What’s NJPW’S Biggest Miss For WK Main Event They Didn’t Book Post-Rainmaker Shock?

22 comments

1. [removed]

2. First blush would be Shibata not main eventing once, but I was quickly reminded that he suffered his injury right when he was being primed as a main event talent.

   Based on the New Japan roster with talent they had signed at the same time, my choice is Naito vs Tanahashi. For the life of me, I never understood why Naito and Tanahashi never main evented the Dome once. I absolutely loved the programs they did have together and felt there was so much more for those two to explore if this match was put on the big stage.

   What matchups that could have happened, that won’t happen now did you wish they would have booked as the main event for WK?

3. Had Kenny not left, Kenny vs Naito would have headlined the Dome.

4. I wanted Ibushi vs Tanahashi after a break up of Golden Aces. Ibushi beating his God Tanahashi at night 1 and then becoming a God at night 2 by winning the title would’ve been great.

5. I’m happy with all the Dome main events they have decided to run over the years. I think the only time I would’ve preferred a different match to the one we got was in 2019. I think Ibushi vs Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 13 would’ve been genuinely perfect.

6. Ibushi vs Omega is a big one

7. Probably Okada vs Nakamura, maybe Ibushi vs Tanahashi.

8. Unpopular opinion: Hirooki Goto getting a main event shot. Either against Naito, Tanahashi, or Nakamura

9. Ishii wrestling for the IWGP championship. Seems the opportunity has passed him by.

10. The Golden Lovers vs. Okada and Tanahashi. Would have sold out the Dome by itself. I understand that they had to run Omega vs. Tanahashi, but I think NJPW also wished they could have run the tag match and that it’s one of the reasons they went to two nights of Wrestle Kingdom the following year – they never cashed in on that tag match.

11. I know they were going for the Tanahashi redemption story with the 2018 G1 and subsequent Wrestle Kingdom main event, but the main event of WK13 really should’ve been Omega vs. Ibushi

12. Surprised no one has mentioned AJ Styles in some dream match scenarios.

13. Ibushi / Omega is really the no-brainer that stands out.

14. I would have loved to have seen a Nakamura vs Okada WK main event.

15. Shibata vs everyone

16. Hiromu vs Okada.

17. Naito v Omega would’ve been an amazing WK main event.

18. Omega vs Styles could have been good.

19. Sanada vs Okada

20. Naito should have won at WK12

21. I always liked the idea of Kenny retaining against Tanahashi at WK and then threatening to take the IWGP title to AEW.

    Kenny would then drop the belt to Okada at MSG, with Okada returning to Japan having saved the title.

22. I think them sticking to the two night format for wrestle kingdom is getting annoying. They should have it be one night with major title matches , special matches and other great stuff like that. The multi man tag matches take away from the allure of the show for me. I’d Naito not winning at wrestle kingdom 12 was a mistake in my opinion