New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) has made a rather interesting announcement. Matches for their upcoming New Year Dash 2023 show won’t be announced until they actually happen. Thus, the card will be a mystery card of sorts.

The promotion did a similar thing back in October at The Night Before Rumble on 44th Street. New Year’s Dash goes down on January 5, after Wrestle Kingdom 17. Check out the announcement here:

2023 sees the return of New Year Dash to the calendar. This exciting start to the year traditionally sees a mystery card revealed to the audience, staff and wrestlers as the event gets underway. On January 5 2023, however, things get an added twist. This year, the card will not be announced at all!

Instead matches will be revealed as wrestlers make their entrance. Back in October, the Night Before Rumble on 44th Street saw a similar concept with chaotic results, and a raft of big time surprises. What might be in store on January 5? Make sure you watch live in English on NJPW World, or better yet, be part of the action in person!

Source: ewrestlingnews

Jushin Liger’s Retirement Ceremony to kick off the show featuring a number of NJPW stars including Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryu Lee, Tiger Mask IV, Taguchi, Nagata, Juice Robinson, and Kota Ibushi. Tanahashi gives flowers (meaning for new beginnings/new endings) to Liger and the group posed with Liger for photos. The wrestlers bow and shake hands with Liger before exiting the ring. Members of CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Rocky Romero, Will Ospreay, Robbie Eagles, YOSHI-HASHI, Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano, SHO, and YOH) then head out. Okada says some words to Liger, hands over flowers, Liger bows to the members and more photos. Okada then takes a selfie with the whole group. Liger is given more flowers by NJPW officials, including NJPW President Harold Meij.

Liger’s family comes out. Antonio Inoki has a special message for Liger, wishing him good health in his new life and raises a glass to Liger on his special night. Liger gets the mic, talks about his final match, thanks the fans, and says NJPW will continue to thrive and get bigger thanks to everyone there. Liger notes his mother was at Tokyo Dome and at tonight’s show. He thanks his mother for raising him. He says to his wife and son that he’s made them so lonely from all the travel, but now he’s coming home and they will have to put up with him. He thanks the fans again. A salute is given to Liger. He thanks the fans again. A 10-bell salute is given to Liger. The roster then joins him in the rings and lifts him in the air a couple times. His theme is played again. Liger then heads to the back on his own, giving high-fives to the fans along the way.

https://twitter.com/WrestlingInc/status/1214120654884233216

Toa Henare, Yota Tsuji, and Yuya Uemura vs. Karl Fredericks, Clark Connors, and Alex Coughlin

Winners: Karl Fredericks, Clark Connors, and Alex Coughlin via Submission

 

SHO and YOH vs. Hiromu Takahashi and BUSHI vs. El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Taiji Ishimori and El Pantasmo

Winners: El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru via Pinfall

 

Juice Robinson, David Finlay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Kota Ibushi vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Bad Luck Fale, and Chase Owens

Winners: Juice Robinson, David Finlay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Kota Ibushi via Pinfall

 

Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL and Shingo Takagi

Winners: Shingo Takagi and EVIL via Pinfall

 

Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI, Will Ospreay, and Robbie Eagles vs. Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., Lance Archer, and Taichi

Winners: Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI, Will Ospreay, and Robbie Eagles via DQ

– Post-match, Taichi kicks down the referee. He chokes Okada with the mic stand, then puts the iron glove back on. Sabre and Ospreay fighting on the outside. Taichi puts a foot on Okada’s neck and taunts some more. Taichi looks to finish off Okada, but Jon Moxley heads out through the crowd and brawls with Suzuki! Moxley hits death rider to put down Suzuki and heads off. Suzuki laughs in the ring and all the way to the back.

https://twitter.com/WrestlingInc/status/1214154260881059840

 

Tetsuya Naito and SANADA vs. KENTA and Jay White

Winners: SANADA and Tetsuya Naito via Pinfall

– Post-match, White with a lowblow on SANADA. KENTA is still beating up Naito, then swings away on the young lions. White swings away on SANADA in the ring. KENTA puts Naito in the ring and keeps swinging away. Gedo grabs two chairs and hands them over to his guys. Stereo chair swings, over and over. Time keeper is ringing that bell. Crowd still chanting for KENTA to go home. White gets on the microphone, crowd already booing. White says a new opportunity has presented itself to him. He says SANADA believes far too much in himself and he’ll bring SANADA back to reality. White continues that SANADA is not better than him.

KENTA is handed the microphone, crowd boos. KENTA says White called the crowd a bunch of idiots. KENTA mocking Naito about the band being back together. KENTA eggs the crowd to chant more about him going home, but he’s not going home. He calls the LIJ fans “gross.” KENTA says his point is that he’s going to take the two titles from Naito and challenges the champion. SANADA’s music plays (because he won the match for his team), KENTA tells them to cut the music and play his instead, crowd boos. White, KENTA, and Gedo “too sweet” each other. KENTA jaws with the fans and dances some more on his way to the back. Naito is helped to the back by some young lions as the show closes.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Following the craziness that will be two Wrestle Kingdom 14 cards, New Japan Pro Wrestling will be back in action on January 6 for New Year Dash!!

Already announced for the card will be Jushin Thunder Liger’s retirement ceremony. Prior to that, he will be wrestling on both nights of Wrestle Kingdom. During night one, Liger will be teaming up with Tiger Mask, Tatsumi Fujinami and The Great Sasuke to take on Ryusuke Taguchi, Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Shinjiro Otani and Naoki Sano. In Liger’s corner will be El Samurai while Kuniaki Kobayashi (who Liger debuted the current character against) will be in the opposite corner. Norio Honaga will be the special guest referee. Each person involved in the bout has had a history with Liger in some way or another.

While Liger is all set, what will be happening during the rest of the card is a mystery. NJPW has decided to throw a curveball by not announcing anything until the first bell. The company announced that the card will be announced exactly at 6:30 p.m.

New Year Dash!! will be taking place inside the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.

Source: Wrestling Inc.