The Quintessential Modern NJPW Match Playlist

This took a lot longer than expected. I created a list of matches from New Beginning (2012) to Wrestle Kingdom 14 (2020) that can be watched in order to create somewhat of an anime/series vibe where every arc is developed and completed capturing all the important moments of 2010s New Japan. I only wanted the list to be around 50 matches long, but it’s impossible to get all of it in that little.

Some matches are only in it for key moments (New Years Dash matches, Bullet Club story advancements etc) and in contrast, some matches are only in there for being absolute bangers (see some of the G1 matches). I am probably missing some key matches so let me know if I’ve missed any, I’ve done my best to include rivalries in full although some rivalry ‘arcs’ have been ignored if they don’t have a lot of relevancy (Okada/Naito’s 2014 matches come to mind, excl. WK8.)

Without further ado, here is my list.

**NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING ESSENTIAL VIEWING GUIDE**

1. Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Beginning 2012)

2. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada (Dominion 2012)

3. Kazuchika Okada vs Karl Anderson (G1 Climax Final 2012)

4. Kenny Omega vs Kota Ibushi (DDT Peter Pan 2012)

5. Minoru Suzuki vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (King of Pro Wrestling 2012)

6. Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (Wrestle Kingdom 7)

7. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Prince Devitt (Anniversary 2013)

8. Apollo 55 vs Time Splitters (Invasion Attack 2013)

9. Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (Invasion Attack 2013)

10. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Karl Anderson (Wrestling Dontaku 2013)

11. Prince Devitt vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (Dominion 2013)

12. Prince Devitt vs Kazuchika Okada (Kizuna Road 2013)

13. Tomohiro Ishii vs Katsuyori Shibata (G1 Climax 2013)

14. Tetsuya Naito vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (G1 Climax Final)

15. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada (King of Pro Wrestling 2013)

16. Kota Ibushi vs Prince Devitt (Wrestle Kingdom 8)

17. Tetsuya Naito vs Kazuchika Okada (Wrestle Kingdom 8)

18. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Shinsuke Nakamura (Wrestle Kingdom 8)

19. Shinsuke Nakamura vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Beginning 2014)

20. Ryusuke Taguchi vs Prince Devitt (Invasion Attack 2014)

21. Chaos vs Bullet Club (Invasion Attack 2014)

22. Shinsuke Nakamura vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (Invasion Attack 2014)

23. AJ Styles vs Kazuchika Okada (Wrestling Dontaku 2014)

24. Kazuchika Okada vs AJ Styles (Back to Yokohama Arena 2014)

25. AJ Styles vs Minoru Suzuki (G1 Climax 2014)

26. Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kazuchika Okada (G1 Climax 2014 Final)

27. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs AJ Styles (King of Pro Wrestling 2014)

28. Kenny Omega vs Ryusuke Taguchi (Wrestle Kingdom 9)

29. AJ Styles vs Tetsuya Naito (Wrestle Kingdom 9)

30. Kota Ibushi vs Shinsuke Nakamura (Wrestle Kingdom 9)

31. Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (Wrestle Kingdom 9)

32. AJ Styles vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Beginning 2015)

33. Kota Ibushi vs AJ Styles (Invasion Attack 2015)

34. Kazuchika Okada vs AJ Styles (Dominion 2015)

35. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs AJ Styles (G1 Climax 2015)

36. Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kazuchika Okada (G1 Climax 2015)

37. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Shinsuke Nakamura (G1 Climax 2015 Final)

38. AJ Styles vs Kazuchika Okada (King of Pro Wrestling 2015)

39. Chaos vs Bullet Club (Wrestle Kingdom 10)

40. Kushida vs Kenny Omega (Wrestle Kingdom 10)

41. GBH vs Bullet Club (Wrestle Kingdom 10)

42. Katsuyori Shibata vs Tomohiro Ishii (Wrestle Kingdom 10)

43. AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura (Wrestle Kingdom 10)

44. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada (Wrestle Kingdom 10)

45. AJ Styles and Kenny Omega vs Shinsuke Nakamura and Yoshi-Hashi (New Years Dash)

46. Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii vs Katsuyori Shibata, Hirooki Goto and Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Japan)

47. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kenny Omega (New Beginning)

48. Will Ospreay vs Kushida (Invasion Attack 2016)

49. Tetsuya Naito vs Kazuchika Okada (Invasion Attack 2016)

50. Will Ospreay vs Ricochet (Best of Super Juniors 2016)

51. Kazuchika Okada vs Tetsuya Naito (Dominion 2016)

52. Tomohiro Ishii vs Kazuchika Okada (G1 Climax 2016)

53. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada (G1 Climax 2016)

