Wrestle Kingdom 13 Preview

Written by Alex Marco (@generalreaction)

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 is just a few short days away, and as fans from around the world prepare to watch what could potentially be the best Wrestle Kingdom to date your friends at Turn Tweener Wrestling have decided to create a preview guide for the show! Scheduled to take place on January 4th, 2019 in the historic Tokyo Dome, Wrestle Kingdom 13 has a stacked card filled with matchups between some of the top professional wrestlers in the world! The show serves as the premiere event of the year for New Japan Pro Wrestling and their fans - think of it like their version of Wrestlemania. This year’s show will feature nine matches and will include contests for eight separate championship titles. Below you will find a breakdown of each match, including a background behind why each match is taking place and who I believe will come away as the winner.

- NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Will Ospreay vs. Kota Ibushi(c)

In what is being called a DREAM MATCH by fans and wrestling journalists alike, Will Ospreay will challenge for the NEVER Openweight Championship against the new champion Kota Ibushi. The Golden Star recently captured the NEVER Openweight Championship by defeating Hirooki Goto on the final day of World Tag League. On that same night, Will Ospreay defeated former NEVER Openweight Champion Taichi in a #1 Contender’s match for the NEVER title. Due to the fact that the NEVER Openweight Championship is the only title in New Japan that has no weight class restrictions, fans will be able to witness this one of a kind matchup between one of the best Junior Heavyweight wrestlers in the world in Will Ospreay and one of the best Heavyweight wrestlers in the world in Kota Ibushi. Fans were able to get a preview of the action they can expect to see at Wrestle Kingdom during the final Road to the Tokyo Dome show of 2018, and if that contest was even close to as good as what the fans will see in the Tokyo Dome then we are all in for a show-stealing matchup!

Alex’s Pick to Win this Match: Kota Ibushi

- IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match: Roppongi 3K (Sho & Yoh) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japón (Shingo Takagi & Bushi) vs. Suzuki-Gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado)(c)

The Suzuki-Gun tandem of Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado have been quietly going about becoming the longest reigning champions the Jr. Heavyweight tag team division has seen in several years. The two rule-breaking veterans captured the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championships on March 6th, 2018 when they unseated Roppongi 3K as part of a triple threat match that also involved the LIJ team of Bushi and Hiromu Takahashi. With that being said, it seems only fitting the the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom 13 be contested under triple threat rules. The first of the two challenger teams in this matchup are the former IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Sho and Yoh of Roppongi 3K who have been hot on the heels of the Suzuki-Gun unit that currently holds the gold. The young Jr. Heavyweight team from Chaos won this year’s Super Junior tag league to earn their opportunity in this title match, but shocked New Japan fans when they requested that this match be made into a triple threat involving the other challenger team of Bushi and Shingo Takagi. Los Ingobernables de Japon made waves in the latter half of 2018 by adding one of the hottest free agents in wrestling to their stable in the form of Shingo Takagi. Fans of the Dragon Gate promotion in Japan are no doubt familiar with Takagi’s work as he spent the vast majority of his career wrestling in for that company. The Dragon, as he is often called, made his debut as the 6th member of LIJ at the King of Pro-Wrestling event on October 8th, 2018 and quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the ring. He and his tag team partner Bushi have proven to be an imposing force and could very well prove to be the wild cards in this championship encounter.

Alex’s Pick to Win this Match: Roppongi 3K

- British Heavyweight Championship Match: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tomohiro Ishii(c)

