New Japan Pro-Wrestling held their Wrestle Kingdom 15 press conference and there were multiple announcements coming out of the presser and following it. Yesterday, at the conclusion of the Road to Tokyo Dome show, KENTA accepted Juice Robinson’s challenge for a match at Wrestle Kingdom 15. The match was going to be for KENTA’s briefcase which gives him the right to challenge for the IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Title that is in Jon Moxley’s possession.
It was announced via NJPW1972.com that Juice Robinson suffered a fractured orbital bone and he will not be competing at Wrestle Kingdom. An announcement regarding KENTA’s opponent for the show is going to be made in “due course”.
Additions were made the card during the press conference and the return of the New Japan Ranbo [Rumble] will kick off night one of Wrestle Kingdom. 22 entrants will enter the match at timed intervals and they can be eliminated via pin fall, submission or by being thrown over the top rope. The last four competitors in the match will move on to night two and compete in a four-way match to determine the first holder of the KOPW trophy in 2021.
Joining the lineup for night two is El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defending their IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles against Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato. With those announcements, here are the lineups for night one and two of Wrestle Kingdom 15:
January 4
* IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Championships: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
* Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay
* IWGP Tag Team Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi (c) vs. Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)
* Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. The Great O-Khan
* Winner Becomes #1 Contender to IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title: Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Phantasmo
* New Japan Ranbo: Competitors TBA
January 5
* IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Championships: TBD (c) vs. Jay White
* IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. TBD
* NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Jeff Cobb
* EVIL vs. SANADA
* KOPW Four-Way Match: TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD
* IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (c) vs. Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi
* Dark Match (STARDOM): TBA vs. TBA
