It’s finally here. After a year of waiting, the biggest show in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s year is finally here — Wrestle Kingdom 10. This Monday will mark the 25th straight year NJPW invaded the Tokyo Dome on January 4. The 10th Wrestle Kingdom ever, the 2016 version promises not only to be one of the most historic and newsworthy but also one of the best. Top-to-bottom the show features very little filler. Sure, there are a few repeat matchups that have some ardent fans rolling their eyes but the meat of the show is arguably better than any Wrestle Kingdom or January 4 Dome show in history. All eyes will be on the main and semi main event which features four of New Japan’s top stars: A.J. Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada. In the semi-main, Nakamura and Styles battle for the first time in their career, a match many are already pegging as a Match of the Year contender (and rightfully so!).

The main event is a rematch of last year’s main event, Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Despite the same participants, the stakes, ramifications and scenarios are completely different. Last year was supposed to be the coronation of Okada as NJPW’s new ace. Though he had title reigns in year’s prior this was going to be the start of HIM as the man and Tanahashi in the backseat. Not so fast. Left in a pool of his own tears, Okada was embarrassed by Tanahashi, beaten and literally told he had no right to be the ace of the company and that he’d need to get better. Well, he did. Okada dominated 2015 and now has one finally barrier in his path towards true superstardom. Can he prove himself as the new ace of NJPW or will it be back to the drawing board?

Before we get to the preview, let’s meet our previewers:

  • Rich Kraetsch (@VoicesWrestling): 1/2 of the Voices of Wrestling flagship podcast and one of the founders of this very website.
  • Aaron Bentley (@AaronBentleyVOW): Former Ring of Honor TV reviewer and current Voices of Wrestling columnist.
  • Case Lowe (@_InYourCase): Voices of Wrestling’s NJPW on AXS TV and Dragon Gate reviewer.
  • Bryan Rose (@br26): One of the longest tenured members of the Voices of Wrestling staff, utility previewer and reviewer specializing in NJPW and WWE.

New Japan Rumble
Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Jado vs. Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Manabu Nakanishi vs. Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Satoshi Kojima vs. Tiger Mask vs.Yuji Nagata

Rich Kraetsch: We had no idea what to expect from the pre-show RAMBO last year and it ended up being one of the more enjoyable aspects of last year’s show. This year, we again have no idea what to expect. We were given a list of names per New Japan Pro Wrestling but outside of that, no clue. Will we get a cavalcade of old farts again? Will Cheeseburger make his NJPW debut? I can’t wait. Prediction: Satoshi Kojima

Aaron Bentley: For a show that starts when I am normally sleeping, this is a great match to ease into Wrestle Kingdom 10. It’s OK if I’m still trying to wake up because not much will be going on and at least one surprise entrant will get me so fired up I’ll forget I have to go to work immediately after the show’s over. I don’t believe it’s official that the winner of this match gets a title shot like Yuji Nagata secured with his victory last year. And let’s be honest, it’s kind of ridiculous for the winner of this match, of all matches, to get a crack at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. But if that is the unwritten stipulation, it makes sense for a guy like Kojima to get his chance. Prediction: Satoshi Kojima

Case Lowe: I adored the Rambo last year. The mix of legends like Fujiwara and current roster talent like the Young Lions made things quite enjoyable. I have a weird hope of seeing Akira Maeda enter the Rambo this year. Don’t ask me why, but if his name is called, I will be gloating on Twitter. Satoshi Kojima seems like the perfect guy to win this year. Like Nagata last year, Kojima is winding down his career and it’s time he has one last shot at glory. Prediction: Satoshi Kojima

Bryan Rose: This is a “let’s get everyone on the card” match that’s been prevalent in big shows in recent years. It’s fine, but not particularly exciting. The best parts about last year’s match was Fujiwara coming in for a bit, and the 346 year old Great Kabuki coming in and doing his mist spot. It’s nice to see a surprise or two, but otherwise this will probably not be much. Nakanishi and Tenzan seemed to start a feud early in this tour, so it might be them in the end. I say Tenzan. Prediction: Hiroyoshi Tenzan

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly) (c) vs. Matt Sydal and Ricochet vs. Roppongi Vice (Baretta and Rocky Romero) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)

