It was a rough night for Bullet Club fans at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s New Beginnings in Sapporo Night 2 event as Jay White defeated Kenny Omega to win the IWGP United States Championship.
It was a shock to many fans in attendance who watched as White capture his first title in New Japan Pro Wrestling less than a month after he lost the Intercontinental title bout to former champion Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 12. Omega won the U.S. title in July at the G1 Special in USA and held it for 210 with four successful title defenses.
THE NEW BEGINNING in SAPPORO!!(1/28)を公開！
メインイベントはIWGP USヘビー級選手権試合！
王者ケニー・オメガ VS 挑戦者 ジェイ・ホワイト！
息もつかせぬ激しい攻防！
果たしてベルトは動くのか！？
視聴＆登録▷https://t.co/JQ2PhcmaDJ#NJNBG #NJPW #NJPWWorld pic.twitter.com/J1iMATJK00— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 28, 2018
After the match, Bullet Club member Adam “Hangman” Page appeared to challenge White for the title, but Omega asked him to back off. The other Bullet Club members hit the ring, along with Cody who started arguing with Omega and said he wasn’t being a leader. After a quick cool off, Cody, who hit the faction’s leader with the Cross Rhodes.
Page held Omega while Cody grabbed a chair – but before The American Nightmare could clean The Cleaner’s clock, Kota Ibushi ran out to chase off the rest of Bullet Club and save Omega. The former tag team partners embraced before Ibushi helped Omega to the back.
What a moment!! REUNITED AT LAST!! Watch now▶︎https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP#NJNBG #NJPWWorld pic.twitter.com/mL9B6NBPiB
— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 28, 2018
This is the latest development in the saga of Omega and Ibushi. The night after Wrestle Kingdom 12, Omega saved his former tag team partner from a beat down from the Bullet Club following a six-man tag team match.
After the events, Omega posted to social media, only with the words “A new beginning.”
A new beginning. https://t.co/bJFwMOSnzI
— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) January 28, 2018
Other than the tweet, there has been no official word as to whether Omega is still with Bullet Club or if Cody is now the new leader of the group.
Omega losing the U.S. title and Cody’s attack is just the tip of the iceberg for what was a rough night for the Bullet Club. In the evening’s co-main event, Roppongi 3K took back the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team titles from the Young Bucks.
@NickJacksonYB 無双！@njpwShowT & @njpwyohei_k を一人で蹴散らしていく！
視聴＆登録▷https://t.co/NxJKtVK94f #NJNBG #NJPW #NJPWWorld pic.twitter.com/C46XF9MfvE— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 28, 2018
Matt and Nick Jackson defeated Sho and Yoh at Wrestle Kingdom 12 to win their seventh IWGP Jr. Heavyweight tag team titles.
Full results for New Beginnings in Sapporo Night Two:
- Juice Robinson defeated Katsuya Kitamura – Kitmaura is now 0-3 in his Challenge Series
- El Desperado, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Jushin Liger, Ryusuke Taguchi, Shota Umino, and Tiger Mask IV
- Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano defeated Leo Tonga and Yujiro Takahashi
- Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Roa defeated Togi Makabe, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Manabu Nakanishi, and Tomoyuki Oka
- Minoru Suzuki and Takashi Iizuka defeated Henare and Michael Elgin
- Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, and Marty Scurll defeated David Finlay, Kota Ibushi, and KUSHIDA
- BUSHI, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA, and Tetsuya Naito defeated Gedo, Hirooki Goto, Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay, and YOSHI-HASHI
- Roppongi 3K (SHO and YOH) defeated Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
- “Switchblade” Jay White defeated Kenny Omega to win the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
