New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom show is just about to get started and there has already been a major announcement. Traditionally, the January 4th show is followed by the New Year Dash event in Korakuen Hall…however next year is very different.
New Japan has officially confirmed that there will be two events at the Tokyo Dome in 2020. That’s right, Wrestle Kingdom will be taking place on January 4th and January 5th.
The company also confirmed that the G1 Climax will be opening this year in a new location. Dallas, Texas will be playing host to the very first night of the tournament.
Here’s the full card for the ongoing Wrestle Kingdom event:
NEVER Openweight Championship Match – Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will Ospreay
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match – Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado) (c) vs. Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & BUSHI)
RPW British Heavyweight Championship Match – Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Zac Sabre Jr.
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match – Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (c) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Match – Cody (c) vs. Juice Robinson
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match – KUSHIDA (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori
Jay White vs. Kazuchika Okada
IWGP Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship No Disqualification Match – Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match – Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
New Japan’s annual Tokyo Dome show is now underway. The stacked card could end up being one of NJPW’s best ever and we’ve got the results as and when they happen. Here’s the result of the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Number 1 contender’s match:
Yuji Nagata, Jeff Cobb & David Finlay b. Hangman Page, Yujiro Takahashi & Marty Scurll – Finlay rolled up Takahashi to eliminate him
Yuji Nagata, Jeff Cobb & David Finlay b. Hirooki Goto, Chuckie T & Beretta – Finlay rolled up Chuckie T for the pinfall
Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer) b. Yuji Nagata, Jeff Cobb & David Finlay – The Killer Elite Squad (Smith and Archer) hit the Killer Bomb on Finlay for the pinfall
Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & Ryusuke Taguchi b. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer) – Yano hit a low blow on Davey Boy Smith and rolled him up for the victory. Makabe, Yano and Taguchi will now be challenging for the NEVER 6 Man Belts at tomorrow’s New Year Dash event
Here’s the full card for the event:
NEVER Openweight Championship Match – Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will Ospreay
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match – Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado) (c) vs. Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & BUSHI)
RPW British Heavyweight Championship Match – Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Zac Sabre Jr.
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match – Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (c) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Match – Cody (c) vs. Juice Robinson
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match – KUSHIDA (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori
Jay White vs. Kazuchika Okada
IWGP Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship No Disqualification Match – Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match – Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Chris Jericho is currently preparing to defend his IWGP Intercontinental Championship. He will face Tetsuya Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 13 tomorrow from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It’s a rivalry that has been brewing for the past year and will finally commence in a No Disqualification bout. Wrestle Kingdom 13 is New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) biggest show of the year.
However, they might just outdo themselves this April during WrestleMania 35 week. They will be co-promoting a massive event at Madison Square Garden with Ring Of Honor (ROH). The G1 Supercard event will go down on April 6th from New York City. On a recent episode of Jericho’s podcast, “Talk Is Jericho,” “Y2J” said he believes WWE is keeping an eye on NJPW.
The promotion, along with ROH, was able to do something WWE hasn’t in quite some time – sellout MSG. WWE even tried to block the event from happening, but their attempts proved unsuccessful:
“WWE is watching. Anytime you have a company that can come into WWE’s backyard and sell out Madison Square Garden — you can spin it anyway you want to; it’s WrestleMania weekend — it doesn’t matter. They did something that WWE has not done in years.
“They tried to block this show and it didn’t work out. When you’re talking about a company that has nationwide TV on AXS, it’s not NBC or USA, but it’s still funded by a billionaire, Mark Cuban. There is money there. WWE never takes anything like that lightly.”
What do you make of Jericho’s comments regarding WWE and NJPW?
This Friday, New Japan Pro Wrestling presents Wrestle Kingdom 13 live from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. This is the biggest show of the year for NJPW and features the culmination of several big feuds. Wrestle Kingdom is regularly one of the best pro wrestling shows of the year and the 13th installment should be no exception.
Visit FITE.TV for details on how you can watch NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13.
Our own Jake Jeremy, Ian Carey and Andrew Ravens will be running down the card below and giving their picks for who we think will be victorious in each match. Of course
Gauntlet Match to determine #1 Contenders to the NEVER Six-Man Championships
Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, and Togi Makabe vs. David Finley, Jeff Cobb, and Yuji Nagata vs. Best Friends and Hirooki Goto vs. Killer Elite Squad and Minoru Suzuki vs. Marty Scurll, Adam Page, and Yujiro Takahashi
Jake Jeremy: (Prediction: David Finley, Jeff Cobb, and Yuji Nagata)
Ian Carey: The amount of talent in what is essentially a throw-away match here is pretty amazing. Ultimately, I’m selecting the team of Finlay, Cobb, and Yuji Nagata. The winning team will meet Bullet Club for the titles and I’m expecting NJPW to start things off with a team of true babyfaces winning. (Prediction: David Finlay, Jeff Cobb, Yuji Nagata)
Andrew Ravens: For me, this is a real pick em as any team could get it done. I’ll take David Finley, Jeff Cobb, and Yuji Nagata to go over in a fun, exciting, and spot fest match that is sure to get the fans pumped for the rest of the card. (Prediction: David Finley, Jeff Cobb, and Yuji Nagata)
Consensus: David Finley, Jeff Cobb, and Yuji Nagata
IWGP NEVER Openweight Champion Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay
Jake: What a way to start the card, this NEVER Openweight Championship match could be the show stealer and potentially the match of the year…we’re only 4 days in at this point. This is actually a difficult match to assess, it was clear earlier in the year that Ospreay was being slated for a NEVER title win before his recent injury. In an ideal world Ospreay would’ve gotten the belt instead of Goto and faced Ibushi as Champion in the Dome. With Ibushi now already Champion I could see him retaining, he could be the poster boy for the NEVER division going forward. (Prediction: Kota Ibushi)
Ian: Will Ospreay is the man NJPW wants this title on. As much as everyone loves Ibushi, he’s not going to sign a contract and hence NJPW is hesitant to put, or in this case keep, titles on him. Ospreay, on the other hand, is someone NJPW is committed to elevating. (Prediction: Will Ospreay)
Andrew: I believe that this will be the match of the night as it has all of the ingredients to be. The fact that it will go on early in the night means that they will be a hard act to follow if given the right amount of time. I have Ospreay going over to win the title that way it allows Ibushi to go onto a bigger feud that will likely be with Kenny Omega. (Prediction: Will Ospreay)
Consensus: Will Ospreay
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado vs. Roppongi 3K vs. BUSHI and Shingo Takagi
Jake: Again another difficult match to predict, the tag champs Kanemaru and Desperado did not have a stellar World Tag League and the Junior tag belts aren’t as prestigious as they have been years prior. Having The Bucks move up to heavyweight hasn’t helped matters either. I’m giving the win to Roppongi 3K here, I can see the young team being pushed as the next generation of the Juniors scene. (Prediction: Roppongi 3K)
Ian: I feel like we just saw this match…probably because we just saw this match. The Suzuki-Gun team will drop the belts here, the only question is which team will take them. It feels as though NJPW will go with Bushi and Takagi here but Roppongi 3K could also win. (Prediction: BUSHI and Shingo Takagi)
Andrew: Suzuki-gun has had one heck of a reign as champs and carried those titles well but it’s time for a change. I actually see BUSHI and Shingo Takagi going over with a feud being built over the new few months with Roppongi 3K eventually getting the titles down the line. (Prediction: BUSHI and Shingo Takagi)
Consensus: BUSI and Shingo Takagi
RevPro British Heavyweight Champion Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Jake: This is my dark horse match of the night. Both men are severely underrated when it comes to the international scene. Ishii could be regarded as one of the best of the modern era, his longevity and penchant for stellar performances make him a revered performer for Japanese wrestling fans. ZSJ is also hitting a fantastic stride, although his breakout this year has been in his promo abilities. Sabre Jr has been goading and taunting several of New Japan’s elite and now he gets the chance to dethrone the Rev Pro British Champion, a title that has real prominence in the UK scene. I’m going with a ZSJ win here. (Prediction: Zack Sabre Jr.)
Ian: Zack Sabre Jr. feels like someone who NJPW is going to elevate even further in 2019. He won the New Japan Cup in 2018 and having him win back the Rev Pro title here would only further establish him as one of the top stars internationally and a top star in NJPW. Ishii is a popular and respected wrestler but it doesn’t feel as though NJPW is interested in pushing him past his current position. (Prediction: Zack Sabre Jr.)
Andrew: I look forward to seeing this match and it’s a nice change to have RevPro be represented on this show instead of ROH. These two guys will bring their A-game and although it would be a cool moment to see Sabre Jr. get the title, I think they keep it on Ishi. (Prediction: Tomohiro Ishii)
Consensus: Zack Sabre Jr.
IWGP Tag Team Title Champions Guerrillas of Destiny vs. The Young Bucks vs. EVIL and SANADA
Jake: Speaking of feeling on top of the world, The Young Bucks must be right up there with Cody. This match is an interesting one, we just had an entire month of the World Tag League to determine the number 1 contenders…yet the Bucks just seemingly inserted themselves after Los Ingobernables won the thing. In terms of interest this is right at the bottom of my list, but I see Tonga and Loa actually retaining here. (Prediction: Guerillas of Destiny)
Ian: This is a must win match for the Guerillas of Destiny. They’ve lost to Evil and Sanada two years in a row in the World Tag League (though they beat them in the round-robin this year). Another loss to Evil and Sanada would be quite the blow. I’m not expecting the Young Bucks to leave Tokyo with any titles, so it really comes down to LIJ or Bullet Club here. My Haku fandom won’t let me pick against the Tongans. (Prediction: Guerillas of Destiny)
Andrew: Obviously, you can count out the Bucks in this match to win the titles so it leaves two teams. It’s a safe bet to say that out of any of the matches featured on this card, this title changes hands the most out of any other championship that NJPW presents. (Prediction: EVIL and SANADA)
Consensus: Guerillas of Destiny
IWGP United States Champion Cody vs. Juice Robinson
Jake: Cody Rhodes must be on top of the world right now. The new EVP of his own company, the wrestling world at his feet? Who wouldn’t be? With that in mind it is time to pull the trigger on Juice, he has already been US Champ but his babyface who doesn’t quite get there routine needs to be shelved…he has the opportunity and skill to be a big player for New Japan and with the uncertainty of AEW and the international scene in general New Japan need to start building new stars. Interestingly this is a rematch from Cody’s first WK match, a bout that saw the ‘American Nightmare’ welcomed into New Japan with a bit of a whimper…I’m hoping that they both can surprise me and deliver a great match on the night. (Prediction: Juice Robinson)
Ian: This is type of storytelling you get in NJPW that you don’t get in promotions from outside Japan much. The idea is Juice Robinson is getting better as a wrestler. He’s lost to Cody twice, once at Wrestle Kingdom 11 and the other time for the IWGP United States Championship. It’s been established to the fans that Juice isn’t quite as good as Cody… yet. Then, provided Juice wins this match, it’ll show fans that Juice has improved so much that he is now beating people who used to beat him. This means fans can look forward to title shots, better performances in tournaments and the like. 2019 will be a big year for Juice Robinson and it starts here. (Prediction: Juice Robinson)
Andrew: This appears to be the easiest pick of the night as Cody’s future has already been well established with AEW. Robinson has reinvented himself while in NJPW and is the right man to not only take the title from Cody but also be the face to hold this title while representing NJPW in the states. (Prediction: Juice Robinson)
Consensus: Juice Robinson
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA vs. Taiji Ishimori
Jake: I’m going out on a limb here…this will be one of KUSHIDA’s last matches in a New Japan, for the moment anyway. There were rumblings that KUSHIDA was wanted over in the United States with WWE and I actually believe that he should go, he has the charm and likability to do well in NXT. Whether this could translate to the bigger stage of the main roster is anyone’s guess but he should take the chance if it is there. Ishimori also deserves to win the big one after his renewed run in Bullet Club, he’s thrived in the new role and had an excellent run in the Best of The Super Juniors earlier this year. Taiji Ishimori to win the belt here. (Prediction: Taiji Ishimori)
