Yuya Uemura vs. Yota Tsuji set for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18

Wrestle Kingdom 18 will include a match between two of NJPW's top up-and-coming stars.

Yuya Uemura vs. Yota Tsuji was set up for Wrestle Kingdom 18 at Friday's Road to Tokyo Dome event. With a pinfall victory over Tsuji in a six-man tag bout, Uemura earned a singles match between the two.

Uemura, Taichi & SANADA defeated Tsuji, Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi in the main event of Friday's show. It was the final NJPW event before Wrestle Kingdom.

Tsuji had said that he would only face Uemura in a singles match if Uemura scored a direct pinfall over him. Uemura won the match with a crucifix pin.

NJPW wrote:

The match came back to Uemura and Tsuji, Heat Storm being willed on by his teammates as he escaped a Tsuji combination to hit an uranage. The match breaking down and LIJ getting involved, Tsuji mocked Uemura with a Young Lion esque Boston Crab; after Taichi made the save, Tsuji persisted with a Curb Stomp and set for the Gene Blaster but was surprised with an armdrag and crucifix pin.

Post match, Uemura made reference to a promise Tsuji had made the night prior- that for a singles match between the two to happen Uemura needed a direct pinfall. Uemura issued his challenge and Tsuji accepted for Wrestle Kingdom.

Wrestle Kingdom is NJPW's biggest event of the year. It takes place from the Tokyo Dome annually on January 4.

Here's the updated card for Wrestle Kingdom 18:

• IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA defends against Tetsuya Naito
• Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson
• Three-way match: Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley vs. David Finlay to determine the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi defends against El Desperado
• NJPW World Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Hiroshi Tanahashi
• NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi defends against Tama Tonga
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney defend against TJP & Francesco Akira
• Winner-takes-all Tag Team title match: IWGP Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions Hikuleo & El Phantasmo
• Yuya Uemura vs. Yota Tsuji