Kota Ibushi and Tetsuya Naito meet for double gold on January 4, but what was once New Japan’s biggest night of the year is now overshadowed by the spectre of Jay White.
White, 28, awaits the winner on January 5 in the climactic final bout of two back-to-back nights of Wrestle Kingdom 15 at Tokyo Dome.
The Bullet Club head defeated Ibushi at NJPW Power Struggle in November to win the right to challenge whoever holds the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships.
Naito, the current titleholder, opted to still grant Ibushi a title match on January 4.
“The road’s leading to me on January 5th, Wrestle Kingdom Night 2, it doesn’t just finish on Night 1,” White said.
“The paths of both Ibushi and Naito, they’re leading to me, that match with me, that’s what matters … they’re just going to lose to me the next night anyway. The night that matters is Night 2, the wrestler that matters is me.”
White holds a winning record against Naito and has beaten Ibushi in their last three singles matches, he said.
“I’m going to walk out with both those belts and it doesn’t matter if it’s Naito or Ibushi.”
But history may not be in the New Zealander’s favour on Night 2 at Tokyo Dome.
According to Sport of Pro Wrestling’s Chris Samsa, titles don’t change hands at Wrestle Kingdom as often as you’d expect.
The IWGP Heavyweight Championship has gone home with someone new in just 40 per cent of title matches inside Tokyo Dome, with the Intercontinental Championship changing hands an even smaller 33 per cent of the time.
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 streams live, with English commentary, from 8pm (NZDT) January 4 and 9pm January 5 on NJPW World.
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15, Night 1 Card:
- IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Championship:
Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Kota Ibushi - Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay
- Great-O-Khan vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
- #1 Contender’s Match to the IWGP United States Championship:
KENTA vs. Satoshi Kojima - IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship:
Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr (c) vs. Guerillas of Destiny - El Phantasmo vs. Hiromu Takahashi
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15, Night 2 Card:
- IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Championship:
??? (c) vs. Jay White - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship:
Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. ??? - EVIL vs. SANADA
- NEVER Openweight Championship:
Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Jeff Cobb - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship:
El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi - King of Pro Wrestling 2021:
??? vs. ??? vs. ??? vs. ???
