Wrestle Kingdom 12

[Kev]

 

PRE-SHOW

New Japan Rumble

 

Dome tradition. For the fourth year, the the New Japan Rumble will get the crowd warmed up for the hot night of action. Wrestlers enter every minute, and are eliminated by being thrown over the top rope or being pinned or submitted. A match full of surprises, entrants only become known when their music plays and they walk out in front of the sea of humanity. Who will pop up this year?

 

MAIN SHOW

 

IWGP Jr. TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Roppongi 3k vs Young Bucks

 

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?

 

 

NEVER OPENWEIGHT 6-MAN TAG TEAM GAUNTLET CHAMPIONSHIP

Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) vs. Taguchi Japan (Ryusuke Taguchi, Juice Robinson & Togi Makabe) vs. Suzukigun (Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi & Takashi Iizuka) vs. CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Beretta) vs. Michael Elgin & War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe)

At Road to Tokyo Dome on December 17, EVIL, SANADA and BUSHI of Los Ingobernables De Japon were unseated as NEVER 6 Man Champions by the Bullet Club team of Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale. Now the new champions have a tall task in front of them as they have their first defence in a five team Gauntlet match. This is essentially five title matches in one, as the winner of a match will stay on in the ring as the next team arrives.

 

The first challengers will be the latest Taguchi Japan lineup. This time, Togi Makabe and Juice Robinson will join the ever active player coach Ryusuke Taguchi. War Machine had an awesome 2017, and were consistently in the mix for the IWGP Tag Team Championships. Now, they team with Michael Elgin to make an extremely powerful trio. But will Elgin function well with War Machine? Power alone won’t be enough in this gruelling Gauntlet.

 

Beretta might be without his Best Friend partner Chuckie T in the Tokyo Dome, but he has some impressive CHAOS partners in Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii. Beretta’s charisma should gel well with Ishii’s power and Yano’s more unorthodox tactics.Last but certainly not least is the young British master craftsman that is Zack Sabre Junior, partnering with Takashi Iizuka and Taichi. The combination of masterful technique and dirty tactics will be one nobody should take their eyes away from.

 

Add in the new, fearsome champions, and it’s an unpredictable and unique matchup. Which of the five teams will come out on top?

 

SPECIAL SINGLE MATCH

 

Kota Ibushi vs. Cody

 

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.

 

IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Killer Elite Squad (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.) © vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (SANADA & EVIL)

 

 

NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - Hair versus Hair

 

Minoru Suzuki © vs. Hirooki Goto

 

Ever since Power Struggle on November 5, Hirooki Goto has been persistent in demanding a rematch for Minoru Suzuki’s NEVER Openweight Championship. Yet Suzuki has consistently shut the former champion down, calling Goto a ‘pig, squealing for a title shot’.

 

On December 11 in Fukuoka, Goto appeared to have enough of Goto’s requests, yelling ‘why should I grant a request to a loser like you? I’d have to put my belt on the line. You- not a thing. You haven’t got a single thing to gamble with’. Goto responded that he had one thing: the hair on his own head. On December 18, Suzuki finally gave Goto what he was wishing for; a hair versus hair match with no CHAOS and no Suzuki-Gun at ringside. In this strict one on one match, Goto can finally get his hands on Suzuki without distraction or interference. But it’s winner take all, and that goes for both the NEVER title belt and the clippers to shave your opponent’s head.

 

 

IWGP Jr. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Marty Scurll © vs. Will Ospreay vs. KUSHIDA vs. Hiromu Takahashi

 

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?

 

IWGP INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs. Jay White

After he missed the end of the World Tag League tour, and was not listed on the Road to Tokyo Dome cards due to a right knee injury, concerns were raised as to the status of Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi heading into WK12. Those fears were allayed on December 18, as Tanahashi addressed the Korakuen crowd, assuring them his knee was getting better every day and that he’d be 100% for Wrestle Kingdom. His address drew cheers from the crowd, but these turned to shocked gasps as Jay White crashed the party.

