King of Pro-Wrestling (2019)

{{Infobox professional wrestling event

|name = King of Pro-Wrestling (2019)

|image = King of Pro Wrestling 2019.jpg

|caption = Promotional poster featuring Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito, Kota Ibushi, Jay White and Kenta

|alt =

|promotion = New Japan Pro-Wrestling

|date = October 14, 2019

|city = Tokyo, Japan

|venue = Ryōgoku Kokugikan

|attendance = 9,573{{cite web |url=https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/55003?showResult=1 |title=King of Pro-Wrestling |publisher=New Japan Pro-Wrestling |access-date=October 2, 2019}}

|liveevent = Y

|lastevent = Fighting Spirit Unleashed
New Japan Road

|nextevent = Road to Power Struggle

|event = King of Pro-Wrestling

|lastevent2 = 2018

|nextevent2 = 2024

}}

King of Pro-Wrestling (2019) was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. It took place on October 14, 2019 at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. It was the eighth event under the King of Pro-Wrestling name.

Production

=Background=

King of Pro-Wrestling took place on October 14, 2019, on {{nihongo|Health and Sports Day|体育の日|Taiiku no hi}}, a Japanese public holiday. Due to the events of the Typhoon Hagibis, Jon Moxley and Zack Sabre Jr. were unable to fly in to Japan, prompting last minute changes to the card.{{cite web|last=Rose|first=Bryan|title=Moxley, Sabre off NJPW KOPW due to travel issues, US title now vacant|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/new-japan-news/moxley-sabre-njpw-kopw-due-travel-issues-us-title-now-vacant-294791|publisher=Wrestling Observer Newsletter|website=F4WOnline.com|date=October 14, 2019|accessdate=October 14, 2019}}

=Storylines=

King of Pro-Wrestling featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.{{cite web |url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm |title=How Pro Wrestling Works |last=Grabianowski |first=Ed |accessdate=August 21, 2017 |work=HowStuffWorks, Inc. |publisher=Discovery Communications |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131129050844/http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm |archivedate=November 29, 2013 }}

At the Best of the Super Juniors 26 finals on June 5, Jon Moxley defeated Juice Robinson to win the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/44585?showResult=1|title=2019.06.03 BEST OF THE SUPER Jr.26 FINAL Night15 {{!}} NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING|accessdate=June 5, 2019|work=New Japan Pro-Wrestling|language=English}} Later, Moxley and Robinson would wrestle again in the G1 Climax on August 11, with Robinson winning and thereby preventing Moxley from winning the tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/47817?showResult=1|title=2019.08.11 G1 CLIMAX 29 Night 18 {{!}} NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING|accessdate=August 12, 2019|work=New Japan Pro-Wrestling|language=English}} Moxley subsequently challenged Robinson to a No Disqualification match for the United States Championship at King of Pro-Wrestling.{{cite web|url=https://www.njpw1972.com/58214|title=Jon Moxley Interview: Post G1 thoughts, Juice and more!|work=New Japan Pro-Wrestling|date=September 18, 2019|accessdate=September 19, 2019}} However, Moxley was unable to attend the event due to travel issues stemming from Typhoon Hagibis. Per NJPW rules, he was stripped of the title and a match between Robinson and Lance Archer for the vacant title was scheduled instead.{{cite web |url=https://www.njpw1972.com/62458 |title=Card changes made to King of Pro Wrestling |publisher=New Japan Pro-Wrestling |access-date=October 14, 2019}}

On night three of the G1 Climax on July 14, Evil defeated Kota Ibushi in a block match.{{cite web|url=https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/47797?showResult=1|title=2019.07.14 G1 CLIMAX 29 Night 3 {{!}} NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING|accessdate=2019-07-22|work=New Japan Pro-Wrestling|language=English}} Despite the loss, Ibushi went on to win the tournament, becoming the holder of the Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate.{{cite web|url=https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/47818?showResult=1|title=2019.08.12 G1 CLIMAX 29 Night 19 {{!}} NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING|accessdate=August 12, 2019|work=New Japan Pro-Wrestling|language=English}} In a post-tournament interview, Ibushi declared that he wanted to defend the certificate against those who had beaten him, setting up a match between the two for this event.{{cite web|url=https://www.njpw1972.com/59338|title=The Ibushi Interview (2/2): Kota Ibushi's 'legendary' plans!|work=New Japan Pro-Wrestling|date=September 10, 2019|accessdate=September 10, 2019}}

Results

{{Professional wrestling results table

|results = {{cite web |url=https://www.f4wonline.com/new-japan-news/full-card-announced-njpw-king-pro-wrestling-293111 |title=Full card announced for NJPW King of Pro Wrestling |last=Rose |first=Bryan |date=September 23, 2019 |website=Wrestling Observer Newsletter |access-date=October 2, 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.njpw1972.com/62458 |title=Card changes made to King of Pro Wrestling |publisher=New Japan Pro-Wrestling |access-date=October 14, 2019}}

|times =

|match1 = Suzuki-gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh)

|stip1 = Tag team match

|time1 = 10:44

|match2 = Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomoaki Honma defeated The Most Violent Players (Togi Makabe and Toru Yano)

|stip2 = Tag team match

|time2 = 9:43

|match3 = Los Ingobernables de Japón (Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi) defeated Suzuki-gun (Taichi and Douki) by disqualification

|stip3 = Tag team match

|time3 = 9:00

|match4 = Minoru Suzuki defeated Jyushin Thunder Liger

|stip4 = Singles match