NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 For Beginners: Part 2
By Laura Mauro
In the second half of our Wrestle Kingdom 13 coverage ahead of tomorrow’s big show, I follow on from my esteemed colleague Josiah MacDonald’s introduction to the show’s introductory matches and their major players.
Coming up January 4th Friday, WRESTLE KINGDOM 13 will take place at Tokyo Dome!https://t.co/RXjMc7n83u#njpw #njwk13 pic.twitter.com/C2re05KhDl
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 3, 2019
New Japan’s biggest accolades are at stake in the show’s latter half. Whether it’s championship gold or good old-fashioned pride, there’s everything to fight for, and some of New Japan’s best and brightest will be giving their all on the biggest stage of the NJPW calendar.
Opting to go out on a bang, the top half of Wrestle Kingdom’s frankly stacked card promises to be explosive stuff. Josiah and I take a close look at the clashes, their participants, and what’s at stake, as well as some recommended viewing to get you up to speed with New Japan’s finest:
Enter To Win a FREE @NJPW #WK13 PPV on https://t.co/Ya6Nm6bNyI :
— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) January 1, 2019
-RT this post
-Follow @CodyRhodes & @FITETV
-Reply with your predictions
Winners announced on Twitter 7PM ET 1/3/2019
Streams at https://t.co/nKfF8AyxxB 3:00AM ET 1/4/2019#njwk13 #njpw #newjapanprowrestling pic.twitter.com/eTvFZItVpb
Cody (The Elite) vs. Juice Robinson – IWGP United States Championship
Josiah: 2019 is going to be a big year for both of these men. Cody is in the process of launching his own wrestling promotion with The Young Bucks, All Elite Wrestling. Juice Robinson has been working his way up the card in NJPW for a few years now, becoming one of the most improved wrestlers in the world. Robinson, formerly CJ Parker of NXT, is now one of the best promos in wrestling, and has went from being an average worker to being world class.
Robinson is a legitimate upper card talent now, demonstrating great selling and storytelling in all his matches. Robinson had the biggest win in his NJPW career on July 7th, 2018 over Jay White, winning the IWGP United States Championship. Robinson held the title until September 3oth 2018 where he lost the title to Cody. Robinson had a very good G1 Climax, but fell short of winning the tournament.
Cody, however, has had a career defining year, from having a very successful All In to winning the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship on his own show, to becoming one of the most in demand talents in the world.
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- AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door II featured two epic matches packed with storytelling magic
- AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door II Full Card Predictions: Which promotion wins the show?
- Three women’s matches that would work on Forbidden Door II
Rhodes has proven his critics wrong, showing that he is a legitimate draw. The US title was just one achievement among many, and Cody, with launching AEW, is looking to keep the title to build momentum for the new year. This match will prove to be very important for both men going forward.
Josiah’s Prediction: Juice Robinson
Laura’s Prediction: Juice Robinson
Recommend Viewing:
Juice Robinson vs. Jay White (G1 Special in San Francisco – July 7th, 2018)
Juice Robinson vs. Kota Ibushi (G1 Climax 2018 – July 19th, 2018)
Juice Robinson vs. Hirooki Goto (G1 Climax 2018 – August 11th, 2018)
Cody vs. Kota Ibushi (Wrestle Kingdom 12 – January 4, 2018)
Cody vs. Nick Aldis (All In – September 1, 2018)
Cody vs. Kenny Omega vs. Kota Ibushi (King of Pro Wrestling – October 8, 2018)