Full Card For NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 Announced

For fans of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, it's the most wonderful time of the year, Wrestle Kingdom season. While several title matches have already been announced, NJPW fleshed out the card for the 18th edition of Wrestle Kingdom, set to take place on January 4, 2024 in the Tokyo Dome.

Added to the show, NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi will defend his title against Tama Tonga, after winning the title from Tonga at Fighting Spirit Unleashed in Las Vegas. As it stands, both men are three-time NEVER Openweight Champions, with Tonga hoping to break into the upper echelon of NEVER Openweight Champions. Also set for Wrestle Kingdom 18, a clash between Los Ingobernables de Japon's Yota Tsuji and Just 5 Guys' Yuya Uemura. Tsuji's return from excursion has been one for the record books, with an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match already under his belt, while the January 4th match will mark Uemura's first singles match since returning from excursion. Both men had a heated rivalry during their days as Young Lions. Plus, House of Torture's Ren Narita and EVIL will face Shota Umino and Pro Wrestling NOAH's Kaito Kiyomiya in tag action, and the New Japan Ranbo returns.

The matches join the main event contest between IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA and G1 Climax Winner Tetsuya Naito, plus a special singles match between Kazuchika Okada and AEW's Bryan Danielson, as well as the debut of the IWGP Global Championship.

Here is the full card for Wrestle Kingdom 18, set to air on NJPWWorld on January 4:

-IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match: SANADA (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito

-Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada

-IWGP Global Championship Match: Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley vs. David Finlay

-IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match: Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. El Desperado

-IWGP Tag Team & NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Double Championship Match: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI (IWGP Tag Team) vs. El Phantasmo & Hikuleo (NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team)

-NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Tama Tonga

-Shota Umino & Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Ren Narita & EVIL

-Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura

-Kickoff Match: New Japan Ranbo to determine KOPW 2024 Provisional Champion