Top Ten Wrestle Kingdom Matches Ever

9. Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito – Wrestle Kingdom 12

There are few matches that tell a more heartbreaking story than this one. Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 12 was an amazing main event, highlighted by an incredible story.

This match was meant to be Tetsuya Naito’s long-awaited coronation that had been building for nearly five years. Naito’s story had run parallel to Okada’s ascent to the top of New Japan and now the two were prepared to clash in the main event of the company’s biggest event.

Naito had failed miserably as a babyface during his main event push in 2013-2014. His failure caused him to grow bitter towards New Japan and its fans and he formed the faction Los Ingobernables de Japon as a result. Despite his apathy towards the company, Naito began to develop a following. This group of fans appreciated his passe attitude and soon enough Naito had began New Japan‘s most popular star.

Most people envisioned Naito finally achieving his crowning moment in this match but instead Naito regressed and found himself unable to fully let go of his prior failures. Convinced that he needed to win the match with his old finisher, Naito picked up Okada when he had the match won and it cost him everything. Okada reversed a Destino into a Tombstone and hit a Rainmaker for the win.

Naito’s fairytale ending had turned into a nightmare while Okada continued the greatest IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign of all time.

• new japan pro wrestling
• Wrestle Kingdom
• Hiroshi Tanahashi
• Kazuchika Okada
• NJPW
• Kenny Omega

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