Chris Jericho powerbombed Tetsuya Naito through a table during the contract signing for their Wrestle Kingdom 13 bout.
The angle took place during NJPW’s annual Fan Festival, which served as something of a fan access event for Friday’s Wrestle Kingdom show.
Jericho also requested that the IWGP Intercontinental bout be made a no DQ match. After some taunting from Naito about how all of Jericho’s matches need to be no DQ, Naito agreed — writing “No DQ” on the bout agreement before signing.
The festival was held at the Studio Coast venue in Tokyo. It featured all of the Wrestle Kingdom competitors facing off in short promo segments, as well as three Lion’s Gate Project matches.
The Jericho vs. Naito angle was the only face-off that featured any type of physicality, as none of the other Wrestle Kingdom participants touched.
Other highlights from the event included Kenny Omega promising to kick out of Hiroshi Tanahashi’s High Fly Flow.
According to NJPW World’s Chris Charlton on Twitter, Tanahashi responded by saying he will end all of this tomorrow, he’s pissed off, and he’s bringing all of that rage to the Tokyo Dome.
The Fan Fest match results are below:
Tiger Mask IV & Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Yuya Uemura & Ren Narita (11:28)
This was good. Liger and Tiger can still go in short bursts, so tag matches are perfect for them.
Liger and Narita kicked things off. They did some mat work, with Narita executing a nice bridge out of a knuckle lock. Liger worked over both arms with holds. Tiger and Uemura tagged in, and Tiger hit some kicks.
Uemura hit a shoulder tackle and used some stomps. He followed with some offense in the corner, including a running dropkick. Tiger hit a spinning kick to the leg, then tagged Liger. Liger took the fight to the floor, and whipped Uemura into the security fence.
Back inside, Uemura made a comeback and hit a dropkick, then tagged Narita. Narita used a crab on Liger. Liger powered out, then tagged Tiger, who slapped Narita. Narita hit a belly-to-belly and tagged Uemura.
Uemura used a series of short forearms before hitting a back elbow in the corner. Narita jumped in for a double team, and they hit a double suplex. Liger came in for the save, but he ate a double dropkick.
Tiger applied a rolling kneebar on Uemura, but Narita made the save. Liger hit a senton off the apron onto Narita. Uemura used a bridging cradle for a close near fall.
Tiger went for a cross armbreaker, but Uemura broke free. Tiger then hit the Tiger Driver for the pin.
Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata defeated Tomoaki Honma & Toa Henare (9:34)
Not much to this, and easily the weakest of the three matches.
Nakanishi overpowered Henare in the early going. Nagata and Honma tagged in and exchanged strikes. Honma missed a Kokeshi. Nakanishi got a tag and hit a chop off the top rope. Nagata tagged back in and hit Honma with a series of kicks, picking up a near fall.
Nakanishi tagged in and used a torture rack, but Henare jumped in to save Honma. Nakanishi used a brainbuster for a two count. Nakanishi missed what was supposed to be a knee drop, allowing Honma to tag Henare.
Henare ducked a series of clothesline attempts, then hit a diving tackle. Nakanishi hit a short clothesline before tagging in Nagata. Nagata ran into a Samoan drop but kicked out at two. Honma hit a Kokeshi, Henare hit a diving chop, and Nakanishi broke up the ensuing pinfall attempt.
Honma hit a diving Kokeshi on Nagata, and Henare hit him with a spear for a two count. Nagata slipped out of a uranage attempt. Nakanishi jumped in and speared Henare. Nagata followed up with a running knee in the corner and then used a backdrop hold for the pinfall win.
Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima defeated Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino (11:07)
This was a heck of a little match by the end. Umino is already so, so good, and he’s only getting better.
Yoshida and Tenzan started off. Tenzan hit some Mongolian chops, but Yoshida dropped him with a shoulder block. Both tagged out. Umino used a quick headlock takeover on Kojima, but fell victim to a double team quickly. Tenzan tagged in and hit some chops and stomps.
Umino made a comeback, and hit a woo dropkick off the second rope. Yoshida tagged in and hit a back elbow in the corner, then dropped Tenzan with a forearm. Yoshida hit a running front kick for a near fall. Tenzan came back with a headbutt, a chop, and a backdrop.
Umino and Kojima tagged in. Kojima hit his machine gun chops in the corner. Umino popped up, hitting a brainbuster for a near fall. Umino hit a top rope dropkick and made a cover, but Kojima kicked out at two.
Yoshida held Tenzan at bay with a sleeper, then rolled him to the floor. Umino went for an armbar, but Kojima reached the ropes. Kojima hit a cutter, but Umino popped up and used a flying armbar. Tenzan broke up the hold.
Tenzan sent Yoshida to the floor, and Umino fell victim to a TenKoji cutter. Yoshida made the save on the ensuing pinfall attempt. Kojima followed with a lariat for the win.