Hello there Smarks and Marks, here's my preview for New Japan Pro Wrestling's biggest show of the year, Wrestle Kingdom 12. (For those who don't watch New Japan, it's the Super Bowl/World Series/WrestleMania/NBA Finals/Stanley Cup of NJPW).
Dark Match (Match before the main card): New Japan Rumble (Entrants every 30 to 60 seconds with elimination occuring via pinfall, submission, or being thrown over the top rope and both feet hitting the floor)
(Predicting: Bone Soldier, Leo Tonga, Yujiro Takahashi, Chase Owens, Hangman Paige, YOSHI-HASHI, Gedo, Jado, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Katsuya Kitamura, Manabu Nakanishi, Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata, David Finlay, Hirai Kawato, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, BUSHI)
This match normally doesn't indicate too much, however last year's winner Michael Elgin was able to eventually relay his win plus a win over then-Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito into a title shot at the New Beginning events a month later.
Winner: I would go with either Leo Tonga or David Finlay out of the people I think are going to enter. The entrants are never announced beforehand so this is the least confident pick I'm going to have. Tonga has done well since showing up to help his brothers the Guerrillas of Destiny. Finlay has been on the verge of having a breakout victory and this could be it.
Now to the matches that actually matter.
Match 1:Roppongi 3K (Sho (Tanaka) and Yo(hei Konmatsu))(c) w/ Rocky Romero (CHAOS) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) (Bullet Club) for the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championships
The first match I'll predict here will be the International World Grand Prix (IWG) Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match between The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) and Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yo).
The Young Bucks have been a staple of New Japan's Jr. Tag Team division, having held the Jr. Tag Titles on 6 different occasions and winning them at Wrestle Kingdom on 2. The brothers from Rancho Cucamonga can also be held accountable for the appearance of Bullet Club and New Japan merchandise now appearing at your local Hot Topic Stores. They're looking for number 7 tonight, tying them with the manager for their opponents.
Roppongi 3k consist of the newest members of the CHAOS faction, Sho Tanaka and Yohei Konmatsu...or Sho and Yo. The current Jr. Tag Team Champions recently returned from their Young Lions excursion in Mexico and the United States (as the Tempura Boyz) under the guidance of former 7 time champion Rocky Azucar Romero. When they first returned to NJPW, they defeated Taguchi Japan's Ryusuke Taguchi and King Ricochet to gain the titles, followed by capturing the Junior Tag League by defeating Taguchi and new partner ACH.
Prediction: I like the theme music of Roppongi 3k, but The Young Bucks are out for revenge after losing last year to Roppongi 3K's predecessors, Roppongi Vice (the aformentioned Romero and his partner Trent Berretta). 3k will regain the titles at a later date, but the Bucks have it on this night.
Match 2: (Bullet Club)Bad Luck Fale and The Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Roa)(c) vs. CHAOS (Berretta, Tomohiro Ishii, and Toru Yano) vs. Gaijin Team 2 (Michael Elgin and War Machine (War-beard Hanson and Raymond Rowe)) vs. Suzuki Gun (Taichi, Takashi Iizuka and Zack Sabre Jr.) vs. Taguchi Japan (Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe, and Juice Robinson) in a Gauntlet Match for the NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Championships
Out of all the championships, the N(ew Blood) E(volution) V(aliantly) E(ternal) R(adical) Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champions (that's a mouthful) was usually the least respected championship until this past year, due to the hot potato nature of the title changes. Most recently, the title finally had stable owners in Los Ingobernables de Japon's trio of EVIL, BUSHI, and SANADA. However, in one of the final events prior to WK12, they lost the championships to the current defending champions, Bullet Club's Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) and Underboss (Bad Luck Fale). The New Japan brass needed a way to fit multiple talents into a match so the gautlet match comes into play. The teams in the gauntlet are:
1)Bullet Club (c): The Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) and Bad Luck Fale
-The current champions, as well as former Tag Team champions and Intercontinental Champion respectively. Tonga and Fale are original founding members of the Bullet Club and Loa is Tonga's brother who was formerly Camacho from WWE. Loa has found himself as the power of G.o.D, but has Fale behind him in case he's in trouble. Tonga is considered one of the best defensive and evasive wrestlers in the world.
2)CHAOS: Berretta, Tomohiro Ishii, and Toru Yano.
