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With its January 4th Tokyo Dome show fast approaching, New Japan is pulling out all the stops to set the table for the exhilarating Wrestle Kingdom. The thirteenth edition is already set to feature a blockbuster main event alongside some high-profile bouts with the return of Y2J a huge deal for the promotion once again.
Between that, some announcements have called to speculation, what the rest of New Japan's contingent might be doing come January 4th. Will Ospreay is out with an injury, calling into question if he can make it in time for his heavyweight coronation. NJPW once more proved it gives little about the Juniors division, placing all the finalists of its Super Jr. Tag tournament into the Jr. Tag title match despite a Roppongi 3K win.
So then there's a lot to ask of an already half full card, especially with the growing ranks of the New Japan roster that needs representation on the big stage. This is a promotion that hesitates to place multi-man matches or matches without titles/any real consequence.
As such it's interesting to speculate what might fuel the rest of the Wrestle Kingdom 13 card.
The Main Players
As of now, this is what the Wrestle Kingdom 13 card looks like;
for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
Special Singles Match: Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White/w Gedo
for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori
for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Suzuki Gun [Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado] (c) vs. Roppongi 3K [Sho and Yoh] vs. LiJ [Bushi and Shingo Takagi]
for the RPW British Heavyweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
That's a lot of talent already on the card, however, sitting out of this card currently are four major titles and a dozen or so wrestlers with nothing to do . If that is the case then the question comes to fore, as to whom and how many can feature on the main card.
If he gets well on time Cody will defend his IWGP US Heavyweight championship. Alongside him will be the current NEVER Openweight champion, Hirooki Goto, the IWGP Heavyweight tag team champions GOD and their World Tag League winners.
This also puts out the NEVER Openweight Six-Man titles in the cold as they're currently held by GOD and Taiji Ishimori, already on the Wrestle Kingdom card. Someone else will have to win them beforehand to defend them at the Tokyo Dome.
As such let this rampant speculation begin.
for the NEVER Openweight Six Man Title: The ELITE (Adam Page, Chase Owens and Marty Scurll) (c) vs. Suzuki Gun (Minoru Suzuki, Taichi and Iizuka) vs. GBH (Tomoaki Honma and Togi Makabe) and Toa Henare vs. Taguchi Japan (Michael Elgin, Jeff Cobb and Rysuke Taguchi) vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Robbie Eagles and Jado) vs. CHAOS (Toru Yano and Best Friends [Beretta and Chuckie T])
This one's a tough guess to make, as it is about fitting anyone and everyone onto the Wrestle Kingdom card. The sad news about that is that Minoru Suzuki .who has had a stellar year, will be left bereft of a singles match, instead captaining a team with the horrendous Taichi and Iizuka.
The real standout though is the three-way rivalry between the ELITE, Bullet Club and CHAOS. By the time GOD (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) and Ishimori settle into the card with championship matches, they will have to lose their six-man title. Who better to take it from them, than the ELITE?
From there, the ELITE can run through this gauntlet to face off against Bullet Club only to lose the championships once again. Within the same run, Bullet Club's last opponents will be CHAOS. The real faction war shall commence here, before the special match down the line which will see CHAOS walk away winners. Of course, an irate Fale will neutralize them after, setting the stage for the latter match between Jay White and Kazuchika Okada.
Prediction: CHAOS beats Bullet Club to win and become the NEW NEVER Openweight Six-Man Champions!
for the NEVER Openweight Championship: Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
With Will Ospreay unfortunately out with injury, his rise to the heavyweight ranks is on hold. Ospreay who had pinned former NEVER Openweight champion Taichi was to take the title and then challenge Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom.
Unfortunately, that dream match won't come to fruition just yet, requiring the samurai Hirooki Goto to step in for a Tokyo Dome worthy contest. Let's be real, Taichi couldn't have provided such a thrill. Instead, Goto has acknowledged that Ibushi might be his next challenger.
If Ospreay is on the cusp of recovery, this bout between Ibushi and Goto may happen during the World Tag League setting up the Brit to face the Golden Star. However, keeping things realistic, it seems Goto vs. Ibushi could end up being a Tokyo Dome showdown.
