New Year Dash!!

New Year Dash!! is a professional wrestling event held annually by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It is held every year the day after Wrestle Kingdom, the biggest show of the year for New Japan, starting at Wrestle Kingdom 8 in 2014. There have been eight events under the name held so far, with the first six held on January 5th. Starting in 2020, with Wrestle Kingdom now a two night event, New Year Dash is now held January 6.[1]

New Year Dash!!
Official logo used since 2020
Promotion(s)	New Japan Pro-Wrestling
First event	New Year Dash!! (2014)
Last event	New Year Dash!! (2021)

Production

Background

New Year Dash!! is traditionally held at Korakuen Hall, a prestigious venue right next to the Tokyo Dome, where Wrestle Kingdom is held. The 2020 edition, however, was held at Ota City General Gymnasium due to the event being the official retirement ceremony for Jyushin Thunder Liger.[2] The 2021 edition was held at Tokyo Dome City Hall, another venue right next to the Dome.[3]

Storylines

New Year Dash!! features 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 built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[4] New Year Dash!! is the night were New Japan Pro-Wrestling starts many new storylines and feuds after most have ended the night before at Wrestle Kingdom. Dash!! is an exciting show, where fans tune in to see how the promotion will start the year in terms of stories leading into the New Beginning shows.[5] Because of its "reset"-like nature after the company's biggest show of the year, many fans see Dash!! as NJPW's equivalent to the first Raw after WrestleMania in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).[6][7][8]

Results

2014

New Year Dash!! (2014)
Promotion	New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Date	January 5, 2014
City	Tokyo, Japan
Venue	Korakuen Hall
Attendance	2,015[9]
Pay-per-view chronology
← Previous Wrestle Kingdom 8 Next → Fantastica Mania 2014
New Year Dash!! chronology
← Previous First Next → 2015

No.	Results[10]	Stipulations	Times[11]
1	Time Splitters (Alex Shelley & Kushida) defeated The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson), Suzuki-gun (Taichi & Taka Michinoku), and Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov & Rocky Romero)	Four-way tag team match	7:01
2	Minoru Suzuki defeated Sho Tanaka	Singles match	4:30
3	Chaos (Jado, Takashi Iizuka, Toru Yano & Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Manabu Nakanishi, Super Strong Machine, Yohei Komatsu & Yuji Nagata	Eight-man tag team match	11:16
4	El Desperado & Jyushin Thunder Liger defeated Bushi & Kota Ibushi	Tag team match	8:22
5	Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale & Prince Devitt) defeated Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma)	Tag team match	9:43
6	Suzuki-gun (Davey Boy Smith Jr., Lance Archer & Shelton Benjamin) defeated Bullet Club (Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga)	Six-man tag team match	11:50
7	The IronGodz (Jax Dane & Rob Conway) (c) defeated Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima)	Tag team match for the NWA World Tag Team Championship	11:29
8	Captain New Japan, Hirooki Goto, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tetsuya Naito defeated Chaos (Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi)	Eight-man tag team match	20:30
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

2015

New Year Dash!! (2015)
Promotion	New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Date	January 5, 2015
City	Tokyo, Japan
Venue	Korakuen Hall
Attendance	1,995[12]
Pay-per-view chronology
← Previous Wrestle Kingdom 9 Next → Fantastica Mania 2015
New Year Dash!! chronology
← Previous 2014 Next → 2016

No.	Results[13]	Stipulations	Times[14]
1	Suzuki-gun (Taichi & Taka Michinoku) defeated Sho Tanaka & Tiger Mask	Tag team match	7:29
2	reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) defeated Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov & Rocky Romero)	Ten-man tag team match	10:30
3	Suzuki-gun (Davey Boy Smith Jr., Lance Archer, Minoru Suzuki, Shelton Benjamin & Takashi Iizuka) defeated Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima), Captain New Japan, Manabu Nakanishi & Tomoaki Honma	Ten-man tag team match	11:59
4	Jyushin Thunder Liger (c) defeated El Desperado	Singles match for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship	16:56
5	Time Splitters (Alex Shelley & Kushida) & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Bullet Club (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)	Six-man tag team match	9:16
6	Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga) defeated Chaos (Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano)	Tag team match	10:17
7	Kota Ibushi, Togi Makabe & Yuji Nagata defeated Chaos (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi)	Six-man tag team match	13:58
8	Bullet Club (AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson & Yujiro Takahashi) (with Cody Hall) defeated Hirooki Goto, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuyori Shibata & Tetsuya Naito	Eight-man tag team match	14:45
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

2016

New Year Dash!! (2016)
Promotion	New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Date	January 5, 2016
City	Tokyo, Japan
Venue	Korakuen Hall
Attendance	1,726[15]
Pay-per-view chronology
← Previous Wrestle Kingdom 10 Next → Fantastica Mania 2016
New Year Dash!! chronology
← Previous 2015 Next → 2017

