5 Most anticipated matches of Wrestle Kingdom 16 

We are all going to lose some sleep in the next few days, professional wrestling fans. But Wrestle Kingdom promises you it will be totally worth it to do so.

The biggest show on the NJPW calendar, Wrestle Kingdom, is back on its traditional January 4 date despite the ongoing pandemic. For the first time, we will have three nights of Wrestle Kingdom. The event will include nine title matches, some emotional returns and two historic main events to determine the next IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Wrestle Kingdom 16 has matches which could prove to be among the very best matches of 2022. This will be three of the best days of professional wrestling if you add in the New Japan vs Pro Wrestling Noah Wrestle Kingdom show on January 8th.

As we prepare for an unbelievable three days of wrestling, let’s present the five most anticipated matches of Wrestle Kingdom 16. It is always hard to limit this annual list to just five matches over the two nights in the Tokyo Dome:

5. Katsuyori Shibata’s Return Match (Catch Wrestling Rules) - Wrestle Kingdom 16

This will be an emotional moment for Wrestle Kingdom and New Japan fans. At Sakura Genesis in 2017, Shibata lost his IWGP Heavyweight Championship match to Kazuchika Okada. After the match, he suffered a subdural hematoma, a potentially life-threatening medical emergency. He survived, but the emergency forced the great Katsuyori Shibata to retire from professional wrestling.

Shibata will return to the professional wrestling ring at Wrestle Kingdom after a nearly five-year absence. The match will be held under “Catch Wrestling Rules”, which means no strikes will be allowed in Shibata’s return match.

The other big question is who will Katsuyori Shibata be facing on January 4th? The element of a mystery opponent will just add to the excitement of seeing Shibata in a pro wrestling ring yet again.

#4 IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi - Wrestle Kingdom 16

It seemed like the start of a wonderful 2021 at Wrestle Kingdom 15 for Hiromu Takahashi. He defeated Taiji Ishimori to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for the fourth time. It seemed Takahashi would be set for great things, but fate had some other plans.

Takahashi had to vacate the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in February 2021 after suffering a pectoral muscle injury. It has been a long road back for Hiromu. He had to win the Best of the Super Juniors tournament this December to earn another shot against El Desperado at Wrestle Kingdom 16 for the title.

During their last meeting during the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, El Desperado and Hiromu Takahashi fought to a thirty minute time limit draw. Can the two biggest names in the Junior Heavyweight division steal the show once again? We are hoping for a great 2022 for this famous division and that'll begin at Night One of Wrestle Kingdom. It certainly has the potential to steal the show.

#3 IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: KENTA (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (No DQ Match) - Wrestle Kingdom 16

It's rare to see a No Disqualification match at Wrestle Kingdom, but the feud between KENTA and Hiroshi Tanahashi seems fitting of that honor. It has been a bitter rivalry for the IWGP United States United States Heavyweight Championship and will come to an end at Wrestle Kingdom on January 5th.

Tanahashi won the United States title for the very first time in August of 2021 at NJPW Resurgence in Los Angeles. He plans to defend the title in the United States and Japan in the months to come, but KENTA has other plans.

KENTA wanted to hold the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship after winning a contract for a title match back in August 2020. He finally won the title by defeating Tanahashi at NJPW Power Struggle in November. KENTA may have used an exposed turnbuckle to secure victory, but the title was finally his.

Tanahashi was desperate for a rematch at Wrestle Kingdom, even allowing KENTA to pick the stipulation. We will get the No Disqualification match on Night Two of Wrestle Kingdom, with it likely being the most brutal on the entire card.

#2 IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Winner of Takagi/Okada match (c) vs. Will Ospreay - Wrestle Kingdom 16

At Wrestle Kingdom 16, Will Ospreay will be looking to reclaim what he never truly lost. Ospreay won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship for the very first time over Kota Ibushi at Sakura Genesis 2021. It should have been the start of a great title reign for the supremely talented Ospreay. But in a year filled with injuries for NJPW, Ospreay suffered a neck injury and had to relinquish the title without ever being pinned.

At the Battle in the Valley show, Ospreay returned and proclaimed himself the “true world heavyweight champion”. This didn’t sit well with Shingo Takagi or Kazuchika Okada. They agreed the winner of their title match on January 4th would face Ospreay for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on Night Two of Wrestle Kingdom.

Shingo has some unfinished business with Will Ospreay. He lost to Ospreay at New Japan Cup Final and Wrestling Dontaku in epic matches last year. If Takagi overcomes Okada, could he finally defeat his rival Ospreay? It would be an epic way to end Night Two of Wrestle Kingdom with the highest stakes possible.

#1 IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada- Wrestle Kingdom 16

The main event of Night One of Wrestle Kingdom will be huge. Shingo Takagi will be defending his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against one of the greatest in New Japan history, Kazuchika Okada. It will be a rematch of their epic title match at NJPW Dominion 2021.

Shingo Takagi has done a great job leading New Japan since winning the vacant IWGP World Heavyweight Championship last June. He has defended the championship on three occasions since that night. However, beating Okada at Wrestle Kingdom will place him in a whole different category.

Kazuchika Okada hasn’t held a world title in New Japan since Wrestle Kingdom 2020. He got on a major roll, winning the B Block with an impressive 8-1 record. Okada went on to win the G1 Climax final and earn himself a title shot at Wrestle Kingdom 16. Okada wouldn’t carry around the G1 briefcase as he started carrying around the old IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Could we see a return of the iconic belt?

It is one of many interesting storylines to follow on January 4th at Wrestle Kingdom. The winner will have to face a fresh Will Ospreay the very next night. The real winners are the fans of two main events of Wrestle Kingdom.