Satoshi Kojima challenged KENTA to face him at Wrestle Kingdom 15 for the IWGP United States Championship right to challenge certificate. Kojima issued the challenge at today’s Road to Tokyo Dome event.
KENTA had been set to defend his briefcase against Juice Robinson on night one of Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th. NJPW announced today that Robinson has suffered a fractured orbital bone and will be unable to compete.
Kojima and KENTA were on opposite sides of a tag match at today’s event. KENTA and Jay White defeated Kojima and Toa Henare after White pinned Henare with a Blade Runner.
Kojima stated that after 30 years in the business, “I’m going for it,” and asked if KENTA would accept a challenge from a 50 year-old man. KENTA attempted to hit Kojima with his briefcase. Instead, Kojima ducked the shot and hit a cutter. Kojima then went for a lariat, but Jay White made the save, pulling KENTA out of the ring.
Wrestle Kingdom 15 will be held over two nights on January 4th and January 5th, 2021. Both shows will air live on NJPW World at 3 a.m. Eastern time.
Here are the current lineups:
January 4 —
IWGP Heavyweight Championship & IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Great-O-Khan
KENTA vs. ? for the IWGP United States Championship right to challenge certificate
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Guerillas of Destiny
Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Phantasmo
New Japan Rambo
January 5 —
IWGP Heavyweight Championship & IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Winner of Naito-Ibushi vs. Jay White
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. Hiromu-ELP winner
SANADA vs. EVIL
NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Jeff Cobb
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (c)vs. Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi
4-way match for the provisional KOPW 2021 title
Dark match featuring Stardom talent