New Japan Pro Wrestling held their 2019 NJPW Festival at Studio Coast in Tokyo on Thursday, an event that featured all of the Wrestle Kingdom 13 participants facing off.

The highlight of the show was the Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito contract signing, which ended with Jericho putting Naito through a table.

The festival also provided the most intense Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi promo battle to date, as Omega promised to kick out of anything that Tanahashi hit him with, while Tanahashi promised to end their feud decisively at Wrestle Kingdom 13.

Tanahashi: I’m coming into the Tokyo Dome with all my rage, and I’m going to bring this to an end. #njwk13

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) January 3, 2019


Also of note, Cody, with Brandi Rhodes beside him, and Juice Robinson went face-to-face ahead of their IWGP United States Championship bout on Friday.

Juice said that he should burn his gear and retire if he is unable to beat Cody, while Brandi Rhodes stated that she hated Juice’s face and his hair, and that she can’t wait to see Cody beat Juice again.

The festival also featured three Lion’s Gate Project matches. Here are the results:

  • Tiger Mask & Jushin Thunder Liger def. Yuya Uemura & Ren Narita in 11:28 when Tiger Mask pinned Uemura after a Tiger Driver.
  • Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata def. Tomoaki Honma & Toa Henare in 9:34 when Nagata pinned Henare with a backdrop hold.
  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima def. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino in 11:07 when Kojima pinned Umino after a lariat.