New Japan Pro Wrestling Announces Dates for Wrestle Kingdom 19, Second Historic X-Over, and More
New Japan Pro Wrestling has revealed their remaining slate of 2024 events.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced event dates for the remainder of the 2024 calendar year as well as the official date for Wrestle Kingdom 19. The dates were announced at NJPW Dominion on June 9 where several titles changed hands including the IWGP Tag Team Championships & NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships as well the King of Pro Wrestling Championship, among others. NJPW's announcement confirmed Wrestle Kingdom will once again be on a singular night following last year's return to one day.
NJPW made it a huge two-night spectacle similar to WWE's WrestleMania for four years starting at Wrestle Kingdom 14 and running until Wrestle Kingdom 17. The Historic X-Over which brings together NJPW and STARDOM will also be making a return at the EDION Arena in Osaka, Japan this November. The X-Over is similar to AEW/NJPW's Forbidden Door in that it allows two different promotions to collaborate. It was announced in April that STARDOM will officially become a subsidiary of NJPW at the end of June.
Check out the full list of dates below.
- August 31- Capital Collision, Entertainment & Sports Arena Washington DC
- September 29- Kobe World Hall
- Monday October 14- Ryogoku Sumo Hall
- November 4- EDION Arena Osaka
- November 17- Historic X-Over II, EDION Arena Osaka
- December 8- Gran Messe Kumamoto
- January 4 2025- Wrestle Kingdom 19, Tokyo Dome
Though Wrestle Kingdom is still months away, some of NJPW's talent are heating things up by staking their claim early. Gabe Kidd, a member of Bullet Club War Dogs and the current NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion, recently called out a WWE legend for a match at the event, proclaiming himself the "Legend Killer." NJPW has been on an island of its own for the last several years and not without their issues. Things seemed to have calmed since NJPW legend Hiroshi Tanahashi was appointed president last December, but many of their top stars are leaving for WWE and AEW.
A few of those names include the Guerrillas of Destiny Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa who debuted shortly after. They are now part of The Bloodline in WWE which is headed by Solo Sikoa in Roman Reigns' absence. Meanwhile, International Champion Will Ospreay and Bullet Club Gold's Jay White are dominating things in AEW. This has put NJPW in a tough spot and forced new faces to step up, like Shota Amino, Ren Narita, and Yota Tsuji -- three young stars NJPW has poised the future of the company. Not to mention NJPW has a secret weapon with its Young Lions, something Tsuji has agreed they do best and that WWE and AEW don't have that available to them.
"[Shoma] Kato, [Katsuya] Murashima, I know exactly how you guys are feeling right now," Tsuji said in a post-match promo in the Super Juniors tournament. "You've debuted, but you're stuck spinning your wheels. That's eating at you day in and day out. But I have one piece of advice for you. As long as you keep your nose to the grindstone, you'll be alright in the end. You're in the greatest promotion there is. AEW and WWE don't have the gems that are New Japan Young Lions" (h/t: Fightful).
Stay tuned to Comicbook for updates on New Japan Pro Wrestling.
