NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 Main Event Officially Announced
NJPW have already announced the main event of their Wrestle Kingdom 18 on January 4th, 2024.
Wrestle Kingdom is New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year, taking place inside the iconic Tokyo Dome annually on January 4th. Though the show is still months away, New Japan announced today in a press conference that the main event of the 2024 edition of Wrestle Kingdom will see IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA go head to head with Tetsuya Naito.
At first, the match card announcement did not include the match order, and Naito had this to say:
“Today is the first card announcement for Wrestle Kingdom 18, so I was really hyped up to be here. The most exciting thing for me was the match order, though. I was hoping to hear (chairman Sugabayashi) state that this match would be the main event, but that didn’t happen. But like I said in the ring in Ryogoku yesterday, I’m all ready to close out the main event in the Dome with a massive cheer. I hope you all are as well.”
Though it was later clarified that Naito vs. SANADA would indeed be the main event of the show, Naito is hesitant to believe it until he steps into the ring inside the Tokyo Dome. He joked:
“You never know with this company and their double, triple main events. I won’t believe it until right before I go out there.”
“I’m Definitely Excited” – SANADA On Facing Tetsuya Naito At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18
SANADA also commented on his upcoming main event, saying:
“Just like in Ryogoku with EVIL, this is my first time wrestling Naito with the IWGP World Heavyweight title on the line, so I’m definitely excited. Assuming this is the main event, putting Tokyo Dome aside, to be in the main event in the biggest card of pro-wrestling is something that very few can lay claim to. That’s another huge motivator. Lately in NJPW, Okada, Tanahashi, Naito have had this vice grip on the Dome main event scene, so I want to win decisively and make sure my name is the one that breaks that trend.”
h/t NJPW