Tama Tonga has been crowned the new NEVER Openweight Champion.
Tonga defeated WWE’s Karl Anderson to win the NEVER Openweight Title at Wednesday’s NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 event. The match began with a cheap belt shot by Anderson and ended with Tonga winning with a pair of Gun Stuns.
This is Tonga’s second reign as the NEVER Openweight Champion. Anderson won his first title reign on June 12 when he defeated Tonga at the Dominion 6.12 event. Anderson held the title for 206 days.
When Anderson and Luke Gallows returned to WWE in October, Anderson had the title with them, but it never appeared on WWE TV. Anderson was supposed to defend against Hikuleo on November 5, but he and Gallows were booked for WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, where they would team with AJ Styles to defeat The Judgment Day. Anderson successfully defended his title against Hikuleo on December 14 at the NJPW World Tag League & Super Junior Tag League finals event. After that match, Tonga challenged Anderson, and the two brawled, with Anderson taking the upper hand to set up their title match.
Anderson is expected to be finished with NJPW after this match.
Complete NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 results are available by clicking here. Here are some highlights from the title change at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan:
?東京ドーム大会 WRESTLE KINGDOM 17?
NEVER無差別級選手権試合‼️
かつての仲間、プロレスの師匠…タマ・トンガは今日勝って師匠超えを果たせるか⁉️? @MachineGunKA × @Tama_Tonga
? LIVE on #njpwworld?登録＆視聴｜Sign Up Now‼︎
⇒https://t.co/z1DNREh66D#njpw #wk17 #WWE pic.twitter.com/7P4p476oYo— njpwworld (@njpwworld) January 4, 2023
Tama Tonga get never championship #wk17 pic.twitter.com/kblr1BsJjn
— なかわんくま/nakawankuma/ (@nakawankuma) January 4, 2023
12 years waiting on his single’s moment at Wrestle Kingdom and now that he has finally achieved it, he just want to be with the people he loves.
To Karl Anderson – I love you man!
Ain’t Nobody Realer! #njwk17 pic.twitter.com/zhTAQIqGvv
— Issa – Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) (@IssitaMarie) January 4, 2023
There’s heel moves, and then there’s Karl Anderson walking into #WRESTLEKINGDOM17 wearing his OC shirt rather than his Bullet Club gear. pic.twitter.com/1Poyl9sXiV
— Hooked On Wrestling (@HOWrestlingUK) January 4, 2023
Ganamos Tama Tonga derrota ah Karl Anderson y se convierte en campeón NEVER DE Peso Abierto cómo debe de ser y gracias ah Gedo no fue Hikuleo #wk17 pic.twitter.com/R4KJDMWq4i
— El Rey del Botch 23 ? (@milogarcia99) January 4, 2023
