Right now in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), their annual tag team tournament rages on. The winners of this tournament will go on to face the IWGP Tag Team Champions at Wrestle Kingdom, much like how the winner of the G1 Climax faces the IWGP Heavyweight Champion at their biggest show of the year.
The tournament is a slow spot for NJPW, but is often where the final storylines for their biggest show are set. One developing story is that between Hirooki Goto & the current holder of the NEVER Openweight Championship, KENTA. KENTA made his NJPW debut earlier this year in the G1 Climax, and trained with his long time friend and now retired Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto in the L.A Dojo to prepare for the grueling tournament. He would finish the tournament at a respectable record of 8 points, earning victories over Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, EVIL, and Lance Archer.
KENTA Joins Bullet Club
At the end of the G1 during a six man tag match where he teamed with Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi to face the Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, & Tanga Roa), he would betray his partners and join Bullet Club. As they attacked Shibatas students from the LA Dojo, he would rush the ring and clean house, getting physical in the ring for the first time since he was forced into retirement due to injury in 2017. His efforts would be in vain, as Bullet Club would overcome him to a chorus of boos from an angry audience.
KENTA would go on to defeat Tomohiro Ishii to win his NEVER Openweight Championship, and has defended it against Yoshi-Hashi & Tomohiro Ishii in a rematch. With Shibata unlikely to be cleared for competition for Wrestle Kingdom, this left one man who could defeat KENTA and get revenge.
Hirooki Goto
Hirooki Goto has long been underrated in NJPW. He is one of the hardest hitting strikers, has a very flashy yet impactful moveset, and can give incredible performances whenever he’s given the chance. He’s become synonymous with the NEVER Openweight Championship, being a four time holder of the title. While he has been able to defeat KENTA in a tag team match, they have never met in singles competition.
If KENTA brings back the hard hitting style he was known for before he became a wayward soul during his time in WWE, this could be one of the best matches on Wrestle Kingdom.
It happening is basically a forgone conclusion, when you are able to pin a champion in NJPW; you punch your ticket to a title match. Unless Shibata gets cleared between now and January 4th, Hirooki Goto & KENTA will show everyone what strong style is at Wrestle Kingdom.
