NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13: Post-Power Struggle Predictions

With the dust from Power Struggle settling, NJPW have wasted no time in setting the scene for the biggest show in the New Japan calendar, Wrestle Kingdom 13. And while January is still a little way off, the aftermath of Power Struggle has certainly left us with a lot to chew on.

Prior to NJPW‘s Power Struggle show, only one match had been confirmed: the sure-to-be epic clash between IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega and G1 winner Hiroshi Tanahashi. This is a match whose stakes may well prove greater than the title if the tension between Tanahashi, Omega, and Omega’s partner Kota Ibushi is any indication. It’s a fittingly intense match to (presumably) headline New Japan’s most important show. But what about the rest of the card?

New Japan confirmed several big matches at their Wrestle Kingdom press conference on Monday, thereby securing the short-term futures of the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championships, the Intercontinental Championship, and the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship. However, there’s a bevy of titles left unaccounted for, in addition to the World Tag League, which could further change the shape of the NJPW landscape.

We’ve got plenty of ground to cover before we make it to Wrestle Kingdom, but let’s take a look at what’s been confirmed so far – and indulge a little wild speculation along the way.

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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

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Chris Jericho vs Tetsuya Naito – IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match

Naito might consider the IC title pointless, and Jericho is currently claiming that this match ain’t gonna happen, but there’s a score to be settled and one way or another, we’ll see it settled at Wrestle Kingdom. Jericho incurred the wrath of the former Stardust Genius at Power Struggle, where he subjected Naito’s LIJ stablemate EVIL to a prolonged (and entirely unnecessary) beatdown.

And while they’ve clashed before, this second round promises to be a truly vicious affair; you don’t mess with one of Naito’s boys. Jericho’s sadistic streak and Naito’s bloody-minded determination go together like petrol and a lit match.

Expect plentiful shenanigans on the road to Wrestle Kingdom as Jericho attempts to wriggle out of this rematch with his dignity intact. Ultimately, though, with Jericho an admittedly entertaining part-timer in New Japan and Naito long overdue his redemption arc, I fully expect this one to go Naito’s way. But you can guarantee it won’t come easy. Prediction: Naito to win the Intercontinental Championship

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Kushida vs Taiji Ishimori – IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match

Career babyface Kushida puts his recently-won Jr. Heavyweight title on the line against the unmasked Bone Soldier and miniature Bullet Club goon, Taiji Ishimori. Ishimori impressed alongside tag partner Robbie Eagles during the Super Jr. Tag League, and judging by his callous (and some might say, cowardly) attack on Kushida at Power Struggle, he’s ready to stake his claim as the top dog of the Junior division.

Both Kushida and Ishimori claim this match is about prestige, not entertainment, but Kushida is one of New Japan’s most consistently polished performers, and Ishimori is no slouch either. Expect a lightning-quick affair full of improbable reversals and painful-looking submissions. Ishimori’s ankle might have been a ruse, but he might not leave the Wrestle Kingdom ring intact.

Kushida might be one of the few Juniors to make it onto the Wrestle Kingdom poster, but Ishimori’s star is on the rise, and with the momentum he’s gathered, it seems pretty likely that he’ll walk away from this one with the gold. Prediction: Ishimori to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

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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…

Notably absent from the Wrestle Kingdom card so far is Kota Ibushi, who must surely have something more to offer than accompanying Kenny Omega to the ring. But a recent tweet from current NEVER Openweight Champion, Hirooki Goto, strongly suggests that Ibushi may well be next in line for a shot at the title. (Sorry, Taichi.) This also opens the tantalising possibility of a future clash between Ibushi and the currently injured Will Ospreay – and who doesn’t want to see that?

Also absent are Suzuki-Gun mainstays Zack Sabre Jr and Minoru Suzuki. The latter is currently licking his wounds after failing to score his Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship back off of Tomohiro Ishii. Given ZSJ’s frequent appearances for Revolution Pro Wrestling, it’s not unthinkable that he might be Ishii’s next challenger for the title.

That said, ZSJ and Suzuki are also currently Undisputed British Tag Team Champions. Could we see a fresh set of challengers for their title, assuming Aussie Open don’t divest them of the gold on Friday?

Elsewhere, Cody is hanging on to the IWGP United States Championship, and a rematch against Juice Robinson seems more likely than not – unless Will Ospreay returns from injury and makes good on his heavyweight ambitions…

Meanwhile the Bullet Club OGs are absolutely laden with gold, currently holding both the IWGP Tag Team Championships and the 6-Man Championships between them. With Ishimori otherwise occupied, the Tag Championships are a better bet, perhaps EVIL and Sanada might step up to challenge them, or – uncertain future notwithstanding – the Young Bucks.

All of which still leaves a fair few of the usual suspects unaccounted for, but there’s always the New Japan rumble to mop-up the stragglers. Sorry, Yoshi-Hashi. Your time will come.