While this match may not be for a championship that lives under the banner of New Japan Pro Wrestling, the British Heavyweight Championship bout between Zack Sabre Jr. and Tomohiro Ishii is set to be a rather intriguing clash of styles. On one side you have the challenger, representing the Suzuki-Gun faction, Zack Sabre Jr. who is a former British Heavyweight Champion in his own right and the Submission Master of New Japan Pro Wrestling. On the other side you have the champion, representing the Chaos faction, is the Stone Pitbull Tomohiro Ishii. While Sabre Jr. is is a master of the technical and mat-based style of professional wrestling, Ishii is a tough-as-nails bruiser who is practitioner of the Japanese strong style of professional wrestling. These two are no strangers to one another as it was Ishii who defeated Zack Sabre Jr. to capture his first British Heavyweight Championship during Wrestlemania weekend in 2018. The Stone Pitbull would drop the title to Suzuki-Gun leader Minoru Suzuki only to win it back a few short months later giving us the setup for this match at Wrestle Kingdom 13. The question in this match will be a simple one: what will break first? Will it be the resolve and determination of the challenger? Or will it be the bones and fighting spirit of the champion? Ishii also has to be aware of the dangerous new finishing move that Zack Sabre Jr. added to his arsenal during the G1 Climax 28 - the Zack Driver. Add in the presence of ZSJ’s cornerman Taka Michinoku at ring side, and the defending champion Tomohiro Ishii will have his work cut out for him in this unique clash of styles.

Alex’s Pick to Win this Match: Zack Sabre Jr.

- IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match: Young Bucks vs. Los Ingobernables de Japón (Evil & Sanada) vs. Guerillas of Destiny(c)

For the second straight year the Los Ingobernables de Japon contingent of Evil and Sanada found themselves as the victors of the World Tag League tournament, which secured them a title match at Wrestle Kingdom against the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. And it should also be noted that, for the second straight year, Evil and Sanada defeated the Guerillas of Destiny to win World Tag League. This is import because the current IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions are the team of Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa, meaning that the LIJ combination has a favorable matchup going into the Tokyo Dome. Or at least that WOULD be the case if not for a rather sizeable wrinkle that has been thrown into the heavyweight tag team championship bout at Wrestle Kingdom 13 - the inclusion of the Young Bucks. Matt and Nick Jackson, who are former IWGP Heavyweight Tag Champs in their own right AND were responsible for ending the title reign of Evil and Sanada in June of 2018, managed to get a spot in this match because they never received their rematch against the G.O.D. With that being said, this sets up yet another triple threat match with tag team gold on the line at Wrestle Kingdom 13. Each team in this match brings their own unique style and arsenal of moves to the table as well. On one hand you have the Young Bucks, who are masters in the art of innovative in-ring offense and who are well-known for leaving fans aw-struck. Then you have the other challenger team of Evil and Sanada, who have managed to seamlessly blend Japanese Strong Style with the Lucha Libre techniques that are a hallmark of professional wrestling in Mexico. And last, but certainly not least, you have the Guerillas of Destiny who combine a classic brawling style with speed and precision to brutalize their opponents. This match is all but guaranteed to be an absolute treat for fans of tag team wrestling and should not disappoint.

Alex’s Pick to Win this Match: Evil & Sanada

- IWGP United States Championship Match: Juice Robinson vs. Cody(c)

2018 can best be described as having the highest of highs when it comes to the career of Juice Robinson. The 29 -year old native of Joliet, IL finally got his first taste of championship gold in New Japan Pro Wrestling when he unseated Jay White to capture the IWGP United States Championship at the G1 Special in San Francisco. This victory ended a streak of frustrating losses in title bouts for the flamboyant American star, and will likely be a moment in his career that he will never forget. But the joy of championship glory would not last long for Juice Robinson. After a somewhat underwhelming performance in the G1 Climax 28 tournament, Robinson battled the American Nightmare Cody in his first title defense. In a shocking turn of events the challenger rolled up Robinson after a superplex to score a pinfall victory and thus wrestle the title away from Juice. At Wrestle Kingdom 13 Juice Robinson will get his long-awaited rematch against Cody as he attempts to recapture the IWGP United States Championship and become the only two-time champion the title’s brief history. But an important pair of stats to keep in mind is this: Juice Robinson has never won a match at Wrestle Kingdom AND he has never defeated Cody in a one-on-one match. That all being said I can’t help but want to pull for the underdog.

