Last year at Wrestle Kingdom, Tetsuya Naito was defeated by Kota Ibushi in the main event. He pledged to make it back to the main event for 2022, but an injury to kick off his G1 Climax halted those plans. All the same, he hopes to make a big impact – as he faces the dominant Jeff Cobb. Naito was able to sneak a win over Cobb during a tag team match on December 15th, and since then Cobb has been determined to crush El Ingobernable.
Jeff Cobb Rushes Naito To Start This Match Off Hot
Cobb was all but unbeatable in 2021, but he won’t be getting suckered into the antics of Naito. He’d rush him as soon as the entrance gear was off – beating him to the floor before the referee pulled him away. Naito hit a low dropkick, and now had his target.
Cutting Cobb down to size is a smart move, but he’d need to avoid a suplex to the floor. Naito would resist the urge to taunt, instead redirecting himself into a dropkick on Cobb. On the outside, Cobb lifted Naito up for a suplex, held him up to ram him into the steel twice, before dropping him on the floor. Naito was able to just break the twenty count,
Some knees to the back of Naito would crush his back, and Cobb was just in complete control at this point. Another delayed suplex would be turned into a press slam, before Cobb just threw him aside. Cobb lifted Naito and ran him twice across the ring, and laid in some chops to follow up.
Big Match Tetsuya Naito Finds A Way
Naito found an opening with a single leg dropkick, but this more bought him breathing room over a proper advantage. Cobb would take another kick to the knee however, before Combinación de Cabrón in the corner to knee. A submission would be applied, putting pressure on the knee – but Cobb got to the ropes before it was too late.
Naito looked for the kneebreaker, but Cobb blocked – before dodging the low dropkick, and tossing Naito with a Belly to Belly Suplex. Into the corner, Cobb would hit the running back elbow and a backdrop for a two count. The mouth of Cobb was bloody, and he was unable to hit Tour of The Islands. Another running dropkick to the knee was followed by Esperanza.
Destino was blocked, but another low dropkick was not. Cobb was set up on the top rope for the frankensteiner, but it was blocked into a powerbomb from the top rope. Tour of the Islands was set up, and the Calf Slicer was the counter. Naito knows this hold well, having lost to it when AJ Styles used it back in 2015. Cobb broke free and hit a huge lariat but again couldn’t hit Tour of the Islands. Naito nailed Valentía and Destino and that was it!
Hiroshi Tanahashi Is Ready To Break Some Rules
It wouldn’t be Wrestle Kingdom without a big match from Hiroshi Tanahashi. While last night he was simply in a trios match, tonight he’s in the semi-main event. His opponent is KENTA, a man who spent years being obsessed with the IWGP United States Championship.
After claiming it from Tanahashi, KENTA ducked his challenges for a rematch – until Tanahashi agreed to a No DQ match. Tanahashi is ready for a career worth of rule breaking in this one match, as he knows that is what it will take.
KENTA would take a kendo stick to the ring, and show his back to Tanahashi – who also had a kendo stick. Tanahashi would wait for KENTA to turn, before he’d disarm KENTA and swing for the fences. This one went outside, and KENTA would use the title belt to whack Tanahashi before more kendo stick shots.
The ring was slowly filling with weapons, including the old NJPW Cup 2020 briefcase which KENTA has kept after smashing it over the head of Tanahashi. A steel chair was used, before KENTA grabbed a ladder to prop up in the corner. The trash can was lifted, and KENTA took a dropkick to the knee and met the can with his face.
KENTA Might Not Push Tanahashi Like This Again
Tanahashi smashed the trash can over the head of KENTA, before grabbing a guitar. Jeff Jarrett style, he’d smash that over the head of KENTA. Looking for more, Tanahashi found a table. It was set up at ringside, but he’d look for the Cloverleaf in the ring – before the briefcase met the head of Tanahashi.
KENTA would put Tanahashi on the table, but took too long going to the top rope. Tanahashi would set up a superplex, and KENTA had to fight free. A stack of chairs formed in the ring, and a Slingblade onto them hurt both men – but especially KENTA. High Fly Flow would follow, but KENTA dodged.
Tanahashi was propped in the corner with a pile of chairs before a dropkick came. He’d fight back with a Twist & Shout onto the chairs, before pulling the table into the ring. KENTA was placed onto it, and given a chair for good measure. He’d use that to stop Tanahashi, before a super falcon arrow through the table.
Looking for another table to really punish Tanahashi, and a big ladder was likewise part of his plan. This big ladder needed repairs, so handyman KENTA would fix it. Tanahashi was put on the table, and KENTA started his climb, only for Tanahashi to tip him off the ladder and face first onto a trash can!
KENTA was on the table, and Tanahashi climbed for the highest fly flow! A bloody KENTA was smashed through the table, and Tanahashi claimed his second IWGP United States Championship in the process!
Will KENTA look for a rematch after this beating? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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