Welcome to Fightful.com's live coverage & discussion for NJPW New Years Dash 2020. We'll be bringing you full, fight by fight coverage of every bout on the card. You can also send in your feedback on our Disqus boards below!
- A video package airs highlighting the career of Jushin “Thunder” Liger, which is followed by Liger making his way to the ring for his retirement ceremony. The members of the NJPW roster make their way to the ringside area for the ceremony, they also get in the ring to take a group photo with Liger. Hiroshi Tanahashi presents a bouquet of flowers to Liger, the wrestlers exit the ring while shaking hands with Liger. The members of Chaos come to the ring next and they take a photo with Liger as Kazuchika Okada presents a Bouquet to him, the chairman of NJPW comes to the ring to present Liger with a bouquet. The CEO of NJPW also comes to the ring to present a bouquet to Liger, Liger’s wife and son come to the ring to present him with bouquets. Antonio Inoki appears on the big screen to give a special message to the retiring Liger, Liger gets the microphone and he talks about debuting in the Tokyo Dome and having his last match in the Tokyo Dome.
Liger thanks all of the fans for supporting him throughout his wrestling career, Liger says NJPW will continue to thrive after his retirement. Liger says his mother is here tonight and he thanks her for all she did for him, Liger talks about being on the road away from his wife and son. Liger gives a final thank you, a ten bell salute takes place after Liger finishes his speech. Liger takes one final bow as his music plays, the entire roster gets in the ring and they have one final celebration with Liger. Hiroshi Tanahashi leads everybody in singing Liger’s theme song, Liger exits the ring and he takes a lap around the ringside area waving to everybody before heading backstage.
Karl Fredericks, Alex Coughlin & Clark Connors vs. Toa Henare, Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura
The match begins with Connors scoring a takedown on Uemura, Uemura gets free and engages in some chain wrestling with Connors. Uemura gets Connors down while wrenching away on his arm, Connors gets to the ropes to break free from Uemura. Connors trips up Uemura and he wrenches away on his legs before applying an STF, Connors applies the bow and arrow stretch on Uemura and Uemura gets free quickly. Coughlin and Tsuji are tagged in by their respective partners, Tsuji gets Coughlin in a headlock and Coughlin gets free before eating a shoulder tackle. Tsuji and Coughlin have a striking exchange in the middle of the ring, Coughlin ends the exchange by nailing Tsuji with a gut wrench suplex. Connors tags in and he works with Coughlin to hit Tsuji with a double hip toss, Fredericks tags in and he double teams Tsuji with Connors for a near fall. Fredericks drops Tsuji with a few strikes before tagging Coughlin in, Tsuji fights back and he eventually nails Coughlin with a slam.
Henare tags in and he cleans house against the opposing team, Coughlin fights back and Henare drops him with a spinning head kick. Henare nails Coughlin with a corner clothesline and Samoan drop for a near fall, Coughlin avoids a lariat as Fredericks hits the ring to attack Henare. Connors interferes and he nails Henare with a spear so Coughlin can get a near fall on him, Henare and Coughlin exchange blows until Henare lands a suplex. Uemura tags in and Fredericks gets a tag as well, Fredericks and Uemura get into a striking exchange. Fredericks eventually nails Uemura with a neck breaker before eating a drop kick, Uemura then nails Fredericks with a drop kick followed by a double underhook suplex for a near fall. Uemura gets Fredericks in a Boston crab and Coughlin breaks it up, Uemura gets Fredericks up so he can nail him with strikes. Fredericks recovers and he nails a charging Uemura with a drop kick, Uemura shocks Fredericks with a roll up before eating a spine buster.
Fredericks then hits Uemura with an elbow drop before applying the single leg crab to force a Uemura tap out.
Winners: Karl Fredericks, Alex Coughlin & Clark Connors
Roppongi 3K (Sho & Yoh) vs. Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo) vs. Suzuki-Gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desparado) vs. Los Ingobernables (Bushi & Hiromu Takahashi)
The match begins with an all out brawl between everybody in the match, Bullet Club battle Roppongi 3K in the ring. Roppongi 3K clear the ring and they eventually gets dragged out of the ring by the other teams, LIJ get in the ring and they double team Phantasmo. Yoh gets in the ring and he gets double teamed by LIJ as well, Takahashi stays in the ring and he attacks Yoh with some strikes. Sho hits the ring and he double teams Takahashi with Yoh, Yoh slams Takahashi before Ishimori tags himself in, Ishimori nails Takahashi with a springboard seated senton. Phantasmo tags in and he nails Takahashi with a front suplex before stomping on his hamstrings, Phantasmo hangs Takahashi upside down in the corner before standing on his balls with Ishimori. Kanemaru tags in and he throws Takahashi out of the ring, Kanemaru throws Takahashi into the barricade before nailing him with a leg drop. Desparado attacks Takahashi before throwing him back into the ring, Bullet Club hits the ring to attack Takahashi.