Ian: There are rumors that KUSHIDA and WWE have been speaking. Should that be the case it seems likely that Taiji Ishimori will win here. Also, Don Callis will be on commentary and Ishimori is the only wrestler on Wrestle Kingdom that Callis has under contract with Impact Wrestling. This match will take place 2 days before Impact Wrestling’s Homecoming PPV. Smart money says Callis finds a way to mention that fact during this match. (Prediction: Taiji Ishimori)
Andrew: I think this is a case where this show typically has a ton of title changes and this match falls right into that model. Although KUSHIDA hasn’t had a long title reign, it would add further to this story if he had something to chase. (Prediction: Taiji Ishimori)
Consensus: Taiji Ishimori
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White
Jake: I actually love what New Japan has done with Okada since he lost the match against Kenny Omega. Giving the ‘Rainmaker’ balloons and having him ‘go off the rails’ somewhat has lead to a fairly directionless year for the ‘current’ ace of NJPW, but that is the perfect story to tell. With Jay White defecting from CHAOS and joining Bullet Club you have the evolution of New Japan’s newest and deadliest heel. White told Okada from the very start that he was gunning for him, even when he joined CHAOS…and it’s come to fruition. Jay White should win this bout, Okada doesn’t need to. (Prediction: Jay White)
Ian: It feels as though babyfaces should win the last 3 matches, which is perhaps a reason to think they might shake things up a bit with White going over here. It’s no secret that NJPW sees a bright future in Jay White. They had White beat both Tanahashi and Okada in the G1 which likely allows them to have Okada beat White here but that doesn’t mean they will go that route. I think NJPW continues their push of White and gives him the win here. (Prediction: Jay White, but I’m not that confident about my pick, however)
Andrew: As much as White has done a great job to get to where he is today, Okada has been and will likely be the face of the promotion for years to come. White will put up one heck of a fight and likely dominate the match but Okada gets it done in the end. (Prediction: Kazuchika Okada)
Consensus: Jay White
IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito (No Disqualification)
Jake: This needs to be an all out brawl and won’t be a technical masterclass…no detriment to the performers at all. This bout was recently announced as being No DQ, giving both the opportunity to add some character and bring a different dimension to the card, which is stacked up to the gills with in-ring style already. Naito needs to win the belt here, with Jericho quite happy to drift in and out of short term deals it would be fitting for him to bring his NJPW run to an end at the Dome. (Prediction: Tetsuya Naito)
Ian: There shouldn’t be any surprises here. Tetsuya Naito will avenge his loss to Jericho from earlier in the year and win back the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. What, if anything, is next for Jericho in NJPW is something we might not know for a few months still. Expect a brawl as this match has just been made a NO DQ match. (Prediction: Tetsuya Naito)
Andrew: This might be the second easiest pick of the card as Naito not only gets his revenge on Jericho but also reclaims his title. You can never count out a surprise from Jericho and they could delay a title change but if they are going for the biggest impact of a title change, this show is better suited for it. Prediction: (Tetsuya Naito wins.)
Consensus: Tetsuya Naito
IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Jake: This is the definition of old guard versus new. We’ve all seen the back and forth between the two and rumors that certain NJPW stars aren’t happy with the ‘westernization’ of New Japan, well this match solidifies the two schools of thought. Omega, the young and dynamic de-facto leader of the new generation has brought further interest from North America, especially through his match last year against Chris Jericho. Tanahashi IS New Japan, the veteran has been producing some of the finest in-ring work of his career over the past year including a show-stealing match against Kota Ibushi in the G1 Climax final. It is very difficult to judge how this one goes, does Tana get one last run with the IWGP Heavyweight title? Or will Omega extend his run into 2019 and try to help establish NJPW further into the Western territories? Tanahashi could of course still be promoted in the States and Europe with a legacy run, but Omega is the face of the company right now. Annoyingly Omega’s run thus far as Champion hasn’t actually been met with critical acclaim, a difficult feat when you consider that Okada’s run prior saw some of the best matches in New Japan history take place. For me Tanahashi should get one final run on top, the Ace returning to the top of the mountain. (Prediction: Hiroshi Tanahashi)
Ian: Hiroshi Tanahashi will defend the honor of traditional New Japan style pro-wrestling. After all, that is the theme to Wrestle Kingdom this year. Omega’s loss in the main event will also complete a night of losses for the Elite, similar to what occured at Final Battle. As soon as Wrestle Kingdom is over, we might start to get some answers regarding the Elite’s future in NJPW. (Prediction: Hiroshi Tanahashi)
Andrew: The out come of this match will tell a lot regarding Omega’s future in the promotion. Clearly, NJPW officials see him as the future of the promotion but depending on his decision to stay or go will likely be revealed in the outcome of this match. I think Omega goes to AEW and thus, Tanahashi wins the strap here. (Prediction: Hiroshi Tanahashi)
Consensus: Hiroshi Tanahashi
There you have it. Check back Friday for our complete results of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 13!
We are fast approaching Wrestle Kingdom, the biggest show of the year for New Japan Pro Wrestling. The card has been finalized for 13th installment of NJPW’s annual Tokyo Dome spectacular and it’s shaping up to be another can’t-miss event. New Japan has made a habit of locking in “Show Of The Year” honors just days into the new year, but the card for Wrestle Kingdom 13 might even exceed them all. If you’re not too familiar with New Japan Pro Wrestling, this is the perfect opportunity to take the plunge and we’re eager to explain why.
The Main Event
The marquee bout of Wrestle Kingdom 13 will see IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega defend against New Japan’s ‘Ace’ Hiroshi Tanahashi. Tanahashi won this year’s G1 Climax tournament. This win gave him the opportunity to headline the Tokyo Dome show against the Champion Omega. This will be somewhat of a clash of ethos…Tanahashi represents the tradition and prestige of New Japan. Omega represents the present/future and influence of the West into the Japanese style.