Alex’s Pick to Win this Match: Juice Robinson

- IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match: Taiji Ishimori vs. Kushida(c)

Since the moment Taiji Ishimori debuted as the new Bone Soldier of the Bullet Club, he has made an undeniable impact on the landscape of the Jr. Heavyweight division in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Reaching the finals of the 2018 Best of the Super Juniors tournament, Ishimori shocked fans around the world by earning a decisive pinfall victory over then-IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay. Heading into his match at Wrestle Kingdom 13 for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship, Ishimori has already scored a pinfall victory of the defending champion Kushida. But I would remiss if I were to right off the six-time IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion without making a case for him. The Time Splitter secured his 6th reign as IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion by winning a four-man tournament to crown a new champion after Hiromu Takahashi was forced to vacate the title due to injury. Kushida is no stranger to the big stage that comes with competing in the Tokyo Dome and you can be assured that he will be looking to gain a measure of revenge as he attempts to retain his title against Ishimori. But history is not on the side of champion as far as Wrestle Kingdom is concerned. Since 2014 (Wrestle Kingdom 8) the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship has changed hands every year at Wrestle Kingdom, meaning that Kushida will likely have his work cut out for him as he attempts to ward of the challenge of the Bone Soldier Taiji Ishimori.

Alex’s Pick to Win this Match: Taiji Ishimori

- Special Singles Match: Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White

With the six-plus year relationship between Kazuchika Okada and his long-time manager Gedo completely destroyed, and the cutthroat era of the Bullet Club now in full swing, the impending clash between the Rainmaker and the Switchblade has so much on the line despite no championships being up for grabs. You would be hard-pressed to find a wrestler who made more of an impact in 2018 than Switchblade Jay White. Although he began the year by unsuccessfully challenging for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, the Switchblade was quick to get his first taste of championship gold when he defeated Kenny Omega at The New Beginning in Sapporo to become the second-ever IWGP United States Champion. Despite losing the belt over the summer to Juice Robinson, Jay White continued to build moment as the year progressed. He made waves at the G1 Climax 28 by defeating both Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi during his run through the tournament’s A Block. Since his betrayal of Chaos and his alignment with the Bullet Club OGs White has become a force to be reckoned with in NJPW. The Switchblade has gone from being a lone wolf to a man surrounded by a powerful allies. The opposite, in many ways, can be said for Kazuchika Okada. When you become the longest reigning champion in the history of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship it is hard to argue that there is anywhere to go but down. After his championship loss to Kenny Omega at Dominion 2018 the Rainmaker began to undergo a strange transformation. Gone was his aura of near-invincibility and what remained was an off-the-wall, fun-loving personality that left fans and critics alike scratching their heads. Despite his strong performance in the G1 Climax 28 Kazuchika Okada has been unable to return to his former championship form. Perhaps the psychological strain that came from not only losing the heavyweight title but being betrayed by his former friend and mentor is beginning to eat away at the mind of the Rainmaker. And perhaps at Wrestle Kingdom 13 the Switchblade will look to further exploit that mental break in route to a career-defining victory. Or maybe, just maybe, the former four-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion will be able to right the ship and beat back the challenge of the upstart leader of the Bullet Club OGs. The good news is that, either way, we won’t have to wait long for our answer.

Alex’s Pick to Win this Match: Jay White

- IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match: Tetsuya Naito vs. Chris Jericho(c)

If you had told me that during my lifetime I would see Chris Jericho wrestle Kenny Omega one-on-one in a New Japan ring I probably would have called you crazy. But at Wrestle Kingdom 12 I witnessed live and in living color first hand. But even still, if you told me that one year later I would be preparing to see Tetsuya Naito take on Chris Jericho for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 13 then I would have likely called you a certifiable madman. And yet here we are. Just days away from the clash for the Intercontinental title between the leader of Los Ingobernables de Japón Tetsuya Naito and the self-proclaimed outlaw of pro wrestling Chris Jericho. The real life rockstar shocked the wrestling world when he defeated Naito for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at Dominion in June of 2018. Now after months of waiting, Tetsuya Naito will finally get his rematch for a title that he has a very checkered past with. After all, it was the IWGP Intercontinental Championship that denied Naito his spot in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 8. And Naito himself, despite being a two-time former IWGP Intercontinental Champion, has shown nothing but disdain for the title that wronged him. Yet since his defeat at the hands of Jericho something has changed in the way Naito perceives the title belt he once took great pride in destroying; it’s as if Naito now cares for the championship he onced loathed. To add a further layer of intrigue to this bout we need look no further than the violent and twisted persona that Chris Jericho has adopted during his feud with Naito. The Outlaw, as he now calls himself, is almost like the other side of the coin as it relates to Tetsuya Naito. For the all the calm and confident mannerisms that Naito carries himself with, his “tranquilo” nature if you will, Jericho walks about with an aura of twisted rage and malice. Perhaps Jericho is the ultimate manifestation of the frustration that built up in Tetsuya Naito before he became the leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon; perhaps that frustration never truly went away. In order for Naito to recapture the IWGP Intercontinental Championship he will not only have to defeat the opponent that stands before him, but he will also likely have to defeated the demons within himself.

