Historic X-Over I was a professional wrestling co-produced by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and World Wonder Ring Stardom (Stardom). The show took place on November 20, 2022, in Tokyo, Japan at the Ariake Arena. This was the first show co-produced by both promotions owned by Bushiroad NJPW and Stardom. Both promotions crowned the inaugural IWGP Women's Champion at the show. This was the first event under the Historic X-Over name.
Production[]
Background[]
On July 29, 2022, at a press conference, NJPW and Stardom officially announced the shows for November 20, 2022, taking place at the newly built Ariake Arena. The show would mark the first time NJPW and Stardom presented shows together, with both being owned by the same parent company Bushiroad, as opposed to holding separately. During that day, both promotions also announced the creation of the IWGP Women's Championship, with the inaugural champion being crowned at the show.
The official logo of the event
In Puroresu, promotions typically keep their promotions gender specific, with promotions either promoting male or female wrestlers and not a mixed roster. As part of the Bushiroad umbrella, NJPW focuses only on promoting male talent, and Stardom focuses on female talent, due to being a Joshi promotion. Bushiroad President Takaaki Kidani went public with their plan of a global expansion, including Bushiroad's investment in the growing popularity of the women's professional wrestling market, which included the acquisition of Stardom in October 2019. Plans had been made to increase focus on production and advertising to build the popularity of Stardom and increase their female fanbase, including the appearance of Stardom wrestlers in NJPW's main event such as Wrestle Kingdom 15 in Tokyo Dome and Wrestle Kingdom 16, while also being influenced by their American partner All Elite Wrestling (AEW), who also have a women's division. Former NJPW wrestler and AEW's Executive Vice President Kenny Omega had previously pitched the idea to NJPW to promote a women's division, but it was rebuffed, citing that it was not part of the promotion's identity.
Tickets for the shows were put on pre-sale on August 18 exclusively for fan club members of both NJPW and Stardom with the general sale being held on September 23. On November 6, NJPW announced the full match card for the event.
Storylines[]
Historic X-Over (2022) featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.
Mayu Iwatani, one of the "Three Daughters of Stardom", who faced KAIRI to crown the inaugural IWGP Women's Champion
On July 29, 2022, NJPW and Stardom announced the creation of the IWGP Women's Championship, subsequently, a tournament was set up to crown the inaugural champion. On August 27, four representatives from certain stables of Stardom decided to compete in the four available slots. The representatives were Himeka, Mayu Iwatani, Momo Watanabe, and Utami Hayashishita. On September 23, KAIRI was announced as the mysterious international competitor to take part in the tournament and as such received a bye in the tournament. The tournament began on October 2 at Royal Quest II, with the final match scheduled for the event. On October 23, KAIRI defeated Jazzy Gabert to advance to the finals. Meanwhile, in the Stardom bracket, Mayu Iwatani defeated Momo Watanabe and then Utami Hayashishita to advance to the finals, setting up the inaugural championship match. Following the match, Iwatani declared that their match would blast away a five-year void in their relationship, marking their first singles match since 2017.
Along with Io Shirai, they became known as the "Three Daughters of Stardom", and are responsible for setting the promotion to its worldwide recognition, in the mid 2010s, with Stardom's CEO's Rossy Ogawa crediting Iwatani for the promotion's popularity. While KAIRI underwent a successful run in WWE, Iwatani decided to stay at Stardom and cemented her status as the Icon of the promotion, both domestically and overseas.
Great-O-Khan, who teamed with his United Empire stablemates Jeff Cobb and Aaron Henare at the event
On September 3, Great-O-Khan made an appearance for Pro Wrestling NOAH, successfully teaming with The Great Muta and Nosawa Rongai, before Muta turned on him following their match, spraying him with poison mist, signifying the end of their alliance. On October 26, during a tournament to crown the inaugural NJPW World Television Champion, between O-Khan and Toru Yano, Muta made his return to NJPW, repeating the same feat, spraying him with poison mist for the second time, just as he had done prior in NOAH, assisting in Yano's easy victory. Afterwards, as a reminder of their successful team at Wrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome, a handshake between Muta and Yano rekindled a relationship, with Muta declaring that he was eager to face O-Khan. Two days later, NJPW announced that Muta, Yano, and his CHAOS stablemate Kazuchika Okada would face O-Khan and his United Empire stablemates Jeff Cobb and Aaron Henare at the event.
