New Matches Added To NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 Card
With Wrestle Kingdom 12 just over two weeks away, NJPW is rounding out the card some additional matches. First off on the pre-show, there will be a New Japan Rumble, featuring those who didn't make it on the card, legends, and a few surprises. Michael Elgin won last year's match.
Next up is Minoru Suzuki defending the NEVER Openweight Championship against Hirooki Goto in a Hair vs. Hair Deathmatch. There's an additional stipulation of nobody being allowed at ringside. Suzuki is the leader of Suzuki-gun and his stablemates frequently get involved in matches.
Lastly, a Tag Gauntlet Match for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship. Those involved in the match are the champions, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Bad Luck Fale, the team of Ryusuke Taguchi, Juice Robinson, and Togi Makabe, the team of Beretta, Toru Yano, and Tomohiro Ishii, the team of Hanson Raymond Rowe, and Michael Elgin, and the team of Taichi, Takashi Iizuka, and Zack Sabre Jr.
Below is the updated card with ten matches, last year's card had eleven:
* Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito (IWGP Heavyweight Championship)
* Kenny Omega (c) vs. Chris Jericho (No DQ Match for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship)
* Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Jay White (IWGP Intercontinental Championship)
* Marty Scurll (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. KUSHIDA vs. Will Ospreay (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship)
* Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Hirooki Goto (Hair vs. Hair/Nobody At Ringside Deathmatch for the NEVER Openweight Championship)
* Killer Elite Squad (c) vs. SANADA and EVIL (IWGP Tag Team Championship)
* Cody vs. Kota Ibushi
* Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Bad Luck Fale (c) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Juice Robinson, and Togi Makabe vs. Beretta, Toru Yano, and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Hanson Raymond Rowe, and Michael Elgin vs. Taichi, Takashi Iizuka, and Zack Sabre Jr. (NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship Gauntlet Match)
* Roppongi 3K (SHO and YOH) (c) vs. The Young Bucks (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship)
* New Japan Rumble
As noted, Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega was changed to a "No DQ" match and since Cody lost the ROH Championship to Dalton Castle at ROH Final Battle, Cody vs. Kota Ibushi is now just a singles match. Wrestle Kingdom 12 is on January 4, beginning at 2am ET, with the pre-show match starting at around 2:30am. You can watch it by signing up on NJPW World (about $9 a month).