The New Beginning in Sapporo 2023 was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on two nights on February 4 and 5, 2023, in Sapporo, Hokkaido, at the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center.
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Theodore James Perkins, better known by the ring name T. J. Perkins (or simply TJP), is an American professional wrestler of Filipino descent, who currently works for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he is a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion and is a member and leader of the United Empire stable. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and TNA Wrestling.
William Peter Charles Ospreay is an English professional wrestler. As of November 2023, he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the current AEW International Champion in his first reign. He is also known for his eight-year tenure with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he held various championships, including the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. He is the leader of the United Empire and a member of the Don Callis Family stable. Ospreay is regarded by fans, peers, and industry journalists as one of the best in-ring performers of all-time.
Takao Yoshida better known by his ring name TAKA Michinoku is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. Michinoku is known in North America for his work for WWE where he had the first ever WWE Light Heavyweight Championship reign recognized by the North American promotion. Michinoku is the founder and former promoter of Kaientai Dojo, where he also wrestled until 2019. In 2019, Michinoku started another promotion, Just Tap Out. Michinoku currently appears for New Japan Pro-Wrestling as a freelancer, where he is a member of Suzuki-gun.
Minoru Suzuki is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, currently working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as a freelancer. In NJPW, he has held the IWGP Intercontinental Championship as well as twice holding the NEVER Openweight Championship.
Ren Narita is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling where he is a former NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion with Minoru Suzuki and El Desperado.
Shigeki Sato, better known by his ring name Dick Togo, is a Japanese professional wrestler. Togo is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the Bullet Club stable, and its sub-group House of Torture. Togo has spent the majority of his career as a freelancer, wrestling most notably for Michinoku Pro Wrestling and DDT Pro-Wrestling. Sato has wrestled under various ring names such as Francesco Togo, Rey Cubano, and Prince Togo. Togo retired in September 2012 but returned to the ring in July 2016. Togo has held the KO-D Openweight Championship four times, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship once with Taka Michinoku and the British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Championship once.
Takaaki Watanabe, better known by his ring name EVIL, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of Bullet Club and the leader of its sub-group House of Torture.
Yujiro Takahashi is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of Bullet Club and its sub-group House of Torture. Takahashi entered New Japan in November 2003 with an extensive amateur background, advancing through the dojo and debuting on July 26, 2004, under his full name. He later shortened his name to Yujiro. From 2007 to 2008 he was a member of the stable Samurai Gym with El Samurai and Ryusuke Taguchi, which ended when Samurai left the company. In 2010, he joined Chaos, where he was a one-time IWGP Tag Team and Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Tetsuya Naito, with whom he teamed as No Limit. In 2014, Takahashi defected to Bullet Club, becoming the first non-gaijin member to join the stable. As a member of Bullet Club, he is a one-time NEVER Openweight Champion and a three-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion. During his time in Chaos, he had a "ladies' man" gimmick, which was carried on in Bullet Club. He is referred to as the "Tokyo Pimp" and is often accompanied to the ring by go-go dancer, the "Tokyo Latina" Pieter. Formerly affiliated with The Elite, as of September 2021, he is a member of the sub-group House of Torture.
Hiroshi Tanahashi is a Japanese professional wrestler, sports executive and podcaster. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he serves as the president and representative director of the promotion, and is also an active wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, his accolades in NJPW include a record setting eight reigns as IWGP Heavyweight Champion, a record three reigns as IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion, two reigns as IWGP Intercontinental Champion, one reign as NJPW World Television Champion, three reigns as IWGP Tag Team Champion, one reign as NEVER Openweight Champion and six reigns as NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion. All totaled, Tanahashi has won 26 championships in NJPW. He has also won NJPW's premier tournament, the G1 Climax, on three occasions (2007, 2015 and 2018) and won the New Japan Cup twice, in 2005 and 2008, and is recognised as the fourth wrestler to accomplish NJPW's Triple Crown and the second to accomplish its Grand Slam, making him one of the most decorated wrestlers in NJPW.
Kenta Kobayashi is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known by his ring name KENTA. A former amateur kickboxer, Kobayashi's wrestling style is based upon strong kicks and strikes. He was signed to the American professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he worked in its developmental territory NXT, as well as 205 Live, under the ring name Hideo Itami. He currently works for the Japanese wrestling promotion, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Taiji Ishimori is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he wrestles as part of the Bullet Club. Ishimori is a three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, and is also a one-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion alongside former Bullet Club teammates Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa.
Keiji Takayama is a Japanese professional wrestler and manager, currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) under the ring name Gedo. Gedo has been the main booker of NJPW since the early 2010s. As a wrestler, Gedo is best known for his tag team work with partner Jado, forming a very successful tag team from 1990 through the mid-2010s.
Jay White is a New Zealand professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). After starting his career in 2013, White joined NJPW the following year as a "young lion." In June 2016, White left for an overseas learning excursion, during which he worked most notably for the American Ring of Honor (ROH) and the British Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW) promotions through NJPW's international partnerships. White eventually returned to NJPW in November 2017.
