{"id":13459,"date":"2019-10-04T23:42:17","date_gmt":"2019-10-04T22:42:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/?p=13459"},"modified":"2019-10-04T23:42:25","modified_gmt":"2019-10-04T22:42:25","slug":"njpw-king-of-pro-wrestling-2019-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/2019\/10\/04\/njpw-king-of-pro-wrestling-2019-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"NJPW: King of Pro Wrestling 2019 Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Written by: Super Mastodon <\/strong>@SuperMastodon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2012 King of Pro-Wrestling has been one of the staple events for New Japan. As per tradition, it’s back at the Ryogoku Sumo Hall at October 14th this year with a stacked lineup in the match card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the calendar year only having two and a half\nmonths left, we are getting closer and closer towards on our way to Wrestle\nKingdom. A lot is at stake for every match and some stories could find their\nconclusion, while some are only brewing before the bigger picture takes off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So without further ado, let’s get straight into action and take a look at KOPW 2019!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Match #1 – Six Man Tag: El Desperado Comeback<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Desperado,\nKanemaru, & DOUKI vs. SHO, YOH, & Taguchi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After several months being out of action due to a\njaw injury he suffered at the hands of Jun Kasai in an independent show, El\nDesperado is back in NJPW. He will be teaming up with his fellow Suzuki-Gun\nmembers: Yoshinobu Kanemaru, whom he is former Jr. Tag-Team Champions with and\ntheir newest recruit DOUKI, who replaced Desperado at the BOSJ tournament this\nyear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He will be going up against familiar foes in SHO & YOH of Roppongi 3K and they will be teamed up with veteran Ryusuke Taguchi. RP3K and Suzuki-Gun have a long standing feud with one another. Seems like those flames will be reignited once again since SHO & YOH failed to capture the Heavyweight Tag-Team titles off of Guerrillas of Destiny during the Fighting Spirit Unleashed tour in the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Match #2 – Tag Team Match: Tanahashi’s 20th Anniversary Match IV<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hiroshi\nTanahashi & Tomoaki Honma vs. Most Violent Players (Makabe & Yano)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This one is an interesting matchup for sure. It will\nbe the fourth installment in the set of matches celebrating Hiroshi Tanahashi’s\ntwo decades of his professional wrestling career. The first three matches took\nplace at the New Japan Road shows (basically house shows.) It all concludes at\nKOPW where he teams up with Tomoaki Honma up against the reunited duo of Togi\nMakabe and Toru Yano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of history in this one. For the unfamiliar,\nbefore CHAOS was a thing, there was first Great Bash Heel (GBH) led by Togi\nMakabe. Him and Yano were once known as the Most Violent Players and were a\nformidable tag-team, being former IWGP Tag-Team Champions themselves. But since\nCHAOS was co-founded by Shinsuke Nakamura and Toru Yano, they betrayed Makabe\nand all of GBH left him behind except for one man, that being Honma. The two\nbest friends however will be on the opposite corners for this match so the\ndynamic between them is something I personally look forward to seeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for Tanahashi, the man has done it all. He is arguably the greatest IWGP Heavyweight Champion of all time and New Japan’s greatest star. Although with the rumor mill going around, he is potentially going to face someone he has never fought before at Wrestle Kingdom, a certain World Champion for a new wrestling company… we have to wait and see if those rumors were to come to fruition during this match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Match #3 – Six Man Tag:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naito,\nShingo, & BUSHI vs. ZSJ, Archer, & Taichi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of fans (including yours truly) got upset at\nthe ending of Destruction in Kobe, with Tetsuya Naito dropping the IWGP\nIntercontinental Championship to Jay White. It is the opposite for Zack Sabre\nJr. though having regained the RevPro British Heavyweight Championship,\ndefeating his rival Tanahashi and now on his fourth reign as champion. Same\ngoes for other members of LIJ such as Shingo Takagi and BUSHI not seeing much\nwins recently, with the former losing in a special singles match to Hirooki\nGoto. Lance Archer recently made his return since his stellar run at the G1 in\nthe FSU tour, destroying his competition there. We missed out on a matchup\nbetween him and Shingo during the G1 but now we’re finally getting at least a\nglimpse of it. Then you got Taichi doing his thing. Not much else can be said\nabout him really.