10 Early Predictions For NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12
5. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship - KUSHIDA (C) Vs. Hiromu Takahashi
The only Wrestle Kingdom 11 re-match on this card, these two are on their way to establishing one of the all-time great junior heavyweight rivalries. Their matches have been an absolutely wonderful exercise in athleticism and storytelling so far - can they continue to top their past glories with each match?
Many would have chosen to have KUSHIDA get his redemption one year after being dethroned, but the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion's vicious dismantling of the Ticking Time Bomb at Dominion should lead to an all-time classic in the Dome.
There is no way that Hiromu can stay a heel for much longer. His charisma is so unique that people are inevitably going to cheer for him (many already do), and he is going to be a major star for years to come. KUSHIDA has had to pull out all of the stops to get onto Takahashi's level, displaying heelish tendencies as time has passed.
This isn't too dissimilar to the evolution of Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi's rivalry over the last few years. Can KUSHIDA and Hiromu match the work of 'The Rainmaker' and 'The Once In A Century Talent'?