January 4 Dome Show

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The January 4th Tokyo Dome Show, held by New Japan Pro Wrestling, has become an annual event kicking off the new year since 1992. Though the first New Japan event held in the Tokyo Dome was in 1989, the January 4th event has become one of the most anticipated shows on the Japanese wrestling calendar.

[edit] History

Rivaling World Wrestling Entertainment's WrestleMania, the January 4th event features some of New Japan's best matches, sell out crowds and historic moments. The 1998 show featured the retirement of wrestling legend Riki Chōshū as he wrestled five opponents that night and defeated Jushin Liger in his final match. In 2006 former WWE star Brock Lesnar defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Title. However, due to New Japan's recent financial troubles, New Japan said that they will try to limit their usage of the Tokyo Dome to the January 4th show only until further notice.

[edit] Event results

[edit] Starrcade 1992 in Tokyo Dome

Starrcade 1992 in Tokyo Dome
Details
Promotion	New Japan Pro Wrestling
Date	January 4, 1992
Venue	Tokyo Dome
City	Tokyo, Japan
Attendance	60,000

In North America, this was aired on PPV as WCW/New Japan Supershow II.

Black Cat defeated Hiroyoshi Yamamoto (10:28)
- Cat pinned Yamamoto after an avalanche DDT.
Osamu Kido & Kuniaki Kobayashi defeated Kantaro Hoshino & Kengo Kimura (11:54)
- Kido pinned Hoshino with a horizontal cradle.
AKIRA, Masashi Aoyagi & Jushin Liger defeated Norio Honaga, Hiro Saito & Super Strong Machine (15:12)
- AKIRA pinned Saito with a bridging dragon suplex.
Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyszko defeated Shiro Koshinaka & Michiyoshi Ohara (12:32)
- Anderson pinned Ohara after a spinebuster.
Dustin & Dusty Rhodes defeated Kim Duk & Masa Saito
- Dustin pinned Duk after a bulldog.
Tony Halme defeated Scott Norton (8:41)
- Halme pinned Norton after a diving lariat.
Shinya Hashimoto defeated Bill Kazmeier (8:37)
- Hashimoto pinned Kazmeier after a jumping DDT.
Big Van Vader vs. El Gigante ended in a double disqualification (4:49)
Antonio Inoki defeated Hiroshi Hase (10:09)
- Inoki made Hase submit to a manjigatame.
The Great Muta & Sting defeated Rick & Scott Steiner (11:03)
- Sting pinned Scott with a horizontal cradle.
Lex Luger defeated Masahiro Chono to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (15:09)
- Luger pinned Chono after a double punch.
Greatest 18 Champion Riki Chōshū defeated Tatsumi Fujinami to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (12:11)
- Chōshū pinned Fujinami after a lariat.
- Both Fujinami's IWGP Heavyweight title and Chōshū's Greatest 18 title were on the line.

[edit] Fantastic Story in Tokyo Dome

Fantastic Story in Tokyo Dome
Details
Promotion	New Japan Pro Wrestling
Date	January 4, 1993
Venue	Tokyo Dome
City	Tokyo, Japan
Attendance	63,500

In North America, this aired on PPV as WCW/New Japan Supershow III.

Takayuki Iizuka, Akira Nogami & El Samurai defeated Nobukazu Hirai, Koki Kitahara & Masao Orihara (15:11)
- Iizuka pinned Orihara after a powerbomb.
Masashi Aoyagi, The Great Kabuki, Shiro Koshinaka & Akitoshi Saito defeated Tatsutoshi Goto, Norio Honaga, Hiro Saito & Super Strong Machine (14:20)
- Kabuki pinned Honaga after a back drop.
Jushin Liger defeated Ultimo Dragon to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (20:09)
- Liger pinned Dragon after an avalanche Frankensteiner.
Ron Simmons defeated Tony Halme (6:10)
- Simmons pinned Halme after a spinebuster.
Sting defeated Hiroshi Hase (15:31)
- Sting pinned Hase after a diving body press.
Shinya Hashimoto & Masa Saito defeated Scott Norton & Dustin Rhodes (13:57)
- Hashimoto pinned Rhodes after an enzuigiri.
IWGP Heavyweight Champion The Great Muta defeated Masahiro Chono to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (19:48)
- Muta pinned Chono after a moonsault.
IWGP Tag Team Champions The Hell Raisers (Hawk Warrior and Power Warrior) fought the Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) to a double countout (14:38)
Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Takashi Ishikawa (11:41)
- Fujinami made Ishikawa submit to a dragon sleeper.
Genichiro Tenryu defeated Riki Chōshū (18:14)
- Tenryu pinned Chōshū after a powerbomb.

