The Golden Ace tag team of Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi lost the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship at Dominion to the Dangerous Tekkers (Zack Sabre Jr/Taichi) team on what was their v1 defense of the title.
With the loss, Kota Ibushi could return to his chase for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at a time when Evil’s IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental ‘Double Championship’ victory has put every bankable draw for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) in a role to chase after an emerging champion.
Ibushi’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship Narrative
Ibushi’s slow progress up the heavyweight rankings in NJPW has seen him become on the biggest marquee draws within the company, and his G1 Climax 29 victory cemented his place a realistic contender for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
His back to back losses at Wrestle Kingdom 14, will likely play a role in his story as he continues to fight and climb to reach his goal of becoming the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. With G1 Climax 30 looming, Ibushi will have the opportunity to show that he has regained his momentum and is a rightful challenger to Evil.
Teaming with Tanahashi could also be used as a vehicle going forward, even if Golden Ace rarely teams together in the future. Tanahashi’s eight IWGP Heavyweight Championship reigns lend him credibility as a mentor and could help Ibushi during the final stretch of his path to claiming the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
How Will Ibushi Fair In The New Landscape
With so many realistic contenders for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, it’s unclear how everything will fall into place, especially when the IWGP Intercontinental Championship comes into play.
An angle leading to a confrontation, or a G1 match between Ibushi and Jay White would make sense following their Wrestle Kingdom 14 Day 2 match saw Ibushi come up on the losing end. White is also the perfect foil for a Pure Face, and the two have done impressive numbers together before in the future.
Gedo and Jado take pride in stringing together long storylines that lead to a massive payoff, which has resulted in big business for NJPW since they took over creative in 2011. Ibushi winning the title is something the company is slowly building to and will result in a lot of buzz when he does eventually win the title.