54. Kenny Omega vs Tetsuya Naito (G1 Climax 2016)

55. Kenny Omega vs Hirooki Goto (G1 Climax 2016 Final)

56. Naomichi Marufuji vs Kazuchika Okada (King of Pro Wrestling 2016)

57. Cody vs Juice Robinson (Wrestle Kingdom 11)

58. Hiromu Takahashi vs Kushida (Wrestle Kingdom 11)

59. Hirooki Goto vs Katsuyori Shibata (Wrestle Kingdom 11)

60. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Tetsuya Naito (Wrestle Kingdom 11)

61. Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada (Wrestle Kingdom 11)

62. Hontai vs Chaos (New Years Dash)

63. Minoru Suzuki vs Kazuchika Okada (New Beginning 2017)

64. Tomohiro Ishii vs Kenny Omega (New Japan Cup 2017)

65. Hiromu Takahashi vs Kushida (Sakura Genesis 2017)

66. Katsuyori Shibata vs Kazuchika Okada (Sakura Genesis 2017)

67. Kenny Omega vs Tomohiro Ishii (Wrestling Dontaku 2017)

68. Bad Luck Fale vs Kazuchika Okada (Wrestling Dontaku 2017)

69. Kushida vs Will Ospreay (Best of Super Juniors 2017)

70. Kushida vs Hiromu Takahashi (Dominion 2017)

71. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Tetsuya Naito (Dominion 2017)

72. Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada (Dominion 2017)

73. Cody vs Kazuchika Okada (G1 Special 2017)

74. Kenny Omega vs Tomohiro Ishii (G1 Special 2017)

75. Kota Ibushi vs Tetsuya Naito (G1 Climax 2017 Day 1)

76. Tetsuya Naito vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (G1 Climax 2017 Day 17)

77. Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada (G1 Climax 2017 Day 18)

78. Tetsuya Naito vs Kenny Omega (G1 Climax 2017 Final)

79. EVIL vs Kazuchika Okada (King of Pro Wrestling 2017)

80. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kota Ibushi (Power Struggle 2017)

81. Will Ospreay vs Hiromu Takahashi vs Marty Scurll vs Kushida (Wrestle Kingdom 12)

82. Jay White vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (Wrestle Kingdom 12)

83. Chris Jericho vs Kenny Omega (Wrestle Kingdom 12)

84. Tetsuya Naito vs Kazuchika Okada (Wrestle Kingdom 12)

85. The Elite vs Roppongi 3K (New Years Dash 2018)

86. Jay White vs Kenny Omega (New Beginning 2018)

87. Hiromu Takahashi vs Will Ospreay (New Beginning 2018)

88. SANADA vs Kazuchika Okada (New Beginning 2018)

89. Will Ospreay vs Kazuchika Okada (Anniversary Event 2018)

90. Zack Sabre Jr vs Tetsuya Naito (New Japan Cup 2018)

91. Zack Sabre Jr vs Kota Ibushi (New Japan Cup 2018)

92. Zack Sabre Jr vs SANADA (New Japan Cup 2018)

93. Zack Sabre Jr vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Japan Cup 2018 Final)

94. The Golden Lovers vs Young Bucks (Strong Style Evolved 2018)

95. Marty Scurll vs Will Ospreay (Sakura Genesis 2018)

96. Zack Sabre Jr vs Kazuchika Okada (Sakura Genesis 2018)

97. Kushida vs Will Ospreay (Wrestling Dontaku 2018)

98. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada (Wrestling Dontaku 2018)

99. Hiromu Takahashi vs Taiji Ishimori (Best of Super Juniors 2018 Final)

100. Will Ospreay vs Hiromu Takahashi (Dominion 2018)

101. Chris Jericho vs Tetsuya Naito (Dominion 2018)

102. Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada (Dominion 2018)

103. Kazuchika Okada vs Minoru Suzuki (Pirate Festival 2018)

104. Hiromu Takahashi vs Dragon Lee (G1 Special 2018)

105. Juice Robinson vs Jay White (G1 Special 2018)

106. Cody vs Kenny Omega (G1 Special 2018)

107. Jay White vs Kazuchika Okada (G1 Climax 2018 Day 1)

108. Kenny Omega vs Tetsuya Naito (G1 Climax 2018 Day 2)

109. Jay White vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (G1 Climax 2018 Day 3)

110. Kenny Omega vs Hirooki Goto (G1 Climax 2018 Day 4)

111. Tomohiro Ishii vs Hirooki Goto (G1 Climax 2018 Day 6)

112. Kota Ibushi vs Tetsuya Naito (G1 Climax 2018 Day 14)

113. Kenny Omega vs Tomohiro Ishii (G1 Climax 2018 Day 14)

114. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada (G1 Climax Day 17)

115. Kota Ibushi vs Kenny Omega (G1 Climax 2018 Day 18)

116. Kota Ibushi vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (G1 Climax 2018 Final)

117. Tomohiro Ishii vs Kenny Omega (Destruction 2018)

118. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada (Destruction 2018)

119. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Jay White (King of Pro Wrestling 2018)

120. Kota Ibushi vs Cody vs Kenny Omega (King of Pro Wrestling 2018)

121. EVIL vs Chris Jericho (Power Struggle 2018)

122. Golden Lovers vs Tanahashi and Ospreay (Road to Tokyo Dome)

123. Will Ospreay vs Kota Ibushi (Wrestle Kingdom 13)

124. Jay White vs Kazuchika Okada (Wrestle Kingdom 13)

125. Tetsuya Naito vs Chris Jericho (Wrestle Kingdom 13)

126. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kenny Omega (Wrestle Kingdom 13)

127. Jay White vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Beginning 2019)

128. Jay White vs Will Ospreay (Anniversary 2019)

129. Kota Ibushi vs Tetsuya Naito (New Japan Cup 2019)

130. Kazuchika Okada vs SANADA (New Japan Cup 2019 Final)

131. Dragon Lee vs Bandido vs Taiji Ishimori (G1 Supercard 2019)

132. Kota Ibushi vs Tetsuya Naito (G1 Supercard 2019)

133. Kazuchika Okada vs Jay White (G1 Supercard 2019)

134. SANADA vs Kazuchika Okada (Wrestling Dontaku 2019)

135. Will Ospreay vs Shingo Takagi (Best of Super Juniors Final 2019)

136. Jon Moxley vs Shota Umino (Dominion 2019)

137. Will Ospreay vs Dragon Lee (Dominion 2019)

138. Tetsuya Naito vs Kota Ibushi (Dominion 2019)

139. Chris Jericho vs Kazuchika Okada (Dominion 2019)

140. Will Ospreay vs Lance Archer (G1 Climax 2019 Day 1)

141. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada (G1 Climax 2019 Day 1)

142. Kota Ibushi vs Will Ospreay (G1 Climax 2019 Day 5)

143. Jon Moxley vs Tomohiro Ishii (G1 Climax 2019 Day 6)

144. Will Ospreay vs Kazuchika Okada (G1 Climax 2019 Day 7)

145. SANADA vs Kazuchika Okada (G1 Climax 2019 Day 13)

146. Shingo Takagi vs Tetsuya Naito (G1 Climax 2019 Day 14)

147. Shingo Takagi vs Tomohiro Ishii (G1 Climax 2019 Day 16)

148. Kota Ibushi vs Kazuchika Okada (G1 Climax 2019 Day 17)

149. Jay White vs Tetsuya Naito (G1 Climax 2019 Day 18)

150. Bullet Club vs Chaos (G1 Climax 2019 Finals)

151. Kota Ibushi vs Jay White (G1 Climax 2019 Finals)

152. Minoru Suzuki vs Kazuchika Okada (Royal Quest 2019)

153. Jay White vs Tetsuya Naito (Destruction 2019)

154. Minoru Suzuki vs Jushin Thunder Liger (King of Pro Wrestling 2019)

155. SANADA vs Kazuchika Okada (King of Pro Wrestling 2019)

156. Tomohiro Ishii vs KENTA (Power Struggle 2019)

157. Hirooki Goto vs Jay White (Power Struggle 2019)

158. Jon Moxley vs Lance Archer (Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night One)

159. Hiromu Takahashi vs Will Ospreay (Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night One)

160. Tetsuya Naito vs Jay White (Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night One)

161. Kota Ibushi vs Kazuchika Okada (Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night One)

162. Hiromu Takahashi and Dragon Lee vs Jushin Thunder Liger and Naoki Sano (Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night Two)

163. Hirooki Goto vs KENTA (Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night Two)

164. Chris Jericho vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night Two)

165. Tetsuya Naito vs Kazuchika Okada (Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night Two)

by DeFy_DC

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