New Double Title Match Added To NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18

NJPW's annual World Tag League tournament has come to an end and, for the first time in tournament history, it was won by the reigning IWGP Tag Team Champions YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto — best known as Bishamon. The duo defeated NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champions El Phantasmo and Hikuleo to win the tournament, making the teams 1-1 throughout the tournament.

As a result, NJPW announced at a press conference on Monday that the IWGP Tag Team Champions will face the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champions in a rubber match for both titles at Wrestle Kingdom 18. The two tag titles have often been linked as of late. Bishamon earned the STRONG Openweight Tag Titles on the same night that they began their current reign as IWGP Tag Team Champions, winning a three-way tag match at NJPW Dominion after former double tag team champions Aussie Open were forced to relinquish their titles due to an injury.

This marks the third year in a row that Bishamon have won the World Tag League, making them the most decorated tandem in World Tag League history. While they are no strangers to tag title action in the Tokyo Dome, having won the titles at the last two Wrestle Kingdoms, this will be the first time they will enter the Tokyo Dome as reigning champions. 

Wrestle Kingdom 18 will take place on January 4 in the Tokyo Dome. It will be headlined by IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA defending his title against Tetsuya Naito, in addition to the launch of the IWGP Global Championship.