed by a house show tour that will conclude with two major events – New Beginning in Sapporo (2/5) and New Beginning in Osaka (2/11). The biggest news, which had been speculated on but until now never confirmed, is that Kenny Omega is nowhere to be seen on either of the major cards. In fact, there will be no Bullet Club presence of any kind, on any show of the tour.
Instead, the primary focus for the next few weeks will be the return of Suzuki-Gun, the main event title match between Okada and Minoru Suzuki, Michael Elgin’s return and his title match with Naito, and the juniors title match between Takahashi and Dragon Lee. It’s important to point out that Bullet Club being off the tour doesn’t necessarily mean anything. In fact, the idea that NONE of the Bullet Club guys – who are all under contract and are major draws for the company (although it’s still not clear what Omega’s contract status is) – lends itself to the speculation that we will see a major return for the faction at one of the big shows.
The New Beginning in Sapporo
February 5, 2017
Kushida & Hirai Kawato vs. El Desperado & Kanemura
Yuji Nagata, Satoshi Kojima & Tenzan vs. Henare, David Finlay & Yoshitatsu
Tiger Mask, Jushin Thunder Liger & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Gedo, Jado & Will Ospreay
Yoshi-Hashi (Chaos) vs. Takashi Iizuka (Suzuki-Gun)
Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, Evil, Sanada & Hiromu Takahashi (Los Ingobernables de Japon) vs. Dragon Lee, Ryusuke Taguchi, Nakanishi, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Michael Elgin
IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship
Roppongi Vice (c) vs. Taichi & Taka Michinoku (Suzuki-Gun)
NEVER Openweight Championship
Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Juice Robinson
IWGP Tag Team Championship
Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano (c) vs. Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe vs. Killer Elite Squad (Suzuki-Gun)
IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Minoru Suzuki
The New Beginning in Osaka
February 11, 2017
Hirai Kawato & Yoshitatsu vs. Henare & David Finlay
Kushida, Satoshi Kojima & Tenzan vs. El Desperado, Kanemaru & Takashi Iizuka
Tiger Mask, Jushin Thunder Liger, Juice Robinson & Yuji Nagata vs. Gedo, Jado, Yoshi-Hashi & Hirooki Goto (Chaos)
Roppongi Vice & Kazuchika Okada (Chaos) vs. Taka Michinoku, Taichi & Minoru Suzuki (Suzuki-Gun)
NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Championship
Tanahashi, Nakanishi & Taguchi (c) vs. Sanada, Evil & Bushi (LIJ)
British Heavyweight Championship
Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs. Will Ospreay
IWGP Tag Team Championship
Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano (c) vs. Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe vs. Killer Elite Squad (Suzuki-Gun)
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship
Himoru Takahashi (c) vs. Dragon Lee
IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Michael Elgin