NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 For Beginners: Part 2

KUSHIDA vs. Taiji Ishimori (Bullet Club) – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

The former Bone Soldier Taiji Ishimori has been one of the most interesting recent additions to the NJPW fold, forging a niche in the otherwise gaijin-dominated Bullet Club stable. An impressive showing at the Best of the Super Juniors tournament saw Ishimori go all the way to the final, ultimately losing out to Hiromu Takahashi.

It’s not the first time the two have faced off: back in 2016, a young and inexperienced Ishimori took on Kushida in an excellent bout during the Super J-Cup. Ishimori crashed out in the first round, but time marches on, and with his Bullet Club brothers by his side Ishimori is more confident than he’s ever been.

Kushida, for his part, is one of NJPW’s hardest-working and most consistently impressive performers. He’s won the BOSJ tournament four times out of seven appearances, and has held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship six times. He’s the perfect big-hearted babyface foil to Ishimori’s weaselly heel.

But much like Ibushi, it feels like Kushida is at a crossroads of sorts. He’s been a Jr Heavyweight staple since 2010 – you might say he’s the Tanahashi of the Juniors. Nine years on, though, and he’s still there – always impressive, always likeable, but static and unmoving.

A move up to the Heavyweight division is a possibility – his technical prowess would certainly serve him well – but Kushida has been a vocal advocate of the Junior division. Rumours of him jumping ship add an interesting wrinkle to the match, and if they are to be believed, then a loss won’t hurt Kushida much on his way out.

Whatever happens in this match is surely a prelude to Los Ingobernables de Japon’s Hiromu Takahashi’s eventual return from injury. Being forced to relinquish ‘Belt-San’ was as unfair as it was necessary, and it seems inevitable that Hiromu will be in the title picture when he returns.

An Ishimori win would be a very interesting way to start 2019 for the Junior division, and with Takahashi reportedly at ‘800%’ recovery a feud with Ishimori would be a fresh and exciting way to welcome him back once he finally hits 1000%.

Josiah’s Prediction: Taiji Ishimori

Laura’s Prediction: Taiji Ishimori

Recommended Viewing:

Kushida:

Kushida vs Kyle O’Reilly, Best of the Super Juniors 7/6/15

Kushida vs Hiromu Takahashi, Dominion 11/6/17

Kushida vs Zack Sabre Jr, RevPro Epic Encounter 13/4/17

Ishimori:

Taiji Ishimori vs Hiromu Takahashi, Best of the Super Juniors 4/6/18

Taiji Ishimori vs Daisuke Harada, NOAH Great Voyage 2014, 8/3/14

Taiji Ishimori vs YOH, Best of the Super Juniors 3/6/18