NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13: Post-Power Struggle Predictions

Credit: NJPW1972.com

Kazuchika Okada vs Jay White

Kazuchika Okada’s fall from grace has been compelling to watch, in a car crash kind of way. Formerly king of the NJPW castle, his IWGP Heavyweight Championship loss to longtime rival Kenny Omega kickstarted a downward spiral which has seen Okada (temporarily) lose his mind, his benefactor, Gedo, and his title.

His increasingly erratic balloon-related behaviour during the G1 coincided with the slow rise of CHAOS’s newest recruit, former Young Lion Jay White, leading many to speculate that a coup was surely on the horizon. And they were sort of right. The Switchblade’s abandonment of CHAOS in favour of Bullet Club came at a hefty cost; he took Gedo with him, leaving Okada and the rest of the faction in disarray.

But it doesn’t end there. Jay White’s commitment to further humiliating Okada means that the unfinished business between these two has reached fever pitch. With Okada going so far as to join forces with old rival Tanahashi, this match is serious business, and you can bet that it’s going to be a truly epic encounter.

At the Wrestle Kingdom press conference Jay White reiterated his vow to “destroy everything that [Okada] ever built here and take it all away from you.” It seems as though Okada is perfectly happy to return his enmity:

With a whole lot of unanswered questions between now and Wrestle Kingdom it’s impossible to call this match with any accuracy – Okada’s redemption remains a compelling storyline, and his cameraderie with Tanahashi is certainly intriguing. But I think we’re seeing the rise of a heel fit to walk in the footsteps of the Cleaner: a Jay White victory would cement his status as NJPW’s top bad guy. Prediction: Jay White to win