Shota Umino, who faced Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
In November 2019, Shota Umino was sent to the British Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW) promotion on a learning excursion. Afterwards, he began feuding with Gideon Grey stable Legion, which was aligned with the United Empire. This led to Umino challenging Ospreay to a match for the British Heavyweight Championship in November, which he lost, after the interference from Ospreay's United Empire stablemates Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis). After not being satisfied with the outcome of the match, Umino faced Ospreay in a non-title rematch on October 1 at Royal Quest II, which he lost again after his father referee Red Shoes Unno, was forced to stop the match. On November 5 at Battle Autumn, Umino, made a surprise appearance after Ospreay had defeated Tetsuya Naito to retain the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, he responded to his United States Championship open challenge, before attacking him and his United Empire stablemates, and posing with his title belt, setting up a title match between the two at Historic X-Over.
Results[]
| # | Matches | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1P | LA Dojo (Clark Connors, Alex Coughlin, Gabriel Kidd and Kevin Knight) defeated Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, Yuto Nakashima and Oskar Leube | Eight-man tag team match | 9:39 |
| 2P | MIRAI won by last eliminating Super Strong Stardom Machine | Stardom Rambo | 23:06 |
| 3 | CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii, Yoshi-Hashi, Yoh and Lio Rush) defeated House of Torture (EVIL, Sho, Dick Togo and Yujiro Takahashi) | Eight-man tag team match | 7:05 |
| 4 | Queen's Quest (Saya Kamitani, AZM and Lady C) defeated Donna Del Mondo (Thekla, Himeka and Mai Sakurai) | Six-woman tag team match | 9:20 |
| 5 | Zack Sabre Jr. and Giulia defeated Tom Lawlor and Syuri | Mixed tag team match | 10:29 |
| 6 | Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Tam Nakano and Natsupoi defeated El Desperado, DOUKI, Momo Watanabe and Starlight Kid | Eight-person mixed tag team match | 12:01 |
| 7 | Hiroshi Tanahashi and Utami Hayashishita defeated Hirooki Goto and Maika | Mixed tag team match | 9:36 |
| 8 | United Empire (Kyle Fletcher, Mark Davis, Francesco Akira, TJP and Gideon Grey) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi and BUSHI) | Eight-man tag team match | 9:55 |
| 9 | The Great Muta, Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano defeated United Empire (Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and Aaron Henare) | Six-man tag team match | 9:48 |
| 10 | Will Ospreay (c) defeated Shota Umino | Singles match for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship | 23:30 |
| 11 | KAIRI defeated Mayu Iwatani | Tournament final match for the inaugural IWGP Women's Championship | 25:28 |
| |||
IWGP Women's Championship tournament bracket[]
| Round 1 Royal Quest II (October 2) IWGP Women's Championship First Round (October 22) | Semi-Finals Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2022 Night 1 (October 23) | Finals Historic X-Over (November 20) | ||||||||||||
| Mayu Iwatani | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Momo Watanabe | 12:32 | |||||||||||||
| Mayu Iwatani | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Stardom | ||||||||||||||
| Utami Hayashishita | 14:51 | |||||||||||||
| Utami Hayashishita | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Himeka | 11:41 | |||||||||||||
| Mayu Iwatani | 25:28 | |||||||||||||
| KAIRI | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Jazzy Gabert | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Ava White | 10:33 | |||||||||||||
| Jazzy Gabert | 12:24 | |||||||||||||
| International | ||||||||||||||
| KAIRI | Pin | |||||||||||||
Stardom Rambo entrances and eliminations[]
| Draw | Entrant | Order | Eliminated by | Elimination(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MIRAI | – | Winner | 3 |
| 2 | Ami Sourei | 11 | Saki Kashima | 2 |
| 3 | Saya Iida | 1 | Natsuko Tora | 0 |
| 4 | Natsuko Tora | 6 | Hazuki | 1 |
| 5 | Hanan | 8 | Saki Kashima | 1 |
| 6 | Hina | 5 | Ruaka | 2 |
| 7 | Rina | 7 | Hanan | 0 |
| 8 | Hazuki | 10 | Saki Kashima | 1 |
| 9 | Koguma | 9 | Saki Kashima | 0 |
| 10 | Momo Kohgo | 2 | Ami Sourei and Hina | 0 |
| 11 | Waka Tsukiyama | 3 | Ami Sourei and Hina | 0 |
| 12 | Saki Kashima | 13 | MIRAI | 5 |
| 13 | Ruaka | 4 | MIRAI | 1 |
| 14 | Miyu Amasaki | 12 | Saki Kashima | 0 |
| 15 | Super Strong Stardom Machine | 14 | MIRAI | 0 |