WrestleKingdom 12: Analyzing the match card for Tokyo Dome Showdown!

Just a few days shy of the New Year celebrations, New Japan Pro Wrestling is set to present the 12th and overall 27th edition of it's the biggest event. Compare to WWE's Wrestlemania, Wrestle Kingdom features the top storylines and top championship matches at the Tokyo Dome!

This year as Alpha prepares to assert his dominance over Omega and the El Ingorbenable (The Ungovernable) seeks redemption against The Rainmaker; we come together to determine who will walk out with all the glory at WrestleKingdom 12!

#1 Rivalry of generations

Has Romero bitten off more than he can chew?

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Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) (c)/w Rocky Romero vs The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson), for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships

Fresh off their gargantuan victory Super Jr. Tag Tournament win, a first for any of the Juniors Champions. Sho and Yoh found themselves challenged for the championships on the biggest night in New Japan.

Considering the tensions Rocky Romero shares with the Elite Bucks, it was a matter of time before these teams colliding one on one for the first time even in NJPW. In a surprising turn of event, New Japan decided to make this title challenge one on one. Something the Jr. Tag division hasn't had the privilege of.

It'll be intriguing to see where things go from here, while I doubt Trent Beretta ever makes his return alongside Romero, Sho and Yoh do need to get away from the shadow of their master. The best way to do this is to deal the unruly Bucks with another stellar win at Tokyo Dome.

Who Should/Will Win: The Young Bucks

#1 Rivalry of generations

Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) (c)/w Rocky Romero vs The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson), for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships

Who Should/Will Win: The Young Bucks

#2 Running the Gauntlet

Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) (c) vs. CHAOS (Trent Beretta, Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano) vs. Michael Elgin and War Machine (Hanson and Raymond Rowe) vs Suzuki Gun (Taichi, Takashi Lizuka and Zack Sabre Jr.) vs Taguchi Japan (Rysuke Taguchi, Juice Robinson and Togi Makabe), for the NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Championship

Give it up for New Japan, who refuse to let any title be off the card. This year with the NEVER six-man champions Los Ingorbenable de Japon challenging for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Titles, it seemed like the six-man belt finally might not change any more hands.

Sadly a change did come and once more Bullet Club will enter a gauntlet to face of factions and six-man units to determine new champions; cause let's face it, this title is always being played hot potato with.

A match pretty much no one cares about, which is sad considering the young deserving talent in there like Sabre Jr. and Juice Robinson. Anyway, this is a skip and it really doesn't matter who wins, as long as we see everyone beat the holy hell out of Michael Elgin.

Who Should Win: Bullet Club

Who Will Win: Suzuki Gun (Faction wars continue!)

#3 Exhibition showdown

Ibushi will get a sensational match out of Cody, one for the ages!

Cody/w Brandi Rhodes vs Kota Ibushi, Singles Match

Give it up for Kota Ibushi, the consistent free agent has always done what he pleases and that's found him on the fringes of success with New Japan. It might not matter much to him, as he is getting the big Tokyo Dome showcase.

But for his fans, it just means we don't get the meaningful contests. While Chris Jericho can walk in and get that bumper match against Omega. Fans will truly miss at least for another year, the face of between former partner Ibushi and Omega.

Regardless this is an intriguing contest. Early onset to be an ROH World Championship bout, Cody's loss to the flamboyant Dalton Castle at ROH Final Battle has turned this into a special singles match.

However, this should be a highlight. Though Cody hasn't necessarily upped his game in the indies, he has when coming across solid opponents given a grand showdown. One caveat is that, without the title on the line; the contest becomes fairly predictable.

Even though Ibushi refuses to remain exclusive to New Japan, he is a bigger commodity for them than Cody. Yet one can't help feel for Cody, who needs the big win to at least remain relevant for a lengthier period.

Who Should Win: Cody

Who Will Win: Kota Ibushi

#4 Two breakout Stars, one mega Tag Team

Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL and Sanada), for the IWGP Tag Team Championship

The interesting thing to note will be how LiJ's championship matches and results inform the predictions of the main event. There are multiple variables in the way which things could end up.

The story of this tag team contest is pretty much about LiJ with Killer Elite Squad providing a tough foil. LiJ's 2017 World Tag League victory rests on the shoulders of two very interesting men as well.

Just a year ago, it seemed like the enigmatic Sanada was touted as the next big thing and a breakout from LiJ after his exciting well fought G1 Climax match against Hiroshi Tanahashi. He had impressed many and raised the bar.

EVIL stood up to that challenge, racking his own incredible set of matches this year along with a shocking win over champion Kazuchika Okada. An IWGP World Title match later, proved EVIL is also here to stay despite the defeat.

A victory is assured, but it will be interesting to see how that informs the new evolution of both these performers and LiJ as a unit; depending on Naito's win or loss in the final match of the night.

Who Should/Will Win: Los Ingobernables de Japon

#5 Bold men go Bald!

Minoru Suzuki (c) vs Hirooki Goto, a loser goes bald deathmatch for the NEVER Openweight Championship

Expect some terrible Suzuki Gun interference in this radical match. For a while, it seemed like the veteran stalwart Hirooki Goto would have to make do with a measly multi-man match.

