Post match challenge sees Naito move for Intercontinental title

The main event of New Beginning in Hiroshima night two saw Kota Ibushi retain double IWGP gold against SANADA, 

A tense and technical open saw Ibushi and SANADA exchange holds on the mat, before a standoff; the match quickly escalated though, as both went to the floor where SANADA landed a Magic Screw over the guardrails on the floor to take sudden and firm control. With a high angle vertical suplex, and head scissors, SANADA seemed to have found his target in the neck of Ibushi seemingly softening the champion for Skull End. 

Ibushi responded with a leg lariat to find some space to breathe, but SANADA had the edge again when Ibushi went on the run, out performing with a leapfrog dropkick and a gorgeous plancha. Ibushi fired back with a dropkick of his own and his own plancha would follow in an ongoing game of one upmanship. A Frankensteiner would send SANADA to the corner back inside, but again SANADA went like for like, a Frankensteiner of his own putting Ibushi down. 

SANADA would look for a German Suplex at the 15 minute mark, but this time a move of Ibushi’s seemed to have the edge, the champion flipping out of the hold and landing a half and half to his challenger. The sit out Last Ride followed, getting two from the referee, and Ibushi signaled that the end was near. 

SANADA evaded Kamigoye, and worked free of a straightjacket German to land his own version of the knee; the challenger followed up with another Ibushi favourite as he lawndarted Ibushi in the corner before going upstairs. A superplex off the top followed by Magic Screw opened the door to Skull End, and the consistent neck work from the challenger was paying off, his neck cranked backward. 

A Moonsault only found the canvas at 20 minutes however, and both men were stunned. SANADA wanted the Skull End again in ring, but this time it was the champion working free and launching his own lawn dart. Ibushi tried to follow with a German Suplex over the ropes, but SANADA was a step ahead, landing a TKO off the apron, and quickly following inside with a Tiger Suplex for two. 

Desperate, Ibushi rolled out of SANADA’s Cold Skull and landed a Boma Ye, but Kamigoye again missed, a pop up TKO the result. SANADA homed in on victory, one Moonsault connecting to the back, but a finishing blow only finding Ibushi’s knees as the champion stayed alive. SANADA found an O’Connor roll blocked by Ibushi, who transitioned into a Kamigoye to the back of the head, and a second scoring, but only landing two. SANADA again wanted the O’Connor, but a roll through from Ibushi led to a pump knee and an emphatic Kamigoye for the victory. 

Ibushi had little time to celebrate his victory before Tetsuya Naito headed to the ring. Asserting himself as Ibushi’s next challenger, Naito acknowledged that his loss on January 4 made him ill suited to challenge for the double gold. Rather, Naito stated ‘I ant to challenge not for two, but for one. I want the Intercontinental Championship’. Naito made it clear that he is against Ibushi’s plans to unify, and now appears to be moving to seize the title that has for better and worse shaped the last six years of his career. Could Naito be the Intercontinental Championship’s next holder? Or could Ibushi be its last?