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October 14th, 2019 marked New Japan Pro Wrestling's annual King of Pro Wrestling event and the show was considered to be one of the most stacked cards of the year featuring several notable title matches including an IWGP Heavyweight Championship match between Kazuchika Okada and Sanada as the main event.
The undercard of the show also featured some top-notch bouts including an IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship match between Will Ospreay and El Phantasmo, a special singles match between Jushin 'Thunder' Liger and Minoru Suzuki, and Juice Robinson vs Lance Archer for the IWGP US Championship.
#1 Roppongi 3K (SHO and YOH) vs Suzuki Gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado)
Having suffered a broken jaw a few months ago, this was El Desperado's return to in-ring competition and in his first match back, he was slated to face former IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champions in the form of Roppongi 3K.
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A wild brawl broke out between the two teams even before the match had started and Desperado used his jaw injury in order to counter with some cheap shots in the early stages of the match. Kanemaru got in some offense and the Suzuki Gun duo started taking control of the bout, however, a tag to YOH changed the entire complexion of the bout as he sent Desperado to the floor and followed it up with a spinning forearm, kip-up, back elbow in the corner, tiger suplex with the bridge for a quick two-count.
With Desperado back in the ring, Suzuki Gun finally starts to ignite a comeback, however, Roppongi 3K managed to keep the tie in their favor. Kanemaru eventually spits some whiskey in SHO's face as Desperado plants him to the mat for the win.
Result: Suzuki Gun def. Roppongi 3K
#2 Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomoaki Honma vs Togi Makabe and Toru Yano
This was Hiroshi Tanahashi's fourth 20th-anniversary match as The Ace of the Universe and Makabe got things started in this tag team affair. Tanahashi and Honma took control in the early stages. Toru Yano then got into the mix and took control of the match as he sends Tanahashi straight into an exposed turnbuckle.
All four men exchanged some offense with Yano giving his best to win the match via shenanigans, even attempting a low-blow on Tanahashi. However, the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion hit a sling blade and connected with the High Fly Flow for the win.
Result: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomoaki Honma def. Togi Makabe and Toru Yano
#3 Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito) vs Suzuki Gun (Taichi and Douki)
Douki and Tetsuya Naito started off the bout as the action quickly spilled outside to the floor with Douki using his stick to Suzuki Gun's advantage. Quick action between Douki and Takagi as the two men tag out and let Naito and Taichi get into it.
Taichi quickly connected with a spinning heel kick but failed to connect with the Tornado DDT. The Suzuki Gun brawler hit a couple of kicks and then finally connects with the Tornado DDT. Takagi tags in and connected with a big lariat as he hoped to end the match, however, Taichi hit with the mic as the ref called for the bell.
Result: Los Ingobernables def. Suzuki Gun via DQ
#4 Minoru Suzuki vs Jushin 'Thunder' Liger
The first singles match of the night featured Minoru Suzuki finally going one-on-one against Jushin 'Thunder' Liger. The match started off in a bit slow place as Suzuki tried to go for the Kimura but Liger managed to prevent it. The two men exchanged some offense with Liger trying to use a chair, only for the ref to prevent him from doing so.
The action was quickly taken to the outside as Liger was sent into the barricades as Suzuki brutalized his opponent with some heavy chair shots. Suzuki tried to tear Liger's mask and looked to submit him but the latter locks in a submission of his own, stretching both arms behind his back.
The two men start trading hard shots with as Liger crumpled to the mat with one stiff shot from Suzuki. Suzuki connected with a few more hard shots and hits the Gotchstyle Piledriver for the win. Following the match, the two men share a moment of respect with each other.
Result: Minoru Suzuki def. Jushin 'Thunder' Liger
#5 Will Ospreay vs El Phantasmo- IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship
As expected, this one was filled with wild, high-flying action and prior to the start of the match, both Robbie Eagles and Taiji Ishimori were sent to the backstage area by Ospreay and Phantasmo, respectively.
The match started off in quick fashion as the two men exchanged lots of quick reversals as Phantasmo looked to test the strength between the two junior heavyweights. The two men exchanged forearm shots and Ospreay claimed that he was caught in the arm. Phantasmo helped him up only to rake his eyes, bak, and put him down on the mat once again.
The action is taken to the outside as the commentary team spoke about Gino Gambino attacking Ospreay at a recent NJPW Australia show. The latter then launches Phantasmo into his fellow Bullet Club stablemate Gambino as a wild brawl to the outside got ignited. The two men end up on the balcony with Phantasmo launching himself from the top on Ospreay.
Back in the ring, the action resumed as Ospreay slowly gained the upper hand, the champion hits the Robinson Special followed by the OsCutter as he goes for the cover, only for Ishimori to pull the ref out of the ring. Ishimori attacks Ospreay and creates an opening for his fellow BC stablemate. However, Eagles also made his way out and took Ishimori out of the equation. Phantasmo took advantage of the situation and hits Ospreay with a low-blow, cracked him with the title and hit a crossbody only for a two-count.
