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JAN.4.2021

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Wrestle Kingdom 15 night 2: Full Card & Preview 【WK15】

Card finalised for night two in the Tokyo Dome January 4

 

The full card is now final for night two of Wrestle Kingdom, taking place in the Tokyo Dome on January 5 2021. Five title matches in an all star lineup see the new year take form in New Japan Pro-Wrestling!

Watch both nights of Wrestle Kingdom 21 LIVE and in English from the Tokyo Dome on NJPW World!

Or watch on the device of your choosing on FITE!

Main event: Double IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Championships: Jay White vs Kota Ibushi

Singles records: 3-1 White

The holder of the IWGP right to challenge briefcase, won over G1 Climax 30 winner Kota Ibushi at Power Struggle in November, Jay White will challenge either Tetsuya  Naito or Kota Ibushi in the main event on January 5. 

A master manipulator ever since he burst onto the scene on his return from excursion in November 2017, Jay White’s rapid ascent now sees him in the very top spot of wrestling’s biggest event as he headlines on night two. Not only that, the Switchblade is in firm control. With positive win:loss records over both his prospective opponents, White has every right to feel confident. Going into January 5 fresh and rested after Naito and Ibushi engaged in physical warfare last night, he might well feel as if the match is a foregone conclusion. 

Certainly Tetsuya Naito and Kota Ibushi pushed one another to the very limits last night, in a thrilling match that ended in Kota Ibushi using Kamigoye to become IWGP Intercontinental Champion for the second time, and Heavyweight Champion for the first. The ultimate grand slam wrestler, Ibushi has now won Best of the Super Junior, New Japan Cup, the G1 Climax twice, as well as both junior and heavyweight singles and tag titles together with the NEVER Openweight Championship; a feat never before achieved. 

For Jay White main eventing inside the Tokyo Dome is no easy position to be in, and the Switchblade will walk into that spot for the very first time on January 5 2021. Never in the history of Wrestle Kingdom has any competitor been victorious in their first Tokyo Dome main event. Then again, up until November 2020, the winner of the G1 Climax was thought to be unbeatable on the Road to Wrestle Kingdom, and White’s record over Ibushi is undisputable.  Will Jay White make history once more? Or will a January 4 winner’s momentum and passion overcome the Switchblade?

5th Match: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Taiji Ishimori vs Hiromu Takahashi 

Singles records: Ishimori vs Hiromu:2-1 Hiromu Ishimori 

Another championship encounter that relies on the result of January 4, Taiji Ishimori is another BULLET CLUB member with a sizable advantage on the second night of Wrestle Kingdom. His chance to rest after what a thrilling opener on January 4 between Hiromu Takahashi and El Phantasmo is a significant champion’s edge indeed.

After all, it was in Jingu Stadium that Ishimori was able to take advantage of a damaged shoulder on Hiromu to emerge with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Now, thanks to what Hiromu is alleging was a loaded boot on the foot of El Phantasmo last night, the challenger is feeling intense pain from what could be a broken hand.  

If one thing is not in Ishimori’s corner on January 5, it’s history; the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship has changed hands every Wrestle Kingdom since 2014. Yet with big match competitive experience, and more importantly a fresh and rested body, the champion seems to be in the strongest spot, as with semi main event status, his title gets its biggest spotlight in Tokyo Dome history. 

4th Match: EVIL vs SANADA

Singles record: 2-2

Two times SANADA and EVIL shared the spotlight in the Tokyo Dome by becoming IWGP Tag Team Champions on the grandest stage in professional wrestling. Now they share the spotlight and the eyes of the world once more; this time as opponents with a bitter grudge. 

EVIL’s bruising power and SANADA’s cool, laid back tactical mind are what made the two such an impressive tag team combination, and made their singles matches in events like the G1 Climax an intriguing watch when both were in Los Ingobernables De Japon. Often the theme of their bouts would be one of EVIL trying to break Cold Skull’s placid composure, while SANADA has been able to rely on his incredible wrestling acumen and calm under pressure. 

Many suspected that calm would be broken for good when EVIL turned his back on SANADA and LIJ during the New Japan Cup, including with a semi final bout between the two partners that saw violent steel chair collisions and crushing low blows. Yet still SANADA was stoic and silent. In their last G1 Climax 30 block match, SANADA still retained his composure, something that helped him to victory when Hiromu Takahashi was able to stop the interfering efforts of Dick Togo at ringside. 

Then finally on December 11 in the Nippon Budokan: snap. Choked out by Togo at ringside, SANADA recovered and tore into EVIL. Then again on December 22 in Korakuen Hall, SANADA delivered EVIL’s own finishing move to the his former friend, before refusing to let go of Skull End after the bell. EVIL might have awakened a monster in SANADA; the question is whether that monster is enough to overthrow the King of Darkness?

 

3rd Match: NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi vs Jeff Cobb

Jeff Cobb has long been formidable in NJPW. Since joining THE EMPIRE alongside Great-O-Khan, though, he’s been a force of nature. The powerhouse of NJPW’s newest faction, Cobb has been a terrifying sight to behold, and a painful opponent to compete against. 

Shingo Takagi will certainly attest to that. Pinned by Cobb in both the World tag League and this year’s G1, Shingo has had no answer to Cobb’s awesome strength to date. Yet the NEVER Openweight Champion has carried his belt with pride and passion since first winning it in February. Now a two time champion, he’ll fight tooth and nail to maintain his gold, but is Cobb just too much to overcome? 

2nd Match: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: Suzuki-Gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) vs One or Eight (Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato)

Tag record: 1-0 One or Eight

After the young Master Wato was able to pin both El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru in singles and tag competition in recent weeks, and with a pinfall win for Taguchi over Kanemaru on December 22 to boot, Ryusuke taguchi and Master Wato will challenge for IWGP Jr. tag gold on January 5. 

Dubbing themselves ‘One or Eight’ (Wato has alluded to his 18 year age difference to Taguchi, and in Japanese the name is a saying about taking one’s chances in life. Taguchi maintains there is no innuendo that Wato is to innocent to perceive), Taguchi and Wato might be easily laughed off by the champions Desperado and Kanemaru, but to do so would be a deadly mistake. Desperado had a star making Best of the Super Jr. run this year, but one of the few black marks on his record was against Master Wato, and the same was the case in September’s junior tag league that saw ‘Despe and Nobu’ to the tag titles for a second time. This should be a spectacular and hotly competitive bout, that could well end with Wato’s first taste of championship gold in NJPW.

1st Match: KOPW 2021 four way Bad Luck Fale vs Chase Owens vs BUSHI vs Toru Yano

The opening bout on January 5 will see the first holder of KOPW2021 decided. After December 23 saw KOPW 2020 come to an end, the title begins afresh with KOPW 2021. January 4’s opening New Japan Ranbo continued until four men were in the ring last night; or that was the idea at least. Much to Chase Owens’ chagrin, the number one entrant lasted to the end thanks to the aid of tag partner Bad Luck Fale, but BUSHI spent a sizable chunk of the match outside, and Toru Yano didn’t enter at all. With the trophy on the line tonight, will shenenigans be the order of the day? And will Toru Yano start 2021 as he ended 2020 with the KOPW trophy? 

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