BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!
Stardom will have a match at Wrestle Kingdom 14!— We Are Stardom (@we_are_stardom) December 24, 2019
Stardom announced that the promotion will be featured on the New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 14, the 2-day event on January 4 and 5. Following NJPW parent company, Bushiroad, acquisition of Stardom, the women’s promotion will be represented on night one of Wrestle Kingdom 14.
This will be the first time in the history of NJPW that women will be involved in a match, even if it will be a dark bout. The news was revealed at Stardom’s Year-End Climax show today. The participants for this dark match have been revealed, Mayu Iwatani and Arisa Hoshiki will face Hana Kimura and Giulia.
新日本プロレスと選手契約を更改しました。来年も頑張ります。よろしくお願いします！ pic.twitter.com/tDLVycnnJp
— 棚橋 弘至 (@tanahashi1_100) December 24, 2019
Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yuji Nagata each announced they have re-signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Both commented on Twitter about their returns in 2020 (translated by Google Translate). “The player contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling has been updated. I will do my best next year. Thank you!” Tanahashi wrote. “Christmas Eve this year is really cold,” Nagata put online. “It may be the coldest in the past few years?! [Laughs] Such a contract was renewed today. Thank you for New Japan Pro-Wrestling Hiroshi Nagata in 2020.”
Tanahashi, 42, has been with NJPW since graduating from the dojo in 1999 and has gone on to be one of the company’s most popular stars, winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship 8 times. Nagata, 51 and a former 2-time IWGP Heavyweight Championship, worked with NJPW from 1992 until 1997, then returned in 1998 and remained with the company since then. At Wrestle Kingdom 14, Nagata is scheduled to team up with Manabu Nakanishi against Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan on Night 1 when Tanahashi will take on Chris Jericho on Night 2.
今年のクリスマスイヴは本当に寒いですね。
ここ数年で一番寒いのでは(笑)⁈そんな本日契約更改しました。
2020年も新日本プロレス永田裕志を宜しくお願いします。— 永田裕志 (@nagata769) December 24, 2019
All pics courtesy of NJPW