A frustrated Phantasmo then went for the Cheeky Nandos and then followed it up with a flurry of moves as he hits the Styles Clash, followed by the V-Trigger, and the One-Winged Angel. Phantasmo tried to keep the momentum on his side but Ospreay eventually reverses a top rope hurricanrana into a powerbomb. Ospreay hits the hidden blade and connected with the Stormbreaker for the win.
Result: Will Ospreay def. El Phantasmo to retain the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship
#6 CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, and YOSHI-HASHI) vs Bullet Club (Jay White, KENTA, and Yujiro Takahashi)
The match began with the usual Bullet Club shenanigans but Tomohiro Ishii quickly took control of the bout as he hit Kenta with a few wicked chops early on. White and Goto also get into a heated exchange, as the action is taken to the outside with White being sent into the barricades.
The action was taken back into the ring with Goto hitting a spinning wheel kick followed by a Saito Suplex for a two-count. However, Bullet Club gained the upper hand courtesy of White and Takahashi, who hit a reverse DDT for a near fall. Goto connected with a headbutt and drops Takahashi over his knee. The former NEVER Openweight Champion then followed up with a GTR and picks up the win.
Result: CHAOS def. Bullet Club
#7 Lance Archer vs Juice Robinson- IWGP US Championship
The match was originally said to be a normal singles title match, however, Archer claimed that the fans had paid for a No DQ and that's what they would get. As the match started, Juice hit a low blow on Archer and goes for a quick two-count. The match quickly turned into an all-out brawl as Archer hit Robinson with a chokeslam through a table on the outside. Back in the ring, Juice got launched into two chairs and got a cut on his nose.
The former two-time champion gets some offense in and gets back into the match as he hits Archer with a big haymaker, then a senton cannonball sending him through the table. The closing stages of the match saw Archer pile up the chairs and put Juice on the top rope to hit blackout on the chairs. Archer slams Juice's head into the chairs and locks in the EBD Claw for the pin and the win.
Result: Lance Archer def. Juice Robinson to win the IWGP US Championship
#8 Kota Ibushi vs Evil- Rights to G1 Climax contract for Wrestle Kingdom 14
The match started off with Kota Ibushi getting the better off Evil as he hit with a flurry of quick strikes for a two-count early on in the match. Evil ignited a comeback into the match as he put a steel chair around Ibushi's neck and then smacked it with another. Ibushi tried to hit with the knee to the face but Evil with a reversal as he tried darkness falls but failed to connect. Evil reverses a forearm hit and planted his opponent down with one of his own as he hits Darkness falls for a two-count.
Ibushi gets back into the match after connecting with a Last Ride but fails to keep Evil down. The LIJ member tries for Everything is Evil but fails as Ibushi hands out a german suplex but fails to get the pinfall. The two men trade headbutts in the closing stages as Ibushi hits a jumping knee, followed by another to the face for a close two-count. Ibushi hits another to Evil's face and pins him to retain his briefcase.
Result: Kota Ibushi def. Evil
#9 Kazuchika Okada vs Sanada- IWGP Heavyweight Championship
The match starts off with Kazuchika Okada getting the better off Sanada in the early stages as the two men get off to an intense start. The action is taken to the outside as Okada keeps dominating the contest, Sanada is taken out of the equation for a while as the ref starts the 20-count. Okada realizes that Sanada wouldn't make it to the ring and asks Red Shoes to stop the count, preventing the match to end in a count-out.
Sanada finally got back in the ring and connected with a few shots but went down after a strong forearm hit from Okada. The challenger locks in the Paradise Lock as the crowd is all in favor of the Sanada. Okada, however, gets back on his feet and dropkicked Sanada to the corner as each man went for their finishers but couldn't find any opening. Okada attempted for the Tombstone but it got reversed into a TKO by Sanada for a two-count.
The two men went back-and-forth with Sanada attempting the Skull End on numerous occasions. The challenger dominated the bout as he goes on top for the Muta moonsault, connecting with the first but failed to connect with the second as Okada got his knees up.
Okada finally got back into the match and goes for a Rainmaker but Sanada rolls up Okada for a close two-and-a-half count. Sanada gets back into the skull end but Okada gets out of it and goes for a Rainmaker and failed to connect. Sanada goes for a Rainmaker himself but failed to connect, as well. The latter tries to hit a pop-up cutter but Okada countered with a Michinoku driver, followed by the Rainmaker for the three-count and the win.
Result: Kazuchika Okada def. Sanada to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Post match, Okada and Ibushi confronted each other as the IWGP Heavyweight Championship match was made confirmed for 4th January at Wrestle Kingdom 14.