This will be a hard-hitting bout, either way, setting up Ibushi for at least some title victory while adding fuel to the fire for Goto's inability to win on the big stage and maybe his turn against his CHAOS brethren!
Yes, we're predicting that it is Hirooki Goto that is the Bullet Club mole in CHAOS!
Prediction: Kota Ibushi beats Hirooki Goto to become the NEW NEVER Openweight Champion!
for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: GOD [Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa] (c) vs. Killer Elite Squad [Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer] vs. LiJ [EVIL and Sanada] vs. Young Bucks [Nick and Matt Jackson]
The World Tag League is the final tournament on the New Japan calendar to determine the challengers for the IWGP Heavyweight tag team championships at Wrestle Kingdom. While the winners get a guaranteed title shot, sometimes other teams might also manage to sneak in.
Much like their Jr. Tag tournament decision, it allows the promotion to put key players in a prime position for the Tokyo Dome supercard. This is especially true this year, considering that the Young Bucks have no featured direction for the January 4th show. They aren't partaking in the tournament and therefore will need to find a way to make it into the title match, maybe by pinning the champions elsewhere.
The same holds true for one of the other two teams, in this case, most likely LiJ's unit of Sanada and EVIL. If they pin GOD in a multi-man contest, they're also guaranteed a future title shot. Meanwhile, the ruthless Killer Elite Squad can run through the World Tag League towards victory, beating their own Suzuki Gun brethren to do so.
It will cement a hard-hitting four-way, placing the underdog Bucks front and center in an all-out assault. Give two stellar tag teams a prime position and allow Sanda and EVIL space on the card. Though honestly next year the young upstarts should find themselves in a better position. For now, the second win in a row will do, bringing LiJ into the fold of the feud against the resurrected Bullet Club.
Prediction: Sanada and EVIL pin Killer Elite Squad to win and become the NEW IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions!
for the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship: Cody (c)/w Brandi Rhodes vs. Juice Robinson
Currently out injured, Cody is sure to make it back in time for January. This gives New Japan enough time to determine whether they should keep the title on him or at the least wait to determine his challenger. There's also the constant hanging threat of his expiring contract with and whether he may or may not resign with Ring of Honor and by extension New Japan.
Having had a brilliant 2018, Cody is on a downslope losing his ROH Six Man championships as well as the emphatically won NWA championship. The IWGP US Heavyweight title legitimizes his quest for glory outside WWE and his run in New Japan.
It would be poetic for Cody to conclude his narrative at New Japan against the man he was given a special match with at his debut event in 2017. Cody defeated a still under construction Juice Robinson at Wrestle Kingdom 11, he then wrestled the US championship off Robinson at New Japan's return to the US just a few months back. He has Robinson's number and no respect for him.
Thus the conclusive arc could see Juice Robinson finally conquer Cody and go on to have a spectacular run with the championship. It would legitimize Robinson in New Japan as the perennial gaijin babyface.
Prediction: Juice Robinson hits Pulp Friction to win and beat Cody to become the NEW IWGP US Heavyweight Champion!
Final Thoughts
While it isn't pleasing to know that Will Ospreay shall miss the Wrestle Kingdom show, his recovery would also mean that Hirooki Goto might not have a prominent spot on January 4th. It'll be just as odd to see Minoru Suzuki not be in a prominent match, especially with the year he has had.
Similarly, with the constant generating of heavyweight talent in New Japan, it's hard to have a featured spot for a lot of young rising stars. This holds especially true for both EVIL and Sanada who are constantly knocking on the main event doors. That they might have to settle for a tag team championship match, maybe even a NEVER six-man match (if they find a partner) is a sad truth.
Even then with the talent at its disposal and Gedo's unbelievable shrewd booking, Wrestle Kingdom 13 might just be another stellar event from the best wrestling company in the world today. More importantly, considering its strained positioning, this Wrestle Kingdom determines a lot for the future of the brand. It shall be an enviable treat to watch live, January 4th at the Tokyo Dome!
