NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13: Post-Power Struggle Predictions

Credit: NJPW1972.com

Suzuki-Gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) vs Roppongi 3k (Sho and Yoh) vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (Bushi and Shingo Takagi) IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match

My first question is: why?

Seriously. I’ll admit to being the world’s biggest Roppongi 3K mark, but adding Bushi and Shingo to the mix to make this yet another three-way makes very little sense. For one thing, it renders the Junior Tag League more or less redundant. Can those comically oversized trophies really be the only reward for Roppongi 3K’s League victory?

The justification for the decision was that Bushi and Shingo didn’t eat the pin in the three-way at Power Struggle, and that they had previously beaten Roppongi 3K in their Tag League clash. But it feels kind of flimsy – ACH and Taguchi beat both Roppongi 3K and LIJ in their respective clashes. And in any case, surely the point of winning the League is that it guarantees the victors a title shot? It doesn’t really make sense.

My prevailing feeling is that undeniably impressive newcomer Shingo Takagi is probably too big a deal to waste by not including him in some position of prominence on the card – though it would have made far more sense to have LIJ win the Tag League if this were the case.

Still, although you can trust these three teams to bring their best on the night (their Power Struggle match was superb) and although I like LIJ just fine, I’ll find myself bitterly grumbling should Bushi and Shingo take the belts – and I have a feeling that’s going to be the outcome. Prediction: Bushi and Shingo Takagi to win the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Championships

Kenny Omega vs Hiroshi Tanahashi – IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match

Alright. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. But not too much, because this one deserves its own, very special piece.

The Ace of New Japan overcame a stacked G1 Climax tournament – including an incredible final against Kota Ibushi-  to emerge victorious for the first time since 2015. At 41 years old, Tanahashi is a literal living legend in New Japan, and so for Kenny Omega to openly and vocally dismiss Tanahashi as an embarrassing, past-it relic is akin to blasphemy.

There’s more than just the title at stake here, though. Tanahashi has been courting the attention of Kota Ibushi, Omega’s partner and Golden Lover. Unlike Omega, Ibushi has referred to Tanahashi more than once as a ‘god’, indicating that his respect for the Ace is much more in keeping with the rest of New Japan.

A fascinating dynamic has emerged between the three, with Omega doing a whole lot of talking on Ibushi’s behalf, and Tanahashi brazenly trying to drive a wedge between the Golden Lovers. Kota Ibushi, meanwhile, has said very little on the subject – and that’s where the intrigue lies. What Ibushi really thinks about everything that has gone down is a mystery, but whatever the outcome of this match, there’s a very good chance we will find out.

Will Omega retain his title and change the world? Or will Tanahashi prove that he’s still the Ace? Will Ibushi side with his Golden Lover or his god? This one’s too close to call and deserves a much closer analysis. Prediction: Wait and see

So, these are the matches we know about. But what about the rest of the card? Let’s indulge in some wild speculation…