NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13: Results, Grades, and Analysis

Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) vs. Chris Jericho (c) – No DQ Match for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship

This match was a wild brawl from the very start. Naito hit a piledriver on the ringside ramp, and went for a tope back in the ring, but Jericho nailed Naito with a kendo stick. Jericho then beat on Naito with the stick for the next few minutes, leaving welts all over Naito. Both men continued to brawl at ringside, and Jericho spiked Naito with a DDT on the announce table! It made a sickening thud as Naito hit the table, Jericho dumped him back over the guardrail, grabbed the hammer for the bell and rung it, to a shower of boos from the crowd.

Jericho brought Naito back into the ring and ate an elbow and the lionsault. Awesome stuff. Naito caught Jericho’s feet as Jericho tried to kick him in the face at the turnbuckle, and Naito begged Jericho to kick him. Naito caught the second foot, put Jericho on the middle ropes, and hit a neckbreaker. Naito stood on Jericho’s face and saluted the crowd. Naito went for his Triangle Dropkick, but Jericho caught his feet and locked on the Walls of Jericho.

Naito got out and Jericho went for the Code Breaker, but Naito countered and hit a Tornado DDT. After Naito went for the Destino, Jericho countered, and locked in another Walls of Jericho. Naito managed to grab the kendo stick from earlier, and he just walloped Jericho with it before beating him with it for awhile, leaving welts all over Jericho.

Jericho managed to turn it around and hit the Code Breaker, but Naito kicked out. Jericho piled a ton of chairs in the ring, and started to beat Naito with them. Naito got up and hit a Code Breaker of his own, but Jericho kicked out! Naito went to the middle rope, but Jericho threw a chair at him! Jericho went for a suplex onto the chairs, but Naito floated over and German suplexed Jericho onto the chairs! Jericho then shoved Red Shoes, low blowed Naito, and hit a Code Breaker, but Naito kicked out again.

Jericho grabbed the Intercontinental championship and tried to hit Naito with it. Naito, instead, sent Jericho flying into an exposed turnbuckle then hit a Destino! Jericho kicked out. Naito rolled over, picked up the Intercontinental title and nailed Jericho with it! He then threw it to the outside, just like old times, and then hit Destino and pinned Jericho! Naito wins!

Result: Tetsuya Naito 

Rating: ***** (5 stars out of 5)

Naito, while still showing disdain for the title, walked out with in, which was uncharacteristic of him. Has Naito finally accepted his title, and redeemed it as a true main event championship?