Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito told a thrilling story during the marquee match of night-two of Wrestle Kingdom 14 to put a conclusion on over 10 hours of Wrestle Kingdom action.
Naito was able to defeat Okada in 35:37 to cap off a two-year narrative that saw Los Ingobernable de Japon (LIJ) fans ride an emotional roller coaster as Naito battled and clawed his way towards the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Okada displayed a relentless intensity while working over Naito’s knee, which Jay White hurt during the first night of Wrestle Kingdom 14. At times Okada mocked the Tokyo Dome crowd that was firmly behind Naito.
At times it looked as if Naito’s spirit wasn’t strong enough to match the dominance of Okada; however, Naito continued to fight and persevere past Okada’s trusted offensive weapons.
A final Destino brought Naito to victory to begin his second reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion and becoming the first-ever ‘Double Champion’ in NJPW history.
Immediately following the contest, Naito had several words for Okada who responded with a gesture that will likely become an iconic moment in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) history.
KENTA, who lost his NEVER Openweight Championship to Hirooki Goto earlier in the night decided to attack Naito after his historic victory. As of the writing of this article, KENTA has yet to explain his actions, but several of his Bullet Club unit mates have shown support in his decision.
Hey World
HERE I AM. pic.twitter.com/me1syy4MoC
— KENTA aka Lil’K (@KENTAG2S) January 5, 2020
The club has your back. https://t.co/YwHAr0WwXK
— chase owens (@realchaseowens) January 5, 2020
Kenta is the Heel #BulletClub
— Tama Tonga (@Tama_Tonga) January 5, 2020
With the New Years Dash event tomorrow, fans of NJPW are likely to learn the intentions of Bullet Club and what the rest of 2020 has in store.
Check Out The Inside Wrestle Kingdom 14 Series:
1. Both Nights On Better Pace Than Last Year, A Look At The Featured Matches
2. Jyushin Thunder Liger Retirement Match I
3. G.O.D. Face FinJuice For The IWGP Heayweight Tag Team Championship
4. Lance Archer and Jon Moxley IWGP US Heavyweight Texas Death Match
5. Will Ospreay Defends His IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Against Hiromu Takahashi
6. Double Gold Dash, Jay White And Tetsuya Naito For The IWGP Intercontinental Championship
7. The Tanahashi and Jericho Match Has An Added Stipulation
8. Double Gold Dash, Kazuchika Okada And Kota Ibushi For The IWGP Heavyweight Championship
9. Jyushin Thunder Liger Retirement Match II
10. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Contest
11. Zack Sabre Jr And Sanada For The RevPro British Heavyweight Championship
12. KENTA And Hirooki Goto Battle Over The Never Openweight Championship