NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night 2: Results, Grades, and Analysis

KENTA (Bullet Club) (c) vs. Hirooki Goto (CHAOS) – NEVER Openweight Championship

Goto forearmed KENTA right away and started stomping on him to start the match. KENTA going after his friend, Shibata, has led to Goto having a particular edge heading into this match. KENTA got nailed with a clothesline and bulldog before trying to escape to the outside, but Goto brought him back into the ring and kicked him hard in the back.

KENTA hit a running boot on Goto and sent him to the floor. Goto got right back in, but KENTA threw him to the other side of the ring. KENTA kicked him in the face as he tried to get back in and then whipped him into the guardrail. KENTA whipped him into the other side and rolled back into the ring.

Goto barely made it back into the ring before KENTA threw him out again to the other side, and the crowd booed KENTA as he conducted them in their jeers. KENTA hit a snapmare and a kick to the back for a 2 count. KENTA continued to work over Goto with several hard strikes and a slower paced offence, slowly making Goto angrier and angrier. Goto caught a kick and hit a rolling lariat after an extended time with no offence.

Goto hit hard forearms and drove KENTA back to the corner. KENTA and Goto then turned it around multiple times, both of them killing each other with forearms. Goto replied with one final one that dropped KENTA like a rock. Goto picked him up and sent him to the opposite corner and then hit a back-heel kick and a suplex for a 2 count.

Goto hit the ropes, but KENTA replied with a powerslam. KENTA hit a tornado DDT into the top rope and then hit a clothesline off the top rope on Goto. KENTA hit a DDT on Goto and placed him on the middle rope before hitting a running knee to drive his throat into the rope. KENTA hit the ropes, but Goto replied by picking him up and hitting a Ushigoroshi.

KENTA didn’t stay down for long though, locking on a crossface, and then hitting a draping DDT from the middle rope. KENTA hit the Shibata style dropkick in the corner, and then hit a double stomp. KENTA set up for the running knee, but Goto went behind into a sleeper. KENTA countered and locked on a sleeper of his own before hitting a PK, right out of Shibata’s book.

KENTA called for Go to Sleep, and picked Goto up, but Goto caught the knee and hit a hard headbutt that dropped KENTA. Goto smashed KENTA with a lariat, and KENTA ate it and then hit a spinning backfist and a lariat of his own. Goto no sold it and smashed KENTA with another one for a 2 count.

Goto blocked a kick so KENTA replied by slapping the crap out of him. Goto ate it and several slaps before both men started hitting each other right in the face. Goto went for the GTR, but KENTA fought out. Goto went for the Ushigoroshi, but turned it into a GTR, but KENTA kicked out. Goto picked him back up and hit the GTR to finish KENTA off! We have a new NEVER Openweight Champion!

Result: Hirooki Goto

Rating: **** (4 stars)

This match was a very hard-hitting affair that saw Goto finally defeat KENTA and claim revenge for Shibata. I imagine the original plans saw Shibata coming out of retirement, but it’s possible they didn’t feel comfortable having him wrestle in the match, so Goto was a good 2nd option. It could also be that it was simply the plan from the start to have Goto stand in. Regardless, NJPW offered us a great story with Goto being able to defeat KENTA after months of taunting.