[edit] Battlefield

Battlefield
Details
Promotion	New Japan Pro Wrestling
Date	January 4, 1994
Venue	Tokyo Dome
City	Tokyo, Japan
Attendance	62,000

The Great Kabuki, Kengo Kimura, Kuniaki Kobayashi, Shiro Koshinaka & Michiyoshi Ohara defeated Osamu Kido, Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & El Samurai (12:09)
- Ohara pinned Nagata after a nodowa otoshi.
Takayuki Iizuka & Akira Nogami defeated Masashi Aoyagi & Akitoshi Saito (14:07)
- Nogami pinned Saito with a bridging German suplex.
Brutus Beefcake defeated Black Cat (8:06)
- Beefcake pinned Cat after a jumping knee attack.
Super Strong Machine defeated Tatsutoshi Goto (8:51)
- Machine pinned Goto after a diving headbutt.
Jushin Liger defeated Tiger Mask (14:26)
- Liger pinned Tiger after a shooting star press.
Hawk & Power Warrior defeated Hercules Hernandez & Scott Norton to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship (12:47)
- Power pinned Hercules after an ipponzei.
Rick & Scott Steiner defeated Hiroshi Hase & Keiji Mutoh (20:51)
- Rick pinned Hase after a bulldog.
Hulk Hogan defeated Tatsumi Fujinami (13:33)
- Hogan pinned Fujinami after the Axe Bomber.
Riki Chōshū defeated Yoshiaki Fujiwara (9:04)
- Chōshū pinned Fujiwara after a lariat.
Shinya Hashimoto defeated Masahiro Chono to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (28:00)
- Hashimoto pinned Chono after a jumping DDT.
Genichiro Tenryu defeated Antonio Inoki (15:56)
- Tenryu pinned Inoki after a powerbomb.

[edit] Battle 7

Battle 7
Details
Promotion	New Japan Pro Wrestling
Date	January 4, 1995
Venue	Tokyo Dome
City	Tokyo, Japan
Attendance	62,500

Shinjiro Ohtani defeated El Samurai to retain the UWA Welterweight Championship (15:17)
- Ohtani pinned Samurai with a bridging dragon suplex.
Norio Honaga defeated The Great Sasuke to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (14:39)
- Honaga pinned Sasuke with a la magistral.
The Great Kabuki, Kuniaki Kobayashi & Akitoshi Saito defeated Takayuki Iizuka, Osamu Kido & Akira Nogami (13:12)
- Kabuki pinned Nogami after a lariat.
Koji Kanemoto defeated Yuji Nagata (14:43)
- Kanemoto pinned Nagata after a shooting star press.
Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Manabu Nakanishi (7:40)
- Tenzan pinned Nakanishi after the Mountain Bomb.
- This was Tenzan's return match.
Tiger Jeet Singh & Tiger Jeet Singh, Jr. defeated Shiro Koshinaka & Michiyoshi Ohara (11:23)
- Singh, Sr. made Ohara submit to a cobra clutch.
Sting defeated Tony Palmore in the semifinals of the Final Countdown BVD Tournament (4:29)
- Sting made Palmore submit to the Scorpion Deathlock.
Antonio Inoki defeated Gerard Gordeau in the semifinals of the Final Countdown BVD Tournament (6:37)
- Inoki made Gordeau submit to a sleeper hold.
Riki Chōshū & Yoshiaki Yatsu defeated Tatsutoshi Goto & Kengo Kimura (12:32)
- Chōshū pinned Kimura after a lariat.
Masahiro Chono & Sabu defeated Tatsumi Fujinami & Junji Hirata (11:18)
- Chono pinned Hirata after a Yakuza kick.
Hawk Warrior defeated Scott Norton (7:41)
- Hawk pinned Norton after a diving lariat.
Antonio Inoki defeated Sting in the finals of the Final Countdown BVD Tournament (10:26)
- Inoki made Sting submit to a sleeper hold.
Hiroshi Hase & Keiji Mutoh defeated Rick & Scott Steiner to retain the IWGP Tag Team Championship (25:12)
- Hase pinned Rick with a bridging Northern Lights suplex.
Shinya Hashimoto defeated Kensuke Sasaki to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (19:36)
- Hashimoto pinned Sasaki after a brainbuster.

