10 HUGE NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 Predictions You Need To Know

3. A Star Is Born

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 logo
NJPW1972.com

Jay White will partake in comfortably the biggest match of his young career at Wrestle Kingdom 12, when he challenges IWGP Intercontinental Champion and bona fide wrestling legend Hiroshi Tanahashi inside the Tokyo Dome.

This is a huge step up for the Kiwi. An opening match wrestler when he departed for his American excursion in June 2016, he has been hot-shotted to the top like no other. Up to this point, his most notable bout was a midcard clash with Will Ospreay on ROH's War Of The Worlds tour back in May. Now, 'Switchblade' will be expected to go toe-to-toe with out of the greatest wrestlers of all-time at NJPW's WrestleMania equivalent. The size of this leap simply cannot be overstated.

The question is 'will he deliver?', and while White doesn't exactly have a vast back catalogue of stellar matches to use as evidence, the signs are positive. NJPW wouldn't have put him in such a lofty spot if they didn't believe in him, and he has always looked like a tremendous prospect. Throw Tanahashi's flawless big-match record into the mix, and this looks like WK's biggest star-making bout, particularly if White walks away with an expected victory.

Winner: Jay White

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.