This could be one of the last opportunities for Tanahashi to walk into a Tokyo Dome main event, so you can guarantee that he will leave everything in the ring. Omega is already fast becoming one of the best in-ring practitioners in New Japan’s history, his unbelievable run of bouts against Kazuchika Okada solidified his status as the ‘Western’ face of New Japan as they look to build on their expansion into the United States.
Other bouts on the show are potential show stealers, so there is no way that Omega and Tanahashi won’t walk into the main event and try and outdo all that comes before them.
Return of The GOAT
Omega’s fellow Canadian Chris Jericho will also be taking part on the card. Jericho’s ability to trick fans and make himself the talking point of pro wrestling in 2018 has been nothing short of impressive. Jericho is the company’s IWGP Intercontinental Champion, he will be defending against Tetsuya Naito. As the leader of Los Ingoebernables de Japon, Naito is the definition of cool in New Japan.
Naito has a strong technical ability and can change the pace and style of a match seemingly at will, Jericho is the master of the ‘less is more’ approach, especially at this point in his career. Whilst this may not be an in-ring clinic (no detriment to the two performers) this will be an element of the card where character and pacing/storytelling will be at the forefront.
The Dream Match
The match that has me extremely excited was only just recently confirmed. NEVER Openweight Champion Kota Ibushi will be defending against Will Ospreay. As the resident UK writer for this website I have been following Ospreay’s career for the best part of 5 years.
The ‘Aerial Assassin’ is one of the most exciting talents in the world and when you put him in the ring with a talent the caliber of Kota Ibushi you’re likely to get excellence. This is an opportunity for Ospreay to ‘move up’ and mix it with the Heavyweight Division in New Japan.
Ospreay has been one of the shining beacons of the Juniors over the past couple of years but his athletic abilities could translate extremely well to a different weight class, although the NEVER title is technically ‘openweight’ it has up to now been a heavyweight and ‘strong style’ flavored division.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFJ0a4RSswI
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
There’s also a IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship that catches the eye. Champion KUSHIDA will be defending against Taiji Ishimori. Ishimori joined the BULLET CLUB as the new Bone Soldier and has been flourishing in the Juniors ever since. Taiji had a very impressive showing in the Best of The Super Juniors 2018, losing only to Hiroshi Tanahashi in the final.
KUSHIDA is a name that you may be aware of, he is reportedly being looked at by WWE as a potential NXT signing…NXT overseer Triple H is supposedly a big fan of the Japanese star.
If this doesn’t convince you then check out the full card below:
IWGP Heavyweight Championship Kenny Omega (c) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
IWGP Intercontinental Championship Chris Jericho (c) vs Tetsuya Naito
Kazuchika Okada vs Jay White
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship KUSHIDA (c) vs Taiji Ishimori
IWGP United States Championship Cody (c) vs Juice Robinson
RevPro British Heavyweight Championship Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs Zack Sabre Jr.
IWGP Tag Team Championships Guerrillas of Destiny (c) vs The Young Bucks vs. EVIL and SANADA
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado (c) vs Roppongi 3K vs BUSHI and Shingo Takagi
IWGP NEVER Openweight Championship Kota Ibushi (c) vs Will Ospreay
WrestleKingdom 13 Pre-Show Gauntlet Match to become Number One Contender for the NEVER Six-Man Titles
You can watch the show via FITE TV or NJPWWorld. If you have any questions about New Japan just hit us up in the comments
New Japan Pro Wrestling held their 2019 NJPW Festival at Studio Coast in Tokyo on Thursday, an event that featured all of the Wrestle Kingdom 13 participants facing off.
The highlight of the show was the Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito contract signing, which ended with Jericho putting Naito through a table.
The festival also provided the most intense Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi promo battle to date, as Omega promised to kick out of anything that Tanahashi hit him with, while Tanahashi promised to end their feud decisively at Wrestle Kingdom 13.
Tanahashi: I’m coming into the Tokyo Dome with all my rage, and I’m going to bring this to an end. #njwk13
Also of note, Cody, with Brandi Rhodes beside him, and Juice Robinson went face-to-face ahead of their IWGP United States Championship bout on Friday.
Juice said that he should burn his gear and retire if he is unable to beat Cody, while Brandi Rhodes stated that she hated Juice’s face and his hair, and that she can’t wait to see Cody beat Juice again.
Chris Jericho attacked Tetsuya Naito during the contract signing for their Wrestle Kingdom 13 match, which was also officially made a No DQ bout. The contract signing took place today during the New Japan Pro Wrestling Festival at the Studio Coast venue in Tokyo.
During the angle, Naito taunted Jericho, who promised to retire Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 13. Jericho also asked for the no DQ stipulation. Naito first mocked Jericho for demanding that all of his NJPW matches be no DQ, but agreed to the request, and signed the contract.
Jericho then attacked Naito, stabbing at him with a pen. He then power-bombed his upcoming opponent through a table.
Chris Jericho vs Tetsuya Naito – Wrestle Kingdom 13
Jericho vs. Naito for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship will be the semi-main event at Wrestle Kingdom 13. Jericho originally won the title from Naito at Dominion in June. He has defended the championship only once since then, defeating EVIL at Power Struggle in Osaka back in November.
Despite his uneventful reign, Jericho now places fifth both in most days spent as IWGP Intercontinental champion.
Recently, Naito took part in an interview with NJPW1972.com and said NJPW management kisses up to Jericho. They do this, Naito says, to appease their international fan base.
“I know that New Japan wants to use his name for overseas expansion, but I want them to stop kissing up to him,” Naito said. “That’ll happen once I take back that title. I’ve said this many times before, but they should focus on showing the pure New Japan style to the world, instead of altering it.”
