Guerrillas of Destiny (C) vs. Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma (for the IWGP Tag-Team Championships)
Tama Tonga and Tanga Roa met Makabe and Honma at the 2016 World Tag League finals with the veterans pulling off the win and upsetting the Guerrillas. Tonga and Roa will now be defending their IWGP Tag-Team Championships on January 4th at the Tokyo Dome and looking for revenge.
Prediction: Guerrillas of Destiny retain
KUSHIDA (C) vs. Hiromu Takahashi (for IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship)
KUSHIDA got attacked by a returning Himoru Takahashi at the NJPW World Tag League Finals earlier this month and aligned with Los Ignobernables. Formerly known as Kamaitachi, Takahashi left NJPW in 2014 to head to CMLL as part of his “excursion tour” that every NJPW Young Lion goes through.
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Finally back and fighting under his own name, Takahashi will be looking make a huge impression in his comeback and expect him to deliver.
Prediction: Hiromu Takahashi wins the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship
Katsuyori Shibata (C) vs. Hirooki Goto (for the NEVER Openweight Championship)
Shibata has had a great 2016. He’s elevated himself to the upper card after impressive performances throughout the year, beginning at Wrestle Kingdom 10 when he had one of the stiffest matches I’ve ever seen against Tomohiro Ishii.
At WK11, Shibata will face Hirooki Goto, a veteran himself. Goto reached the finals of the 2016 G1 Climax tournament only to end up losing to Kenny Omega in a match of the year candidate. Goto himself will be looking to start 2017 with a bang and what better way than to win a title less than a week into the year.
Prediction: Shibata retains
Tetsuya Naito (C) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship)
Naito has had an amazing year. He won NJPW’s top prize this year as well as becoming one of the top stars in the company, filling the void left by Nakamura and Styles. His stable, Los Ingobernables, is super popular in Japan and he continues to get massive reactions from both Japanese and foreign fans alike, despite being a heel.
His current reign as Intercontinental Champion has gone well but he will face one of his toughest tests at Wrestle Kingdom 11 when he faces ‘The Ace’ Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Tanahashi is one of the top stars in NJPW and a grizzled veteran. A former 7-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and a former IWGP Intercontinental Champion, if anyone can beat Naito after the year he’s had then it’s Tanahashi.
Prediction: Tetsuya Naito retains
Kazuchika Okada (C) vs Kenny Omega (for the IWGP Heavyweight Champion)
Kenny Omega had an amazing 2016. He started off the year by losing his IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship to KUSHIDA at Wrestle Kingdom 10 before attacking AJ Styles a couple of nights later and declaring himself a heavyweight and the new leader of the Bullet Club.
He then went on to take the main-event scene by storm, winning the IWGP Intercontinental Championship before winning the 2016 G1 Climax tournament and booking a place for himself in the main event of Wrestle Kingsdom 11.
On the other hand, we have Kazuchika Okada. One of NJPW’s top stars for the last few years. Okada had another great year in 2016, retaining his title at Wrestle Kingdom 10 to start the year. He then lost the title to Naito before winning it back from him later in the year.
Okada and Omega are two of New Japan’s top stars right now and NJPW need them to pull off a top quality main event.
Prediction: Kenny Omega wins the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