-Berretta until last July was a Jr. Heavyweight and 1/2 of multiple time tag team champions, Roppongi Vice (with Rocky Romero). Tomohiro Ishii (The Stone Pitbull) is a multiple time NEVER Openweight singles champion as well as a former IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with their 3rd partner. Toru Yano, the blind master thief, is the original creator of the CHAOS faction, as well as the most devious. Expect speed and creative offense from Berretta, hard strikes from Ishii, and cheating/antics from Yano.
3)Gaijin Team 2 (Michael Elgin and War Machine (Hanson and Rowe).
-Michael Elgin is a former IWGP Intercontinental Champion, as well as a former NEVER Openweight 6 man champion. Hanson and Rowe were the former 2 time IWGP heavyweight tag team champions. In what is being considered War Machine's swan song before going to the WWE, they will be the first of 2 New Japan specific factions competing, the other being their cohorts Taguchi Japan. While all 3 are big hosses, they are all deceptively nimble. Elgin is one of the strongest wrestlers ever to come out of Canada, Hanson will do moonsaults as fluidly as he runs you over, and Rowe would be the most nimble out of the big guys.
4)Suzuki-Gun (Takashi Iizuka, Taichi, and Zack Sabre Jr.)
-Suzuki-Gun translates to Suzuki's Army, named for the leader Minoru Suzuki. The three men representing him on this night can be considered his right hand man, his muscle, and his foreign respondent. The right hand man, Taichi, is a singer-based Junior Heavyweight that comes out with a pretty lady and is the biggest cheater for his boss. (Think of Bellatrix from Harry Potter). Iizuka, is essentially a monster of a heavy whose wrestling is ugly to watch, BUT is unhinged to the point that he has to be handled with a leash. He also carries iron fingers that he uses to jam his opponents in the throat when the referees aren't looking. Finally, Zack Sabre Jr. is the gaijin equivalent to the namesake. One of my favorite wrestlers in the world and unquestionably the BEST technical wrestler in the world, Sabre can bend any man into a pretzel regardless of how big or small that person is. The array of submission moves would make The Man AND The Master of A Thousand Holds (Dean Malenko and Mike Quackenbush) green with envy blue. Oh, and he holds 3 titles simultaneously on the regular.
and finally....
5)Taguchi Japan (Ryusuke Taguchi, Juice Robinson, and Togi Makabe)
-The most makeshift of the teams, this would be the Japanese crowd's heroes to root for.
Juice Robinson is former WWE NxT wrestler CJ Parker (the hippie guy that busted Kevin Owens's nose in Owens's debut). From last year's Wrestle Kingdom 11 to now, he has shined in various events and losses to Cody, Tetsuya Naito, Zack Sabre Jr., and Kenny Omega, while gaining big wins over Omega and Michael Elgin in the G1 Climax tournament. Ryusuke Taguchi is the leader of what would be considered....a "baseball" stable consisting of Wrestlers who do not affiliate with CHAOS, Bullet Club, Suzuki-Gun, or Los Ingobernables de Japon. While he's the goofiest of the bunch (he literally hits people with his butt), he's also a former IWGP Jr. heavyweight and Jr. tag team Champion as well as a former holder of the NEVER Openweight 6 man championships. Finally, The Unchained Gorilla Togi Makabe has held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and won the G1 Climax in his New Japan Career, as well as holding the IWGP Tag Team Championships as a member of the tag team Great Bash Heel (w/injured partner Tomoaki "My entire offense is hitting you with my head" Honma).
Prediction: Since there are no Los Ingobernables de Japon guys in this match, I'd say give it to either Taguchi Japan or Suzuki Gun. Personally, I'm rooting for Suzuki Gun due to my fandom of Sabre jr., BUT....I think this is the breakout title for Juice Robinson.
Match 3: The American Nightmare Cody (Bullet Club) w/Brandi Rhodes vs. Kota Ibushi
Cody....RHODES! Good, now that I got that out of the way, this was originally going to be for the Ring of Honor Championship. Then Cody lost to Dalton Castle (who sadly will not be appearing on this show) so this will be a showcase between two of the top wrestlers in the world.
Both men have made their impact both in and out of WWE. Cody is a former WWE tag and Intercontinental Champion, as well as a former Ring of Honor Champion as well. Kota Ibushi is a former IWGP Jr. heavyweight and Jr. Tag Team Champion as well as a semi-finalist in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic, falling to eventual winner (and Filipino representative) TJ Perkins.
Prediction:Give me Ibushi. Rhodes has been great all year, and so has Ibushi. This could steal the first half of the show if they have a great match.