Kazuchika Okada will once again be competing on the Wrestle Kingdom 13 pay-per-view (PPV) this year. The New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star has been in the main event of the past four Wrestle Kingdom PPVs. This year, however, he will not be headlining the show. His match with Jay White will go on before the IWGP Heavyweight Title contest.
Kenny Omega will be defending his championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi. Recently, Okada did an interview with NJPW to preview his match-up with Jay White inside the Tokyo Dome. During their conversation, Okada was asked about how he feels not headlining this year’s event:
“Honestly, I’m not that upset about it. If this was any other sport, the same sport isn’t going to dominate all the time. The Giants aren’t going to run the table every year. … The Dome is always the Dome.
“So the setting hasn’t changed. But the scenario, not a main event, not a title match. What’s that even like? I can’t remember, so I want to see for myself. I might get pumped up just like a title match, or it might be very different, I won’t know until January 4th, so I’m kinda excited, honestly.”
Check out the full card for Wrestle Kingdom 13 here:
Main Card
IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: (C) Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: (C) Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: (C) KUSHIDA vs. Taiji Ishimori
IWGP United States Title Match: (C) Cody vs. Juice Robinson
IWGP Tag Team Title Match: (C) Guerrillas of Destiny vs. The Young Bucks vs. EVIL and SANADA
RevPro British Heavyweight Title Match: (C) Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Title Match: (C) Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado vs. Roppongi 3K vs. BUSHI and Shingo Takagi
IWGP NEVER Openweight Title Match: (C) Kota Ibushi vs. Will
Pre-Show
Gauntlet Match to determine #1 Contenders for NEVER Six-Man Titles: Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, and Togi Makabe vs. David Finley, Jeff Cobb, and Yuji Nagata vs. Best Friends and Hirooki Goto vs. Killer Elite Squad and Minoru Suzuki vs. Marty Scurll, Adam Page, and Yujiro Takahashi
What do you think about Okada not main eventing this year’s Wrestle Kingdom 13?
Chris Jericho believes Bullet Club should change its name. He made the comments on the most recent episode of his podcast, Talk is Jericho.
“I’m wondering, is it time to change the name?” Jericho asked allowed on the show in regards to the faction.
“Bullet Club has been through so many different phases and is so synonymous over the last couple of years with the Bucks and Kenny and Cody,” Jericho continued. “Now that they are gone, it seems like they should want to change it to something else.”
Many longtime fans of Bullet Club, however, would state the current incarnation of the faction more closely resembles the original.
Jericho and his guest, famed Japanese wrestling journalist Fumi Saito, then discussed how NJPW would still like to sell Bullet Club merchandise.
Bullet Club recently announced Jay White as the faction’s new leader. Tama Tonga responded to critics of the announcement through his YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLEcaePQqbE
“Yes, I said all that (that Bullet Club has no leader),” Tonga says in the video. “Right after I kicked out the Elite and right before we brought in Jay White. Now, think about this. With Jay White in, we got one man covering the direct route to the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, right? You’ve got my brother and I; tag team duo, holding it down for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. We got Fale the monster. We got Ishimori chasing the Junior Heavyweight. Now, if it needs to be a junior heavyweight tag-team, we also got Robbie Eagles. We’re covering all angles, that’s smart, don’t y’all think?”
Tetsuya Naito believes that New Japan Pro Wrestling management is going out of their way to cater to IWPG Intercontinental Champion, Chris Jericho. He made the comments recently in an interview with NJPW1972.com.
“I know that New Japan wants to use his name for overseas expansion, but I want them to stop kissing up to him,” Naito said in regards to Jericho. “That’ll happen once I take back that title. I’ve said this many times before, but they should focus on showing the pure New Japan style to the world, instead of altering it.”
Jericho vs Naito II will take place inside the Tokyo Dome on January 4th at Wrestle Kingdom 13.
Chris Jericho vs Tetsuya Naito II
Earlier in the interview, Naito said he understands why NJPW caters to Jericho.
“I can see why New Japan kisses his ass because he’s a good marketer,” Naito continued. “Actually, that all works in my favor because it sets a bigger stage for me to kicks his ass on.”
Naito also responded to Jericho’s comments that Naito is not a star. Jericho said that he didn’t believe Naito was a star because he doesn’t see anyone selling Naito ice-cream bars.
“I read that. It made me laugh, a little,” Naito responded. “Even though I’m extremely popular, he’s right, I don’t have an ice cream bar. He probably knows a lot about ice cream, that’s why his physique has changed so much since his Junior days.”
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest event of the year is only a few days away, taking place January 4th at Japan’s Tokyo Dome.
Over the past few months, fans have witnessed the card begin to take shape as feuds were developed and challenges made, leading to what has become a stacked card featuring some of the best performers New Japan has to offer.
It also appears the NJPW want to start as they mean to go once the event gets underway.
NJPW announcer, Chris Charlton, revealed via Twitter that Wrestle Kingdom 13 will begin with Kota Ibushi vs Will Ospreay. The two will be competing for Ibushi’s NEVER Openweight championship in a match that could steal the show — and that’s on a card featuring a number of matches that could do the exact same thing.
“#njwk13 ‘s main card starts with Kota Ibushi vs Will Ospreay. An insane match to start that event, but it’s just as much a. Statement of intent for the year as it is for WK13. It’s starting huge and only getting bigger.”
#njwk13 ‘s main card starts with Kota Ibushi vs Will Ospreay. An insane match to start that event, but it’s just as much a. Statement of intent for the year as it is for WK13. It’s starting huge and only getting bigger.
Describing it as a “statement of intent” couldn’t be more accurate. There’s no doubt that Ibushi and Ospreay will deliver something special and set the tone straight out the gate.
