NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 2022: 1/4, 1/5 and 1/8

[Ryan]

My only reaction is, what the hell is Kaito wearing?

[Eivion]

6 hours ago, Gordberg said:

You could pretty easily do NJPW vs "Dudes who have been released by WWE and not yet signed up by Tony Khan" and it would be an excellent show. Tell me you don't want Keith Lee vs, say, Shingo or, like, Tucky vs Ishii. 

Actually when Lee was released NJPW was the first place that came to mind where I'd like to see him go to.

[Spontaneous]

I just hope we see Marufuji vs Kenta. I'd love to see how heel Bullet Club Kenta reacts vs Marufuji.

[The Z]

That's a good one.

I wonder in how much of a panic mode New Japan was for this show to become reality?

So many great matches you could do. Off the top of my head I would go with:

- Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Kota Ibushi (Nakajima vs. Shibata would be the big one, if he was healthy)

- Go Shiozaki vs. Kazuchika Okada

- Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

- Takashi Sugiura vs. Shingo Takagi

- Kenoh vs. Tetsuya Naito

- Yoshiki Inamura vs. Jeff Cobb

- Minoru Suzuki vs. Kazushi Sakuraba

[Spontaneous]

Sugiura asked to not wrestle Goto again so naturally Goto requested Sugiura on social media.

[Archibald]

On 11/20/2021 at 9:54 AM, Gordberg said:

You could pretty easily do NJPW vs "Dudes who have been released by WWE and not yet signed up by Tony Khan" and it would be an excellent show. Tell me you don't want Keith Lee vs, say, Shingo or, like, Tucky vs Ishii. 

Yeah, but I guess that it wouldn't be financially viable to book (get visas and so on) so many new guys for one show.

[The Natural]

For all he's done for NJPW, I hope Hiroshi Tanahashi gets prominent singles matches. His treatment at Wrestle Kingdom 15 sucked. Ditto for Minoru Suzuki.

[Beech27]

Long-term NOAH fans might have deeply unpleasant flashbacks if Suzuki gets a prominent singles match. 

I'd also like to see KENTA/Marafuji go another round, but I wouldn't be surprised if we get Naito/SANADA vs Mutoh/Marafuji. 

[The Natural]

 

[The Natural]

Man, Kazuchika Okada is vicious. Right roasting.

Edited November 25, 2021 by The Natural

[The Natural]

 

[Raziel]

His quote in the caption is wrong.

In other potential WK news:

 

I NEED this to happen now.

[nofuture]

Looks like the Japanese border is getting shut down which might effect the Dome shows.

[Eivion]

That is disappointing to hear. Was curious to see who NJPOW would bring in from Strong.

[dragonzombie]

NOAH's aim is to become the true no 2 in this decade in Japan for men's wrestling. Part of the pro-wrestling business reconstruction plan. So far they got their own big money backer, bigger roster with more stars than AJPW, yearly budokan shows.

The third day of Wrestle Kingdom 16 is also their event as well co-produced.

 

Edited November 30, 2021 by D.Z

[The Natural]

I'm interested to see who Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tetsuya Naito will wrestle at Wrestle Kingdom on the 4th and 5th. Guessing one date each, maybe two. I'd think they'd get special single matches. The new travel restrictions which will probably effect those shows. NJPW has missed outside talent coming in. What a shitty year for NJPW.

Edited December 1, 2021 by The Natural

[dragonzombie]

Expect around 10 matches for both nights, 1.4 and 1.5. And Will is expected to show up regardless.

[dragonzombie]

[The Natural]

The Wrestler will wrestle at Wrestle Kingdom. 

Katsuyori Shibata announced his imminent in-ring return for night one of Wrestle Kingdom 16 on January 4 in the Tokyo Dome. Shibata made the announcement just before intermission at today's Best of the Super Juniors and World Tag League finals show in Sumo Hall. No opponent has been announced. 

Shibata's announcement was one of the selling points of today's event, but The Wrestler kept it short and sweet. While fighting back tears, he simply stated that he will have a match on January 4.

