The New Beginning in Osaka (2023)

## The New Beginning in Osaka

Promotional poster featuring Kazuchika Okada and Shingo Takagi

**The New Beginning in Osaka (2023)** was an professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on February 11, 2023, in Osaka at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. The event featured eight matches, three of which were contested for championships. In the main event, Kazuchika Okada defended the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against KENTA. This was the thirty-sixth event under the New Beginning name and the eighth under the New Beginning in Osaka name, with the last back in 2020.

## Production

### Background

NJPW held the inaugural The New Beginning event on February 15, 2011, with future events going on to take place annually during January and February. In 2022, New Beginning events were absent, aside from The New Beginning USA.

### Storylines

The New Beginning in Osaka featured [professional wrestling matches that involves different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

On January 4, 2023 at Wrestle Kingdom 17 in Tokyo Dome, Kazuchika Okada defeated Jay White to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. After the match, Shingo Takagi came to the ring and challenged Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. He repeated his challenge the following day, at *New Years Dash!*, commenting that it had been a long year since he lost the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Okada on January 4 2022 at Wrestle Kingdom 16 in Tokyo Dome, and ever since he had put together a more than impressive resume with his Provisional 2023 KOPW Championship, viewing the title as a mean to challenge Okada. Okada accepted the title match. Okada accepted the title match, but requested to not be a double title match, and not be contested under any stipulation. On January 22, at The New Beginning in Nagoya, Takagi defeated Great-O-Khan to retain both the Provisional KOPW Championship and his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match.

At *New Years Dash!*, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tama Tonga, Hikuleo, and Master Wato defeated Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo, KENTA and Jay White. The match also featured the rivalry between Tonga and Phantasmo, after Phantasmo tried to use the NEVER Openweight Championship belt as a weapon, but was caught in the act and the disqualified Bullet Club. Afterwards, Bullet Club immediately attacked their opponents, with White laying out Hikuleo with steel chair shots. Shortly after, White blamed Hikuleo for losing the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, challenged him to a Loser Leaves Japan match, which he accepted.

Also at *New Year Dash!*, Narita was attacked by House of Torture, leading Minoru Suzuki and his former Suzuki-gun stablemate El Desperado, to assist them, quickly taking care of House of Torture. Afterwards, in a post-match interview, Desperado proposed Narita to form a team alongside him and Suzuki. This led to a title match for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship at The New Beginning in Osaka.