NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 Preview and Predictions

from njpw1972.com

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA(c) vs Taiji Ishimori

I’m not sure what the future holds for the junior division with Hiromu being out for the forseeable future and Ospreay seemingly making the jump to heavyweight, but we can worry about that later. For now, let’s be excited about KUSHIDA and Ishimori going one on one in the Tokyo Dome. IT’S GOING TO BE SO GOOD.

These two’s only other singles meeting came over two years ago in 2016’s Super J-Cup, which is a distant memory for fans. Whether by design or by accident, it’s a huge positive that NJPW didn’t give this away in a random BOTSJ block match earlier this year. Consequently, this is going to feel fresh and new, and without a doubt could be the first chapter in an epic rivalry similar to KUSHIDA vs Hiromu in 2017.

Never count out the Back to the Future superfan, but I think Ishimori coming out on top makes the most sense here. The new Bone Soldier has had a successful first year in NJPW, but a big championship victory over the ace of the division on the biggest show of the year would do wonders as far as establishing him as the next big star under 220 lbs that the company so desperately needs.

Prediction: Taiji Ishimori