Bullet Club and Suzuki-Gun work together for a short time to attack Takahashi, Kanemaru keeps Takahashi down while ripping away at his face. Desparado tags in and he pulls back on the arms of Takahashi before applying a camel clutch, Kanemaru tags in and he nails Takahashi with a few strikes. Yoh tags himself in and he exchanges strikes with Takahashi, Takahashi ends the exchange by nailing Yoh with a pop up power bomb. Ishimori and Bushi are tagged into the match, Bushi nails Ishimori with an overhead kick followed by a missile drop kick. Bushi then takes out Suzuki-Gun with a double hurricarana, Bushi follows that up with a suicide dive on Phantasmo. Desparado low blows Bushi before tagging himself into the match, Desparado and Ishimori briefly get into a striking exchange. Ishimori eventually drops Desparado with a handspring enziguri, Sho tags himself in and he attacks Desparado.
Suzuki-Gun looks for a double team and Sho takes out Desparado with a spear, Yoh hits the ring and he double teams Desparado with Sho. Desparado fights back before eating a double knee strike from Sho and Yoh, Bushi and Kanemaru hit the ring to take out Sho and Yoh. Everybody from all the teams hit the ring and they all take each other out, Yoh eventually takes out both Bullet Club members with a double DDT, Yoh then clears the ring before taking out Bullet Club with a suicide dive. Sho and Desparado have a striking exchange in the middle of the ring, Sho ends the exchange by nailing Desparado with a lariat. Sho hits Desparado with a power bomb into a lung blower for a near fall, Desparado avoids the Shock Arrow to drop Sho with a right, Desparado looks for his finisher before Bushi interferes to accidentally mist Sho. Desparado rolls up Sho and he gets the three count.
Winners: Suzuki-Gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desparado)
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Bullet Club (Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens)
The match begins with Owens attacking Ibushi after Ibushi refused to do the Bullet Club hand signal, Owens corners Ibushi while landing some strikes. Ibushi recovers and he nails Owens with a drop kick, Tanahashi tags in and he cracks Owens with more strikes. Tanahashi then drops Owens with a middle rope cross body block, Tama interferes and the distraction allows Owens to attack Tanahashi. Fale attacks Tanahashi and a huge brawl breaks out between both teams that spills all over the place, Owens drags Ibushi into the crowd before throwing him into the barricade. Jado interferes and he attacks Tanahashi, Tama drags Finlay into the crowd before throwing him into the barricade. Owens gets Tanahashi back in the ring to get a near fall on a pin attempt, Fale tags in and he nails Tanahashi with a few strikes. Tanahashi fights back and Fale traps him in the corners before landing a right, Tama tags in and he nails Tanahashi with a drop kick for a near fall.
Tanga tags in and he nails Tanahashi with a slingshot swanton bomb, Tanahashi fights back and Tanga corners him to land strikes of his own. Tanga then hits Tanahashi with a corner clothesline, Tanahashi fights back and he hits Tanga with a Twist & Shout. Robinson tags in and he cleans house against the opposing team, Robinson drops Tanga in the corner before landing a cannonball. Tanga gets up and Robinson nails him with his patented jabs before landing a Left Hand Of God, Robinson goes for Pulp Friction and Tama breaks it up. Finlay hits the ring and he attacks Tama before getting attacked by Owens, Ibushi returns and Owens takes him out on the arena floor. Tama then hits Robinson and Finlay with some avalanches, Robinson and Finlay fight back to nail GOD with double back suplexes. Fale returns to lay out both Robinson and Finlay, Owens tags in and Ibushi gets a tag a few moments later. Ibushi quickly drops Owens before getting attacked by Fale, Ibushi drops Owens and Fale with a double overhead kick.
Owens gets up and he gets attacks by a combination from Ibushi, Jado interferes by nailing Ibushi with a kendo stick. Owens then hits Ibushi with a Jewel Heist for a near fall, Owens drops Ibushi before landing a knee strike for a near fall. Owens goes for a package pile driver and Ibushi escapes to land a knee strike, Tanahashi hits the ring and he double teams Owens with Ibushi. Ibushi nails Owens with another knee strike for a three count.
Winners: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Juice Robinson & David Finlay
After the match, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi tell Juice Robinson and David Finlay that they want a tag title shot and they all shake hands afterwards.
