After spending much of the year as triple champions with the AAA, ROH, and IWGP Tag Team Championships to their names, FTR went into Wrestle Kingdom 17 with only the IWGP Titles left following losses to The Briscoes and Dragon Lee & Dralistico. Their losing streak continues as Bishamon has become the new IWGP Tag Team Champions at NJPW’s biggest show of the year.
FTR captured NJPW’s Tag Team Titles at Forbidden Door back in June 2022. At the NJPW x AEW crossover event, the dup defeated United Empire’s Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb as well as Roppongi Vice in a Triple Threat match.
Since then, they have successfully defended the titles in a rematch against the United Empire duo as well as in a critically acclaimed match against Aussie Open at Royal Quest 2 in the UK.
Meanwhile, Bishamon – made up of YOSHI-HASH and Hirooki Goto – fought their way to a match against FTR at the Tokyo Dome by defeating nine other teams in the 2022 edition of World Tag League.
Bishamon defeat FTR at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17
At Wrestle Kingdom 17, the match between the two teams was a hard-hitting affair with FTR controlling much of the early action. However, Goto was able to fight his way out of several Big Rig attempts to tag in his fresher partner.
YOSHI-HASHI took it to Dax Harwood, but Wheeler fought out of Shoto attempts to be joined by Wheeler in hitting Big Rig for a long 2-count. The two teams continued to go back and forth and escape big moves including a huge Spike Piledriver to YOSHI-HASHI.
In the end, it was the NJPW team who came out on top with a massive Shoto that allowed YOSHI-HASHI to get the pinfall victory.
Following the match, the two teams shook hands and embraced in a show of sportsmanship.