Yoshihiro Takayama returns to New Japan Pro-Wrestling on January 4th at the Tokyo Dome six years to the day after suffering a humiliating upset loss to the then “green boy” Nakamura in the main event of the
1/4/04 event. It is a very different Shinsuke Nakamura these days, then a trickster relying mostly on speed and instincts to win matches, now a conqueror much like Takayama himself who has become one of the kingpins of pro wrestling in Japan.
Shinsuke’s V4 defense was today confirmed at a special event that saw others on the show comment, as well as some pre-J-CUP hype. Takayama confessed that New Japan has changed since he was last there, becoming a much stronger and more orderly promotion that can stand on it’s own two feet again, and cited the growth of Tanahashi and Nakamura as two factors in that. Still, he is in New Japan to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title and hasn’t forgotten his defeat to Nakamura, who took the NWF Heavyweight Title off him back at the start of 2004 and sealed it. Whatever the result on January 4th, it is thought that Takayama has transferred his main attention to New Japan from All Japan and could be a regular fixture in the company come 2010.
Nakamura was complimentary of Takayama who in some ways he resembles now with his knee kicks and heavy strikes. Shinsuke called Takayama a unique individual in Japan and called him a “big wall” to get past even now. He pointed out that Takayama is very worthy having accomplished what he calls a “super-grand slam” of the IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Tag (New Japan), GHC Heavyweight & GHC Tag (NOAH), and Triple Crown & AJPW World Heavyweight Tag (All Japan) titles. While New Japan vs. NOAH dominates a large part of the upcoming Tokyo Dome super-show, Nakamura said his fight with Takayama will be a personal battle unrelated, Takayama having become a freelancer a long time ago now after once belonging to NOAH.
No other matches were announced today, with much still undecided. Nagata and Nakanishi both said they are looking forward to whoever is thrown their way, while Makabe was a little less polite, saying he has introduced himself as a member of the NJ vs. NOAH feud but no one from “cowardly NOAH” has yet stepped forward to receive his challenge. Akira Taue, Takeshi Morishima, and Kenta Kobashi are just three possibilities to face the Unchained Gorilla at the Dome on 1/4.
NJPW “WRESTLE KINGDOM IV IN TOKYO DOME”, 1/4/10 (WPW/PPV)
Tokyo Dome1.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Tiger Mask (c) vs. Super J-Cup 5th Stage winner
2.
IWGP Tag Team Title - 3WAY Hardcore Rules Match: “Team 3D” Brother Ray
& Brother Devon
(c) vs. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson vs. Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito
3.
NJPW vs. NOAH Battle Effusions ~Radiance~: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Go Shiozaki
4.
GHC Heavyweight Title - NJPW vs. NOAH Battle Effusions ~Blast~: : Takashi Sugiura
(c) vs. Hirooki Goto
5.
IWGP Heavyweight Title - The newest, The strongest: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Yoshihiro Takayama