[edit] Tournament bracket

Semifinals		Finals

Tony Palmore	Sub
Sting	4:29
		Sting	Sub
		Antonio Inoki	10:26
Gerard Gordeau	Sub
Antonio Inoki	6:37

[edit] Wrestling World 1996

Wrestling World 1996
Details
Promotion	New Japan Pro Wrestling
Date	January 4, 1996
Venue	Tokyo Dome
City	Tokyo, Japan
Attendance	64,000

Tokimitsu Ishizawa, Yuji Nagata & Shinjiro Ohtani defeated Hiromitsu Kanehara, Kazushi Sakuraba & Kenichi Yamamoto (10:15)
- Nagata made Yamamoto submit to a jujigatame.
Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Satoshi Kojima (9:24)
- Tenzan pinned Kojima after a diving headbutt.
- This was Kojima's return match.
Jushin Liger defeated Koji Kanemoto to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (18:59)
- Liger pinned Kanemoto after a stardust press.
Shiro Koshinaka defeated Masahiro Chono (9:49)
- Koshinaka pinned Chono with a small package.
Hiromichi Fuyuki defeated Yoji Anjo (6:42)
- Fuyuki pinned Anjo after a lariat.
Kensuke Sasaki defeated Hiroshi Hase (16:36)
- Sasaki pinned Hase after a Northern Lights bomb.
Antonio Inoki defeated Big Van Vader (14:16)
- Inoki made Vader submit to a jujigatame.
Riki Chōshū defeated Masahito Kakihara (5:46)
- Chōshū made Kakihara submit to the Scorpion Deathlock.
Shinya Hashimoto defeated Kazuo Yamazaki (9:18)
- Hashimoto pinned Yamazaki after a brainbuster.
Nobuhiko Takada defeated Keiji Mutoh to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (17:51)
- Takada made Mutoh submit to a jujigatame.

[edit] Wrestling World 1997

Wrestling World 1997
Details
Promotion	New Japan Pro Wrestling
Date	January 4, 1997
Venue	Tokyo Dome
City	Tokyo, Japan
Attendance	62,500

Junji Hirata, Satoshi Kojima, Manabu Nakanishi & Osamu Nishimura defeated Takashi Iizuka, Osamu Kido, Yuji Nagata & Kazuo Yamazaki (11:21)
- Hirata pinned Nagata after a lariat.
- This was Nagata's farewell match.
Super Liger defeated Koji Kanemoto (11:11)
- Liger pinned Kanemoto with a bridging tiger suplex.
Jinsei Shinzaki defeated Michiyoshi Ohara (9:17)
- Shinzaki pinned Ohara after the Nenbutsu powerbomb.
Shinjiro Ohtani defeated Yoshihiro Tajiri (8:30)
- Ohtani pinned Tajiri after a flying kneel kick.
Kendo Nagasaki defeated Tatsutoshi Goto (9:23)
- Nagasaki pinned Goto after a piledriver.
Masahiro Chono defeated Shoji Nakamaki (1:07)
- Chono pinned Nakamaki after a Yakuza kick.
Masa Saito defeated The Great Kojika (4:25)
- Saito made Kojika submit to an ankle lock.
Antonio Inoki defeated Willie Williams (4:19)
- Inoki made Williams submit to a ground cobra twist.
Jushin Liger defeated Ultimo Dragon to win the J-Crown (18:21)
- Liger pinned Dragon after a Steiner Screwdriver.
Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura defeated Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship (16:10)
- Fujinami made Chono submit to a dragon sleeper.
Power Warrior defeated The Great Muta (16:09)
- Warrior pinned Muta after a Northern Lights bomb.
Shinya Hashimoto defeated Riki Chōshū to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (18:04)
- Hashimoto pinned Chōshū after a brainbuster.

