NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12: 5 Wrestlers Set to Shine at the Event

Credit: NJPW1972 Twitter

The Rainmaker: Kazuchika Okada

The standard bearer for NJPW and my personal Wrestler of the Year, Kazuchika Okada, carries the weight of the promotion on his shoulders.  His 2017 campaign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion may go down as one of the greatest championship years in wrestling history. Between the quality of his matches, the stories in and out of the ring, and his overall presence for NJPW, Okada has earned his spot.

At Wrestle Kingdom he will once again go toe to toe with a familiar foe in Tetsuya Naito.  Okada and Naito faced off previously at Wrestle Kingdom 8, where they also saw their main event get pushed won the card. After years of both men working themselves tirelessly they have once again reached the peak of the mountain, but this time, they have full support.

With the Tokyo Dome just hours away, Okada will look to continue his run of dominance over the NJPW roster. The Rainmaker will have to stay on his toes as Naito’s LIJ stablemates may not be too far away.  If Okada wants to retain his championship on Thursday he’ll have to be patient and pick his spots. Naito is someone who will absolutely take advantage of any mistake Okada could make. With the Tokyo Dome looming in the future, Okada will look to walk away from Wrestle Kingdom STILL IWGP Heavyweight Champion.