Kazuchika Okada survived in the main event of night one of Wrestle Kingdom 14, defeating Kota Ibushi to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
The bout was a brutal affair with Ibushi battering Okada with stiff strikes while Okada targeted the neck of Ibushi. The match went roughly 40 minutes and both men pulled out all the stops in an effort to be IWGP Heavyweight Champion. It took multiple Rainmakers from Okada, but he was finally able to put Ibushi away after countering the Kamigoye with a sitout tombstone and one final Rainmaker.
FUUUUUUUCK #njwk14https://t.co/IKsQw9WMvw pic.twitter.com/K0itdSfHdr
— LARIATOOOO!! (@MrLARIATO) January 4, 2020
#njwk14https://t.co/IKsQw9WMvw pic.twitter.com/KL8zasf3jH
— LARIATOOOO!! (@MrLARIATO) January 4, 2020
Absolutely phenomenal main event! What a match, and what a champion! @rainmakerXokada #njwk14
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_wrestling) January 4, 2020
https://t.co/nA6zFRMmxQ pic.twitter.com/AnyKFbz8K5
AMAZING!! #njwk14https://t.co/IKsQw9WMvw pic.twitter.com/Hmt53TM8YQ
— LARIATOOOO!! (@MrLARIATO) January 4, 2020
With the victory, Okada will move on to face Tetsuya Naito in the finals of Double Gold Dash. Naito won the IWGP Intercontinental Title in the co-main event, defeating Jay White. The winner will walk away with both the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships.
It had to come down to @rainmakerXokada and @s_d_naito. Immortality awaits! #njwk14
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_wrestling) January 4, 2020
https://t.co/nA6zFRMmxQ pic.twitter.com/EMA5QOGDPe
If you missed anything from night one of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14, check out Fightful's full report by clicking here. Fightful will have live coverage of night two beginning at midnight on Jan. 5 and a post-show podcast recapping both nights on the afternoon of Jan. 5.