No.	Results[16]	Stipulations	Times[17]
1	Manabu Nakanishi, Ryusuke Taguchi, Shiro Koshinaka, Sho Tanaka & Yuji Nagata defeated Cheeseburger, Jyushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask, Yohei Komatsu & Yoshiaki Fujiwara	Ten-man tag team match	10:13
2	Matt Sydal & Ricochet defeated David Finlay & Jay White	Tag team match	6:46
3	Jay Lethal (with Truth Martini) defeated Juice Robinson	Singles match	7:11
4	Bullet Club (Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, Tama Tonga & Yujiro Takahashi) & King Haku defeated Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma), Kushida & Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima)	Ten-man tag team match	11:10
5	Los Ingobernables de Japon (Bushi, Evil & Tetsuya Naito) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Mascara Dorada & Michael Elgin	Six-man tag team match	11:57
6	Bullet Club (AJ Styles & Kenny Omega) defeated Chaos (Shinsuke Nakamura & Yoshi-Hashi)	Tag team match	12:01
7	Hirooki Goto, Katsuyori Shibata & reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) defeated Chaos (Beretta, Kazuchika Okada, Rocky Romero & Tomohiro Ishii)	Eight-man tag team match	13:19
8	The Briscoes (Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe) & Toru Yano (c) defeated Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)	Six-man tag team match for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship	11:02
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

2017

New Year Dash!! (2017)
Promotion	New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Date	January 5, 2017
City	Tokyo, Japan
Venue	Korakuen Hall
Attendance	1,738[18]
Pay-per-view chronology
← Previous Wrestle Kingdom 11 Next → Fantastica Mania 2017
New Year Dash!! chronology
← Previous 2016 Next → 2018

No.	Results[19]	Stipulations	Times[20]
1	David Finlay, Kyle O'Reilly & Ricochet defeated Henare, Jyushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask	Six-man tag team match	6:16
2	Bullet Club (Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Billy Gunn & Yoshitatsu	Tag team match	6:39
3	Chaos (Beretta, Rocky Romero & Yoshi-Hashi defeated Bullet Club (Adam Cole, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)	Six-man tag team match	9:59
4	Team 2000 (Hiro Saito, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Scott Norton) & Cheeseburger defeated Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Bone Soldier, Kenny Omega, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)	Ten-man tag team match	9:57
5	Kushida & Michael Elgin defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito)	Tag team match	13:45
6	Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma), Juice Robinson, Katsuyori Shibata & Yuji Nagata defeat Chaos (Hirooki Goto, Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Will Ospreay)	Ten-man tag team match	14:54
7	Hiroshi Tanahashi, Manabu Nakanishi & Ryusuke Taguchi defeat Los Ingobernables de Japon (Bushi, Evil & Sanada) (c)	Six-man tag team match for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship	13:24
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

2018

New Year Dash!! (2018)
Promotion	New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Date	January 5, 2018
City	Tokyo, Japan
Venue	Korakuen Hall
Attendance	1,737[21]
Pay-per-view chronology
← Previous Wrestle Kingdom 12 Next → Fantastica Mania 2018
New Year Dash!! chronology
← Previous 2017 Next → 2019

No.	Results[22]	Stipulations	Times[23]
1	Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima), Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata defeated Ren Narita, Shota Umino, Tetsuhiro Yagi & Tomoyuki Oka	Eight-man tag team match	7:09
2	Suzuki-gun (El Desperado, Taichi, Taka Michinoku, Takashi Iizuka & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated Hirai Kawato, Jyushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask, Toa Henare & Togi Makabe	Ten-man tag team match	8:49
3	Jay White defeated Katsuya Kitamura	Singles match	7:31
4	Bullet Club (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) defeated Roppongi 3K (Sho & Yoh) & Cheeseburger (with Rocky Romero)	Six-man tag team match	11:19
5	Bullet Club (Chase Owens, Cody, Leo Tonga, Marty Scurll & Yujiro Takahashi) (with Brandi Rhodes) defeated David Finlay, Juice Robinson, Kota Ibushi, Kushida & Ryusuke Taguchi	Ten-man tag team match	13:20
6	Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) defeated Chaos (Beretta, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) (c)	Six-man tag team match for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship	14:40
7	Suzuki-gun (Davey Boy Smith Jr., Lance Archer, Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe), Hiroshi Tanahashi & Michael Elgin	Eight-man tag team match	11:36
8	Los Ingobernables de Japon (Bushi, Evil, Hiromu Takahashi, Sanada & Tetsuya Naito) defeated Chaos (Gedo, Hirooki Goto, Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay & Yoshi-Hashi)	Ten-man tag team match	13:50
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

2019

New Year Dash!! (2019)
Promotion	New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Date	January 5, 2019
City	Tokyo, Japan
Venue	Korakuen Hall
Attendance	1,730[24]
Pay-per-view chronology
← Previous Wrestle Kingdom 13 Next → Fantastica Mania 2019
New Year Dash!! chronology
← Previous 2018 Next → 2020

