▪️WRESTLE KINGDOM 12 Cards (announced as of today) https://www.njpw1972.
▪️WRESTLE KINGDOM 12, NJPW’s biggest event will be Live-Streaming only on http://njpwworld.com/
▪️WRESTLE KINGDOM 12, Pre-sale tickets for Overseas fans is supported by major ticketing agency, e-plus! Order Now
November 5 saw a thrilling Power Struggle event put a number of wheels in motion for Wrestle Kingdom 12 on January 4, 2018. No surprise was bigger than the shocking appearance of Chris Jericho.
The self proclaimed ‘best in the world’ Chris Jericho recently declared himself a free agent after 18 years exclusively with WWE. He demanded he wrestle IWGP US Champion Kenny Omega in the Tokyo Dome. The champion accepted, and this seemingly impossible dream match will now go ahead.
Jericho has a long history in Japan, having debuted in the country in 1993. As part of Genichiro Tenryu’s WAR promotion, he was taken under the wing of the legendary Hiromichi Fuyuki, and teamed with Jado and Gedo as Lion-do. In New Japan meanwhile, he was part of the fourth Best of the Super Juniors tournament in 1997, and in April 1998, teamed with Black Tiger to challenge Shinjiro Otani and Tatsuhito Takaiwa for the IWGP Junior Tag Team Championships.
In America, Jericho was one of a clutch of pioneering cruiserweights in ECW and then WCW, battling Rey Misterio, Eddy Guerrero, Dean Malenko and Ultimo Dragon. In 1999, he jumped to WWE, where he would face the likes of The Rock and Steve Austin in the main event mix. In December 2001, Jericho defeated both Rock and Austin in one night to unify the WCW and WWE Heavyweight Championships.
Jericho and Kenny Omega share a hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. In October, Jericho took affront to talk of Omega being the best in the world, complaining ‘he isn’t even the best in Winnipeg’. Not even Kenny would expect this dream match to be put in place, but responded to Jericho’s ‘string pulling’ by saying ‘you may well be the best of all time, but you aren’t the best right now… come ready because Lord knows I will’. Can anyone be truly ready for such an epoch shifting match?
Also announced for Wrestle Kingdom 12 is The Switchblade Jay White’s first title match in New Japan as he challenges IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Tanahashi was celebrating a hard fought victory over Kota Ibushi in what was an instant classic match in Osaka when an ominous video played in Edion Arena. The video heralded a Jay White return from American excursion. Clad in black, the New Zealander would lay out Tanahashi with a Shellshock.
White entered New Japan in January 2005, and with diligent training and a promising in ring style, garnered a cult following. White would announce a learning excursion to ROH in June 2006, but returned with a very different image. With White being absent from the Wrestle Kingdom press briefing November 6, what does the enigmatic Switchblade want to achieve in New Japan? How will champion Tanahashi react? It looks to be a wildly unpredictable title match.
These aren’t the only first time matches at Wrestle Kingdom, as January 4 will also see the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship defended for the first time in a four way match. November 5 saw Marty Scurll surprise WIll Ospreay with a rollup that saw a new champion despite Ospreay’s complaints that his shoulder was up before the count of three.
Just as the Villain’s victory sank in on a stunned Osaka crowd, the ring was immediately populated by three challengers. The recently deposed Ospreay was joined by his rival KUSHIDA, and a Hiromu Takahashi so determined to finally make his challenge that he donned boxing gloves, a cup and a hockey mask to avoid any altercations. Scurll would declare that if all three wanted the belt so bad, he’d put it on the line in a four way! In this wild matchup, all four will be in the ring at the same time, and the first pinfall will decide the match, whether the champion is involved in the decision or not. Who will come out on top of the intensely competitive junior heavyweight division?
Roppongi 3K, SHO and YOH, returned to Japan in October at King of Pro Wrestling. They won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships on their first night, and since then have been undefeated. This saw RPG 3K become the first team in history to win the Super Junior Tag Tournament as reigning IWGP champions.
You can’t talk about history making tag teams without mentioning the Young Bucks, however. RPG 3K coach Rocky Romero has declared his team to be the future of tag team wrestling, but Matt and Nick Jackson promise that the Young Bucks are an obstacle the younger team can’t hope to overcome. Will the Bucks reclaim their spot at the top of the tag team world? Or will RPG 3K assert themselves as the leaders of a new generation?
That’s not all, as the ROH World Championship may be on the line at WK12. As Kota Ibushi recovered from his defeat at the hands of Hiroshi Tanahashi on November 5, ROH champion Cody appeared and declared he ‘needed’ Ibushi to stand across from him at the Tokyo Dome. The arrogant champion boasted he was ‘picking a fight that was big enough to matter but small enough he can win’. Ibushi will look to make Cody eat those words. This first time ever singles matchup will happen regardless of Cody’s championship status on January 4, but will be for the ROH title if Cody remains champion.
Ibushi hasn’t appeared in Ring of Honor for year, but ROH fans are sure to take notice of this clash between a Golden Star and an American Nightmare.
▪️WRESTLE KINGDOM 12 Cards (announced as of today) https://www.njpw1972.
com/tornament/14309?showCards= 1 ▪️WRESTLE KINGDOM 12, NJPW’s biggest event will be Live-Streaming only on http://njpwworld.com/
▪️WRESTLE KINGDOM 12, Pre-sale tickets for Overseas fans is supported by major ticketing agency, e-plus! Order Now
“Wrestle Kingdom 12” general admission tickets are now on sale! New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s biggest event of the year is now easier than ever to see live for international fans! We’ve partnered with e-plus to provide ticket purchasing in English for fans. Purchase here
And fans can also purchase ticket packages with HIS, with convenient hotel accommodations included with Wrestle Kingdom 12 ticket options. 30 lucky fans will also receive a signed postcard from Kenny Omega! More details here:
WRESTLING KINGDOM 12 -Jan 4,2018- Official Package Arena B
https://www.hisgo.com/us/Contents/Package/DetailPackage.aspx?PkgNo=US1700090WRESTLING KINGDOM 12 -Jan 4,2018- Official Package 1F STAND
https://www.hisgo.com/us/Contents/Package/DetailPackage.aspx?PkgNo=US1700091
We invite fans across the world to experience pro-wrestling’s foremost spectacle, live at the Tokyo Dome! We will soon open the official English Wrestle Kingdom 12 site!
