NJPW 49th Anniversary Show

{{Infobox professional wrestling event

|name = NJPW 49th Anniversary Show

|promotion = New Japan Pro-Wrestling

|date = March 4, 2021

|city = Tokyo, Japan

|venue = Nippon Budokan

|attendance = 3,026

|liveevent = Y

|event = NJPW Anniversary Show

|lastevent = Castle Attack

|nextevent = New Japan Cup
Road to Sakura Genesis 2021

|lastevent2 = 48th

|nextevent2 = 50th

}}

The NJPW 49th Anniversary Show was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on March 4, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan at the Nippon Budokan arena.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-11|title=NJPW 49th Anniversary Show to take place at Budokan Hall|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/new-japan-news/njpw-49th-anniversary-show-take-place-budokan-hall-327316|access-date=2021-03-02|website=WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results|language=en}}

The event featured six matches, including the start of the annual New Japan Cup. In the main event match, Kota Ibushi defeated the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado to retain his IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships and become the first IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.{{Cite web|last=NJPW|title=Anniversary Event Preview {{!}} NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING|url=https://www.njpw1972.com/92177|access-date=2021-03-02|website=NJPW|language=en}}

Production

class=wikitable style="font-size:90%; margin: 0.5em 0 0.5em 1em; float: right; clear: right;"

|+ Other on-screen personnel

!|Role:

!|Name:

rowspan="3" |English Commentators

|Kevin Kelly

Chris Charlton

Rocky Romero

rowspan=8|Japanese Commentators

|Shinpei Nogami

Milano Collection A.T.

Katsuhiko Kanazawa

Kazuyoshi Sakai

Togi Makabe

Miki Motoi

Jushin Thunder Liger

Masahiro Chono

rowspan=2|Ring announcers

|Makoto Abe

Kimihiko Ozaki

rowspan="3" |Referees

|Kenta Sato

Marty Asami

Red Shoes Unno

= Background =

NJPW was founded by Antonio Inoki on January 13, 1972{{cite web|url=https://www.njpw1972.com/company/|title=About us {{!}} NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING|publisher=New Japan Pro-Wrestling|access-date=January 11, 2020}} after his departure from the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance promotion.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-sports/everything-you-need-to-know-about-new-japan-pro-wrestling-205749/|title=Everything You Need to Know About New Japan Pro Wrestling|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Kenny|last=Herzog|date=June 29, 2017|access-date=January 11, 2020}} The first NJPW event, titled Opening Series, took place on March 6, 1972, in the Ota Ward Gymnasium in Tokyo, to a crowd of 5,000.{{cite web|url=http://www.puroresu.com/newjapan/results/nj197203opening.html|title=NJPW 1972: Opening Series|publisher=Puroresu.com|access-date=January 11, 2020}}{{cite book|title=I'm Sorry, I Love You: A History of Professional Wrestling|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MA5ZDwAAQBAJ&q=first+new+japan+pro+wrestling+show+1972&pg=PT136|first=Jim|last=Smallman|date=August 23, 2018|isbn=9781472254214}} The NJPW Anniversary Show has since been held annually in the first week of March to celebrate the anniversary of the company, starting with the 40th Anniversary Show in 2012.{{Cite web|title=新日本プロレスリング旗揚げからの歴史 - njpwworld|url=https://njpwworld.com/feature/timeline|access-date=2021-03-02|website=NJPW World}}{{Cite web|title=NJPW 40th anniversary 旗揚げ記念日 – 東京・後楽園ホール|url=https://www.njpw.co.jp/tornament/12834|access-date=2021-03-02|website=NJPW|language=ja}}

Since 2020, NJPW has been unable to run events with a full arena capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions.{{cite web|last=Satin|first=Ryan|date=June 8, 2020|title=NJPW To Resume Operations This Month, First Show With Fans Again Announced|url=https://www.prowrestlingsheet.com/njpw-resume-operations-first-show-fans-again-july/#.YBX2Y-gzbIU|access-date=January 31, 2021|work=Pro Wrestling Sheet}} The 49th Anniversary Show continued this policy.

= Storylines =

The NJPW 49th Anniversary Show featured 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.{{cite web|last=Grabianowski|first=Ed|title=How Pro Wrestling Works|url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm|accessdate=September 13, 2014|work=HowStuffWorks, Inc.|publisher=Discovery Communications}}

After Kota Ibushi defeated Tetsuya Naito at Castle Attack, he was confronted by the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado. A match between the two wrestlers was later signed for the Anniversary Show. While the Anniversary Show traditionally features a non-title match between the IWGP Heavyweight Champion and the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, it was announced that Kota Ibushi vs. El Desperado will be a title match for Ibushi's IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships while also crowning the first IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

Results

{{Professional wrestling results table

|results = {{Cite web|last=NJPW|title=2021.03.04 Anniversary Event {{!}} NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING|url=https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/89104?showResult=1|access-date=2021-03-02|website=NJPW|language=en}}

|times=

|match1 = Master Wato, Gabriel Kidd, Tomoaki Honma and Hirooki Goto defeated Suzuki-gun (Douki, Zack Sabre Jr., Minoru Suzuki and Taichi)

|stip1 = Eight-man tag team match

|time1 = 10:39

|match2 = Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, Jay White, Chase Owens, Kenta and Evil) defeated Taguchi Japan (Ryusuke Taguchi, Toa Henare, David Finlay, Juice Robinson and Hiroshi Tanahashi)