But the intense rivalry that has simmered between him and Minoru Suzuki is all set to blow in epic fashion. The two men will hit hard out of the gate, in a terrifying showdown. Bloodbaths and beyond can be expected, with one individual losing their locks.

At this point, it seems like Goto is preparing to ride the sailboat to legend status but despite Suzuki's tenacity, his return has come quite cold. The NEVER Openweight championship was a consolation for the Suzuki Gun leader.

He'll remain a mainstay of the upper mid-card, but Suzuki doesn't need a title or even his hair for that.

Who Should Win: Minoru Suzuki

Who Will Win: Hirooki Goto

#6 A Championship scrabble

Marty Scrull (c) vs Hiromu Takahashi vs Kushida vs Will Ospreay, Fatal 4 Way for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

For the first time ever in New Japan history, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight will be contested in a multi-man match at the January 4th Tokyo Dome show.

Unlike thrown together multi-man matches at such big events, this one makes sense. The return of the time bomb Takahashi caused a snowball of interesting changes in the Juniors division.

He fought tooth and nail in a brutal encounter with the divisions Ace, Kushida at last years WrestleKingdom. He then dismantled him once more, forcing Kushida to reconvene and bring out a brutal side we had never seen to regain his title.

Meanwhile, Osprey's rising star in the world of wrestling caught New Japan's attention, as much as Kushida caught his. The two rivals squared off and once again title changed hands.

Finally, after delighting fans in Ring of Honor, the bad man Marty Scrull set his sights on New Japan. With the backing of Bullet Club, Scrull has found himself at the heap of the division. It'll be intriguing to see how long he stays there.

Takahashi has been made to look like quite the fool in the build-up to this match but don't count him out, he's waiting to explode. As the division grows ever stronger, Kushida will be forced to question his place in it. For the other two, it's a chance to shine on the biggest stage they've ever wrestled on.

Who Should Win: Hiromu Takahashi

Who Will Win: Kushida

#7 When the young lion challenges pack leader!

The Opportunity of A Lifetime for Jay White

Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs Jay 'Switchblade' White, for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship

Even though we have the Ace (former Ace?) of the company Tanahashi in this match against a future main event prospect for New Japan. Nothing says third class championship, like the underwhelming build to this match.

Chalk it up to Tanahashi's injuries or the fact that Kenny Omega hypes his championship as the new secondary belt of New Japan, but nothing's going with this match. While we may also harp on Vince McMahon for his obsession with looks when it comes to a superstar, he's not wrong.

Jay White might be a promising talent, but as proved by his debut as Switchblade; he looks like an overgrown child in a black leather jacket too big for his britches. The match might prove everything wrong, especially with Tanahashi leading the way.

Yet this seems like a failed experiment about to blow up in NJPW's face.

Who Should/Will Win: Hiroshi Tanahashi

#8 Alpha vs Omega

Kenny Omega (c) vs Chris Jericho, No DQ Match for the IWGP United States Championship

NJPW could not have got a better matchup for their inaugural defence of the US Championship at WrestleKingdom. The title introduced just last year with New Japans penetration into the American market, is touted as the second biggest title in NJPW today.

Billed as part of a double main event (as a Naito fan I respectfully disagree). The face-off between Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega is one for the ages. An all Gaijin affair, this match was first hinted at with a bitter Twitter exchange and finally resulting in a surprise announcement of the challenge.

Smartly the company seems to have made their battle an intense affair, turning it into a no disqualification hardcore battle allowing both combatants to stir it away from the classic wrestling spectacle that is a New Japan staple. Most importantly, it hides the fact that while he may claim to be...IT! Jericho has lost a few steps since, his glory days.

He maintains this is simply a one-off match, but with the way he has been barking back at not just Omega but Naito as well. Look to Jericho reinventing himself in New Japan. Hopefully, Omega can get something out of this Alpha and maybe even hit another six-star home run.

Who Should/Will Win: Kenny Omega

#9 The grand tale of redemption

Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Tetsuya Naito, for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship

This is it, the big one! Whether it's dubbed as a double main event or not, this match closes out the show and is the true main event of WrestleKingdom 12.

Four years ago, a young and hungry Tetsuya Naito was denied the main event spot despite contending for the world title because of fan apathy towards him. He got beaten by Okada and went on to reinvent himself as the leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon.

Shunning the fans and their attitude towards New Japan, Naito wrote the textbook on how to play by his own rules. Once more winning them over through his rise, his pitch-perfect G1 Climax win now primes him for an epic title rematch. This time he is the main event.

On the other end is Kazuchika Okada, after exorcizing his own demons by defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi at the even two years ago; Okada has been on an unbelievable tear. Match after match, defence after defence, he has created classics and looked just a little closer to defeat.

The end of the road is coming and the perfect story can be told. It depends whether Gedo feels it's the right time to pull the plug on a title change. I'm on the fence about this, at the time it feels like Naito's story will be fulfilled with just the main event redemption. However, there will be extra juice added to it, if he vanquishes Okada and completes both arcs as well.

We'll find out on January 4th at the Tokyo Dome.

Who Should Win: Naito/Okada...the fans win either way!

Who Will Win: Tetsuya Naito

Edited by Shruti Sadbhav