Kazuchika Okada has proven himself the one true IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, defeating Will Ospreay to retain his newly-won title at Wrestle Kingdom 16.
In the main event of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 night 2, Okada was triumphant in the main for the second night in a row. Just 24 hours after dethroning Shingo Takagi to become the fourth-ever IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, The Rainmaker looked to secure his new accolade by putting an end to Will Ospreay’s so-called reign with the belt.
Over a gruelling 32 minutes, the two men took each other to the limit but ultimately Okada proved too much for The Assassin. Taking the brunt of a moonsault off the arena scaffolding, catching powerbomb and even the Hidden Blade, Okada hit a final decisive Rainmaker to leave no doubt that he is the Undisputed IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
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🏟WRESTLE KINGDOM 16 in 東京ドーム🏟(1/5)を公開‼️
＼第8試合IWGP 世界ヘビー級選手権試合‼️
魂と魂のぶつかり合い🔥
この壮絶な死闘を制するのはどちらだ⁉️🆚 @WillOspreay × @rainmakerXokada
📲 #njpwworld で配信中📡👀登録＆視聴⏩https://t.co/Tj7UBINMhP#njpw#njwk16Day2pic.twitter.com/d4KsPhsGDc
— njpwworld (@njpwworld) January 5, 2022
After the bout, the retaining champion paid respect to his opponent, saying that although he was the real champion, Ospreay was the real deal. As he delivered a speech to close the show, Tetsuya Naito made his way to the ring and laid down a future challenge to Okada for the new World Championship which he accepted.
Whilst this year’s festivities at the Tokyo Dome have come and gone, there’s still one more night of Wrestle Kingdom 16 to go. On January 8th, the stars of New Japan and Pro Wrestling NOAH will clash in the Yokohama Arena in a special ‘New Japan vs NOAH’-themed event.
You can find out the full card for Night 3 of Wrestle Kingdom 16 and how you can watch it here.