Match 4: Marty Scurll (c) (Bullet Club) vs. Hiromu Takahashi (Los Ingobernables de Japon) vs. KUSHIDA (Taguchi Japan) vs. Will Ospreay (CHAOS) for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship
-This is going to be the 100 meter dash of the matches tonight. Non-stop action with barely any breathing room will be the standard here. You have arguable the four best Juniors/Cruiserweights/Light Heavyweights/Middleweight in the world all in the same match. Not to mention that all stables (well...except Suzuki Gun) are represented here.
1)Hiromu Takahashi- The Ticking Time Bomb who likes to sing in interviews and carry around his pal Darryl the (plushie) Cat Takahashi is the biggest X factor in this match. He's willing to sacrifice the safety of himself and others to gain championships. He won this very title last year over KUSHIDA, then proceeded to embarrass the same opponent in less than 5 minutes in one of his first defenses. He will be the man to kick off the night for LIJ. Throughout the summer, Hiromu attempted to challenge for the title...only for his various opponents to stop him in the process....even breaking one of his fingers. The Japanese contingent will be behind Hiromu since he finally gets a chance to regain the title that was once his.
2)Will Ospreay- Probably the best high flyer in the world, Ospreay can do anything and more in the air. 630s, Space Flying Tigers, Shooting Stars, he does them all. He finally conquered 1 of his 2 nemeses in KUSHIDA recently, only to be dethroned by his other one in Marty Scurll the following event. Ospreay is the sentimental favorite for all the NON Japanese wrestling fans.
3)KUSHIDA- The ace of the Juniors, and arguably the best Junior heavyweight of 2017, KUSHIDA had one hell of a year, holding the Ring of Honor World Television Championship and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at the same time when he went to the UK and won the Defiant/What Culture Pro Wrestling World Cup, defeating Will Ospreay in the finals. The Time-Splitter has been a constant face in a sea of Gaijin juniors over the years, capturing both the tag and singles championships of the junior division on multiple occasions. This could be the magnum opus of his Junior career if he can pull the victory off. However, there's one other person in his way besides his fellow challengers.
4)Marty Scurll (c)-The Villain captured the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship from Will Ospreay at the previous event back in November. He's always had Ospreay's number, and is the master of the Chicken Wing. Always with Umbrella in hand, he's the Junior Heavyweight's answer to Toru Yano....except people taking him seriously. The most ground-based and devious, he tends to find ways to win that no one expects.
Prediction: Hiromu Takahashi regains the gold. The crowd wants it, and it would kickstart what I think is going to be a banner night for those ungovernables. Plus, I wanna see Darryl again.
Match 5: Killer Elite Squad (c) (Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL and SANADA) for the IWGP Tag Team Championship
-The final non-singles match of the night, this will be a hard hitting affair with two teams that tend to be more heelish. Normally, Suzuki Gun(and More Specifically KES) and LIJ are teams that enjoy breaking rules and taking titles from under their opponents noses. On this night, LIJ in particular will have the crowd on their side. EVIL has been the breakout star of LIJ under Naito, obtaining a victory and a title opportunity against Kazuchika Okada, and nearly winning the B block. SANADA, the projected star, has been a bit quieter, succeeding as more of the silent assassin. Both will need to be at their best to topple the Gaijin champions. KES is composed of former WWE superstars Lance Archer (Vance Archer of WWE and Lance Hoyt/Rock of TNA) and Davey Boy Smith Jr. (David Hart Smith of WWE and The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith Jr. of World of Sport). Both are giants in comparison to their competition in Japan and are as tough as they come.
Prediction: Los Ingobernables de Japon. EVIL has grown his star enough to where I can see him getting a pin after his finishing STO.
Match 6: Minoru Suzuki (c) (Suzuki Gun)vs. Hirooki Goto (CHAOS) for the NEVER Openweight Championship in a Hair vs. Hair match
-I feel like this would be a different match if Katsuyori Shibata was still able to wrestle.
Anyhow, the first of four singles title 1 on 1 matches occurs here, with the NEVER Openweight Championship up for grabs. Minoru Suzuki, leader of Suzuki gun, had originally beaten his WK12 opponent for the Championship in the first place, and has gone to run through CHAOS member after CHAOS member in YOSHI-HASHI and Toru Yano. Goto actually captured the NEVER Openweight Championship from friend Shibata before losing it to Suzuki. He's been desperate for a rematch that Suzuki up until earlier in December didn't want to give. Goto went to the depths of offering his hair as an anti. Suzuki would end up agreeing and this match will be a Hair vs. Hair match.
Oh yeah...and with the exception of last year, Goto has a history of Choking in big stake matchups.