Rich Kraetsch: Look, this match is going to be bonkers. It’s the “true” opener of the show and should be a 10-15 minute spot-fest with plenty of super kicks, flips from various places and some great junior tag action. With that said, this would’ve meant a lot more as a match had it just been two vs two and if the winners of the Super Junior Tag Tournament got their title shot fair and square. Regardless, I’m still looking forward to this setting the stage for an exciting night. The hardest part now is trying to figure out who will emerge as champions. The titles hot potatoed throughout the year and I expect more of the same here — Bucks win the belts back. Prediction: The Young Bucks

Aaron Bentley: I share the common complaint that the booking for this match is suspect. However, the biggest reason I’m not looking forward to it is that I’m pretty sure I’ve seen everything that could possibly happen here at least 1,000 times. Luckily, there is some new blood here with Sydal & Ricochet but it remains to be seen whether their inclusion can make this contest feel fresh. I don’t get the sense that Ricochet is going to hang around full-time so I don’t expect he and Sydal to emerge victorious. Despite that, it seems almost compulsory that these titles change hands. Since reDRagon’s contractual status with Ring of Honor (and, presumably, New Japan) is still in limbo, I see the exclusive contracts of The Young Bucks ensuring they leave the Tokyo Dome with the titles. Prediction: The Young Bucks

Case Lowe: On paper, this match should be excellent. How can I complain with eight of my favorite wrestlers being in the same match? Well, I can. The booking of this match makes no sense. This should be a 2 vs. 2 match with reDRagon defending against Ricochet & Sydal. With this being Wrestle Kingdom, however, New Japan wanted to get as many guys on the card as possible, which would explain why both Roppongi Vice and the Young Bucks are in this match. Booking aside, this match will be a ton of fun and a great way to kick off the show. Hopefully Ricochet & Sydal, two former standouts in Dragon Gate, bring home the gold.  Prediction: Matt Sydal and Ricochet

Bryan Rose: All four of these teams are great. Problem is, there’s no real ace in this division. reDragon have held the titles for a while now, but RPG Vice and the Young Bucks have had reigns in the last year as well. I will push for Sydal and Ricochet to win here. In the end it depends if they’re here full time or not, but if they are a lot of 2016 can be spent feuding between the other three teams over the title. They’re fun to watch (copyright WWE) plus they’re new. I’ll go with them. Prediction: Matt Sydal and Ricochet

NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship
Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga and Yujiro Takahashi) vs. Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe and Toru Yano

Rich Kraetsch: Another title added to New Japan’s mix but this doesn’t seem like overinflation just yet. These titles will act only to bring some extra juice to dry six-man heavy spot shows across the country. Given the build towards this match I’d be stunned if Yano and The Briscoes don’t walk out as champions. With Ring of Honor returning to Japan in a few months, it’d be a great idea to attach these new titles to that brand and give The Briscoes some name-recognition in Japan (yes, I’m aware The Briscoes worked NOAH in 2008). specifically with the New Japan audience. Prediction: Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe and Toru Yano

Aaron Bentley: The main question here is whether New Japan intends to bring in The Briscoes regularly. I tend to doubt it but Ring of Honor is clearly doing everything they can to exploit their relationship with New Japan as ROH attempts to sign and retain talent. These new titles will be dead on arrival if the Bullet Club trio wins but they have the opportunity to really take off if spearheaded by what should be a thoroughly entertaining pairing of The Briscoes and Yano. I’m on board with the latter scenario since I’m rooting for these titles to be a fun addition to the sometimes staid New Japan undercard. Prediction: Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe, and Toru Yano

Case Lowe: Unlike the rest of the world, I have no issues with the sudden addition of the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship. It’s a fun, meaningless title, and more importantly, The Briscoes now suddenly have a reason to be in this match. I am incredibly excited to see Mark & Jay make their way to New Japan. I am a huge fan of their prior work in Pro Wrestling NOAH and their current work in RIng of Honor. There’s no reason for those two to be flown over and not to win. Prediction: Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe, and Toru Yano

Bryan Rose: Imagine you are New Japan. You have a lot of titles already. So the best way to fix that problem is to create a new six man trios title with a name based on a concept that died day one. This is how the NEVER six man titles came to be. Not only are they worthless in idea, they will probably be worthless in execution as unless the Briscoes are being used regularly going forward this will probably be a Bullet Club win. What a way to scream on top of the world this is another midcard title in a sea of New Japan midcard titles. All of this is a big “LOL” for me, though I’m interesting in seeing the Yano/Briscoes dynamic. They might have some terrific charisma together. Prediction: Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga and Yujiro Takahashi)