Alipate Aloisio Leone, better known by his ring name Tama Tonga, is a Tongan professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand as a member of The Bloodline. He is the nephew and adopted son of professional wrestler Haku. From 2010 to 2024 he was in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a founding member of Bullet Club alongside Bad Luck Fale, Karl Anderson and Prince Devitt. He was also a founding member of Guerrillas of Destiny (G.O.D.) alongside his brother Tanga Loa. The Guerrillas of Destiny won the IWGP Tag Team Championship seven times, the 2020 edition of the World Tag League tournament and, due to the collaboration between NJPW and Ring of Honor, the ROH World Tag Team Championship. As a singles wrestler, Tonga held the NEVER Openweight Championship four times. He has also worked with NJPW's partner promotion in Mexico, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) where he has held the CMLL World Tag Team Championship twice. On the April 12, 2024 edition of SmackDown, Tonga made his WWE debut as a member of the Bloodline.
Kazuchika Okada is a Japanese professional wrestler. As of March 2024, he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Elite stable and is the current AEW Continental Champion in his first reign. He is best known for his 18-year tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling where he was a five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, with his fourth reign being the longest in the company's history at 720 days. He also holds the record for most successful title defenses with 12. After the title was unified into the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, Okada went on to hold the new championship a record two times.
Shota Umino born April 17, 1997 is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is son of the legendary NJPW referee Hiroyuki Umino aka red shoes. He was trained by fellow veteran wrestlers Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tenzan and Jon Moxley and made his debut on April 13 2017 at the age of 20. He is also an unofficial member of AEW's Blackpool Combat Club due to his ties with Moxley.
Tetsuya Shimizu is a Japanese professional wrestler who has worked under the ring names T28, Tetsuya, and Tetsuya Bushi. He works as the masked BUSHI (stylized in all capital letters) for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). Having worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) for most of his career, Bushi transferred to NJPW in April 2012.
Seiya Sanada, better known by his mononymous ring name SANADA, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of Bullet Club and its War Dogs sub-group. He is a former and longest-reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
Shin Takagi, known by the ring name Shingo Takagi, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a member of the Los Ingobernables de Japón stable and is a four-time NEVER Openweight Champion. Takagi is best known for his appearances in NJPW and Dragongate (then known as "Dragon Gate"), as well as Ring of Honor (ROH), All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and the puroresu independent circuit.
Tetsuya Naito is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in his record-tying second reign and is the leader of the Los Ingobernables de Japón stable. Naito began training for a professional wrestling career in 2000, initially under Animal Hamaguchi before joining NJPW in 2004, where he underwent further training. He is a former NEVER Openweight Champion, and a former IWGP Tag Team and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with former No Limit partner Yujiro Takahashi. He also had a short reign as IWGP Tag Team Champion with Sanada. In addition, Naito is the winner of the 2013, 2017 and 2023 editions of the G1 Climax, NJPW's premier singles tournament, and of the 2016 New Japan Cup. Regarded as one of the most popular and greatest wrestlers in NJPW history, Tokyo Sports awarded Naito with the MVP Award, the publication's highest honor, in 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2023. In 2020, Naito became the first person to hold both the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships at the same time, accomplishing that feat twice, becoming a three-time IWGP Heavyweight and record six-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion. In addition, he is the only person to win back the double gold, doing so at Summer Struggle in Jingu.
Hirooki Goto is a Japanese professional wrestler. Since his debut, he has wrestled primarily for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he is currently in his second reign as the NEVER Openweight Champion, while also being a former two-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, one-time IWGP Tag Team Champion, one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, one-time winner of the G1 Climax (2008), two-time winner of the World Tag League (2012 and 2014) and three-time winner of the New Japan Cup (2009, 2010 and 2012).
Nobuo Yoshihashi is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he performs under the ring nameYoshi-Hashi (stylized in all caps as YOSHI-HASHI), and is a two-time and current IWGP Tag Team Champion, with Hirooki Goto; as well as being a former NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion with Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii, a team which holds the record for the longest reign with the titles.
Michael Nicholls is an Australian professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, known by the ring name Mikey Nicholls. He is best known for his work in the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion, where, as part of The Mighty Don't Kneel with partner Shane Haste, he is a former two-time GHC Tag Team Champion. Other promotions he has wrestled for include the WWE in their promotion WWE NXT as Nick Miller, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and Ring of Honor in the United States.
Australian professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Shane Haste, currently working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He is best known for his work in Pro Wrestling NOAH, where, as part of The Mighty Don't Kneel, he is a former two-time GHC Tag Team Champion.
Kosei Fujita is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of The Mighty Don't Kneel (TMDK) stable.
Luke James Uggles Eatwell, known by his ring name Zack Sabre Jr. and its abbreviated form ZSJ, is an English-born professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. In NJPW, he is the second and current leader of the group The Mighty Don't Kneel (TMDK) and is a former two-time and inaugural NJPW World Television Champion. He also makes sporadic appearances for partner promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH).
Tomohiro Ishii is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He also makes additional appearances for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Conglomeration stable. He is also known for his work with the independent Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling (Riki Pro) promotion, where he worked backstage as the chairman. Though pushed for most of his career as an undercarder without any major championship wins, Ishii gathered a cult following, and in February 2013 was called "probably [one of the] most underrated guys in the business" by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Ishii's status in NJPW finally began rising in early 2013, culminating in him winning his first title in the promotion, the NEVER Openweight Championship, in February 2014, a title he would later win a record six times. He went on to capture the IWGP Tag Team Championship on one occasion, and the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship three times. Through NJPW's working relationship with the American Ring of Honor (ROH) and the British Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW) promotions, he has also won the ROH World Television Championship once and is a two-time Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion.
