NJPW King of Pro Wrestling: Results, Grades, and Analysis

Kenny Omega (c) (Bullet Club Elite) vs. Cody Rhodes (Bullet Club Elite) vs. Kota Ibushi (Golden Elite) w/ The Young Bucks (all three had them at ringside) – IWGP Heavyweight Championship

Ibushi and Cody ended up exchanging much of the offence in the early portion of the match, where Ibushi sent Cody to the floor. Kota went for the Golden Triangle moonsault to the outside, but Omega cut him off. Cody took advantage and attacked both men, and Cody hit a face first suplex on Ibushi on the floor.

Cody ended up hitting a back body drop over the ringside announce table, driving the English announcers backwards. Cody went back into the ring and hit a back drop on Omega, working over Omega’s back. Omega didn’t stay down though and managed to hit Rise of the Terminator. Omega went for the You Can’t Escape on Cody, and Ibushi went for his standing shooting star and moonsault as Omega floated over.

Omega then grabbed Ibushi and went for the One Winged Angel, but Ibushi fought out. Cody asked Omega to double team Ibushi with him, and rolled Omega up as they went for a suplex. Cody and Omega then started fighting, while Ibushi rolled to the outside. Cody locked on the figure four leglock on Omega, and Ibushi came in and tried to kick Kenny. Kenny caught his foot and twisted it in an ankle lock. Ibushi hit a moonsault on Kenny and Cody broke the hold.

Omega hit a snap dragon suplex on Cody, and hit the Aoi Shoudou on Ibushi. Kenny then ducked the disaster kick and hit another snap dragon suplex. Omega went for the V-Trigger on Cody, but Ibushi hit a springboard dropkick. Cody hit a springboard dropkick on Ibushi, and then a DDT driving Ibushi onto the mat for a near fall. Cody hit a suicide dive on Omega, and then blocked a Golden Triangle attempt before going for the Cross Rhodes off the apron.

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Omega caught him before he could do it though, and powerbombed Cody through the English announce table! Ibushi hit a springboard corckscrew moonsault to the outside of the ring onto Omega. Ibushi was going for a springboard into the ring on Omega, but he stopped and walked into the ring and stared at Omega. He didn’t want to hit Omega, so both men started hyping each other up before locking up.

An exchange of hard strikes began and Ibushi hit is crazy kick combo, but Omega caught a kick, hit a chop, and then hit the snap dragon! Ibushi blocked a V-Trigger with his face, ate another one, and then got hit with a reverse hurricanrana! Ibushi handspringed back onto his feet and hit a lariat on Omega! Ibushi went for the Phoenix Splash on Omega, but Cody sent Ibushi flying to the floor.

Cody Rhodes jumped off the middle rope and hit a Canadian Destroyer on Kenny Omega! Oh my goodness. Cody went for Din’s Fire, but Omega kicked Ibushi in the head and hit a V-Trigger that looked like it killed Rhodes. Omega tried to hit a dragon suplex off the top rope on Cody, but Cody fought it off. Ibushi went for it, but Omega pulled him off. Omega went for it again, but Ibushi kicked Omega.

Omega ended up hitting a corner powerbomb on Ibushi into Cody, which put Cody into a tree of woe. Omega hit a V-Trigger on Ibushi and went for a One Winged Angel, but Ibushi fought out and larn darted Omega into Cody. Holy crap. Ibushi tried to German suplex Cody from the apron to the ring, but Omega hit a sunset flip powerbomb on Ibushi which caused Cody to get German suplexed into the ring.

Omega hit a series of V-Triggers on both men before going for the One Winged Angel on Cody. Cody slipped out and powerbombed Omega into Ibushi who German suplexed Kenny out of midair! Incredible! Omega kicked out. Cody went outside the ring and pulled out another table from under the ring. Cody tried to powerbomb Cody to the floor through the table, but ended up pushing Omega off the middle rope through the table.

Ibushi hit a superplex on Cody, and Cody rolled up Ibushi when they both landed. Ibushi kicked out and killed him with a kick. Ibushi hit a straight jacket suplex and then hit a Kamigoye on Cody! Ibushi covered him, but Kenny Omega grabbed the referee’s hand and stopped Ibushi from winning! Omega pat Ibushi on the back and tried to explain, but Ibushi wasn’t having any of it, and he attacked Kenny!

Both men started exchanging strikes, and Cody got involved, but Ibushi killed Cody with a chop, and Cody fell to the mat and the floor before Ibushi and Omega started exchanging strikes again. Ibushi got full mount on Kenny Omega and went for a series of hard palm strikes and punches. Omega looked utterly defenseless. Red Shoes (the referee) pulled Ibushi off due to the closed fists, but Ibushi just hit Omega with Nakamura’s Boma Ye (Kinshasha in WWE), but Omega kicked out.

Ibushi went for the Kamigoye, but Cody pulled Ibushi out. Cody hit the Cross Rhodes on Omega, but Ibushi hit a double stomp on Omega before Cody could pin him. Cody threw Ibushi to the outside and hit a second Cross Rhodes, but Omega kicked out! Cody hit Din’s Fire on Ibushi, but Omega pulled Cody off him to break the pinfall attempt. Cody grabbed a chair and thought about using it, but threw it to the floor and the crowd cheered.

Cody went for the US belt and threw it to Nick Jackson, and went for the chair again. Omega stopped him from using it, so he went to use it on Omega, but hesitated. Ibushi saved Omega from getting hit with the chair, but Omega hit the reverse hurricanrana on Ibushi and the Jay Driller! Ibushi kicked out! Omega hit the V-Trigger on Ibushi, and then hit the One Winged Angel to get the pinfall! WOW.

Result: Kenny Omega

Rating: *****1/4 (5.25 stars out of 5)

This match was absolutely insane. Awesome match, and possibly the best of Omega’s title reign thus far. Just incredible. All three men were perfect in this match, with only one small slip up when Omega went for that sunset flip powerbomb, but it was recovered from so quickly that it didn’t matter. The storytelling in this match was amazing from start to finish will all three men not wanting to hurt each other but wanting to win.

Tanahashi came out after the match wearing an Ace is Back T-Shirt to a massive pop from the crowd. Tanahashi said he was mad, and that this was New Japan Pro Wrestling, and that Omega was not the number one guy. Omega said the crowd might cheer Tanahashi at the Tokyo Dome, but he’s sorry, because Tanahashi will not win. This was so great.

Omega said in the press conference afterwards that the he was going to take Tanahashi out back and put him down once and for all. Omega said that this would be the last time Tanahashi ever main evented, and that after Wrestle Kingdom, he’d be done forever. Strong words from Omega as NJPW starts to turn towards January 4th, where NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 awaits. You know that it only gets bigger and better from here, so the rest of the year is going to be quite the ride.

Final Thoughts

Show Rating: ****(4 stars out of 5)

I would classify this show as a much watch show, especially if you are into the angle about Hiroshi Tanahashi being the Ace again. The fall of Okada, and the return of the Ace has been incredible. Throwing Kenny Omega’s stellar in ring talent and heelish actions into the mix, and we are going to be treated to an incredible feud leading into January for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom. My friends, we are in for quite the ride, and that isn’t even mentioning Jay White.