Ring of Honor World Championship
Jay Lethal (c) vs. Michael Elgin

Rich Kraetsch: The big story of this match will be how the Japanese audience responds to a Ring of Honor World Title match in the middle of their biggest show of the year. I may be nuts but I think it’ll get a solid reaction. First off, Japanese fans aren’t dumb, this is still a big-time title match for a fairly well known promotion (even if the champion is a relative unknown to them). This isn’t the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title or some title they know is completely worthless. Again, I may be nuts but that’s my thought there. Then we look at the two competitors and again, I think people are overreacting regarding just how unknown both are. Sure, Lethal is not a household name in Japan and he will garner little-to-no-reaction from the outset but Michael Elgin is a legitimate big deal and was one of the more over guys in both the G1 Climax and World Tag League. If you don’t think the fans are going to react to #BigMike, well, I don’t know what to tell you. I think the crowd will be fine and the match even better. Let’s hope these two don’t play it safe, throw bombs, work fast and show the world what Ring of Honor can bring to the table. Prediction: Michael Elgin

Aaron Bentley: There was perhaps no bigger opportunity wasted in 2015 than Jay Lethal’s run as Ring of Honor World Champion. He bookended his 2015 title reign with wins over Jay Briscoe, who was undefeated for nearly three years, and A.J. Styles, who had not lost a singles match in ROH since he appeared in New Japan. And yet, on the biggest stage of his career, he’s appearing in a relatively cold match against a guy who will be much more over than he is. Regardless of ROH’s failings, this match promises to be very good. Lethal is one of the very best in the world and Elgin has internalized much of what these New Japan crowds like. The corporate machinations, including Elgin’s contract status and the impending ROH Japan tour, point toward a Big Mike win. Divorced from the stateside context, that’s a fine result. Still, I can’t help but feel bitterly disappointed that this is how the Lethal reign ends. Prediction: Michael Elgin

Case Lowe: #BigMike was the most exciting part of New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2015. While the work throughout the company was perfectly acceptable, it felt stale. Elgin was the breath of fresh air that the company needed. He’s become more over after every match, so hopefully that trend continues with the Tokyo Dome crowd. Jay Lethal is the wildcard here. I think Lethal is an excellent professional wrestler and I have thoroughly enjoyed his ROH World Championship reign. The question here isn’t whether or not the match will be good, but whether or not the crowd will react to any of it. With ROH running shows in Japan next month, I don’t think there’s any doubt that Elgin will win the ROH World Championship for the second time.  Prediction: Michael Elgin

Bryan Rose: I think the match itself will be great, as Lethal has been very good in his role as the heel champion on ROH TV and Elgin is very good. I just don’t know how the Tokyo Dome crowd will take it. Elgin has gotten over in every city he’s been in though, so if they work a Japanese style match I think they’ll be just fine. I’m sensing a title change here as Elgin’s the one who is over in Japan, so it makes the most sense to do a title change there. If not, they can always build toward the ROH shows coming up where they can do a title change there. But I think this might be the right time to do a title switch.  Prediction: Michael Elgin

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Kenny Omega © vs. KUSHIDA

Rich Kraetsch: I’m hopeful this is the end of the KUSHIDA start/stop pushes. His title reign earlier this year should’ve never been built if it was merely a vehicle for him to lose the title back to the old guy anyway. It was a confusing booking decision that could be rectified if KUSHIDA gets a clear and decisive victory at The Dome. My pre-requisite with any Bullet Club match, it can be good if interference and shenanigans are kept to a minimum. I have high hopes this is the case but you can never be totally sure. Look for KUSHIDA to win the title in what could be the sleeper match of the night.  Prediction: KUSHIDA

Aaron Bentley: Since the beginning of the Omega/Taguchi feud, Omega has gotten more and more confident in the universe of New Japan and that has resulted in better and better performances. I expect this to be the best so far. As for his opponent, KUSHIDA simply always delivers on the big stage. This is the kind of match where I’m not all that intrigued going into it because the story hasn’t hooked me and I feel like the outcome is obvious but I know that by the end I will be ecstatic it happened. Prediction: KUSHIDA