Los Ingobernables (Shingo Takagi & Evil) vs. Chaos (Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii)
The match begins with Ishii getting Evil in a headlock, Evil gets free and Ishii drops him with a few clotheslines. Goto and Takagi start battling on the arena floor, Ishii goes for a brain buster and Evil escapes to land Darkness Falls for a near fall. Evil and Ishii then drop each other with lariats, Goto and Takagi are tagged in by their respective partners. Takagi and Goto immediately get into a striking exchange, Takagi and Goto exchange corner clotheslines as well. Goto gains control by nailing Takagi with a suplex, Goto keeps Takagi down while applying a chin lock. Goto releases the hold and he stomps away on a downed Takagi, Goto follows that up by dropping Takagi and kicking him in the back. Takagi gets angry and he takes some swings at Goto, Takagi then drops a charging Goto with a lariat. Evil attacks Ishii with some chair shots on the arena floor, Takagi and Goto take their battle to the arena floor as well. Takagi grabs Goto and he throws him into the barricade, Evil grabs Ishii and he throws him into the ring post.
Takagi gets Goto back in the ring before landing a slingshot stomp, Evil tags in and he nails a cornered Goto with a running back elbow strike followed by a bronco buster for a near fall. Takagi tags back in and he drops a swinging Goto with a double hand chop, Takagi then hits Goto with a suplex for a near fall. Goto fights back and he nails Takagi with a discus clothesline, Evil tags in and Goto quickly drops him with a clothesline. Ishii tags in and he cleans house against the opposing team, Ishii corners Evil while landing a ton of strikes. Ishii then drops Evil with a shoulder tackle, Evil fights back and he uses a ref distraction to hit Ishii with a thrust kick. Evil follows up by nailing Ishii with a fisherman buster suplex for a near fall, Evil then connects with a lariat on Ishii. Goto hits the ring and he gets taken out by LIJ, Evil applies the sharp shooter to Ishii and Goto hits the ring to break it up.
Takagi comes in next and Goto gets him in a sleeper hold, Takagi breaks that hold by falling backwards onto Goto. LIJ then double team Ishii after Goto is knocked out of the ring, Evil then hits Ishii with Darkness Falls for a near fall. Ishii avoids Everything Is Evil to drop Evil with an enziguri, Takagi and Goto are tagged in by their respective partners. Takagi and Goto go back and forth until Takagi lands a sliding lariat for a near fall, Goto fights back to hit Takagi with a spin kick and belly to back suplex for a near fall. Evil hits the ring and Ishii quickly takes him out, Goto nails Takagi with a ushigoroshi before eating a sliding lariat from Ishii. Ishii and Goto nail Takagi with an elevated GTR for a near fall, Goto goes for a GTR and Evil breaks it up before getting attacked by Takagi. Goto returns and he levels Takagi with a lariat, Takagi and Goto get into a striking exchange in the middle of the ring until Goto drops Takagi with a headbutt.
Goto goes for a mid-kick and Takagi blocks it before hitting a rope assisted GTR, Takagi then hits Goto with the Last Dragon for a three count.
Winners: Los Ingobernables (Shingo Takagi & Evil)
After the match, Shingo Takagi challenges Hirooki Goto for the NEVER Openweight Title.
Chaos (Kazuchika Okada, Yoshi-Hashi, Will Ospreay & Robbie Eagles) vs. Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., Lance Archer & Taichi)
The match begins with Ospreay dropping Sabre Jr with a few arm drags, Sabre Jr and Ospreay take turns working over each others arm, Ospreay trips up Sabre Jr before wrenching away on his leg, Sabre Jr gets up and he gets Ospreay in a cravat. Ospreay gets free and he drops Sabre Jr with a hurricarana, Eagles tags in and he double teams Sabre Jr with Ospreay. Eagles backs up Sabre Jr by landing a bunch of kicks, Suzuki interferes and a brawl breaks out between both teams that spills all over the arena. Suzuki grabs a piece of the barricade and he attacks Eagles with it, Suzuki also attacks Eagles with a chair. Taichi grabs Okada and he throws him into the ring post, Eagles gets back into the ring and Suzuki gets tagged in. Suzuki and Sabre Jr take turns attacking the arm of Eagles, Suzuki holds Eagles down while wrenching away on his arm. Taichi tags in and he works over Eagles after he is dumped to the arena floor, Taichi throws Eagles into the barricade while also attacking his injured arm.