Wrestle Kingdom 13
IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: KUSHIDA (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori
IWGP United States Title Match: Cody (c) vs. Juice Robinson
IWGP Tag Team Title Match: Guerrillas of Destiny (c) vs. The Young Bucks vs. EVIL and SANADA
RevPro British Heavyweight Title Match: Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Title Match: Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado (c) vs. Roppongi 3K vs. BUSHI and Shingo Takagi
IWGP NEVER Openweight Title Match: Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will
Pre-Show
Gauntlet Match to determine #1 Contenders for NEVER Six-Man Titles:
Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, and Togi Makabe vs. David Finley, Jeff Cobb, and Yuji Nagata vs. Best Friends and Hirooki Goto vs. Killer Elite Squad and Minoru Suzuki vs. Marty Scurll, Adam Page, and Yujiro Takahashi
We are just days away from Wrestle Kingdom 13 inside the Tokyo Dome on January 4th. The main event of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year will be Kenny Omega versus Hiroshi Tanahashi. The two took part in an official contract signing which was live-streamed on the promotion’s YouTube channel earlier today.
Omega addressed his rivalry with Tanahashi when it was his turn to speak.
“From what I’ve heard now, there are over 30% of you that are from foreign countries,” Omega said in English.
Omega has been saying his style of pro-wrestling is more appealing to an international audience than Tanahashi’s is.
“There may even be more of you that speak English,” he continued. “That’s just wonderful. That is the entire point of this main event coming up in Tokyo Dome.”
Unbelievable! Hundreds of thousands of fans have come for the live contract signing for @KennyOmegamanX vs @tanahashi1_100!!
“On January 4th, we have our biggest show of the year, Wrestle Kingdom,” Omega continued. “If you guys aren’t going to watch it, I urge you please give it a try. Believe it or not, I’m the best in the world at doing this thing, and you may actually like it.”
NJPW commentator, Chris Charlton, provided some translations of Tanahashi’s comments.
Tanahashi ‘I’ve given it my all my entire career, but on January 4 I’ll fight harder than I ever have in my life’ #njwk13
Kazuchika Okada has spent much of 2018 dealing with “Switchblade” Jay White. First, the New Zealander joined CHAOS but then defected and joined Bullet Club at King of Pro Wrestling in October.
Now, Okada will face Jay White in a special grudge match at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th. Okada spoke to NJPW1972.com about facing the 26-year-old upstart.
“I feel that Jay White is the toughest foreigner in New Japan right now,” Okada said. “I really do. Tougher than Jericho, tougher than Omega.”
“It’s more than potential,” Okada continued. “I think he’s the toughest right now. The world might not know it yet, but they just might after he faces me January 4th.”
Kazuchika Okada On NJPW in 2019
Not that Okada is looking past his test at Wrestle Kingdom 13 but he’s also looking toward the future. Okada spoke about NJPW’s many lofty plans for the upcoming year as well.
“It’s full on for sure. MSG is coming up and we’re tearing it up overseas too,” Okada continued. “But I think we need to do our thing in Japan and make sure neither side is neglected. If we’re doing well in Japan, we’ll do well internationally as well, and the other way, guys killing it in the US are making the fans in Japan proud. ‘The NJPW we love so much managed to sell out Madison Square Garden’. I think there’s all sorts of ways we can blow fans away.”
We reported earlier on Kota Ibushi speaking with NJPW1972.com ahead of his NEVER Openweight Championship bout against U.K. sensation, Will Ospreay.
Turns out The Sky King has also been ruminating on their impending clash at the Tokyo Dome come January 4th. The two will face off for New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 13.
Taking to Twitter, Ospreay uploaded a picture of the two of them together during friendlier, albeit bittersweet circumstances.
He took a moment to thank Ibushi for helping him through a difficult time two years ago when he sadly lost his friend, British independent wrestler, Kris Travis to cancer.
His match with Ibushi — who he refers to as an “inspiration” — helped to disctract him from grieving as the two shared a ring.
“You have no idea how much you helped me this day.
Only a few days before this photo/match, I lost a friend who helped me in British Wrestling, Kris Travis. To be in the ring with a man I would call an inspiration, helped me not focus on grieving but to celebrate his life. After this moment and how fans reacted to how we were in the ring, I knew this was the match I wanted.
Now I’m under a week from my dream match on the biggest stage of my life. For a championship that has lost its place on New Japan but now shall live up to what it should be, an Openweight Championship. What I’m saying is thank you for helping me all those years ago, but January 4th, 2019, my idol is my rival.”
Ospreay was on track for a NEVER Openweight match against previous champion, Taichi, before becoming injured. Since then, Ibushi has bested Goto for the belt whilst Ospreay defeated Taichi to secure his spot as number one contender.
There have been plenty of rumors going around that now-former WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura could be going back to Japan. However, those rumors have been proven to be untrue. New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) has certainly shown interest in bringing “The King Of Strong Style” back. But Nakamura relocated his entire family to Orlando after signing with WWE in 2016.
It would take a big financial offer to get him to make such another big move across the world. With that being said, rumors of Shinsuke’s return to Japan continue to run rampant. Especially after his recent interaction with Hiroki Goto on Twitter. Prior to signing with WWE, Nakamura founded the CHAOS faction in NJPW back in 2009. He served as the group’s leader before leaving in 2016.
Shortly after his departure, Goto joined CHAOS and has remained a member ever since. Yesterday, Goto took to Twitter and posted a good morning Tweet to his fans. Nakamura responded by telling Goto good morning in return. Goto excitedly asked Nakamura how he is doing. Nakamura is coming off a United States Championship loss to Rusev. The WWE star responded by saying he’s feeling “Genki Dah,” which translates into feeling energetic or lively.
We are just days away from New Japan’s biggest event of the year. January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom in the Tokyo Dome is one of the most stacked cards in company history. One of the more intriguing bouts will see Will Ospreay challenge for the NEVER Openweight Championship against Kota Ibushi.
Ibushi recently spoke to NJPW’s Japanese language website regarding the bout. The match will be opening the card, Ibushi had an interesting reaction to this, saying initially ‘”Why the first match?” But now I think that there is nothing more delicious than the first game.'” Ibushi elaborated further saying “I thought “Eh?” At first, but now that a few days later I think that it is worth the same as the main [event].”
Ospreay vs Ibushi is being touted as one of the top bouts already announced for 2019. Both men are seen as risk takers, but Ibushi wanted to clarify that “It’s not just a high flyer showdown” although he believes that “there are many people who think so.”