Case Lowe: There’s no way these two can have a bad match, as long as Omega reigns in his Cleaner gimmick and doesn’t take things too far. This is KUSHIDA’s time to win and from there, become the rightful ace of the junior’s division. I loved their match at Dominion last July and I expect to do the same for this match.  Prediction: KUSHIDA

Bryan Rose: I know this will be a good match, but the interest level isn’t there for me. I’ve seen these guys feud all year over the title, and here we back are once again. This is probably the big blow off match, so it’ll be interesting to see what they do on the big stage. Seems like the right time for a title switch so I’ll say KUSHIDA wins to take his rightful place as the ace of the Junior heavyweight division. Prediction: KUSHIDA

IWGP Tag Team Championship
Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma)

Rich Kraetsch: We’ve been dying for a new team to emerge from the desolate IWGP Tag Team Title ranks and it looks like the time has finally come. Great Bash Heel finally knocking off Guns & Gallows (perhaps for good) will be a great moment in the Tokyo Dome and could set the stage for an entirely new chapter for the Tag Titles. Prediction: Great Bash Heel

Aaron Bentley: I long ago lost interest in Gallows & Anderson but there was a time when this match would’ve still gotten me excited, thanks to the apparent biggest payoff to date of the valleys of Honmania. Unfortunately, the accusations of domestic violence against Honma have soured all of that for me. I am a big believer in the presumption of innocence so I will remain neutral on the guy while the situation is sorted out.  Prediction: GBH

Case Lowe: The IWGP Tag Team Championship situation is pretty awful. Really awful, actually. I have very little interest in this match. Karl Anderson is a great wrestler on his own. As we’ve seen for the past two years, however, Doc Gallows severely ways him down. Tomoaki Honma is a great wrestler on his own, but Togi Makabe is coming off of a dreadful in-ring year and while his Tag League run was fun, I don’t see that trend continuing. Hopefully GBH wins here and ends the dreadful reign of Gun & Gallows and begin to breathe life into this stale division. Prediction: GBH

Bryan Rose: Bleh. This will probably be okay but this division is pretty dead. I think it’ll be cool for GBH to win so we can get a new team on the scene, but then again that is what I said last year with Goto and Shibata, and they had the titles for maybe a month before the Bullet Club won them back. I say GBH wins the titles here, but it’s clear that this is a division that needs to be better built upon in 2016. They could be the keys to that, but what would the point be if Bullet Club were to win them back soon after? Prediction: GBH

Hirooki Goto vs. Tetsuya Naito

Rich Kraetsch: More than any other match on Wrestle Kingdom 10, this has the largest floor/ceiling. It’s not because either guy can’t go, they are both great. But it all depends how this match is worked. If it’s merely used as a way to progress the LOS INGOBERNABLES/Meiyu Tag feud and it’s filled with interference, lasers, mist and what not, it’ll get a big eye roll from me. If it’s a well-worked, fast-paced match that showcases what both guys are capable of, it has the chance to be one of the best matches of the night. Personally, I have no clue what to expect here. I know Naito’s character work will be off the charts and BUSHI is misting someone. Other than that, who knows!  Prediction: Tetsuya Naito

Aaron Bentley: This may be the match that tells us whether Naito ever intends to incorporate into his new character the type of work he used to bring to the ring. Goto and Naito are capable of having an excellent match but that will depend on whether Naito has any intention of this being an excellent match. More likely, the involvement of EVIL and BUSHI makes this more big picture storyline advancement than match and Naito continues his ascent to main event-level heel. Prediction: Tetsuya Naito

Case Lowe: I’m very nervous about this match. This has the potential to be dreadful. Hirooki Goto is not my cup of tea. He’s had some outstanding matches in his day, but rarely do I feel those are because of him. Tetsuya Naito, since undergoing the drastic transformation from “Stardust Genius” into the leader of Los Ingobernables de Japón, has become one of my favorite things in wrestling, but while his character work has been outstanding, has match quality has suffered. He’s already behind the eight ball by squaring off with Goto and because of that and his current gimmick, I don’t see this match being too entertaining. Naito will hopefully pick up the victory here and from there, go back into the IWGP Heavyweight Championship picture.  Prediction: Tetsuya Naito

