The New Beginning in Osaka (2018)

Promotional poster for the event, featuring various NJPW wrestlers

**The New Beginning in Osaka (2018)**  was professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on February 10, 2018, in Osaka, Osaka, at Edion Arena Osaka. The event featured nine matches, three of which were contested for championships. In the main event, Kazuchika Okada defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against SANADA. This was the fourteenth event under the New Beginning name and the fifth under the New Beginning in Osaka name.

## Production

### Background

The event will air worldwide on NJPW's internet streaming site, New Japan Pro Wrestling World, with English commentary provided by Kevin Kelly and Don Callis, the latter of whom replaces Kelly's previous broadcast partner Steve Corino.

### Storylines

The New Beginning in Osaka featured nine professional wrestling matches 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 New Beginning in Osaka was main evented by Kazuchika Okada making his tenth defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against SANADA. On January 5, 2018 at New Years Dash, Okada and his CHAOS stablemates Hirooki Goto, Yoshi-Hashi, Will Ospreay and Gedo faced SANADA and his Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemates Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi. After the match, L.I.J. attacked CHAOS and SANADA would lay out Okada with the *Skull End*. Afterwards, SANADA challenged Okada for his title. In the weeks leading to the event, Okada accepted SANADA's challenge for his title on the condition that he put first his IWGP Tag Team Championship against him and Goto. EVIL and SANADA retanied the titles against them on Febuary 6 in which SANADA and EVIL retained the titles during the Road to The New Beginning tour. SANADA made his debut in New Japan Pro Wrestling on April 10, 2016 at Invasion Attack 2016 by interfering in the main event and helping Naito defeating Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, joining Naito's Los Ingobernables de Japón (L.I.J.) stable in the process. The two would face each other on May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2016, where he Okada was victorious.

Okada has held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship ever since defeating Naito at Dominion 6.19 in Osaka-jo Hall, and became the longest reigning champion after defeating EVIL on October 9, 2017 at King of Pro-Wrestling. After Wrestle Kingdom 12, Okada stated that he would beat Hiroshi Tanahashi's record of eleven successfull title defenses. If Okada defeated SANADA it would mark its tenth title defense. This will be SANADA first opportunity for a singles championship in NJPW, this marks the rematch between the two since the 2016 Wrestling Dontaku. The match was officially announced on January 9.

The CHAOS and Los Ingobernables de Japon angle resulted in The New Beginning in Osaka also featuring other prominent matches featuring the stable. On January 5, 2018 at New Years Dash, after CHAOS faced L.I.J. both EVIL challenged Hirooki Goto for the NEVER Openweight Championship. On October 12, 2015 EVIL was revealed as Tetsuya Naito's associate during his match against Hiroshi Tanahashi. EVIL's outside interference in the match was stopped by Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata, leading to Naito suffering a loss. EVIL, then Watanabe attacked Goto, laying him out. EVIL faced Goto at Power Struggle in November, but the match ended in a disqualification, when Tetsuya Naito made a surprise appearance and attacked Goto. This will mark EVIL and Goto's one-on-one rematch after two years. Since Power Struggle EVIL and Goto would win the NEVER Openweight Championship, EVIL once and Goto twice. In the weeks leading to The New Beginning, EVIL and his partner SANADA put the IWGP Tag Team Championship on the line against Goto and his CHAOS stablemate Kazuchika Okada, where EVIL and SANADA retanied the titles against them on Febuary 6. The match was officially announced on January 9.

     Another match that features the CHAOS and L.I.J. angle his the match between Will Ospreay and Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. During the 2017 Best of the Super Juniors Ospreay defeated Takahashi in their head-to-head match, ending Takahashi's chance to make in the finals, and Ospreay advanced to the finals losing to KUSHIDA. Prior to the BOSJ final, Takahashi stated that he had chosen Ospreay, who had eliminated him from the tournament, as his challenger to his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at Dominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall. Despite this, NJPW elected to make KUSHIDA the number one contender, officially announcing the match between him and Takahashi for Dominion 6.11. Ospreay went on defeating KUSHIDA to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Both Ospreay and Takahashi took part in a four-way match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 12, where Ospreay won the title for the second time. After Ospreay won the title, Hiromu aimed for revenge in a single match. The match was officially announced on January 9.

The event will also include Gedo facing BUSHI and Tetsuya Naito facing Yoshi-Hashi. After the New Years Dash on January 5, Yoshi-Hashi requested a match against Naito. The took part of the same introductory test at Animal Hamaguchi dojo, where Naito passed and Yoshi-Hashi had to repeat the test three more times unti he passed. The event will also features the last match of Katsuya Kitamura's seven-match trial. Kitamura won the 2017 Young Lion Cup on December 21 winning all five of his matches. Afterwards, he was given a seven-match trial, with the first match losing to Jay White at New Years Dash.

## External links

* The official New Japan Pro-Wrestling website