NJPW also asked Ibushi how he feels the bout will compare to the incredible Ospreay vs Ricochet bouts. Ibushi stated that “I think that I can not compare itself because it is completely different thing. I do not feel like competing against that match in the first place, and I’d like to say that I’m different.“
Plenty of free agents are expected to be leaving their respective promotions in favor of greener pastures in 2019. One man who won’t be going anywhere, however, is seven-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi. Tanahashi recently took to Twitter and announced that he has signed a new deal with NJPW:
“Contract renewal with New Japan Wrestling. I will do my best next fiscal year too! # njpw”
Back in August, Tanahashi won the G1 Climax 28 to earn the IWGP heavyweight title shot at Wrestle Kingdom 13. He’ll be going after his eighth heavyweight title against Kenny Omega inside the Tokyo Dome. The show goes down from Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2019.
Check out the current card for NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 here:
Main Card
IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: (C) Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: (C) Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: (C) KUSHIDA vs. Taiji Ishimori
IWGP United States Title Match: (C) Cody vs. Juice Robinson
IWGP Tag Team Title Match: (C) Guerrillas of Destiny vs. The Young Bucks vs. EVIL and SANADA
RevPro British Heavyweight Title Match: (C) Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Title Match: (C) Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado vs. Roppongi 3K vs. BUSHI and Shingo Takagi
IWGP NEVER Openweight Title Match: (C) Kota Ibushi vs. Will
Pre-Show
Gauntlet Match to determine #1 Contenders for NEVER Six-Man Titles: Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, and Togi Makabe vs. David Finley, Jeff Cobb, and Yuji Nagata vs. Best Friends and Hirooki Goto vs. Killer Elite Squad and Minoru Suzuki vs. Marty Scurll, Adam Page, and Yujiro Takahashi
What do you think about Tanahashi re-signing with NJPW?
The latest details on the start time for the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) Wrestle Kingdom 13 event has surfaced. This is considered the biggest event of the year for promotion and it features a stacked card.
This event is slated to air live NJPW World and Fite TV as it goes down on January 4, 2019, at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.
Chris Charlton noted the start time for the show in a recent message on his Twitter account. First up is the pre-show, which starts at 4pm JST/2am EST. The main show will kick off at 3am EST.
If you’re watching Wrestle Kingdom 13 on World: 4pm JST: NEVER gauntlet 4:50pm JST: opening and announcements for big 2019 cards 5pm main card start. Adjust your viewing plans accordingly! #njwk13https://t.co/p83vbz6McO
IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA vs. Taiji Ishimori
IWGP United States Champion Cody vs. Juice Robinson
IWGP Tag Team Champions Guerrillas of Destiny vs. The Young Bucks vs. EVIL and SANADA
RevPro British Heavyweight Champion Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado vs. Roppongi 3K vs. BUSHI and Shingo Takagi
IWGP NEVER Openweight Champion Kota Ibushi vs. Will
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White
Pre-Show
Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, and Togi Makabe vs. David Finley, Jeff Cobb, and Yuji Nagata vs. Best Friends and Hirooki Goto vs. Killer Elite Squad and Minoru Suzuki vs. Marty Scurll, Adam Page, and Yujiro Takahashi – Gauntlet Match to determine #1 Contenders for NEVER Six-Man Titles
Tetsuya Naito Vows To Retire Chris Jericho (Video)
The rivalry between Chris Jericho and Tetsuya Naito has been brewing for quite some time now. It all stemmed from last year at Wrestle Kingdom 12 when Jericho claimed his match with Kenny Omega was the real main event of the show. However, Naito faced Kazuchika Okada in the main event for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Jericho went on to defeat Naito for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at Dominion back in June. “Y2J” then successfully defended his title against EVIL at Power Struggle 2018. Now, he’ll rematch Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in January with his title on the line. Last week, Jericho said he was going to end Naito’s career when they step into the ring again.
In a recent video from Naito on New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) YouTube channel, Naito has promised the same in return:
A lot of WWE stars have been getting married recently. The Riott Squad’s Sarah Logan tied the knot with NXT star Raymond Rowe in a Viking-themed wedding. Then, RAW star Lio Rush married his longtime girlfriend Sarah Green last week as well. Now, 205 Live star Akira Tozawa has also gotten married. The ceremony took place this past Saturday on December 22nd:
Tama Tonga has released a video on his YouTube channel where he addresses criticism some have of Jay White being named the new leader of Bullet Club. Tonga named White as the new leader of the faction in a series of Tweets last week.
“Yes, I said all that (that Bullet Club has no leader),” Tonga says in the video. “Right after I kicked out the Elite and right before we brought in Jay White. Now, think about this. With Jay White in, we got one man covering the direct route to the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, right? You’ve got my brother and I; tag team duo, holding it down for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. We got Fale the monster. We got Ishimori chasing the Junior Heavyweight. Now, if it needs to be a junior heavyweight tag-team, we also got Robbie Eagles. We’re covering all angles, that’s smart, don’t y’all think?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLEcaePQqbE
Bullet Club at Wrestle Kingdom 13
The next show for NJPW will be Wrestle Kingdom 13 inside the Tokyo Dome. Tama Tonga and his brother, Tanga Loa, will defend the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships against both the Young Bucks and Evil & Sanada in a triple threat match. Jay White will also take on Kazuchika Okada in a one-on-one grudge match.
New Japan Pro Wrestling President Harold Meij recently spoke to Japanese Government’s online magazine, Highlighting Japan, where he talked about his dream to connect Japan and the rest of the world though pro wrestling and how he is taking steps to globalize NJPW’s content.
Meij says that professional wrestling has the potential to become an integral part of Japanese culture as much as sushi, or Mount Fuji. His focus is to make it more popular in the promotion’s home country.
