Since New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) returned to holding live events in June, IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental ‘Double Champion’ Tetsuya Naito has maintained a fairly relaxing schedule as the rest of the roster battled for the right to face him for his titles by going through the New Japan Cup.
At Dominion Naito will defend his titles against either his Los Ingobernables de Japon (LIJ) unit mate Evil, who has gone to the dark side throughout the New Japan Cup to advance to the finals or the former five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada.
The NJPW website sets the stage for both possible contenders with the following passage.
The ‘known unknown’ will come in the form of his challenger on Sunday. Naito must prepare himself for either Kazuchika Okada or EVIL at Dominion, with each presenting their own challenges. Naito certainly knows Okada can be beaten; he lodged the ‘4’ in a 5-4 record against the Rainmaker on January 5 to banish bad memories from two years earlier to finally live his dream.
“For his part, Naito has expressed eagerness for EVIL to emerge from the shadows of LIJ and make a mark for himself, but that could come at the ultimate price for the champion,” the website continues by explaining why Evil may have dipped into underhanded tactics to make his mark during the New Japan Cup.
Okada and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship have been attached since Okada returned from his United States excursion in January 2012, it’s only natural for him to be in a position to possibly take the championship back after losing it in January at Wrestle Kingdom 14.
However, no matter who Naito faces he will be far fresher and prepared to take advantage of every opening presented to him.