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To me this match is really between Naito and ZSJ. I think whoever wins here, could potentially challenge Switchblade for the IC Title, or better yet for Ibushi’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship contract. Honestly, Naito’s road towards Wrestle Kingdom is a little murky, let’s see what he goes after, if any at all. I just hope for the best being an LIJ fan myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Match #4 – Six Man Tag:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goto,\nIshii, & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Jay White, KENTA, & Yujiro<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have mentioned Destruction in Kobe in the previous\nmatch, Jay White having won the IC Championship and was challenged by Hirooki\nGoto. The Fearless Warrior did have a win over Switchblade during the G1 and\nthe two are pretty much familiar with one another by this point, having a\nrivalry themselves. Jay wouldn’t be the only one carrying gold in this match as\nKENTA was recently victorious defending the NEVER Openweight Championship\nagainst YOSHI-HASHI in New York. Although it is likely a match that will be\nforgotten. Tomohiro Ishii is also on the CHAOS corner, with Yujiro Takahashi a\nformer member of the aforementioned stable, completing the six man competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than anything, this serves as a preview for the upcoming White vs. Goto match that will probably take place at Power Struggle. Goto is on a roll lately, having won his G1 match against Jay then also avenging his defeat to Shingo Takagi at Kobe. We’ll see if the momentum continues in his favor this night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Match #5 – Special Singles Match:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jushin\n“Thunder” Liger vs. Minoru Suzuki<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both men have been enemies their entire careers. Two\nof the greatest legends not only in Japan, but the entire professional\nwrestling industry. They’ve been building up this eventual matchup for months,\nstarting earlier this year. Suzuki has been messing with Liger multiple times\nin different occasions. Often viciously attacking him, especially since he\nannounced he is going to retire by Wrestle Kingdom next year. It seems like\nSuzuki would always have the upper hand, being the more  cruel of the two. However the lines were drawn\nat Hiroshima, where Suzuki managed to unmasked Liger in front of the entire\ncrowd, looking like he beheaded the hero the fans have been cheering for three\ndecades! Then we get to Kobe, this time it was Liger who attacked Suzuki in the\nentrance ramp and later on unmasked himself only to reveal the darker side\nappearing once more. It’s no longer Jushin Liger, but the feared Kishin Liger.\nA persona that has only appeared a total of three times before this. Everyone\nwas in awe and fear, including Suzuki himself who was visibly rattled after\nbeing misted in the face and almost got spiked in the head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will we see Kishin Liger again at Sumo Hall? Are we going to witness a clash between two demons? This match is going to be insane regardless. Although let me state this, I find its placing a little odd. I get that championship bouts are important, but this is literally two of the greatest ever, they are deserving of the main event spot with all the build and heat behind this match. So it makes me think, this isn’t the last time we might see these two faceoff. At least properly. We could see some shenanigans during the end that will lead us to another proper match. But if this is truly how this rivalry ends, I’m sure both Liger and Suzuki will make the most of it and it could be the most memorable match of the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Match #6 – IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will\nOspreay (c) vs. El Phantasmo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, in terms of\nmatches there is no one who could even top Will Ospreay’s catalogue in 2019.\nWithout a doubt the Wrestler of the Year. But all that recent success might get\nhalted by one of his rivals in recent time, El Phantasmo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is Ospreay’s second defense in his third reign\nas IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion. His first one was against Robbie Eagles at\nthe New Japan Australian tour. Him and Robbie used to be on different stables,\nbut have since then reunited at CHAOS due to a common foe. Ever since debuting\nin NJPW at the BOSJ this year as a part of Bullet Club, El Phantasmo has been\none of the top heels of the junior heavyweight division. He was quite on a\nstreak during that run but would end up taking his first defeat ever in an NJPW\nring against Rocky Romero, since then ELP has a long standing rivalry with\nmembers of CHAOS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Him and “Bone Soldier” Taiji Ishimori\ndefeated Roppongi 3K at Kizuna Road 2019 for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag-Team\nChampionships. The duo would lose to Ospreay & Eagles at Royal Quest in a\nnon-title match but getting back the win at Destruction in Kagoshima, this time\nit was for the belts and they successfully retained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now this time, it is only up between Ospreay and ELP. These two had faced already before in RevPro, in which ELP also represents being the reigning British Cruiserweight Champion. Will he add more gold in his repertoire by pulling an upset and beat The Aerial Assassin who is having the best time of his career right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Match #7 – IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship – No DQ:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jon\nMoxley (c) vs. Juice Robinson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there is any wrestler who has the most spotlight\nthis year, it’s arguably Jon Moxley. Ever since leaving the WWE, he has made\nmultiple headlines across the world including of course in New Japan Pro\nWrestling. At the Best of the Super Juniors finals this year, Moxley made his\ndebut in Japan in a hellacious match against Juice Robinson, which saw him\nwinning the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship. Moxley then surprised the world\nonce again by announcing himself in entering the G1 Climax. He had a phenomenal\nrun during the tournament, to this day my favorite match not only of the G1,\nbut the entire year is his bout against Ishii. Just two wild dogs ferociously\ngoing at each other. What’s not to love? During the G1 we also saw Moxley form\na “teacher-student” connection with young lion Shota Umino, but\nunfortunately