[edit] Final Power Hall in Tokyo Dome

Final Power Hall in Tokyo Dome
Details
Promotion	New Japan Pro Wrestling
Date	January 4, 1998
Venue	Tokyo Dome
City	Tokyo, Japan
Attendance	65,000

Kendo Kashin defeated Koji Kanemoto (12:01)
- Kashin made Kanemoto submit to a jujigatame.
Shinjiro Ohtani defeated Ultimo Dragon to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (17:06)
- Ohtani pinned Dragon with a bridging dragon suplex.
Yuji Nagata defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan (11:33)
- Nagata made Tenzan submit to the Nagata Lock I.
Tatsumi Fujinami & Osamu Nishimura defeated Satoshi Kojima & Manabu Nakanishi (12:39)
- Nishimura pinned Kojima with a bridging Northern Lights suplex.
- This was Nishimura's return match.
Riki Road Final Message 5
- Riki Chōshū defeated Kazuyuki Fujita (3:57)
  - Chōshū pinned Fujita after a lariat.
- Riki Chōshū defeated Yutaka Yoshie (1:42)
  - Chōshū pinned Yoshie after a lariat.
- Riki Chōshū defeated Tatsuhito Takaiwa (1:21)
  - Chōshū made Takaiwa submit to the Scorpion Deathlock.
- Takashi Iizuka defeated Riki Chōshū (2:02)
  - Iizuka made Chōshū submit to an ankle lock.
- Riki Chōshū defeated Jushin Liger (5:09)
  - Chōshū pinned Liger after a lariat.
  - These five matches were a collective retirement match for Riki Chōshū.
Don Frye defeated Naoya Ogawa (8:47)
- Frye won via referee stoppage.
Shinya Hashimoto defeated Dennis Lane (1:34)
- Hashimoto won via referee stoppage.
Masahiro Chono defeated Shiro Koshinaka (15:05)
- Chono pinned Koshinaka after a Yakuza kick.
Kensuke Sasaki defeated Keiji Mutoh to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (25:18)
- Sasaki pinned Mutoh after a Northern Lights bomb.

[edit] Wrestling World 1999

Wrestling World 1999
Details
Promotion	New Japan Pro Wrestling
Date	January 4, 1999
Venue	Tokyo Dome
City	Tokyo, Japan
Attendance	62,500

Manabu Nakanishi defeated Kazuyuki Fujita (11:10)
- Nakanishi made Fujita submit to an Argentine backbreaker.
Tatsumi Fujinami, Osamu Kido & Tadao Yasuda defeated Tatsutoshi Goto, Kengo Kimura & Michiyoshi Ohara (9:17)
- Yasuda pinned Goto after a diving body press.
Kendo Kashin & Dr. Wagner, Jr. defeated Shinjiro Ohtani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (16:53)
- Kashin made Ohtani submit to an avalanche jujigatame.
Jushin Liger defeated Koji Kanemoto to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (23:11)
- Liger pinned Kanemoto after an avalanche brainbuster.
Kensuke Sasaki defeated Atsushi Onita (5:55)
- Sasaki won via disqualification.
Yuji Nagata defeated David Beneteau (5:30)
- Nagata made Beneteau submit to a triangle choke.
Don Frye defeated Brian Johnston (7:55)
- Frye won via referee stoppage.
Shinya Hashimoto vs. Naoya Ogawa ended in a no contest (6:58)
Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Shiro Koshinaka & Genichiro Tenryu to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship (16:35)
- Tenzan pinned Koshinaka after a diving headbutt.
Keiji Mutoh defeated Scott Norton to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (19:01)
- Mutoh made Norton submit to a figure four leglock.

