12 Biggest Stories From NJPW's Year-End Events And How They Affect Wrestle Kingdom
2. Chris Jericho Is Anything But "Tranquilo"
Chris Jericho previously insisted that he would not again defend his coveted Intercontinental Championship against Tetsuya Naito. Despite that, New Japan made the match official for Wrestle Kingdom. Then, in the days leading up to the Road to Tokyo Dome events, Jericho and Naito traded barbs and insults through video messages. When the two met during a press conference in Japan, they quickly came to blows after Naito spit water in the Alpha's face.
Jericho got the last laugh, however, when he snuck into the ring following Los Ingobernables de Japon's match on December 15th. With a chair in hand and his now-traditional facepaint, Jericho attacked Naito, as well as his cohorts Shingo Takagi and BUSHI. After the beatdown, the IC Champion confronted a few LIJ fans in the Korakuen Hall crowd -- staring them down before departing the arena.
While Jericho initially resisted another match with Naito, his tune has quickly changed as he's once again gone on the offensive in attempt to get under the LIJ leader's skin. With no respect between them, their Wrestle Kingdom match is "going to be a war" -- according to Jericho's own statements prior to the attack.