 

White would stare down the Intercontinental Champion and tell him that it was ‘his time’, before assaulting Tanahashi’s injured knee. He then delivered rapid, violent elbows to the heart of the champion, and hit his newly named finish, the Bladerunner, to make a profound statement. How will Tanahashi respond on January 4?

 

 

IWGP US HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Kenny Omega © vs. Chris Jericho

 

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?

 

IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Kazuchika Okada © vs. Tetsuya Naito

 

On October 10, the wrestling media gathered in the conference room of TV Asahi’s headquarters and it was made official: Kazuchika Okada will defend the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Tetsuya Naito.

 

Naito and Okada have a history at the Tokyo Dome that goes back to 2014. Wrestle Kingdom 8 also saw an IWGP title match between champion Okada and challenger Naito. However, a fan poll saw that match bumped to semi main event status as Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura headlined for the Intercontinental Championship.

 

Four years on, and after Okada successfully defended the IWGP title against EVIL, Naito asked the fans in Ryogoku whether an Okada versus Naito main event was OK with them. This time, the crowd roared their assent to what will undoubtedly be a confrontation for the ages.

 

Since winning the title from Naito himself in Osaka Jo Hall last June, Okada has made eight consecutive successful defences. His win over EVIL on October 9 secured Okada’s place in legend, his title reign soon to become the longest in history.

 

Now, the self proclaimed ‘superhuman’ faces his greatest challenge. Destined opponents will meet on the grandest stage, and a match that will shake New Japan Pro Wrestling to its very core will take place on January 4, 2018.

 

Nota: No dia 5 dá o New Year's Dash (estilo Raw pós-Mania) às 9:30.

Editado 29 Dezembro 2017 por Kev

[What]

Ah o Jericho vs Omega é pelo US Title? I wonder who wins...

[Almeno]

Show do ano.

[El Shafto]

O lado positivo disto é que vai ser um bom show e show do ano para toda a gente. Para os que seguem com a maior regularidade possível, para os que seguem esporadicamente e para os que vão ver isto e o G1 mas ainda assim vão perceber todas as nuances dos apertos de mão e regojizar-se pelo excelente espétaculo que viram e certamente compreenderam.

[Phil]

Ah o Jericho vs Omega é pelo US Title? I wonder who wins...

Por acaso acho q ganha o Jericho. Não faz sentido so fazer um combate na new japan

[Kev]

Eles já anunciaram o Strong Style Evolved nos States, acredito que o Jericho tenha um combate lá. Não me parece que ganhe o título no WK tho.

Editado 25 Dezembro 2017 por Kev

[Almeno]

Ganha no WK e perde para o Kenny no SSE.

[Kev]

[Almeno]

 

[Shazam]

Não vou ver isto direto. Mas vou ver o WK e o New Year Dash no fds. Bom show a todos.

[Kev]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kev]

Editado 3 Janeiro 2018 por Kev

[Almeno]

É hoje!

[Einstein]

É hoje!

 

Estás Tranquilo? Hoje há um encontro com o Destino.

[Kev]

WE'RE LIVE PALS

 

Bucks 7-time Jr. Tag Champs

 

O Gun Stun do Tama :prayer:

Editado 4 Janeiro 2018 por Kev

[DashRader]

Muito bom o 4-Way! :prayer:

[Almeno]

Adormeci-me no inicio do 4 way :lol:

 

ITS FUCKING TIME

 

JERICHO :heart:

Editado 4 Janeiro 2018 por Almeno

[Kev]

Bom combate.

 

Naito ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ

[DashRader]

Jericho vs Omega :prayer: Melhor do que esperava.

 

 

Adormeci-me no inicio do 4 way :lol:

 

Eu adormeci no Goto vs Suzuki :mrgreen:

[Almeno]

Gostei muito do Alpha vs Omega.

 

MEGA HYPE

 

NAITO :heart:

[Kev]

Estas entradas :heart: :heart:

[Almeno]

True :heart:

[Millán]

holy fuck o okada ganhou

[DashRader]

Naito :cry:

[Almeno]

Mas...Mas...Mas...Mas...Mas...Mas...Mas...

 

Naito :cry: