New Japan Pro Wrestling kicked off 2025 with a strong first weekend

The first weekend of 2025 has come and gone, and it featured several impactful moments in professional wrestling. The action coming out of Japan led the way, with Wrestle Kingdom 19 and Wrestle Dynasty being the featured shows of the weekend. By the time the weekend was over, fans had a lot to talk about and even more to look forward to seeing in professional wrestling this year.

The biggest story of the weekend was Kenny Omega’s return to the ring. It was 397 days since his last time stepping into the ring. There was a lot of concern about how Omega, now 41 years old, would look. He was walking into a big match against Gabe Kidd, a name that many are marking as the next big free agent coming out of NJPW. Not only did the “Best Bout Machine” show up, but he showed up big.

Once again, Omega tapped into his love for video games, specifically the Final Fantasy series for a big entrance to the ring. And from there, he and Kidd used 31 minutes to put on a classic that is worthy of Omega’s run in Japan. Kidd served as the perfect heel to Omega and played that part up until the bitter end. Professional wrestling needs Kenny Omega and this was a fantastic celebration to see him back in the ring.

Another major talking point came from Wrestle Kingdom 19, where Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Shota Umino in the main event after 43 minutes of action. The debate since has played out in two ways, with some complaining that it was too long for ZSJ’s style and that Umino isn’t ready for the main event. While others were accepting of the match, especially with how it compared to the lengths of other WK main events. It will be interesting to see how the perception of this match changes over time.

Mercedes Mone defeated Mina Shirakawa to take both the British Women’s Championship and the Southside Championship, adding two more belts around her waist. One of the big angles to watch in 2025 is who will be the first woman to pin Mone. She went 15-0 in 2024, capturing two titles along the way. Whoever All Elite Wrestling puts over her first will hopefully get a big boost of momentum that will positively impact the entire women’s division.

There’s a lot to look forward to across professional wrestling this year. Don’t leave New Japan Pro Wrestling out of the mix because the content they put out this weekend is a great starting point for what is to come in 2025.