“The strong point of pro wrestling is that it is not just a sport, but rather an encompassing experience. Every time a wrestler does a grand move, they change the atmosphere of the stadium and the crowd cheers for their favorite wrestler. When their favorite wrestlers win, there is a rush of applause, when there are foul moves the fans get angry, and when they lose they cry and get upset.”
Meij also explained that his goal for the promotion is to make it popular and appealing to an audience worldwide.
“We have over 100,000 subscribers on our video channel, and almost fifty percent of them are outside of Japan,” he said. “When foreign subscribers visit Japan and attend a New Japan Pro-Wrestling match, they tend to share their experience on social media. So that more people get a deeper understanding of the sport and connect with the wrestlers, we put matches up on YouTube, including videos of the wrestlers themselves, their training scenes and videos of matches with English-language versions of the stirring, perfectly-timed announcements made by the Japanese pro-wrestling announcers.”
NJPW’s New Beginning in the USA tour is sold-out. Both the January 30th show in Los Angeles and the February 1st’s show in Charlotte, NC were sold-out in mere minutes today.
Kevin Kelly broke the news on Twitter:
So LA @njpw1972 show is sold out. Totally clean in less than 20 minutes. January 30th at the Globe Theater is going to be rocking!
Same for Charlotte and Grady Cole with a first day sellout of the tickets put on sale. More will be put on sale soon. #NJNBGpic.twitter.com/NFofuOyl0r
As is usually the case for any sold-out event, a limited number of tickets could be put on sale at a later date.
If you got shut out for @njpw1972 tickets for #NJNBG in Charlotte, do not despair! There is a chance more tickets could be put on sale soon. All great seats at Grady Cole! Keep checking pic.twitter.com/pIKBO6TuLf
Charlotte, North Carolina’s Grady Cole Center is listed at holding 3,000-3,9000 people. It’s hard to find attendance numbers for LA’s Globe Theatre. PWG held a show there in the spring. One website lists 1500 as a possible capacity but I have no idea how reliable it is.
New Japan Pro Wrestling Ticket Sales
New Japan Pro Wrestling has also been touting that tickets to Wrestle Kingdom 13 are selling even faster than they did last year.
Who has finished their Christmas shopping????? Wrestle Kingdom 13 is the hottest ticket in Tokyo and will soon sell out?? Be a part of history and treat yourself to the best X-Mas?present? ever! Purchase tickets now!! https://t.co/BPMV0Frh0r#njwk13#njpwpic.twitter.com/3FoIOq4yhk
Tickets to New Year’s Dash, NJPW’s “Night after WK” in Korakuen Hall, are sold to only club members and are said to be nearly impossible to obtain.
The strong ticket sales are the latest in a string of good financial news for the company. A report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter earlier this week stated the company’s total earnings are up 25% this year.
When “Switchblade” Jay White joined Bullet Club at King of Pro Wrestling this fall, it was made clear he was not the new leader. A few weeks after his defection, White commented that he was not the faction’s leader in a backstage promo.
Evidently, something has changed. Today, Bullet Club founding member, Tama Tonga, declared on his social media accounts that White is, in fact, the new Bullet Club leader.
Jay White was scouted into NJPW and Bullet Club by Prince Devitt in early 2014. Devitt was performing on a VPW show in Australia and was impressed by White. Not long after Devitt’s visit, White received a phone call from Bad Luck Fale, who has a dojo in White’s native New Zealand.
Arrangements were made for White to train at the New Japan Dojo starting in early 2015. He would leave for excursion to the United States the following year. He would return in time to challenge Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 12. This year at Wrestle Kingdom, White has another top NJPW star opposing him. White, with Gedo in his corner, will take on Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 13. The two have built up an intense rivalry after White spent much of 2018 ruffling feathers from within as a member of CHAOS.
An injury has forced a change to be made to the Wrestle Kingdom 13 pay-per-view (PPV) card. Wrestle Kingdom 13 goes down from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2019. It was recently announced that Michael Elgin suffered a knee injury and has been removed from the pre-show Gauntlet match that will crown the number one contender for the NEVER Six-Man Titles.
In his place, Yuji Nagata will be teaming up with David Finley and Jeff Cobb for the Gauntlet match. You can check out the updated Wrestle Kingdom 13 card below:
IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: (C) Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: (C) Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: (C) KUSHIDA vs. Taiji Ishimori
IWGP United States Title Match: (C) Cody vs. Juice Robinson
IWGP Tag Team Title Match: (C) Guerrillas of Destiny vs. The Young Bucks vs. EVIL and SANADA
RevPro British Heavyweight Title Match: (C) Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Title Match: (C) Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado vs. Roppongi 3K vs. BUSHI and Shingo Takagi
IWGP NEVER Openweight Title Match: (C) Kota Ibushi vs. Will
Pre-Show:
Gauntlet Match to determine #1 Contenders for NEVER Six-Man Titles: Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, and Togi Makabe vs. David Finley, Jeff Cobb, and Yuji Nagata vs. Best Friends and Hirooki Goto vs. Killer Elite Squad and Minoru Suzuki vs. Marty Scurll, Adam Page, and Yujiro Takahashi
Kenny Omega will defend his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13. In many ways, the match has become about Tanahashi’s style of pro-wrestling versus a new style Omega is looking to usher in.
Omega addressed the sub-plot during a recent interview with NJPW1972.com.
“I feel like I have given my heart, my soul, all of my passion to this company, but everyone keeps telling me about how Tanahashi’s given up so much,” Omega said.
“Everyone is evolving. I’ve become an inspiration to everyone, and people are trying to follow my lead. Tana just can’t accept that. He wants to be the leader. He wants to do it in his own way.”
Kenny Omega on Hiroshi Tanahashi
Omega would continue to say that Tanahashi relies too much on reminding fans what he has done for the company in the past.
“Here’s the thing, I have this style that can’t be duplicated,” Omega continued. “It eats Tana up alive, he hates it. Tana speaks to his cult and says, ‘my style is the true style, it’s the right way!” “Do you remember 15 years ago when I saved the company? That was me! That was me! I’m going to do it again! You still believe me, right? Right? Still?’”
