Wrestle Kingdom 7 in Tokyo Dome (subtitled "Evolution") was announced on February 29, 2012, as taking place on January 4, 2013, at the Tokyo Dome. Wrestle Kingdom 7 in Tokyo Dome was the twenty-second January 4 Tokyo Dome Show held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The event featured outside participation from All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) representative Keiji Mutoh, Pro Wrestling Zero1 representative Shinjiro Otani, and American freelancer Shelton Benjamin. Originally, Zero1's Daichi Hashimoto was announced as taking part in the event, but on December 27 it was announced that he had fractured his left forearm and would be replaced by Zero1 president Shinjiro Otani. For the first time in five years, the event did not feature wrestlers from Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). For the first time, the event was made available for international market on internet pay-per-view.