Top 5 Wrestle Kingdom 16 Matches To Look Forward To

The biggest event of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s calendar year has to be Wrestle Kingdom. Once again, this year’s show spans over two days at the Tokyo Dome.

The card has been set is full of all kinds of matches, from tag, special singles, and title bouts featuring the best wrestlers in the company.

Despite the lack of gaijin wrestlers, Wrestle Kingdom is bound to be unmissable. Here are five matches to make sure to watch!

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5. SANADA vs. Great O-Khan – Night Two

Amidst all of the huge title matches, Los Ingobernables and The Empire members will be battling in special singles bouts.

One of those that could surprise many fans is between SANADA and Great O-Khan.

During World Tag League, the two factions butted heads during their match and put on one of the best bouts of the tournament.

While Naito and Cobb fought, SANADA and O-Khan found their rivalry based on mutual respect and humiliation.

The two have yet to face off in a singles match but have more similarities than expected.

Although SANADA’s offence is more focused on speed compared to O-Khan’s strength, both wrestlers are extremely proficient on the mat.

Yet, their conflicting personalities could cause issues with SANADA being a true “Tranquilo” LIJ member and O-Khan trying to prove how good he is.

Fans can expect a true wrestling masterclass from two rising New Japan stars. They might also bring out new sides to each other that could surprise viewers.

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4. KENTA vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – IWGP United States Championship – Night Two

After finally winning the IWGP United States Championship from Hiroshi Tanahashi in America, KENTA showcased the title with pride.

Yet, Tanahashi wouldn’t let the title go so quickly and was adamant about having his rematch.

After weeks of silence, KENTA sent a VT at the Best of the Super Junior and World Tag League final, agreeing to the match and making it “No Disqualification.”

The lack of restrictions with the nature of the match is what KENTA would want. In the past, he has never been afraid of breaking the rules and this gives him free rein to do whatever he wants to injure the Ace.

Yet, Tanahashi also isn’t a stranger to this kind of match or opponents, but it will take a lot to outsmart KENTA.

With anything possible during the match, KENTA will be advantageous. To have even a shot at winning, Tanahashi will have to push aside his morals and play dirty like the Bullet Club member.

Although “No DQ” matches are rare in New Japan shows, this could be the perfect balance between chaos and fantastic wrestling.

• Wrestle Kingdom 16
• Kazuchika Okada
• Shingo Takagi
• NJPW

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