NJPW has revealed the Wrestle Kingdom 17 full card and abolished its ban on cheering. Fans will be allowed to chant, repeat catchphrases, have short conversations and boo under new rules released today December 15, 2022.
All together now: RAIIIIINMAAAKKEERRR!!!
The new rules come after the company was forced to ban fans from being vocal as part of measures to control COVID-19. Interational fans will also be able to attend a Wrestle Kingdom show for the first time in three years. Wrestle Kingdom 17 takes place on January, 4 2023 at the Tokyo Dome, Japan.
NJPW President Takami Ohbari said “singing along to a song for more than one chorus would be disallowed”.
Cheering Crowds
“After two and a half years, we now have 100% capacity for non-cheering crowds, and 50% for cheering crowds,” Ohbari said.
“Therefore ‘1,2,3 daa!’, ‘De! Ja! Pon!’ ‘Okada, Okada!’ or counting along with the referee. Calls and responses between wrestlers and fans. All these do not constitute ‘loud voice’ cheering, and are allowed in our new guidelines.”
Ohbari: After heading to Us events in April, I made it a focus to bring cheering back to fans starting in September, with the aim of having vocal crowds in the Tokyo Dome January 4. #njwk17
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) December 15, 2022
Wrestle Kingdom 17 Full Card
Inoki Memorial Match
Wrestle Kingdom 17 will include special memorial tag team match in honor of the late NJPW Founder Antonio Inoki.
Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata and Togi will take on the team of Tiger Mask, Minoru Suzuki and Tatsumi Fujinami.
Fujinami announced the match at the Wrestle Kingdom 17 press conference whilst wearing a tie gifted to him by Inoki’s daughter.
“At any rate this match has a special significance to it, and knowing that this is such an important match puts an added bit of pressure and nerves for me, but I’ll be heading to the ring with Inoki in mind, and that’s how I’ll be going about this match,” Fujinami said.
Full Card
Wrestle Kingdom 17 will see AEW’s Kenny Omega compete for the IWGP United States Championship against Will Ospreay. This will be the double-main event along with the Jay White vs. Kazuchika Okada IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match.
The show will also feature Keiji Muto’s final NJPW match, the IWGP Women’s Championship being defended at Wrestle Kingdom for the first time and much more.
- Kick-Off Match: Boltin Oleg vs. Ryohei Oiwa
- Kick-Off Match: New Japan Ranbo
- Antonio Inoki Memorial Match: Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata &Togi vs. Tiger Mask, Minoru Suzuki & Tatsumi Fujinami
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: “Catch 2/2” Francesco Akira & TJP vs “CHAOS” Lio Rush & YOH
- IWGP Women’s Championship: KAIRI vs Tam Nakano
- IWGP Tag Team Championships: “FTR” Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler vs “Bishamon” Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI
- NJPW World TV Championship: Ren Narita vs Zack Sabre Jr.
- NEVER Openweight Championship: Karl Anderson vs Tama Tonga
- Keiji Muto’s Last NJPW Match: Keiji Muto, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shota Umino vs “Los Ingobernables De Japon” Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Taiji Ishimori vs Hiromu Takahashi vs El Desperado vs Master Wato
- IWGP United States Championship: Will Ospreay vs Kenny Omega
- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Jay White vs Kazuchika Okada
🔥JANUARY 4
🔥TOKYO DOME
🔥WRESTLE KINGDOM 17
🔥DOUBLE MAIN EVENT
Jay White vs Kazuchika Okada
Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay🔥CHEERING CROWDS
🔥LIVE ENGLISH @njpwworld
International Tickets: https://t.co/xs5Qs07CJ3
Full previewhttps://t.co/fV4cYNUoRl#njpw #njwk17 pic.twitter.com/eGGK1Fr1qP
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) December 15, 2022
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can rewatch all 2021 NJPW events and plenty more tremendous wrestling content from New Japan Pro-Wrestling on NJPWWorld.com; The King of Sports Streaming.