Bryan Rose: Naito has reached top heel status with this new Los Ingobernables gimmick, and for the first time in forever seems like he’s about to step it up in a big singles match here at the Tokyo Dome. They’ve been building towards this for the last couple of months so I’m interested in seeing how this goes. Evil and Bushi will probably interfere, but that’s fine as it’s Naito’s gimmick to do everything in his power to cheat. That’s not conducive to having a great workrate match, but we’ll see what happens here. Naito has the most upside as a singles heel at this point, so him winning via crooked ways makes the most sense here. Prediction: Tetsuya Naito

NEVER Openweight Championship
Tomohiro Ishii © vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Rich Kraetsch: My head hurts just thinking about this match. Oh, and I mean that in as good a way as possible. These dudes are going to kill each other and we’re all going to love it. The only way this match doesn’t deliver at least **** is it goes too long and becomes a parody of itself. Anything short of that and we should expect greatness. Prediction: Tomohiro Ishii

Aaron Bentley: Yes, it’s time for Shibata to get a legit top-of-the-card push. But hasn’t it been for some time? Clearly, New Japan is not comfortable with him having that kind of position in the company. Maybe that is going to change here but I will have to see it to believe it. No matter the outcome, this should comfortably be the third-best match of the night if you like the style. And if you don’t like the style that this match is going to feature, New Japan may not be for you. I, for one, eagerly await the utter brutality. Prediction: Tomohiro Ishii

Case Lowe: I love Tomohiro Ishii. I wrote about him in the 2014 Voices of Wrestling/New Japan Pro Wrestling e-book and since I began following New Japan’s product, he’s been my favorite wrestler. Katsuyori Shibata has never connected with me the way he has with everyone else. I love the way he presents himself, I love his gimmick, but he has very annoying in-ring tendencies. That being said, Ishii has always been his best opponent. I expect this match to be uncomfortably stiff and incredibly glorious. I’ve predicted four title changes already, so I think the gold stays with Ishii here. Hopefully it does. I still find him dominating the NEVER lads very entertaining.  Prediction: Tomohiro Ishii

Bryan Rose: This is gonna hurt. I think I’ve said that before in previous previews, but what Tomohiro Ishii match hasn’t hurt? This will be a stiff, brutal match, probably more than what we’ve seen in previous matches. As for who wins, I think that it’s time for Shibata to get a run as a champion. He’s always been close in previous title matches, but he’s over enough to where I think it’s time that someone new gets a long term run with this title, and I think Shibata is the perfect candidate. Prediction: Katsuyori Shibata

IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. A.J. Styles

Rich Kraetsch: The hype is predictably and reasonably out of control for this Intercontinental Championship match. Styles was arguably the MVP of wrestling in 2015 (a claim very few would scoff at) and Nakamura always (and I mean always) delivers in a big situation. Weeks ago there were questions about the health of Styles but it seems everything’s a-okay giving us a clear path to a classic confrontation between two of the best going today. I’m stick with my prediction of Styles because it just makes too much sense. It’s time for Nakamura to graduate from the IC division and start looking towards the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Styles had his run near the top and while he still deserves it, getting some new blood in the mix would be great for all involved. Styles can hold the IC belt and give that division some much needed fresh air. Anything short of a Match of the Year level classic would be a disappointment. Prediction: A.J. Styles

Aaron Bentley: Just forget the injury concerns. Styles has made clear he valued his performance at Final Battle and his performance at Wrestle Kingdom above his long-term health. That may be short-sighted on his part but, with that level of investment, there is not the slightest chance that this is not a Match of the Year contender. This is the freshest match New Japan has to offer and Nakamura has emphasized in interviews that he understands that. These guys will bring it, period. The outcome, however, is made less predictable by the injury concerns. For as long as this match has seemed inevitable, I’ve thought it made the most sense for Styles to win. Nakamura is a made man; giving Styles the victory would put him as close to that level has he can get. Now, though, we do not know if Styles is going to be able to work the next New Japan tour. Recognizing that wild card, despite the faults with Gedo’s booking, he generally sticks with a long-term plan. Sure, this is a long-term plan that I have concocted solely with assumptions but I’m staying the course. A.J. in a classic. Prediction: A.J. Styles

