On night-one of Wrestle Kingdom 14, Tetsuya Naito was able to defeat Jay White to win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship for the fifth time to secure his place in the finals of the Double Gold Dash tournament.
IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada was able to have a successful v5 defense of his title against G1 Climax 29 winner Kota Ibushi. Okada’s victory set in stone a rematch from Wrestle Kingdom 12, which left numerous fans of Los Ingobernables de Japon crying within the Tokyo Dome.
The journey to this point for Naito began after he won G1 Climax 27 in 2017 against G1 Climax 26 winner Kenny Omega in 34:35.
Many thought Naito would find his way to the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in 2018, yet the current Undisputed RevPro British Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr ended such hopes by defeating Naito in the New Japan Cup, and months later during G1 Climax 28 — eliminating Naito from a possible G1 finals birth.
Before the 2019 New Japan Cup, Naito (who was the reigning IWGP Intercontinental Champion at the time) began floating around the idea of becoming a dual IWGP Intercontinental and IWGP Heavyweight Champion. New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) officials altered the rules of the New Japan Cup to allow champions to take part, however, Ibushi defeated Naito in the first round and would go on to win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at the G1 Supercard on April 6, 2019.
Naito’s journey led him to regain the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Ibushi, losing it to Jay White, and winning it again at night-one of Wrestle Kingdom 14.
Throughout Naito’s battle to get back to this point, Kazuchika Okada has enjoyed a reign of dominance which saw him set nearly every IWGP Heavyweight Championship record, gain recognition as one of — if not the best wrestler in the world, continue to be the face of NJPW, and overcome an identity crisis after Kenny Omega ended his historic run as champion.
Okada’s confidence is at an all-time high after defeating Ibushi on the first night of Wrestle Kingdom 14, has Naito grown enough since their last meeting two years ago to unseat Okada from his throne?
