This is our Wrestle Kingdom 18 live coverage. We'll be back once the main card starts.
You can watch Speaking of Strong Style's preview show below.
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In the pre-show Ranbo, Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens, Toru Yano, and The Great O-Khan were the final four and meet tomorrow at NY Dash to challenge for the KOPW 2024 title.
Catch 2/2 (TJP and Francesco Akira) Vs. Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney)
TJP came out in his new character which is a Filipino mythical character.
Moloney has an absolutely fantastic tan. He also started bleeding from the mouth early so these guys are hitting hard. TJP is doing everything with the scary mask.
Akira and TJP had Moloney in the middle of the ring and did running knees from opposite corners to win the match. It was a fun opener, but nothing that people are going to talk about tomorrow.
Winner: TJP and Francesco Akira
Catch 2/2 are the new junior tag champions.
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Tanahashi started off quickly to go with the beat the clock theme. He hit a high cross early and then went for the High Fly Flow but ZSJ got his knees up. Tanahashi tried to put him in a Texas Clover Leaf and he turned it into a triangle. He transitioned into a few leg submissions and arm bar attempts before Tanahashi got to the ropes.
Tanahashi went move for move with him. ZSJ kicked Tahanashi right in the chest. Then they traded rollups and pinfall attempts before Tanahashi caught him in a cradle to win it. He's the new TV champ.
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi
Yuya Uemura Vs. Yota Tsuji
Tsuji had Uemura in the electric chair position and fell to his back. Tsuji stomped him a bit and screamed at him which fired Uemura up. Uemura did his Ricky Steamboat impersonation with arm drags and a drop kick.
He threw Tsuji into the corner and flew in with a chop with both hands before hitting a bulldog for a two count. They were on the top rope together in what looked to be a Spanish Fly position. Uemura pushed him backward and he did a full flip. Uemura jumped off the top rope and ate a super kick.
Uemura gave him a dragon suplex for a two count and then pinned him with an overhead bridging suplex. It looked fantastic.
Winner: Yuya Uemura
Shota Umino and Kaito Kiyomiya vs. House of Torture (Evil and Ren Narita)
Early action saw House of Torture beat up on Kiyomiya until he made the hot tag to Umino who was a house on fire. Umino and Narita were in the ring together until House of Torture bullshit happened. Dick Togo grabbed the referee so that Narita could hit Umino with a push up bar to win the match.
Winner: House of Torture
Tama Tonga Vs. Shingo Takagi
Great action early on as Tama got the upper hand and hit a Stinger Splash in the corner. Shingo caught him with a stiff jab and then a flip over the front rope and to the floor.
Tama went to the top rope and set it up like he was Randy Savage, but got caught and Shingo hit a superplex. Tama went for the gun stun but it was countered. Shingo hit a powerbomb for a two count. He counted the Made In Japan into the gun stun. Tama hit the Bloody Sunday and Shingo kicked out at one.
Tama set him up for the gun stun and Shingo got one in himself. Then he hit the Made in Japan for a two count. Tama hit a Styles Clash and then a gun stun for a two count. He then hit the DSD to win the match and the NEVER Openweight title.
Winner: Tama Tonga
The former Dolph Ziggler, Nick Nemeth came out with his brother Ryan to sit ringside during the tag team title match.
Guerrillas of Destiny (Hikuleo and El Phantasmo) Vs. Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi)
This match is titles for titles. ELP and Hikuleo have a little Shawn Michaels and Diesel in them. They set up a Superkick and choke slam on Yoshi-Hashi in the middle, but ELP accidentally kicked his partner. Bishamon hit the GYR/Shoto on ELP, but Hikuleo broke it up.
ELP hit a flying move over Hikuleo for a two count. Then Hikuleo did a frog splash off the top rope on Goto to win the match.
Winner: Guerrillas of Destiny (Hikuleo and El Phantasmo)
El Desperado Vs. Hiromu Takahashi
Deperado jump started the match by doing a dive over the top as Hiromu was on his way to the ring. Hiromu has a bad wheel and Desperado is targeting it.
Desperado did a sit out powerbomb from the top rope. Because of his bad wheel, Hiromu couldn't get Desperado up and Desperado hit the Pinche Loco for a two count. Desperado hit it again after hitting a piledriver and beat him.
Winner: El Desperado
David Finlay Vs. Jon Moxley Vs. Will Ospreay
Ospreay and Moxley worked together early to double team on Finlay. Ospreay grabbed Moxley to pull him away so he could attack Finlay. They took it outside of the ring. They eventually put Finlay through a table on the outside so they could face off.
They went toe-to-toe before Moxley gave him a German Suplex. Moxley also no-sold two of Will's moves. Finlay woke back up. Gedo gave him the shillelagh on the apron and he used it on Ospreay. Moxley was busted open. Moxley did a dive through the ropes on Finlay. Ospreay did a moonsault from the top rope to the outside on both Finlay and Mox. Mox hit the Death Rider on Ospreay for a two count. Moxley went to the Bulldog Choke. Finlay tried to help Ospreay get Moxley over on a sunset flip, but Moxley hit a piledriver on Finlay right on Ospreay's chest.
Moxley threw chairs in the ring. He hit each with one. He set up chairs with the backs against each other and went to drop Finlay on them, but Finlay dropped him instead. Moxley hit a Death Rider on Ospreay but Ospreay popped up and hit the Hidden Blade. Finlay tried to steal the pin on Moxley and got a two.
The War Dogs interfered right as Ospreay set up Finlay for the Hidden Blade. They set up both War Dogs on two tables on the outside and Ospreay did a senton from the top. Alex Coughlin was half through the table.
Ospreay hit two Hidden Blades on Moxley. Finlay then hit the Oblivion to beat Ospreay.
Winner: David Finlay
After the match, he and FKA Dolph Ziggler Nick Nemeth got into a short brawl.
Kazuchika Okada Vs. Bryan Danielson
Early in the match, Okada kicked Danielson in the face and Danielson yelled about his eye. Okada gave him a DDT on the floor. Okada went to do his running dive, but Danielson countered with a flying knee. He then banged Okada's arm in the gate. Danielson worked on the arm with submissions. It's the Rainmaker arm.
Danielson gave him a suplex from the top rope and then put him in the LaBelle Lock, but Okada got to the bottom rope. They were out on the apron and Okada gave him a Tombstone Piledriver. Okada started to work his eye. He threw multiple kicks to the eye and then took off the eye patch. Okada nailed him with a drop kick.
Okada hit the elbow drop from the top rope but favored his arm. Danielson countered with a crucifix pin and then kicked the arm and then Okada's face. Danielson hit him with the seated elbows. Okada fought them and powered him into a Tombstone attempt, but Danielson get out of it and hit him with his running knee. He put him back into the LaBell Lock. He used his leg for leverage but Okada fought it and found the ropes. Danielson was in full control until Okada hit a Hail Mary Rainmaker with the bad arm.
Okada finally hit the Rainmaker to put Danielson away.
Winner: Kazuchika Okada
Tetsuya Naito Vs. SANADA
Biggest move of the match early on was Naito sitting SANADA on the top of the barricade and then dropping him on the back of his head and to the floor. SANADA took an 18 count on the floor.
SANADA hit a poison rana and then a Shining Wizard. He went for the moonsault but Naito got his knees up. Naito hit a Destino, but SANADA blocked the second one. SANADA hit a moonsault to Naito's back and then turned him over and did it again for a two count.
Naito hit another Destino. And then another, but it wasn't very clean. He only got a two account. SANADA hit the Deadfall. SANADA hit a Destino of his own, but couldn't follow up. He got a pin with a bridge for a nearfall. Then he hit the Shining Wizard. He set up the Deadfall, but Naito turned it into his own. He hit a brainbuster. He then hit the Destino to win the match.
Winner: Tetsuya Naito
