Historic X-Over (2022)

Promotional poster for the event, featuring various NJPW and Stardom wrestlers

**Historic X-Over (2022)** was a professional wrestling co-produced by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and World Wonder Ring Stardom (Stardom). The show took place on November 20, 2022, in Tokyo, Japan at the Ariake Arena. This was the first show co-produced by both promotions owned by Bushiroad NJPW and Stardom. Both promotions crowned the inaugural IWGP Women's Champion at the show. This was the first event under the Historic X-Over name.

## Production

### Background

On July 29, 2022, at a press conference, NJPW and Stardom officially announced the shows for November 20, 2022, taking place at the newly built Ariake Arena. The show would mark the first time NJPW and Stardom presented shows together, with both being owned by the same parent company Bushiroad, as opposed to holding separately. During that day, both promotions also announced the creation of the IWGP Women's Championship, with the inaugural champion being crowned at the show.

In Puroresu, promotions typically keep their promotions gender specific, with promotions either promoting male or female wrestlers and not a mixed roster. As part of the Bushiroad umbrella, NJPW focuses only on promoting male talent, and Stardom focuses on female talent, due to being a *Joshi* promotion. Bushiroad President Takaaki Kidani went public with their plan of a global expansion, including Bushiroad's investment in the growing popularity of the women's professional wrestling market, which included the acquisition of Stardom in October 2019. Plans had been made to increase focus on production and advertising to build the popularity of Stardom and increase their female fanbase, including the appearance of Stardom wrestlers in NJPW's main event such as Wrestle Kingdom 15 in Tokyo Dome and Wrestle Kingdom 16, while also being influenced by their American partner All Elite Wrestling (AEW), who also have a women's division. Former NJPW wrestler and AEW's Executive Vice President Kenny Omega had previously pitched the idea to NJPW to promote a women's division, but it was rebuffed, citing that it was not part of the promotion's identity.

Tickets for the shows were put on pre-sale on August 18 exclusively for fan club members of both NJPW and Stardom with the general sale being held on September 23. On November 6, NJPW announced the full match card for the event.

### Storylines

Historic X-Over (2022) featured 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 build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.

On July 29, 2022, NJPW and Stardom announced the creation of the IWGP Women's Championship, subsequently, a tournament was set up to crown the inaugural champion. On August 27, four representatives from certain stables of Stardom decided to compete in the four available slots. The representatives were Himeka, Mayu Iwatani, Momo Watanabe, and Utami Hayashishita. On September 23, KAIRI was announced as the mysterious international competitor to take part in the tournament and as such received a bye in the tournament. The tournament began on October 2 at Royal Quest II, with the final match scheduled for the event. On October 23, KAIRI defeated Jazzy Gabert to advance to the finals. Meanwhile, in the Stardom bracket, Mayu Iwatani defeated Momo Watanabe and then Utami Hayashishita to advance to the finals, setting up the inaugural championship match. Following the match, Iwatani declared that their match would blast away a five-year void in their relationship, marking their first singles match since 2017.

Along with Io Shirai, they became known as the "Three Daughters of Stardom", and are responsible for setting the promotion to its worldwide recognition, in the mid 2010s, with Stardom's CEO's Rossy Ogawa crediting Iwatani for the promotion's popularity. While KAIRI underwent a successful run in WWE, Iwatani decided to stay at Stardom and cemented her status as the Icon of the promotion, both domestically and overseas.

On September 3, Great-O-Khan made an appearance for Pro Wrestling NOAH, successfully teaming with The Great Muta and Nosawa Rongai, before Muta turned on him following their match, spraying him with poison mist, signifying the end of their alliance. On October 26, during a tournament to crown the inaugural NJPW World Television Champion, between O-Khan and Toru Yano, Muta made his return to NJPW, repeating the same feat, spraying him with poison mist for the second time, just as he had done prior in NOAH, assisting in Yano's easy victory. Afterwards, as a reminder of their successful team at Wrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome, a handshake between Muta and Yano rekindled a relationship, with Muta declaring that he was eager to face O-Khan. Two days later, NJPW announced that Muta, Yano, and his CHAOS stablemate Kazuchika Okada would face O-Khan and his United Empire stablemates Jeff Cobb and Aaron Henare at the event.

In November 2019, Shota Umino was sent to the British Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW) promotion on a learning excursion. Afterwards, he began feuding with Gideon Grey stable Legion, which was aligned with the United Empire. This led to Umino challenging Ospreay to a match for the British Heavyweight Championship in November, which he lost, after the interference from Ospreay's United Empire stablemates Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis). After not being satisfied with the outcome of the match, Umino faced Ospreay in a non-title rematch on October 1 at Royal Quest II, which he lost again after his father referee Red Shoes Unno, was forced to stop the match. On November 5 at Battle Autumn, Umino, made a surprise appearance after Ospreay had defeated Tetsuya Naito to retain the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, he responded to his United States Championship open challenge, before attacking him and his United Empire stablemates, and posing with his title belt, setting up a title match between the two at Historic X-Over.