Case Lowe: Oh boy, this could really be something. If these two can go to the best of their ability, I expect this to be a truly special match. That being said, if Styles and/or Nakamura comes into this match injured and unable to work at 100%, this could fall apart really quickly. I’m putting my faith in both men that they will be able to steal the show. Nakamura, for the last three years, has had the best match inside the Dome, so hopefully that trend continues here. I can’t see Styles winning here because of all the prior title changes. Styles has become a proven draw in Japan, but Nakamura is arguably the biggest star New Japan has and that’s needed for this Intercontinental Championship. Nakamura is the safe option, and therefore, he retains.  Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura

Bryan Rose: This is an interesting match. If both guys are healthy, this will be one hell of a match. But then again, A.J. Styles had an excellent match with Jay Lethal at Final Battle, so if indications are anything this will be a great match one way or the other. It’s still weird as this feels right for a title change, but with Styles’ status questionable after this show I’m not sure who will walk out of the Tokyo Dome with this title. If I had to guess, it would probably be Nakamura as who knows what will happen with Styles following this match. But either way, this is the freshest match on the card, and probably will be one of the best. Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura

IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kazuchika Okada © vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Rich Kraetsch: Two of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest stars from the current generation do battle for the eighth time in five years in a match built perfectly from last year’s Wrestle Kingdom. Okada got the reality check of all reality checks last year when Tanahashi beat him in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 9. After the match, Tanahashi flat out told the youngster that he wasn’t ready to be the ace of New Japan and he needed to work on his game. Okada then went through a trying losing streak against Bullet Club muscle Bad Luck Fale. He recovered quickly, defeated Fale and then won back the IWGP Heavyweight Title from A.J. Styles. Now a year after the moment when his ace status was called into question, Okada has the chance to solidify himself as THE man in NJPW for the next decade. The result isn’t in much doubt but that doesn’t change the excitement level for this match. Last year these two had a no-doubt Match of the Year contender and they will do again, given this duos history, I have almost no doubt in my mind that this is a ***** match and immediately a 2016 Match of the Year contender. Prediction: Kazuchika Okada

Aaron Bentley: I’ve waited patiently for this match for one calendar year. After putting on an all-time great match at Wrestle Kingdom 9, Kazuchika Okada had to be helped to the back, a once proud man reduced to the sobbing of a child, visibly broken by his inability to conquer his greatest obstacle. And as if his failings weren’t enough, Hiroshi Tanahashi stood in the ring and taunted Okada, announcing in front of the Tokyo Dome crowd that Okada was still far away from being the Ace of New Japan. How could you have watched that and not be dying to see Okada try to get his revenge? This is why I watch pro wrestling. I don’t really care what the outcome is here; I just want to see the next chapter in the story. I do think it’s time for Okada to replace Tanahashi at the top of the New Japan hierarchy, and I expect that’s what will happen, but with this story, for these stakes, I trust that this installment will be wholly satisfying, regardless of whether it’s the last one. Prediction: Kazuchika Okada

Case Lowe: I am so stupidly excited for this match. How could you not be? For the past three years, these two have put on such high-quality matches with each other and every time it seems like they’ve peaked, they set new standards with their next match. I was blown away by their match last year and I expect to be blown away by their match this year. The important thing here is the finish. I love Hiroshi Tanahashi. He’s an all-time great, a superstar, and one of the best wrestlers on the planet today. That being said, this is Okada’s time. He needs this win. He needs to prove himself to Tanahashi and the New Japan faithful that he is the ace of the company. This is Okada’s time to shine and I really, really hope Gedo finally pulls the trigger on his man here.  Prediction: Kazuchika Okada

Bryan Rose: These two have wrestled eight times in the last five years. They’ve headlined the Tokyo Dome twice, this time being the third. It’s starting to get a little excessive, and next year I’m pretty sure they’ll have to do something new. But I think this will be an excellent match as they’ve never had anything less since Okada’s return from his excursion. The build up to this match, with Okada finally wanting that win over Tanahashi in the Toyko Dome, is a tremendous story and I would love to see it play out. It’s the perfect time, given his age and status with the promotion, to beat Tanahashi and cement himself as the new ace of the promotion with this match. It’s possible they could hold that off for another year but at 39, it seems that Tanahashi’s run as the top ace is starting to wane, and maybe it’s time to go in another direction. The problem is Gedo’s long term booking is so long term it could be even more years before this comes into fruition. Either way, this will probably be one hell of a match, and I’m guessing Okada gets the win here. Prediction: Kazuchika Okada

For an additional audio preview of Wrestle Kingdom 10, check out the latest episode of Voices of Wrestling below: