NJPW’s full English press conference report is here.
Cliffnotes are that the Wrestle Kingdom Week schedule of events is:
Sunday December 29: STARDOM (show name TBA), Ryogoku Sumo Hall
Thursday January 2: NJPW & STARDOM Pro-Wrestling Matsuri, Bellesalle Haneda— This will be a festival atmosphere, in a venue connected to Haneda airport
Friday January 3: Wrestle Kingdom 19 Kickoff— venue and details TBA
Friday January 3: STARDOM New Year Dream, Tokyo Garden Theater
Saturday January 4: Wrestle Kingdom 19 in Tokyo Dome (the announcement originally erroneously said this would also start at 1pm local)
Sunday January 5: Wrestle Dynasty in Tokyo Dome — 1pm local start time, which is 11pm EST/8 pm PST on January 4
Monday January 6: New Year Dash!, Ota-ku Gymnasium
NJPW President Tanahashi also announced a “reorganization of the IWGP governing body for title matches and tournaments within NJPW” and that “The IWGP Committee will be now be composed of former IWGP Champions as well as NJPW executives, and there will be further announcements soon about the members of the committee and its commitment to wrestlers and officiating in NJPW events.”
The IWGP governing body exists only in kayfabe, so this is essentially Tana saying they will be coming up with a kayfabe reasoning for why the referees will stop putting up with so many shenanigans in matches, and possibly some other changes.
by EffingKENTA
