NJPW 49th Anniversary Show

The NJPW 49th Anniversary Show was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on March 4, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan at the Nippon Budokan arena.[2] The event featured six matches, including the start of the annual New Japan Cup. In the main event match, Kota Ibushi defeated the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado to retain his IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships and become the first IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.[3]

NJPW 49th Anniversary Show
PromotionNew Japan Pro-Wrestling
DateMarch 4, 2021
CityTokyo, Japan
VenueNippon Budokan
Attendance3,026[1]
Event chronology
← Previous
Castle Attack		 Next →
New Japan Cup
NJPW Anniversary Show chronology
← Previous
48th		 Next →
50th

Production
Other on-screen personnel
Role: Name:
English Commentators Kevin Kelly
Chris Charlton
Rocky Romero
Japanese Commentators Shinpei Nogami
Milano Collection A.T.
Katsuhiko Kanazawa
Kazuyoshi Sakai
Togi Makabe
Miki Motoi
Jushin Thunder Liger
Masahiro Chono
Ring announcers Makoto Abe
Kimihiko Ozaki
Referees Kenta Sato
Marty Asami
Red Shoes Unno

Background

NJPW was founded by Antonio Inoki on January 13, 1972[4] after his departure from the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance promotion.[5] The first NJPW event, titled Opening Series, took place on March 6, 1972, in the Ota Ward Gymnasium in Tokyo, to a crowd of 5,000.[6][7] The NJPW Anniversary Show has since been held annually in the first week of March to celebrate the anniversary of the company, starting with the 40th Anniversary Show in 2012.[8][9]

Since 2020, NJPW has been unable to run events with a full arena capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions.[10] The 49th Anniversary Show continued this policy.

Storylines

The NJPW 49th Anniversary Show featured professional wrestling matches that involve different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.[11]

After Kota Ibushi defeated Tetsuya Naito at Castle Attack, he was confronted by the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado. A match between the two wrestlers was later signed for the Anniversary Show. While the Anniversary Show traditionally features a non-title match between the IWGP Heavyweight Champion and the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, it was announced that Kota Ibushi vs. El Desperado will be a title match for Ibushi's IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships while also crowning the first IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

Results
No.Results[1]StipulationsTimes
1Master Wato, Gabriel Kidd, Tomoaki Honma and Hirooki Goto defeated Suzuki-gun (Douki, Zack Sabre Jr., Minoru Suzuki and Taichi)Eight-man tag team match10:39
2Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, Jay White, Chase Owens, Kenta and Evil) defeated Taguchi Japan (Ryusuke Taguchi, Toa Henare, David Finlay, Juice Robinson and Hiroshi Tanahashi)Ten-man tag team match7:39
3Chaos (Sho, Tomohiro Ishii and Kazuchika Okada) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japón (Bushi, Sanada and Shingo Takagi)Six-man tag team match9:13
4Jeff Cobb defeated Satoshi KojimaSingles match
New Japan Cup first round match		11:50
5Great-O-Khan defeated Tetsuya Naito by referee stoppageSingles match
New Japan Cup first round match		20:20
6Kota Ibushi (c) defeated El DesperadoSingles match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Both titles were unified; Ibushi was crowned the inaugural IWGP World Heavyweight Champion immediately after the match.		20:36
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match

See also

References
  1. NJPW. "2021.03.04 Anniversary Event | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  2. "NJPW 49th Anniversary Show to take place at Budokan Hall". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. 2020-12-11. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  3. NJPW. "Anniversary Event Preview | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  4. "About us | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  5. Herzog, Kenny (June 29, 2017). "Everything You Need to Know About New Japan Pro Wrestling". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  6. "NJPW 1972: Opening Series". Puroresu.com. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  7. Smallman, Jim (August 23, 2018). I'm Sorry, I Love You: A History of Professional Wrestling. ISBN 9781472254214.
  8. "新日本プロレスリング旗揚げからの歴史 - njpwworld". NJPW World. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  9. "NJPW 40th anniversary 旗揚げ記念日 – 東京・後楽園ホール". NJPW (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  10. Satin, Ryan (June 8, 2020). "NJPW To Resume Operations This Month, First Show With Fans Again Announced". Pro Wrestling Sheet. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  11. Grabianowski, Ed. "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks, Inc. Discovery Communications. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
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