Wrestle Kingdom 14 Predictions
By Ross W Berman IV
The following predictions were scribbled on the back of a dispensary menu and mailed into WrestleZone, where they were then transcribed.
Here are my predictions for Night 1 of Wrestle Kingdom 14:
-Pre-Show: Yuya Uemura, Yota Tsuji & Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) vs. Toa Henare, Alex Coughlin, Clark Connors & Karl Fredericks
I get the vibe this is going to be a fun showcase for the LA Dojo kids. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Coughlin, Connors, Fredericks & Henare dominate Uemura, Tsuji and maybe even Honma for large stretches of the match.
Long shot prediction: Uemura gets the win for his team
WINNERS: GBH, Yuya Uemura & Yota Tsuji
-Pre-Show: Ten-cozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) vs. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi
Should be a hard hitting affair, if a bit slow and stumbly. Probably one of the last showcase matches these four men will have in The Dome.
Long shot prediction: Tenzan gets the win with a Moonsault.
WINNERS: Ten-cozy
-Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask, The Great Sasuke & Tatsumi Fujinami (w/ El Samurai) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Naoki Sano, Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Shinjiro Otani (w/ Kuniaki Kobayashi)
There are so many variables to this match. Both teams have returning legends that will look to get in their signature offense. Liger has been almost allergic to a traditional victory lap during his retirement year, so there’s no guarantee that his team will take the win. Expect Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask & Great Sasuke to keep the pace of this opening contest up.
Long shot prediction: Taguchi gets a heartbreaking pin on Liger to get the win.
WINNERS: Ryusuke Taguchi, Naoki Sano, Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Shinjiro Otani
-Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, EVIL, SANADA & Shingo Takagi) vs. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi & El Desperado)
Suzuki-gun vs. LIJ is always good. Suzuki-gun vs. LIJ is never bad. This feels like Suzuki-gun’s match.
Long shot prediction: Taichi gets the pin for Suzuki-gun
WINNERS: Los Ingobernables de Japon
-CHAOS (YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii & Hirooki Goto) vs. Bullet Club (KENTA, Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi)
YOSHI-HASHI has never won a match in the Tokyo Dome and I don’t see why he has to start now. Maybe Sunday, but definitely not Saturday.
Long shot prediction: Chase Owens gets the win for his team.
WINNERS: Bullet Club
-IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match: Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (c) vs. FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson)
Guerrillas of Destiny are one title defense shy of having the 2nd most defenses of the IWGP Tag Team Titles in a single reign. Expect them to plow through FinJuice.
Long shot prediction: A new tag team challenges Tama & Tanga after their defense.
WINNERS: Guerrillas of Destiny
-IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Texas Deathmatch: Lance Archer (c) vs. Jon Moxley
We need to be completely honest, someone might die in this match. This is going to be absolute bedlam. Expect blood, chains, tables, chairs, who knows what else. The ring will not contain these two.
Long shot prediction: We lose the English audio feed because Lance Archer & Jon Moxley scare away the entire announce team.
WINNER: Jon Moxley
-IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi
The Road to Tokyo Dome tour was a masterclass in delayed gratification. Hiromu Takahashi wrestled three return bouts, and he lost all three. Saturday will be the big moment, the rightful return, the rebalancing of the NJPW Jr. Heavyweight Division.
Long shot prediction: Hiromu does more damage to Hiromu than to Ospreay, and vice versa.
WINNER: Hiromu Takahashi
-IWGP Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship Match: Jay White (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
Tetsuya Naito can’t be the underdog if he wins all the time. Expect him to lose to White in a hard fought bout, and leave Saturday’s match unsure of himself. Naito needs to be a broken shell of a man, so that he can win a much bigger victory on Sunday.
Long shot prediction: White counters Destino with Blade Runner.
WINNER: Jay White
-IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
This is Ibushi’s moment. The Golden Star recommitted himself to NJPW in 2019, and it has been onwards and upwards. Expect a match for the ages. Both men have a lot to prove, and neither man is known for being beaten quickly. This match will likely steal the weekend.
Long shot prediction: Ibushi pulls out the Phoenix Splash.
WINNER: Kota Ibushi
