At a press conference on Monday, New Japan Pro Wrestling officially announced four matches for Wrestle Kingdom 11, as well as the entire field for its World Tag League 2016 tournament, which begins November 18 and runs through December 10.
The tag tournament splits 16 teams into two eight-team blocks, who face off in round-robin competition. The two block winners meet Dec. 10 at the finals in Miyagi. In recent years, the Tag League winners have earned a shot at the IWGP Tag Titles--assuming the current champions, the Guerrillas of Destiny, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa, don't win the tournament.
The Tag League field includes Billy Gunn, who will be making his NJPW debut teaming with Yoshitatsu. Other newsworthy pairings in the field include War Machine, the former ROH World Tag Champions; and the team of Brian Breaker and Leland Race, from Harley Race's WLW promotion. Leland Race is the son of Harley, the former seven-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
The full field for the World Tag League is as follows:
Block A:
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Juice Robinson
Tetsuya Naito & a mystery partner
Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima
War Machine (Raymond Rowe & Hanson)
IWGP Tag Team Champions Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)
Leland Race & Brian Breaker
Manabu Nakanishi & Henare
Yujiro Takahashi & Hangman Page
Block B:
Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI
Katusyori Shibata & Yuji Nagata
Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma
Tomohiro Ishii & Hirooki Goto
Yoshitatsu & Billy Gunn
Kenny Omega & Chase Owens
SANADA & EVIL
Bad Luck Fale & Bone Soldier
* NJPW also officially announced four title matches for Wrestle Kingdom, its annual January 4 Tokyo Dome show and the biggest event of the year for the promotion. In addition to the previously confirmed main event pitting Kenny Omega against champion Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Title, three other bouts were confirmed:
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. champion Tetsuya Naito for the Intercontinental Title
Hiromu Takahashi (also known as Kamaitachi) vs. champion KUSHIDA for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title
Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero & Trent Baretta) vs. champions Young Bucks for the IWGP Junior Tag Titles
* The next significant New Japan event is November 15, Wrestling World in Singapore. That event will see EVIL defend his newly won NEVER Openweight Title against the man he defeated, Katsuyori Shibata; plus a tag match pitting Okada and Yoshi-Hashi vs. Omega and Yujiro Takahashi.
* Meanwhile, ROH has updated the card for Final Battle 2016, which takes place Dec. 2 in New York City.
In the main event, Kyle O'Reilly will challenge for the ROH World Title. Current champion Adam Cole is set to defend against Jay Lethal later this month on the ROH tour of the United Kingdom.
Other matches include the following:
Dragon Lee challenges champion Bobby Fish for the ROH TV Title
The Briscoes challenge champion Young Bucks for the ROH World Tag Titles
Plus, the finals of the ROH Six Man Tag Title Tournament will be held, and both Cody Rhodes and Jushin Liger will be in action.
