Wrestling World 2002 was a professional wrestling event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It took place on January 4 in the Tokyo Dome. Wrestling World 2002 was the eleventh January 4 Tokyo Dome Show held by NJPW. The show drew 52,000 spectators.[1] The show was the first January 4 Tokyo Dome Show to feature wrestlers from Pro Wrestling Noah, with the main event of the nine match show being a successful defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship as champion Jun Akiyama defeated NJPW representative Yuji Nagata. The show also featured a successful IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship defense by Kendo Kashin.
Production[]
Background[]
The January 4 Tokyo Dome Show is NJPW's biggest annual even and has been called "the largest professional wrestling show in the world outside of the United States" and the "Japanese equivalent to the Super Bowl".[2][3]
Storylines[]
Wrestling World 2002 featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[4]
Results[]
| # | Results | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Masahito Kakihara and Masayuki Naruse defeated Katsuyori Shibata and Wataru Inoue | Tag team match | 10:50 |
| 2 | El Samurai and Minoru Tanaka defeated Akira and Koji Kanemoto | Tag team match | 12:31 |
| 3 | Kazunari Murakami and Yuki Ishikawa defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kenzo Suzuki | Tag team match | 08:00 |
| 4 | The Great Sasuke, Jushin Thunder Liger and Tiger Mask defeated Dick Togo, Gedo and Jado | Six-man tag team match | 20:12 |
| 5 | Manabu Nakanishi defeated Giant Silva by countout | Singles match | 06:49 |
| 6 | Kendo Kashin (c) defeated Daijiro Matsui | Singles match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship | 05:43 |
| 7 | Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Mutoh defeated Osamu Nishimura and Tatsumi Fujinami | Tag team match | 16:44 |
| 8 | Naoya Ogawa wrestled Kensuke Sasaki to a no contest | Singles match | 04:02 |
| 9 | Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima) defeated Giant Singh and Masahiro Chono | Tag team match | 10:47 |
| 10 | Jun Akiyama (c) defeated Yuji Nagata | Singles match for the GHC Heavyweight Championship | 19:58 |
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References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Wrestling World 2002 . ProWrestlingHistory.com (2002-01-04). Retrieved on 2010-04-13.
- ↑ GFW News: New Japan Pro Wrestling "Wrestle Kingdom 9" press conference details . Pro Wrestling Dot Net (2014-12-23). Retrieved on 2017-10-09.
- ↑ Keller, Wade 2016-12-13. New Japan's WrestleKingdom 11 to air on AXS TV starting Jan. 13 in four weekly special episodes with Ross & Barnett on commentary . Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved on 2017-10-09.
- ↑ Grabianowski, Ed. How Pro Wrestling Works . HowStuffWorks, Inc.. Discovery Communications. Retrieved on 2017-10-09.
External links[]
- NJPW.co.jp (Japanese)
