NJPW Wrestle Dynasty for January 5, 2025 Preview: Confirmed Matches, Start Time and How to Watch

The 2025 NJPW Wrestle Dynasty event is a big part of the year’s wrestling schedule and it’s taking place just a day after the successful Wrestle Kingdom 19 show. Many wrestling companies will take part in this huge event, and fans can expect a lot of exciting action throughout the event.

Shota Umino vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Shota Umino will be facing off against Claudio Castagnoli, representing Jon Moxley’s Death Riders. Umino was unable to defeat Zack Sabre Jr. at Wrestle Kingdom 19, so he is looking to gain some momentum with a win over the Swiss Superman, so we’ll have to see if he will be able to accomplish that in the end.

David Finlay vs. Brody King

David Finlay, leading the War Dogs, will be squaring off against The House of Black’s Brody King in singles competition. Since Finlay lost the IWGP Global Heavyweight Title to Yota Tsuji at Wrestle Kingdom 19, his match against King will just be a regular singles match but fans can look forward to some solid action in the bout.

IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship: Yota Tsuji (c) vs. Jack Perry

Yota Tsuji continues his meteoric rise by facing the enigmatic Jack Perry, who has transformed into the “Scapegoat” under the influence of HOUSE OF TORTURE. Since Tsuji won the IWGP Global Heavyweight Title at Wrestle Kingdom 19, he will now defend his newly won title against Jack Perry at Wrestle Dynasty, so it’ll be interesting to see who wins in this highly anticipated bout.

AEW International Championship & NEVER Openweight Championship: Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii

The NEVER Openweight Championship and AEW International Championship will be contested between Tomohiro Ishii and Konosuke Takeshita. Takeshita beat Shingo Takagi at Wrestle Kingdom 19 to win the NEVER Openweight Championship, so he will be defending both the titles against Ishii in what’s expected to be a solid match.

IWGP Tag Team Championships: Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb vs. The Young Bucks vs. Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi

The IWGP Tag Team Championships are on the line in a match that pits the highly decorated Young Bucks against Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb as well as Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi. It was initially supposed to be the Bucks against O-Khan’s team but after Wrestle Kingdom 19, he proposed Naito and Takahashi join in as well, thus making it a three-way match.

NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship & RPW Undisputed British Women’s Championship: Mercedes Moné vs. Mina Shirakawa

Mercedes Moné looks to defend her NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship against Mina Shirakawa, the RPW Undisputed Women’s Champion as both titles are on the line in this highly anticipated match at Wrestle Dynasty. It could really go either way so fans are excited to see who will walk out with both titles.

ROH Tag Team Championships: Sammy Guevara & Dustin Rhodes (c) vs. HOUSE OF TORTURE (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & SHO)

Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes defend their titles in Japan for the first time in six years against the HOUSE OF TORTURE’s Yoshinobu Kanemaru & SHO. Fans can expect to see some old-school action in this bout as Guevara and Rhodes are determined to retain their titles.

International Women’s Cup: Persephone vs. Athena vs. Willow Nightingale vs. Momo Watanabe

Four competitors from around the world battle for a future title shot in this high-stakes kickoff match as Persephone, Athena, Willow Nightingale and Momo Watanabe are all determined to win no matter what. With representatives from CMLL, ROH, AEW, and STARDOM, it’s anyone’s game.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata

At Wrestle Kingdom 19, Katsuyori Shibata made his shocking return and helped save Tanahashi from EVIL’s attack. Afterwards, it was confirmed Shibata and The Ace of NJPW would square off against each other at Wrestle Dynasty and and couldn’t be more excited for the match.

Lucha Gauntlet Match

The Lucha Gauntlet match will feature competitors from NJPW and CMLL in a fast-paced battle where entrants join at one-minute intervals. The first pinfall or submission wins, making this an unpredictable and entertaining match.

Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd

Kenny Omega returns to the ring after a year away, facing off Gabe Kidd in a grudge match. Omega will even debut a new entrance theme during the show, so it’ll be interesting to see whether The Best Bout Machine can topple the arrogant Gabe Kidd once and for all.

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Ricochet

In a match seven years in the making, Zack Sabre Jr. defends his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Ricochet, rekindling a rivalry that has spanned the globe. Ricochet is now a full-blown heel and determined to do whatever it takes to win while Sabre Jr. wants to keep his title reign alive, especially after a gruelling 40+ minute bout against Shota Umino at Wrestle Kingdom 19. Therefore, we’ll have to see who will prevail at Wrestle Dynasty.

NJPW Wrestle Dynasty Final Card:

• IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Ricochet
• NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship & RPW Undisputed British Women’s Championship: Mercedes Moné vs. Mina Shirakawa
• IWGP Tag Team Championships: Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb vs. The Young Bucks vs. Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi
• AEW International Championship & NEVER Openweight Championship: Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii
• IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship: Yota Tsuji (c) vs. Jack Perry
• Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd
• Shota Umino vs. Claudio Castagnoli
• David Finlay vs. Brody King
• Lucha Gauntlet Match
• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata
• ROH Tag Team Championships: Sammy Guevara & Dustin Rhodes (c) vs. HOUSE OF TORTURE (Kanemaru & SHO) (Kickoff show)
• International Women’s Cup: Persephone vs. Athena vs. Willow Nightingale vs. Momo Watanabe (Kickoff show)

Final Thoughts on NJPW Wrestle Dynasty

NJPW Wrestle Dynasty promises to be a show worth watching, especially thanks to matches such as Zack Sabre Jr. vs Ricochet, Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd and many other matches. Be sure to tune in live and follow along with Ringside News for full play-by-play coverage of the event over in our NJPW Wrestle Dynasty coverage hub.

Where to Watch NJPW Wrestle Dynasty

NJPW Wrestle Dynasty will air live at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4th. The kickoff show will begin at 10 PM ET (12 PM JST on January 5th), while the main show starts at 11 PM ET (1 PM JST on January 5th). Fans can watch the show on NJPW World and it will also air on PPV on Triller tv.