Wrestle Kingdom 16 is now in the books, with three thrilling nights of action having kicked off the year for NJPW in a big way. However, they’re just getting started with their 50 year anniversary – and we have the next big matches to look forward to. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA both claimed big wins on January 5th, and thus are next in line for some big title matches – which will come on February 19th & 20th.
Tetsuya Naito To Reignite Storied Rivalry WIth Kazuchika Okada
This of course brings the second defense of the current reign of Kazuchika Okada as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Naito & Okada have a long history, having met multiple times at Wrestle Kingdom. This will just be another chapter in a storied rivalry. Last time they met in singles action was at Wrestle Kingdom 14 – when Naito defeated Okada to become the first man to hold both the IWGP Heavyweight Title & IWGP Intercontinental Title at the same time.
This kicked into motion a sequence of events that led to Kota Ibushi unifying both titles into the current IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Now, things can come full circle if Naito can defeat Okada. He’s beaten Okada at his best more than once, something that Shingo Takagi & Will Ospreay can’t claim.
More Huge Matches Incoming
While that is the biggest match on the coming Golden Series tour, NJPW has a lot more ready to come. SANADA will challenge Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship on February 19th. Naito & SANADA will get a chance to get some early damage in as they face the dream team of Tanahashi & Okada on February 13th.
The 13th will also bring a rematch between Tomohiro Ishii & EVIL, a match which will see EVIL defend the NEVER Openweight Championship. This time, it’s a lumberjack match – which should neutralize the influx of interference from House of Torture. EVIL will also get a chance to claim more gold on the 19th, as YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto defend the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships against EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi.
As always, there will be LIVE coverage of these shows right here on TheOvertimer. What matches are you looking forward to the most from NJPW Golden Series? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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