The announcement coming at Sumo Hall was symbolic. Shibata's last official match came in the same building against Kazuchika Okada in April 2017. Shibata suffered a subdural hematoma in the match and was forced to retire as a result. Shibata appeared at the G1 finals that same year in the same building, walked to the ring, took a flat-back bump and declared "I am still alive!" 

Shibata returned to the ring at this year's G1 Climax finals in October, facing Zack Sabre Jr. in a five-minute UWF rules exhibition match. The exhibition was mostly an exchange of holds and grappling, with Shibata not taking bumps.

F4wonline.com

Hell yeah!

[The Natural]

 

[Archibald]

So looks like we are getting:

Tanahashi/KENTA no DQ match for USA title

Eagles/Tiger Mask vs ELP/Ishimori vs Taguchi/?? 3-way for Junior tag titles

Goto/Yoshi vs ZSJ/Taichi for tag titles

Hiromu/Desperado for Junior title

Naito/Cobb because why not

Sho/Yoh part 3

and Shibata match

[The Natural]

1 hour ago, Archibald said:

So looks like we are getting:

Tanahashi/KENTA no DQ match for USA title

Eagles/Tiger Mask vs ELP/Ishimori vs Taguchi/?? 3-way for Junior tag titles

Goto/Yoshi vs ZSJ/Taichi for tag titles

Hiromu/Desperado for Junior title

Naito/Cobb because why not

Sho/Yoh part 3

and Shibata match

It's a good card despite my interest in NJPW at its lowest level since I started following NJPW proper in 2012 and the impact of coronavirus. I'd have liked Katsuyori Shibata vs. KENTA with the angle between them. That was the first physical action Shibata took part in since the infamous match with Kazuchika Okada at Sakura Genesis 2017. If not Shibata vs. KENTA, Shibata vs. ZSJ.

[The Natural]

C+P from f4wonline.com:

Here are the full cards for the first two nights of Wrestle Kingdom 16. A third card at the Yokohama Arena on January 8 will feature wrestlers from both both NJPW and Pro Wrestling NOAH:

January 4:

• IWGP World Heavyweight title: Shingo Takagi vs. Kazuchika Okada
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight title: El Desperado vs.Hiromu Takahashi
• IWGP Tag Team titles: Dangerous Tekkers (Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi) vs. CHAOS (Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI)
• NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL
• Katsuyori Shibata vs. X
• Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and BUSHI vs. Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, and Will Ospreay
• Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Rocky Romero vs. KENTA, Taiji Ishimori, and El Phantasmo
• YOH vs. SHO
• Kickoff: New Japan Ranbo battle royal. The top four finalists will move to a four-way the next night to determine the KOPW 2022 trophy winner.

January 5:

• IWGP World Heavyweight title: Either Shingo Takagi or Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay
• IWGP United States title: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. KENTA
• Tetsuya Naito vs. Jeff Cobb
• SANADA vs. Great-O-Khan
• NEVER Openweight Six-Man tag titles: Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, and YOH vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, and SHO
• Four-way match for the KOPW 2022 trophy
• Stardom match: Mayu Iwatani and Starlight Kid vs. Tam Nakano and Saya Kamitani
• IWGP Junior Tag Team titles: Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask vs. Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo vs. Ryusuke Taguchi and Rocky Romero
• A kickoff match will be announced at 4 pm local time.

[The Natural]

Kazuchika Okada is my first choice to win both IWGP World Heavyweight Championship matches, then Shingo Takagi and in last place by a long way, Will Ospreay. Poor Tomohiro Ishii getting stuck defending the NEVER Openweight Championship vs. EVIL and then with CHAOS vs. EVIL/Yujiro Takahashi/SHO. EVIL and Takahashi are the drizzling shits. Just need to find out who faces Katsuyori Shibata in his return to the ring.

[Archibald]

Either surprise Ibushi return or an outsider. Nothing else really comes to mind?

Yoh/Sho and Naito/Cobb are looking like #1 contender matches for New Beginning shows.