10 NJPW Matches To Watch Before AEW Forbidden Door

The night after his Wrestle Kingdom 12 match with Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho appeared at New Year Dash, attacking IWGP Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito. The two faced off for the title at Dominion, where Jericho captured his first championship in New Japan. That match itself is worth a watch, but their rematch at Wrestle Kingdom 13 ups the ante.

Once again, this match was no disqualification, and Jericho excelled in the stipulation. While Naito typically does his best work through storytelling throughout a match, he rose to the violent stipulation. The leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon worked Jericho's style, and gave The Painmaker a taste of his own medicine. Jericho, as always, is on top of his game, more comfortable in his Painmaker character than he was a year before and using the stipulation to elevate the contest above their Dominion encounter.

While there are other matches that showcase Naito at the top of his game - vs. Zack Sabre Jr in the 2022 New Japan Cup, for example - this is a great introduction to The Ungovernable One. Whether it's a trios tag match, a wrestling exhibition, or a no-DQ war, Naito's talent and charisma shines through.