The New Beginning in Sapporo (2020)

Promotional poster featuring various NJPW wrestlers

**The New Beginning in Sapporo** **2020**  was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on two nights on February 1 and 2, 2020, in Sapporo, Hokkaido, at the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center. Both nights featured eight matches, three of which were contested for championships in the second night. The first night was main evented by Hirooki Goto defending the NEVER Openweight Championship against Shingo Takagi. The second night was main evented by Kazuchika Okada facing Taichi. This was the eighteenth event under the New Beginning name and the third to take place in Sapporo.

## Production

### Background

In recent years, NJPW has held the opening day of the G1 Climax tournament in Sapporo. With The New Beginning in Sapporo, the promotion revives an old tradition of holding a show during the annual Sapporo Snow Festival, under the subtitle 雪の札幌2連戦 (Yuki no Sapporo 2 Rensen, *"2 Sapporo Snow Battles"*). Since January 2018, NJPW hosted the event on two different nights. The event will air worldwide on NJPW's internet streaming site, New Japan Pro Wrestling World, with English commentary provided by Kevin Kelly and Chris Charlton.

### Storylines

The New Beginning in Sapporo featured eight professional wrestling matches in two nights that involve different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.

The first night was main evented by Hirooki Goto defending the NEVER Openweight Championship against Shingo Takagi. On January 6, 2020, at *New Years Dash*, Goto and Takagi faced each other in a tag team match, with Takagi teaming with his *Los Ingobernables de Japon* stablemate EVIL and Goto with his CHAOS stablemate Tomohiro Ishii. The match ended after Takagi scored a direct pinfall over Goto. Afterwards, Takagi challegend Goto to a title match, claiming that Goto didn't had respect for the NEVER Openweight Championship. The title match was made official on January 8. Takagi had previously defeated Goto during the 2019 G1 Climax, but in rematch on September 22 at Destruction in Kobe, Takagi was defeated by Goto, in which afterwards, Takagi vowed revenge against Goto.

Also at *New Years Dash*, during Goto and Takagi's match EVIL and Tomohiro Ishii were involved in a brawl after their match, prompting NJPW to announce a match between the two on January 8.

The second night was main evented by Kazuchika Okada facing Taichi. Also at *New Years Dash*, Okada and Taichi faced each other in a tag team match, with Okada teaming with his CHAOS stablemates Robbie Eagles, Will Ospreay and Yoshi-Hashi and Taichi with his Suzuki-gun stablemate Lance Archer, Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr.. The match ended by disqualification when Taichi lay out Okada with the *Iron Finger From Hell*. Afterwards, Taichi kept attacking Okada, with later Taichi proclaiming that Okada ould be the first victim of the *Iron Finger From Hell*. The match between was announced on January 8.

The feud between CHAOS and Suzuki-gun resulted in The New Beginning in Sapporo also featuring other prominent match with Zack Sabre Jr. defending the Biritsh Heavweight Championship against Will Ospreay, after Sabre continued attacking Ospreay after their match at *New Years Dash*.

The event also featured a built to IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship title match between Jon Moxley and Minoru Suzuki taking place seven days later at The New Beginning in Osaka.

## External links

* The official New Japan Pro-Wrestling website