NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 For Beginners Part One

Will Ospreay vs Kota Ibushi – NEVER Openweight Championship

Laura: Okay, so there’s a belt at stake, but let’s be honest. That’s not what we’re really interested in here.

Ibushi/Ospreay is a dream match in the truest sense of the phrase. Two of the most exciting (and borderline insane) high-flyers in the business going head to head, and (probably) neck to neck. This one is all about the spectacle. Infamous thrillseeker Ibushi has never met a balcony he hasn’t at least considered moonsaulting off, and with Ospreay fresh off the back of a rib injury which saw him sidelined for a few months, he’s got everything to prove, not least in terms of breaking through New Japan’s rigid classification system. As a junior heavyweight, if Ospreay can best Ibushi for the NEVER Openweight Championship it could represent a step up to the heavyweight division – something Ospreay has been vocal about in the past.

For Ibushi, NJPW gold has been strangely elusive. A 3-time former Junior Heavyweight champion, the Golden Star is yet to hold a Heavyweight singles title despite being one of New Japan’s most beloved performers. Rumours abound that his lack of success is down to this refusal to sign a full contract, opting instead to remain a freelancer. But his recent reunion with current IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega has skyrocketed him back to the top, and it seems a missed opportunity not to propel him further in pursuit of the company’s top accolades. At 36 years old, Ibushi remarkably shows no signs of wear and tear, but it certainly feels as though the next year or so will prove to be ‘now or never’. 25 year old Ospreay, on the other hand, is routinely warned to slow down, to be less reckless in the ring – a shift to the Heavyweight division may well facilitate Ospreay’s transition to a wrestling style with more longevity. He’s young, but he’s not invincible, and his recent injury seemed to serve as a wake-up call of sorts. Both Ibushi and Ospreay find themselves at a career crossroads: the outcome of this match could well influence the immediate future for both competitors.

As the first match on the card, it’s fitting that there are visible parallels with the main event: as Ibushi looks to Tanahashi as his ‘god’, Ospreay understandably idolises Ibushi himself. The young upstart has an opportunity to prove himself every bit as good as his hero. It’s not the deepest and most complex of stories, but it’s important nonetheless, and what’s more, it’s a solid basis for what promises to be the most visually exciting matches of 2019. And it’s only January! Oh, NJPW, you are spoiling us.

Josiah’s Prediction: Will Ospreay
Laura’s Prediction: Will Ospreay

Recommended viewing:

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Will Ospreay vs Kota Ibushi & Kenny Omega – Road to Tokyo Dome 15/12/18 (Features Ospreay and Ibushi in one of the most perfectly put-together spots I’ve ever seen in pro-wrestling)

Ibushi:

Kota Ibushi vs Shinsuke Nakamura – Wrestle Kingdom 9 4/1/15
Kota Ibushi vs Hiroshi Tanahashi – G1 Climax Final 12/8/18
Kota Ibushi vs Kenny Omega – DDT Nippon Budokan 18/9/12

Ospreay:

Will Ospreay vs Kushida vs Marty Scurll vs Hiromu Takahashi – Wrestle Kingdom 12 4/1/18
Will Ospreay vs Kushida – Best of the Super Juniors 3/6/2017
Will Ospreay vs Marty Scurll – RevPro High Stakes 2016 16/1/16