No.	Results[25]	Stipulations	Times[26]
1	Roppongi 3K (Rocky Romero, Sho & Yoh) defeated Suzuki-gun (Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr., Lance Archer) & Takashi Iizuka)	Six-man tag team match	8:34
2	The Elite (Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi) (with Pieter) defeated Toa Henare & Tomoaki Honma	Tag team match	9:24
3	FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson) defeated Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T) by disqualification	Tag team match	9:02
4	Chaos (Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Will Ospreay) defeated Jeff Cobb, Kushida & Yuji Nagata	Six-man tag team match	14:09
5	Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (c) defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe & Toru Yano	Six-man tag team match for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship	11:33
6	Suzuki-gun (El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Bushi, Evil, Sanada, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito)	Ten-man tag team match	14:45
7	Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Gedo & Jay White) defeated Chaos (Kazuchika Okada & Yoshi-Hashi) & Hiroshi Tanahashi	Six-man tag team match	15:16
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

2020

2021

New Year Dash!! (2021)
Promotion	New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Date	January 6, 2021
City	Tokyo, Japan
Venue	Tokyo Dome City Hall
Attendance	1,019 [27]
Pay-per-view chronology
← Previous Wrestle Kingdom 15 Next → Road to The New Beginning
New Year Dash!! chronology
← Previous 2020 Next → 2022

No.	Results[28]	Stipulations	Times[27]
1	Yuji Nagata defeats Gabriel Kidd via submission	Singles match	7:59
2	Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Douki) defeat Tiger Mask & Yuya Uemura	Tag team match	10:45
3	United Empire (Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb) defeat Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) & Yota Tsuji	Six-man tag team match	9:44
4	Bullet Club (Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa), Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo) defeat Suzuki-gun (Dangerous Tekkers (Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr.), El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)	Eight-man tag team match	11:35
5	Chaos (Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi) defeat Bullet Club (Jay White, Evil, Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens)	Ten-man tag team match	13:47
6	Los Ingobernables de Japon (Sanada, Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & Bushi) defeat Golden Ace (Kota Ibushi & Hiroshi Tanahashi), Roppongi 3K (Rocky Romero & Sho) & Master Wato	Ten-man tag team match	17:23
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

References

1. at 8:46pm, Published 14th November 2020 (2020-11-14). "NJPW Announces 2021 New Year Dash". WrestleTalk. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
2. "NJPW New Year Dash Results: Jushin Liger's Retirement Ceremony, Wrestle Kingdom 14 Fallout". Wrestling Inc. 2020-01-05. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
3. NJPW. "New Year Dash to hit Tokyo Dome City Hall Jan.6! | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
4. Grabianowski, Ed. "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks, Inc. Discovery Communications. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
5. "NJPW Announces Details For New Year's Dash 2021". WrestlingHeadlines.com. 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
6. Stroud, Brandon (2016-01-05). "Check Out This Huge NJPW New Year Dash Spoiler, Featuring A Major Star Saying Goodbye". UPROXX. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
7. "NJPW New Year's Dash report: Big Bullet Club angle, NEVER trios titles defended". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. 2016-01-05. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
8. "Chris Jericho teases more to come in NJPW with Tetsuya Naito attack at New Year Dash". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
9. "NEW YEAR DASH !! – 東京・後楽園ホール – 第1試合 20分1本勝負". www.njpw.co.jp.
10. "NEW YEAR DASH !! – 東京・後楽園ホール". www.njpw.co.jp.
11. "NJPW New Year Dash !! « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
12. "NEW YEAR DASH !! – 東京・後楽園ホール – AJスタイルズがIWGPベルトの奪還を宣言!". www.njpw.co.jp.
13. "NEW YEAR DASH !! – 東京・後楽園ホール". www.njpw.co.jp.
14. "NJPW New Year Dash !! 2015 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
15. "NEW YEAR DASH !! – 東京・後楽園ホール". www.njpw.co.jp.
16. "NJPW New Year's Dash report: Big Bullet Club angle, NEVER trios titles defended". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. January 5, 2016.
17. "NJPW New Year Dash !! 2016 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
18. "NEW YEAR DASH !! – 東京・後楽園ホール". www.njpw.co.jp.
19. "NJPW New Year's Dash results: The return of Suzuki-gun". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. January 5, 2017.
20. "NJPW New Year Dash !! 2017 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
21. "NEW YEAR DASH !! – 東京・後楽園ホール". www.njpw.co.jp.
22. "NJPW New Year's Dash results: Jericho appears, Bullet Club friction". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. January 6, 2018.
23. "NJPW New Year Dash !! 2018 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
24. "NEW YEAR DASH!! – 東京・後楽園ホール 2019 1/5（土）". www.njpw.co.jp.
25. "NJPW New Year Dash live results: Wrestle Kingdom 13 fallout". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. January 5, 2019.
26. "NJPW New Year Dash !! 2019 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
27. "NEW YEAR DASH!! – 東京・TOKYO DOME CITY HALL 2021/1/6". www.njpw.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-01-09.
28. "NJPW New Year Dash!! 2021 Review: The Gangs, All Here". Fanbyte. 2021-01-07. Retrieved 2021-01-09.