Suzuki attacks Eagles on the arena floor while Taichi goes after Okada, Archer tags in and he levels Eagles with a forearm strike. Eagles fights back and Archer nails him with a Derailer, Archer tosses Eagles in the corner before tagging Sabre Jr in. Sabre Jr attacks Eagles with a few strikes before choking him in the corner, Suzuki tags in and he trades submission holds on Eagles with Sabre Jr. Eagles fights back and Suzuki drops him with a series of strikes, Eagles looks for a drop kick and Suzuki catches him in a seated single leg crab. Suzuki transitions into a knee bar against Eagles, Eagles eventually gets to the ropes to break the submission attempt. Eagles fights back and he drops Suzuki with a spinning head kick, Yoshi-Hashi and Archer are tagged in by their respective partners. Yoshi-Hashi quickly starts cleaning house against the opposing team, Yoshi-Hashi nails Archer with a drop kick followed by a Headhunter.
Taichi hits the ring and Yoshi-Hashi nails him with a hurricarana, Yoshi-Hashi goes for the Western Lariat and Archer drops him with a lariat of his own. Taichi tags in and Yoshi-Hashi nails him with a mule kick, Okada tags in and he attacks Taichi with forearm strikes and a back elbow strike. Taichi recovers and he nails Okada with a back drop suplex, Taichi follows that up by nailing Okada with a head kick for a near fall. Everybody from both teams hit the ring and they all take each other out, Taichi nails Okada with a low blow and the iron glove to cause a DQ.
Winners: Chaos (Kazuchika Okada, Yoshi-Hashi, Will Ospreay & Robbie Eagles), by DQ
After the match, Taichi continues attacking Kazuchika Okada while the rest of both teams battle to the backstage area. Jon Moxley makes his way to the ring through the crowd and he comes face to face with Minoru Suzuki in the ring, Moxley and Suzuki brawl in the ring. Moxley ends the brawl by nailing Suzuki with a Death Rider.
Los Ingobernables (Tetsuya Naito & Sanada) vs. Bullet Club (Jay White & Kenta)
The match begins with Naito jumping Kenta before the bell sounds and their brawl spills to the arena floor, Gedo distracts Sanada so White can jump him from behind. Sanada recovers to hit White with an arm drag and drop kick, Gedo distracts Sanada again so White can knock him to the arena floor. White throws Sanada into the arena floor before Kenta attacks Naito again, Kenta nails Naito with a DDT on the arena floor. White gets Sanada in the ring and he nails him with a neck breaker for a near fall, Kenta tags in and he kicks Sanada right in the back. Kenta follows that up by attacking Naito again on the arena floor, Kenta then throws Naito into the barricade. Kenta gets back in the ring and he attacks Sanada before tagging White in, White keeps Sanada in the corner while stomping away on him. White gets Sanada down while applying a chin lock, Sanada gets free and White drops him with a back elbow drop for a near fall.
Kenta tags in and he attacks a cornered Sanada with more strikes, Kenta attacks Naito again and he knocks him to the arena floor. Sanada fights back and he nails Kenta with a missile drop kick, Naito tags in and he goes right after Kenta. Naito nails Kenta with a neck breaker followed by a basement drop kick, White hits the ring and he eats a drop kick from Naito. Naito then hits Kenta with a pair of neck breakers, Kenta and Naito exchange some strikes in the middle of the ring. Naito ends the exchange by dropping Kenta with an enziguri, Kenta recovers and he attacks the injured knee of Naito before landing a DDT. White tags in and he attacks the injured knee of Naito, Naito recovers and he drops White with a hurricarana. Sanada tags in and he nails both opponents with drop kicks, Sanada then takes out both opponents with dives. White gets back in the ring and he blocks a Paradise Lock attempt from Sanada, White uses a referee distraction to hit Sanada with a snap dragon suplex.
White follows up by nailing Sanada with a Blade Buster for a near fall, everybody from both teams hit the ring and they all take each other out. Sanada gets White in Skull End, Sanada releases the hold to low blow and interfering Gedo. Sanada again gets White in the Skull End until he releases it to miss moonsault attempt, White avoids another Skull End to hit Sanada with a sleeper suplex. White goes for Blade Runner and Sanada rolls him up for a three count.
Winners: Los Ingobernables (Tetsuya Naito & Sanada)
After the match, Jay White nails Sanada with a low blow as Kenta attacks Tetsuya Naito on the arena floor. White and Kenta attack Sanada and Naito in the ring as Gedo brings some chairs into the ring, White and Kenta attack Sanada and Naito with chair shots. White grabs the microphone to say that a new opportunity has been presented to him, White says he will bring Sanada back to reality. Kenta grabs the microphone and he taunts everybody about what he did to Naito at the Tokyo Dome, Kenta then mocks the LIJ fans before saying he will take both belts from Naito.
