10 NJPW Matches We Most Want To See In 2018

10. Chris Jericho Vs. Tetsuya Naito

All but confirmed following the events of New Years Dash, this pairing also confirm's Jericho's genuine wrestling genius. The Alpha triggered concerns ahead of Wrestle Kingdom 12, having promoted himself as the true Best In The World - an optimistic and potentially embarrassing indulgence.

He then annihilated those concerns by re-contextualising the programme as a classic Memphis-esque blood feud. More shocking than his return in itself was how sensational it was. He crafted a Kenny Omega match even Jim Cornette could not deny - at least, until the Cleaner sprayed his balls with freeze spray.

Jericho knows exactly what he's doing - and a match opposite the hugely charismatic Tetsuya Naito allows him to operate with a different set of cloak and dagger tactics. With the novelty of North American weaponry and mega-heel antics in a New Japan context always going to wear thin, Jericho can now go toe-to-toe - and taunt-for-taunt - with a uniquely aloof character in the opposing corner. Jericho and Naito could extract drama and heat purely through posing for ten minutes on end, obscuring the requirement for the insane strand of stamina usually mandated by a New Japan marquee match.

What's more, Jericho definitively seduced the New Japan audience on January 4 - therefore allowing fans to truly and immediately invest in a match well beyond the realm of a curiosity.