Prediction: I think the world of Suzuki and if he were to ever read this, I'm going to ask blogger and google for my money back and run for the hills. I think Goto will win and Suzuki will have to shave his unique hairstyle.
Match 7: Kenny Omega(c) (Bullet Club) vs. Chris Jericho (WWE) in a No Disqualification match for the IWGP United States Championship
-What most Americans, Canadians, and WWE fans probably bought New Japan World (The NJPW on Demand Video Streaming Service) for. This match has been treated as the semi-main event due to the caliber of wrestlers fighting for the most recently minted championship in NJPW. The US Championship of NJPW was originally won by Kenny Omega in an 8 man tournament at G1 Special in USA (Los Angeles). The Smark Shooter's Wrestler of the year, Omega gave the infant championship instant credibility after his series of 6 star rated matches with Okada, along with his performances in the previous two G1 Climax Tournaments. After beating perennial midcarders Juice Robinson, Berretta, and YOSHI-HASHI, Omega threw up an open challenge....that was answered by 6 time WWE World Champion, and Grand Slam winner Chris Jericho, fresh off of one of his best WWE runs. Jericho, now referring to himself as the Alpha, billed the match as Alpha vs. Omega, then proceeded to bloody up Omega and knock out NJPW World's English Color Commentatory (and Omega's spokesperson/Jericho's own closest friends) Don Callis with a neck breaking double knee facebuster. (Callis is known as The Jackal from WWE and Cyrus from both TNA and ECW). Omega proceeded to attack Jericho at the press conference preceeding this event. While I'm not entirely sure of Jericho's ability to wrestle a more New Japan style match, this is one of my picks for a potential Match of the Year candidate.
Prediction: I don't think Gedo, or the New Japan brass is dumb enough to do the same thing WWE did when AJ Styles wrestled Jericho at Mania. Kenny Omega's retaining once more, proving just how good he really is. (BTW, shirt of choice for tonight will be the Bullet Club Heihachi Tekken 7 hybrid).
Match 8: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c)(Taguchi Japan) vs. Switchblade Jay White for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship
-The most under the radar match going into the night. Tanahashi has been the Ace of New Japan for years until Okada finally defeated him at Wrestle Kingdom 10. Since then, he's been able to regain the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, defeating Tetsuya Naito at Dominion last June. He was able to defeat Zack Sabre Jr. and Kota Ibushi (oh hey, that's coincidental much) in two great title defenses before his WK opponent came down.
Jay White was a young boy for a few years and was assumed to be in the middle of his excursion period. There were vignettes about a person called Switchblade, and it was revealed to be White. Since returning he's been able to hit his version of Sister Abigail on Tanahashi multiple times. It could be his time to shine.
Prediction: Jay White to me isn't ready. I expect a Hiroshi Tanahashi High Fly Flow to happen. But if White wins, Awesome! I enjoy both of these wrestlers.
Main Event: Kazuchika Okada(CHAOS) (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
This main event's history actually goes back to 2013. These two were the original Main Event of Wrestle Kingdom 8, but at the time Tetsuya Naito was seen as someone who wasn't ready and was being shoved down the fans' throat (ROMAN REIGNS MUCH?). The fans ended up voting for Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi as the main event (for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship) and it was seen as Naito was the scapegoat for this. He eventually went to Mexico, joined up with Los Ingobernables, then returned and created his branch, now known as Los Ingobernables de Japon. He's beloved by the fans despite his heelish nature and this time around, with his 2nd G1 Climax Briefcase in hand, he will rightfully main event. However, his opponent has been almost impossible to defeat.
Kazuchika Okada is in the midst of one of the greatest title reigns of all time. To put it in perspective, (in order) he's beaten Tetsuya Naito (to gain the Championship) Naomichi Marufuji, Kenny Omega, Minoru Suzuki, Katsuyori Shibata, Bad Luck Fale, CODY, and EVIL. Each man in the perfect situation to go after him (with the exception of Fale but regardless, SO GOOD) and each match as good as the best matches of the year. Heck, two of the greatest matches of all time were against Omega this past calendar year. Okada has been nearly unstoppable, with only 2 losses coming at the hands of EVIL and Omega in the G1 Climax. No one's been as unbeatable or as good.
Prediction: Naito's going to finish off the night with gold. He might actually respect the belt if he wins. (Nah, but a dude can dream)
Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoy Wrestle Kingdom 12. Next posts will be my review of WK 12 and then prepping you for the Royal Rumble!.
WHEN IN DOUBT, watch pro wrestling!
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