[edit] Wrestling World 2000

Wrestling World 2000
Details
Promotion	New Japan Pro Wrestling
Date	January 4, 2000
Venue	Tokyo Dome
City	Tokyo, Japan
Attendance	63,500

Shinjiro Ohtani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa defeated Kendo Kashin & Minoru Tanaka to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (13:19)
- Takaiwa pinned Kashin after the Takaiwa Driver.
Shiro Koshinaka defeated Satoshi Kojima (10:17)
- Koshinaka pinned Kojima after a powerbomb.
Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Wild Pegasus (10:55)
- Tenzan pinned Pegasus after a diving headbutt.
Jushin Liger defeated Koji Kanemoto to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (3:56)
- Liger pinned Kanemoto after a brainbuster.
Manabu Nakanishi defeated Kenzo Suzuki (6:41)
- Nakanishi made Suzuki submit to an Argentine backbreaker.
- This was Suzuki's debut match.
- Suzuki replaced Bill Goldberg, who was injured.
Yuji Nagata defeated Kazuo Yamazaki (6:44)
- Nagata pinned Yamazaki with a bridging belly to back suplex.
- This was Yamazaki's retirement match.
Kimo defeated Kazuyuki Fujita (4:02)
- Kimo won via disqualification.
Scott Norton defeated Don Frye (8:50)
- Norton pinned Frye after a powerbomb.
Rick Steiner defeated Randy Savage (11:08)
- Steiner pinned Savage after a diving bulldog
Shinya Hashimoto & Takashi Iizuka defeated Kazunari Murakami & Naoya Ogawa (11:29)
- Iizuka made Murakami submit to a sleeper hold.
Masahiro Chono defeated Keiji Mutoh (25:00)
- Chono made Mutoh submit to a cross-leg STF.
Kensuke Sasaki defeated Genichiro Tenryu to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (14:43)
- Sasaki pinned Tenryu after a Northern Lights bomb.

[edit] Wrestling World 2001

Wrestling World 2001
Image:Njpw 010401.jpg
Details
Promotion	New Japan Pro Wrestling
Date	January 4, 2001
Venue	Tokyo Dome
City	Tokyo, Japan
Attendance	62,001

Kensuke Sasaki defeated Satoshi Kojima in the quarterfinals of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament (16:33)
- Sasaki made Kojima submit to a Boston crab.
Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Yuji Nagata in the quarterfinals of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament (16:45)
- Tenzan pinned Nagata after a moonsault.
Koji Kanemoto & Minoru Tanaka defeated Shinya Makabe & Tatsuhito Takaiwa (18:02)
- Kanemoto made Makabe submit to an ankle lock.
Takashi Iizuka defeated Kendo Kashin (6:12)
- Iizuka made Kashin submit to a sleeper hold.
Kensuke Sasaki defeated Masahiro Chono in the semifinals of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament (11:28)
- Sasaki made Chono submit to the Strangle Hold γ.
Toshiaki Kawada defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan in the semifinals of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament (10:45)
- Kawada pinned Tenzan after a powerbomb.
Keiji Mutoh & Shinjiro Ohtani defeated Jushin Liger & Manabu Nakanishi (5:44)
- Ohtani made Liger submit to a cobra twist.
Riki Chōshū vs. Shinya Hashimoto ended in a no contest (15:20)
Kensuke Sasaki defeated Toshiaki Kawada to win the vacant IWGP Heavyweight Championship (10:30)
- Sasaki pinned Kawada after a Northern Lights bomb.

[edit] Tournament bracket

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Finals

Satoshi Kojima

Sub

Kensuke Sasaki