10 Things That Must Happen At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12

7. CODY Puts On A Show

Cody Rhodes Kota Ibushi Wrestle Kingdom 12
NJPW1972.com

Whether you love him or hate him, it can’t be denied that Cody Rhode has made a huge success of his post-WWE career. Some of that success can be put down to his close association with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, but the Grandson of a Plumber has clearly created a brand of his own that people want to see.

His New Japan run has been disappointing however. CODY’s best match to date was his IWGP Championship challenge against Kazuchika Okada, but having a good match with Okada is like getting wet in the rain. The American Nightmare’s other matches in NJ have been plodding affairs, lacking in the intensity and drama that the crowd demands.

CODY will take on Kota Ibushi on January 4, and the former ROH World Champion won’t have a better chance to make his mark on the Japanese audience. A long program with Kenny Omega is on CODY’s horizon but a disappointing showing in the Dome might see some lose faith in him entirely. The pressure is on the former WWE Intercontinental Champion.

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Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.