NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2024 Night 1 Results

New Japan Pro-Wrestling presented their latest major event on Friday, May 3 as night one of Wrestling Dontaku was presented from the Fukuoka Convention Center in Fukuoka, Japan.

In the main event, a Hiroshi Tanahashi with knees growing worse by the day failed to capture the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship from Nic Nemeth. The former Dolph Ziggler was able to cut off Tanahashi's offence throughout the match and Nemeth eventually connected with two Danger Zones for the win.

After the match, both Tanahashi and Nemeth embraced, only to be attacked from behind by David Finlay. Nemeth and Finlay were eventually separated, with Nemeth challenging Finlay to a match at Wrestling Dontaku night two with the IWGP Global Heavyweight Title on the line.

David Finlay had a good night one of Wrestling Dontaku as he picked up a big win in the semi-main event, pinning the 2024 New Japan Cup winner Yota Tsuji. The two competitors put together a very good match and Tsuji looked to have the match won after he countered Finlay's finisher into a Spear, only for Finlay to kick out. Tsuji then went for a second Spear but he ran straight into a shillelagh shot from Finlay. Two Powerbombs and a finisher later and Finlay was the winner by pinfall.

Zack Sabre Jr.'s second reign as NJPW World Television Champion also came to an end at the hands of Jeff Cobb. The two men displayed their usual excellent chemistry once again and Jeff Cobb captured his first singles title in five years after blocking an Armbar and following up with Tour of the Islands for the pinfall win.

Jon Moxley also wrestled in Japan for the first time since he won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, teaming with Shota Umino and El Desperado in a loss to House of Torture's Ren Narita, EVIL, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Moxley will defend his title against Ren Narita in the main event of Wrestling Dontaku night two.

Elsewhere, New Japan presented their usual collection of multi-man matches.

Full NJPW Wrestling Dontaku night one results:

• Boltin Oleg & Shoma Kato def. Togi Makabe & Katsuya Murashima
• SHO & Yujiro Takahashi (House of Torture) def. DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku (Just 5 Guys)
• Taichi & Yuya Uemura (Just 5 Guys) def. Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman (United Empire)
• El Phantasmo, Hikuleo, & Jado (Guerrillas of Destiny) def. Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls, & Shane Haste (TMDK)
• Chase Owens, KENTA, & Taiji Ishimori (Bullet Club) def. Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) & Tiger Mask
• BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, & Hiromu Takahashi (Los Ingobernables de Japon) def. Gedo, Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, & Drilla Moloney (Bullet Club War Dogs)
• Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Ren Narita, & EVIL def. El Desperado, Jon Moxley, & Shota Umino
• Jeff Cobb def. Zack Sabre Jr. (c) - NJPW World Television Championship
• David Finlay def. Yota Tsuji
• Nic Nemeth (c) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi - IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship