Empyrean Heaven
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On January 4th, 2015, New Japan Pro Wrestling will host the biggest event of the year in Japanese professional wrestling, their annual Tokyo Dome show. For the past nine years, it has gained the universal title of Wrestle Kingdom, representing it being a showcase of the best wrestlers in Japan and all over the world. In previous years, the event has been confined to Japanese TV, with those outside of the country only able to watch the show the past two years on USTREAM, with Japanese commentary.
That is, until now.
For the first time in history, a New Japan show will be available on worldwide TV with English commentary, airing on Pay-per-view in North America and worldwide via the Flipps app, presented by Global Force Wrestling (TNA founder Jeff Jarrett's new promotion). The event will air live at 2:00am Sunday, and for those who aren't completely insane (unlike me), they'll be able to watch the show at 7pm Sunday evening. And who, you may ask, will be calling this historic event?
Yep, Good ol' JR, Jim Ross – arguably the greatest wrestling commentator of all time with a career spanning more than 20 years between Mid-South wrestling, NWA/WCW, and WWE, will be handling the call of the action, marking his return to wrestling commentary since leaving WWE two years ago. And as for his broadcast partner, he is a man that certainly knows all about wrestling around the world. In fact, you could say he's...
Our Teacher.
So, on with the show!
Dark Match – New Japan Rumble
Taking a page from WWE, the pre-show match for WK9 will be a get-everybody-on-the-card battle royal, being competed under Royal Rumble rules with 1 minute intervals. While this match will likely be full of jobbers like Sho Tanaka, Yohei Komatsu, Tama Tonga, and YOSHI-HASHI, four New Japan legends have been confirmed: former IWGP Jr. Heavyweight champion Tiger Mask IV, former IWGP Jr. Heavyweight champion (and current NWA Jr. Heavyweight champion) Jushin Thunder Liger, and former IWGP Heavyweight champions Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi. Although the result of the match likely won't matter, it should make for a fun battle royal to get fans excited for the night's action.
Match 1 – IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Four-Way Match
reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly) (c) vs. Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and KUSHIDA) vs. Forever Hooligans (Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson)
For the second year in a row, the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles will be decided in a four-way one fall to a finish match, and will also include three of the teams that took part at Wrestle Kingdom 8. The only newcomers happen to be the defending champions, reDRagon, who have begun working for NJPW as part of the company's alliance with Ring of Honor, where they just so happen to be the current tag team champions. Fish and O'Reilly are known for their mat-based style and technical prowess – a definite clash with the high-flying acumen that will be on display in this bout - but considering they are arguably one of the hottest tag teams in the world today, they could very well come out of the Tokyo Dome still with the gold.
Also taking part are the Time Splitters, the unlikely union of former American indy standout and Motor City Machine Gun Alex Shelley and KUSHIDA. Despite having only teamed together for three months, the duo would win the 2012 Super Jr. Tag Team Tournament, and go on to become two-time Jr. tag champs, showcasing a tremendous high-flying and high-risk style.
Next, the Forever Hooligans, are representing the faction CHAOS. Also former two-time Jr. tag team champions, the duo feuded with the Time Splitters over the gold for seemingly all of 2013, and now look to reclaim the titles for the first time in over a year. A combination of Romero's aggressive style and Koslov's high-flying (and tremendous singing ability), the Hooligans shouldn't be overlooked in this match.
Last but certainly not least are the Young Bucks, the combination of brothers Matt and Nick Jackson, representing the Bullet Club. Already huge names on the US indy scene and known for their run in TNA as Generation Me, the Bucks joined NJPW in late 2013 and immediately entered that year's Super Jr. Tag tournament, coming out victorious and going on to to win the Jr. Tag titles. They successfully defended their titles in last year's four-way title match at Wrestle Kingdom 8, and look to repeat. Known for their incredible high-flying and innovative offense, the Bucks look to prove that while the holidays are over and the New Year may have already come, there's still time for a #SUPERKICKPARTY at Wrestle Kingdom 9.
Match 2 – Special Six-Man Tag Team Match
Tenkoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima) and Tomoaki Honma vs. The Bullet Club (Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale, and Jeff Jarrett).
Despite the fact that his promotion will be presenting the event outside of Japan, Double J is still finding time to get his hands dirty as he makes his NJPW debut in this six-man tag team match. After announcing a partnership between GFW and NJPW at the 2014 G1 Climax Finals, Jarrett would reveal an ulterior motive for his attendance, delivering his signature guitar shot to Hiroshi Tanahashi after his victory over Bullet Club leader AJ Styles, revealing his allegiance to the faction. Jarrett will be joined in this match by two of the Bullet Club's top stars, first being Yujiro Takahashi, who shockingly turned on CHAOS earlier this year by costing Kazuchika Okada the IWGP Heavyweight championship to Styles, and becoming to date the Bullet Club's only non-gaijin member. They are joined by the 6'5'' 300+ pound Bad Luck Fale, the “Underboss” of the faction. Fale's incredible strength led him to his first title victory in 2014, defeating Shinsuke Nakamura to become IWGP Intercontinental Champion, and he remains a monster in New Japan.
Their opponents first consist of arguably the greatest tag team in NJPW history, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima, collectively known as Tenkoji (or Tencozy as it is romanized for some reason). Both former IWGP Heavyweight champions, the duo has held the IWGP Tag Team titles a record-tying 5 times, and have maintained their status as top names in New Japan as they both enter their 24th year in the business. They are joined by Tomoaki Honma, who is (likely, though it hasn't been officially been said) substituting for the returning Yoshitatsu (yes, the same one from WWE) in this match. Despite losing most of his matches, Honma is still a hard hitter, and should be able to stand tall with the other five men in this match.
Match 3 – Eight-Man Tag Team Match
Toru Yano, Naomichi Marufuji, and TMDK (Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls) vs. Suzuki-gun (Takashi Iizuka, Shelton X Benjamin, and the Killer Elite Squad ((Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer))
Essentially the clown prince of New Japan, Toru Yano is known for being goofy outside the ring but completely vicious inside of it as one of CHAOS' most dangerous members. He has also dealt with a seemingly never-ending feud with Minoru Suzuki and his Suzuki-gun faction, one that reached a new chapter earlier this year when Yano's fellow CHAOS-mate and tag partner Takashi Iizuka turned on him and joined up with Suzuki. Yano, looking for revenge, announced that he would once again bring a mystery tag team partner to Wrestle Kingdom, which in the past has yielded former kickboxer, IWGP heavyweight champion and massive Japanese celebrity Bob Sapp in 2013, as well as the legendary Great Muta last year. However, Suzuki-gun one-upped Yano's challenge by not even announcing which two members of Suzuki-gun would face Yano and his partner until December 20th, when they announced that Yano would face not two, but four members of the faction, including Iizuka, in what was now an 8-man tag. However, Yano was one step ahead, when, while being attacked by Suzuki-gun members after his long-awaited singles match with Iizuka, his mystery partners made their appearance – current GHC Heavyweight Champion Naomichi Marufuji, and former GHC Tag Team champions Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls, each representing Pro Wrestling NOAH. Like most matches invoving Yano and Iizuka, expect a wild brawl here, while former WWE talents Benjamin, Davey Boy Smith Jr. (formerly Harry “David Hart” Smith) and Lance Archer (Lance Hoyt/Vance Archer) fill out a formidable Suzuki-gun squad.
Match 4 – Full Conclusion Rules
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Minoru Suzuki
Earlier this year, Sakuraba, who returned to NJPW from an MMA stint in 2012, found himself stuck in a feud with two members of the iconic Gracie family, Daniel and Rolles. After what brought about some utterly disastrous matches, Sakuraba would find a new ally in Toru Yano, who also had his issues with the Gracies. After they left New Japan, Sakuraba would join Yano in his feud with Suzuki-gun, which quickly put him square in the sights of the faction's leader, Minoru Suzuki, who, after months of tag matches, challeged Sakuraba to a singles conflict in the Dome. But it won't just be any match, as the history between these two goes back far longer than 2014.
In 1993, Suzuki co-founded Pancrase, one of the world's first mixed martial arts promotions, which would also produce such MMA icons as Ken Shamrock, Bas Rutten, and Semmy Schilt. Sakuraba, a burgeoning MMA prodigy in his own right, was all set to join the group, but instead went to Nobuhiko Tadaka's worked shoot UWFi organization to pursue his dream of being a pro wrestler. Both men's careers took wildly different turns after that, but now both men find themselves in NJPW, and now will face off in an MMA dream match where the only way to win is via submission, knockout, technical knockout, or referee stoppage. In short, it should be a war.
Match 5 – NEVER Openweight Championship
Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Togi Makabe
Created to be the championship of New Japan's NEVER promotion (basically their version of NXT), the NEVER Openweight Championship was first won by Masato Tanaka at the end of a 16-man tournament in late 2012...and there has not been a single NEVER event since. Whoops. The title soon made its way around the waist of Tetsuya Naito (originally meant to be the face of the division), and seemed destined to go the way of NJPW's ill-fated U-30 championship. That is, until Naito was challenged by Tomohiro Ishii in February 2014.
Ishii, a 20-year pro who has been with New Japan since 2006, has long been considered one of the most underrated wrestlers in the world, with a huge cult following and a giant man-crush emanating from Dave Meltzer. However, Ishii was always the follower, joining GBH (which then transformed into CHAOS) as one of its lowest-ranked members, mostly wrestling in tag matches, until a huge win over former IWGP champion Satoshi Kojima in the first round in the 2013 New Japan Cup. Then, later that year in the G1 Climax, in one of the biggest upsets in NJPW history, Ishii defeated company ace Hiroshi Tanahashi, and would go on to win an epically stiff ***** match with Katsuyori Shibata, which got many Match of the Year votes. Fans quickly responded to Ishii for his no-nonsense offense and incredible resilience to pain, earning him the nickname of “The Stone Pitbull”.
Ishii would go on to victory in his challenge against Naito, and turned the title into a third-tier belt for lower-card stars which has brought it a surprising level of prestige. Ishii would lose the title to CHAOS turncoat Yujiro Takahashi, but, undaunted, would regain the gold in Sumo Hall in October. He would then face his biggest challenger to date against a legitimate main event star in Hirooki Goto, and would defeat him at Power Struggle, before being once-again challenged by a main event level star, Togi Makabe.
Makabe, nicknamed “Boss King Kong”, has gained a reputation as one of the toughest, stiffest brawlers in all of New Japan, taking after his inspiration, the legendary Bruiser Brody. What's more, he's also the most decorated opponent to challenge for the NEVER championship, being a former IWGP heavyweight champion and G1 climax winner. This match will pit two of the hardest hitters in the world against each other in a brutal, bloody brawl, and if there was a match Good Ol' JR would bust out his “Slobberknocker” catchphrase, this would be it.
Match 6 – IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship
Ryusuke Taguchi (c) vs. Kenny Omega
For years, Taguchi, along with Prince Devitt, made up Apollo 55 - one of the top Jr. Heavyweight tag teams of all time. However, Devitt's shocking betrayal of Taguchi in 2013, leading to the formation of the Bullet Club, which allowed the IWGP Jr. champion to shine while Taguchi went on hiatus due to injury. Returning in February, Taguchi would set his squarely on his former tag team partner, finally defeating him in April at Invasion Attack, and sending him off to some promotion in the United States nobody has ever heard of.
Afterwards, the “Funky Weapon” tried to dance his way to the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight championship, finally capturing his second title in September. But after successful defenses against Suzuki-gun members El Desperado and Taichi, Taguchi found himself the victim of a beatdown from the faction his former friend formerly lead, the Bullet Club, where they were all set to reveal their newest member, and Taguchi's challenger for January 4th - “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega.
A long-time mainstay of DDT Pro Wrestling, Omega garnered notoriety around the IWC for his gimmick of an otaku goofball, regularly using Hadoukens in matches and once busting out Zangief's Ultra Combo on a blow-up doll (YES, THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED). After some part-time stints in New Japan including an IWGP Jr. Heavyweight tag title reign, Omega signed with the promotion full-time in October. When asked if he was joining the Bullet Club, Omega denied it, saying he feels more like a Japanese citizen having lived in Japan so long.
Turns out he was lying. Now decked out in a black leather trench coat and sunglasses, Omega revealed that all he cared about were two things – money, and the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight championship. And at WK9, he has a chance to get both.
Match 7 – IWGP Tag Team Championship
The Bullet Club (Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows) (c) vs. Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata
January 4th, 2015 will mark the one-year anniversary of “The Machine Gun” taking the former DOC/Luke Gallows/Festus/Fake Kane to become his latest partner to win tag team gold with. However, what is more interesting is what their Tokyo Dome opponents were doing at last year's event...beating the crap out of each other.
Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata were almost inseparable for years, attending the same high school in their hometown of Kuwama before joining New Japan – Shibata in 1999, Goto in 2002. Shibata would leave the promotion in 2005 to try his hand at MMA, leading to Goto's rise in the heavyweight, which led to three New Japan Cup victories, the 2008 G1 Climax championship, and several moments being inches away from becoming IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
Shibata would return to New Japan in August 2012, and the following February would begin a feud with his former best friend. What began was a year-long series of incredibly hard-hitting matches between the two, often ending in a draw, before Goto challenged Shibata to one more match at Wrestle Kingdom 8. After yet another battle, Goto finally was victorious against his arch-rival, gaining his respect, and forming a tag team between the two. After a comeback victory in the 2014 G1 World Tag League, the two now have the opportunity to become champions together as they face a team that has proven to be the most dominant in New Japan for the IWGP tag team gold.
Match 8 – Special Singles Match
Tetsuya Naito vs. AJ Styles
On April 6, 2014, “The Phenomenal One” AJ Styles shocked the wrestling world by making an appearance at Invasion Attack 2014, laying out IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada with a Styles Clash and revealing himself as the new leader of the Bullet Club after Prince Devitt's departure. One month later, he would defeat Okada for the gold, becoming the first gaijin to hold the IWGP Heavyweight Title since Brock Lesnar's disastrous reign. However, cracks would begin to show during the 2014 G1Climax, where he would be defeated not only be Okada, but by another top New Japan star looking to regain his main event status, Tetsuya Naito.
It was not a good 2014 for Naito. After kicking off the year on a high note, coming very close to knocking off Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight title, the “Stardust Genius” fell to earth quickly, losing his NEVER title to Tomohiro Ishii and failing to regain it in a rematch. However, he shone more brightly in the G1, defeating both his rival Okada and Styles, although failing to advance to the finals and repeat as champion. However, due to his victory over Okada, he did receive an opportunity at Okada's Dome title match, but fell short. However, so did AJ Styles, who lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship the same night.
After coming to the aid of Yoshitatsu at Power Struggle, Naito challenged Styles for a match at the Tokyo Dome. And while it may seem like a consolation prize for both of these men, fans will get a chance to see two of the world's best all-around talents go head-to-head in a match that could definitely lead to a IWGP title shot for one or the other down the road.
Match 9 – IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
Much like Ishii with the NEVER title, good ol' Swagsuke has MADE the Intercontinental title his own. He's the only four-time holder of the belt (nobody else has even held it more than once) and the prestige he has given it has led to several main event matches this year, which usually have consisted of him walking to the ring like he's Michael Jackson on crack, screaming “Yeeoh!”, and kneeing somebody in the face with the Boma Ye. The past two years, Nakamura has made his own challenge for the Tokyo Dome – however, this year at Power Struggle, Kota Ibushi made that decision for him, German suplexing him out of his boots.
Ibushi, who wrestles for both NJPW and DDT, began the year on a strong note, ending Prince Devitt's year-plus long reign as IWGP Jr. Heavyweight champion. However, the Golden Star was unable to bring much prestige back to the title, mostly due to a lack of competition, before dropping it to KUSHIDA in July. Suffering a concussion during the match, Ibushi returned in October and surprisingly announced he would be joining the heavyweight division, making his now-famous challenge against Nakamura.
While Ibushi is the clear underdog in this match, going up against one of the most decorated stars in New Japan, his incredible tenacity and fighting spirit has made him an incredible attraction in the past, after all, this is the same guy who wrestled a ****+ match against the previously mentioned blow-up doll. Expect plenty of technical action in this one, as Ibushi tries to show that he does deserve to play with the big boys.
Match 10 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada
And then, we have this, the culmination of NJPW's biggest feud over the last four years.
By now, you all know the story. Kazuchika Okada, a talented young lion, is sent to TNA Wrestling for more exposure. However, he is treated like an absolute joke, his lowest point being when he was given the gimmick of Samoa Joe's chauffeur “Okato” to try and cash in on that Green Hornet movie that bombed - good going, TNA. However, on January 4th 2012, Okada would return to New Japan with more muscle, bleach blonde hair, and a devastating new short-arm lariat known as the Rainmaker, which would soon become his new nickname. The same night, Hiroshi Tanahashi, New Japan's biggest star and IWGP Heavyweight champion for the last year, made history by successfully defending his title for the 11th consecutive time. Afterwards, he was challenged by Okada of all people for a title shot. Likely thinking it a joke, Tanahashi accepted. One month later, he stopped laughing when Okada upset him to win the IWGP Heavyweight championship in just his second month back.
Although Okada's first reign was short, losing the gold back to Tanahashi in June, Okada would quickly bounce back to win the 2012 G1 Climax. Rather than immediately challenge Tanahashi, however, Okada announced he would be saving the shot for January 4th of 2013, where he would beat Tanahashi in the Tokyo Dome. Again, however, he was unsuccessful. Undaunted, Okada would bounce back AGAIN, continuing his meteoric rise by winning the 2013 New Japan Cup to earn another shot at Tanahashi at Invasion Attack. This time Okada was successful and would begin a title reign that would last more than a full year. However, at Wrestle Kingdom 8, despite being the primary champion, New Japan would do a fan vote to determine which of the two main events would close out the show, with Okada's successful defense against Tetsuya Naito forced to take a back seat to, once again, Tanahashi main eventing the Tokyo Dome, defeating Shinsuke Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental championship.
After losing the title to AJ Styles, Okada set his sights firmly on the G1 and another chance at the championship. And, defeating his fellow co-leader of CHAOS, Nakamura in the process, he succeeded, with everything pointing to a championship rematch with Styles at the Dome, which would have happened, if not for Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Ending his self-imposed exile from challenging for the IWGP Heavyweight title, Tanahashi would regain the gold in October for a record-setting 7th reign, firmly planting himself as the greatest IWGP champion of all-time. It also gave Okada a chance at the one thing his career has been missing. He has won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Tanahashi. He has won at the Tokyo Dome. Now, he has the opportunity to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Tanahashi in the Tokyo Dome, and perhaps now finally supplant him as the Ace and biggest star of the company. In short, this match could change New Japan forever.
