Wrestle Kingdom 14: Night 1 Predictions

Gold Rush: Naito Two Belts

A Switchblade stands in the way of Naito's Dream

For the IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Jay White (c)/with Gedo vs. Tetsuya Naito

The first of the gold rush matches that highlight the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 14 sees Jay White defend his Intercontinental Championship against Tetsuya Naito. While it's been an odd road for Naito to find himself in this contest, beating Taichi for a shot yet losing the G1 Climax and championship, it has still been his dream to win New Japan's two biggest titles.

This all relates to Naito's insistence to make sure he is the one and only winner of the main event of the dome show, a feat that has eluded him due to external factors over the past few years. For New Japan, the question arises if this is the perfect time to finally hammer onto Naito's story or whether that time has truly passed.

Despite Jay White as a perfect heel foil, Naito is guaranteed a win to boost night two and give us a blockbuster match against one of his two old rivals. Wrestle Kingdom 14 is about Naito's quest to become a double champion and a preliminary win will add to the heat of night two.

Result: Despite the interference, Tetsuya Naito perseveres to win and become the NEW IWGP Intercontinental Champion!