Kazuchika Okada wins the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 16
In the main event of the first night of Wrestle Kingdom 16, Kazuchika Okada won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship from Shingo Takagi.
Both men fought in an incredible match at the Tokyo Dome. With the win, Okada has gotten his hands on the world title for the first time.
In the past, The Rainmaker won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on five different occasions. Each time, Okada has enjoyed a historic reign and promises to do the same now, as well.
WHAT A NIGHT!
An incredible start to the Wrestle Kingdom festivities, and we're just getting started!
Tomorrow, history is made, and an explosive main event sees an undisputed champion determined LIVE IN ENGLISH on NJPW World and FITE!
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The match between Okada and Takagi was full of back-and-forth action. Takagi hit the Dragon Suplex on Okada in the closing stages, but The Rainmaker countered with a classic dropkick.
The pacing of the bout toward the end was intense, as Kazuchika Okada hit the Rainmaker for the three-count and won the title. The victory for him marked the end of a solid title run for Takagi, who had won the vacant title in the first place by beating Okada.
Kazuchika Okada will now defend his newly won IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Will Ospreay
Kazuchika Okada will be defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Will Ospreay on the second night of Wrestle Kingdom 16. The pair will collide yet again, having already faced one another on a few occasions in the past.
Okada and Ospreay, at one point, used to be stablemates in CHAOS. However, the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion betrayed CHAOS and Okada to form his own faction, The United Empire.
NJPW will be safe in my hands.
After the Wrestle Kingdom 16 main event on night one, Kazuchika Okada was confronted by Will Ospreay in the ring. Ospreay claimed that he would get his sweet revenge on The Rainmaker and walk out as the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
He even mentioned that Okada could go become an actor, and NJPW would be safe in his hands instead. The Rainmaker then taunted Ospreay by calling him a "fake champion" as the challenger proceeded to walk away.