we wouldn’t be seeing Shooter in Mox’s side this time around as\nhe is now having his excursion in RevPro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juice got his win over Mox in the latter part of the G1, earning himself a title shot in the belt he once held. While Moxley is surely on fire everywhere, Juice also had a decent year and it would be even greater if he re-captures the belt over his arch nemesis. Nothing is going to stop these two now, especially with the stipulation of the match being No Disqualification! They can use all the tables, chairs, and other foreign objects they want as they please, fight everywhere across the Sumo Hall, but in the end there must be a winner inside the squared circle. Another thing is also for certain, it will be a bloody and crazy brawl! We should be in for another treat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Match #8 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship Contract Match:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kota\nIbushi (c) vs. EVIL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is alone yet he has been successful so far. Kota\nIbushi has been taking the term “independent wrestler” on a quite\ndifferent meaning. Kenny is gone in New Japan, he is not really affiliated with\nany faction, and yet he is still having one of the best years of his career.\nThe highlight of course by finally winning the G1 Climax and earning himself a main\nevent spot at the Tokyo Dome for Wrestle Kingdom. But once again, before he can\nget there, he must go through some challengers first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has already defeated KENTA at Destruction in\nBeppu. Now he is up against another tough opponent in “The King of\nDarkness” EVIL. During the G1, both men had a great match with EVIL\nsealing the victory over Ibushi. This earned him a shot for Ibushi’s contract\nonce he won the tournament. After the match with KENTA, EVIL came out to\nchallenge Ibushi and this match was made official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EVIL has been somewhat overshadowed by Naito and SANADA within the ranks of LIJ. He is someone looking to prove that he is capable of being main event caliber talent as well. He has the skills to back it up too and has challenged previously for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, although unsuccessful. If he wins here, it would be the biggest victory of his career yet but it wouldn’t be easy as Ibushi isn’t just going to simply lie down and take the pin, it will be a fight. After all, a lot is at stake, not only their pride, but to headline the biggest event in Puroresu today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Match #9 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kazuchika\nOkada (c) vs. SANADA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems to me the running theme throughout this\nentire event is “familiar foes” and if we’re talking about that, look\nno further than Kazuchika Okada and SANADA. These two men hace faced each other\nmultiple times before in both singles and tag-team action. The Cold Skull was\nyet to capture a single victory over The Rainmaker in all of their single\nbouts, that is until this year’s G1 Climax where Okada suffered his first\ndefeat at the hands of SANADA after a near 30 minute match! It was a beautiful\nstory that was told and in my opinion, SANADA’s best match of his career yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Okada is having one of the best years of his career.\nEver since winning back the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square\nGarden, nobody was able to stop his momentum. In his fifth reign with the belt\nhe has already defeated three challengers. His first one was against SANADA\nearlier this year at Wrestling Dontaku 2019. Then he won over Chris Jericho at\nDominion in a controversial match. Finally being victorious over another rival\nof his, Minoru Suzuki at Royal Quest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SANADA on the other hand had a somewhat up and down\nyear. He reached the finals of the New Japan Cup but loss to you guessed it,\nOkada. Then him and EVIL wrestled in MSG for the first time, in a four way\ntag-team match for both the IWGP and ROH World Tag-Team Championships which saw\nGoD winning. He would then capture multiple victories in the G1 and it all\nleads him back to the Rainmaker at the Sumo Hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is now the third match between the two this\nyear alone. Some fans have been vocal about their opinions that they’re tired\nof this matchup, I personally don’t mind it. Whenever these two are in the\nring, it’s always guaranteed to be great. Plus this could be their last match\nin a while. I’m interested to see where SANADA goes from here as well, I don’t\nsee any chance of him winning the belt, a 60 minute draw is certainly possible\nto keep his stock and momentum. I’m just certain that Kazuchika Okada will\nenter Tokyo Dome as IWGP Heavyweight Champion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by: Super Mastodon @SuperMastodon Since 2012 King of Pro-Wrestling has been one of the staple events for New Japan. As per tradition, it’s back at the Ryogoku Sumo Hall […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":13462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,204],"tags":[1106,44],"class_list":["post-13459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-featured","category-njpw","tag-kopw","tag-njpw"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9jnWd-3v5","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/n8ktio5smln31.jpg?fit=2048%2C1152&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13459"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13459\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13464,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13459\/revisions\/13464"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}