Alex’s Pick to Win this Match: Tetsuya Naito

- IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kenny Omega(c)

The main event of Wrestle Kingdom 13 in the Tokyo Dome will not only be a battle for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship but it will also be a clash of differing ideologies as Hiroshi Tanahashi challenges the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega. In Tanahashi, we have the Once in a Century talent that helped to carry New Japan Pro Wrestling out of one of the worst periods in the company’s storied history. In Omega, we have the Best Bout Machine who ended the record-shattering title reign of Kazuchika Okada and who looks to change the very landscape of New Japan Pro Wrestling as the company continues to expand globally. 2018 was a very up and down year for Hiroshi Tanahashi: he had the IWGP Intercontinental Championship tortured away from his grasp by Minoru Suzuki and he lost in a painstaking matchup to Zack Sabre Jr. in the finals of the New Japan Cup. But just as his critics, and perhaps even some of his fans, were beginning to right off the Ace as being in the downturn of his career Tanahashi saw his fortunes turn around. The former seven-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion entered in the stacked A Block of the G1 Climax 28 and, over the course of the tournament, silenced his critics be earning a record 15 points on his way to winning the G1 Climax Trophy for the third time in his career. After warding off the challenges of both Kazuchika Okada and Jay White, Tanahashi has set his sights on the Tokyo Dome for his opportunity to capture the top prize in New Japan Pro Wrestling for the eight time.

On the other side we have Kenny Omega who is undoubtedly having the best year of his career. The Best Bout Machine kicked off the year by defeating Chris Jericho at Wrestle Kingdom 12 to retain the IWGP United States Championship. Although Omega would lose that title to Switchblade Jay White at the New Beginning is Sapporo he would reform one of the most popular tag teams of the last decade with his long-time friend Kota Ibushi: The Golden Lovers. Despite the reunion rough waters stilled laid ahead for Omega. Infighting within Bullet Club between Omega and Cody would cause a temporary rift in the faction for several months. But at Dominion 2018 Kenny Omega would finally accomplish the goal he had pursued for almost two years when he defeated Kazuchika Okada to win his first IWGP Heavyweight Championship. From there Omega would finally settle his rivalry with Cody when defeated the American Nightmare at the G1 Special in San Francisco. But at the same venue a new enemy would arise as the wolves in sheep’s clothing known as the Bullet Club Firing Squad attack the Bullet Club Elite to permanently split the faction into two. Omega would not be hindered as he entered into the G1 Climax 28, competing for most of the tournament on an injured heel. Despite falling to Kota Ibushi on the final night of the B Block Omega produced another strong accounting for himself. He completed two more successful title defenses throughout the Fall of 2018: first he vanquished Tomohiro Ishii and followed that performance by beating Cody and Ibushi in a triple threat match. Now he marches onward to Tokyo Dome to find out which ideology will prevail. Will Kenny continue on his quest to change the wrestling world as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion? Or will the Ace of New Japan prove that he has one more world title run left in him?

Alex’s Pick to Win this Match: Kenny Omega

Tune into NJPW World on Friday, January 4th 2019 to watch Wrestle Kingdom 13. You can find information on how to view Wrestle Kingdom 13 by clicking the following link (courtesy of Hairy Wrestling Fan): https://hairywrestlingfan.com/2018/12/28/a-bullet-point-guide-to-wrestle-kingdom-13/

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