In New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the biggest show of any given year is Wrestle Kingdom, which happens every January 4th at the Tokyo Dome. The NJPW equivalent of WrestleMania, Wrestle Kingdom offers huge, high-stakes matchups that often serve as the payoff to long-running storylines. Said matches are often high-quality affairs, too, so fans tune in expecting some of the best matches of the year.
Wrestle Kingdom has been consistently delivering great matches, but which ones are the best bouts? Let’s take a look at the history of Wrestle Kingdom and whittle it down to the 10 best matches, featuring many of the promotion’s biggest stars.
10 Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Wrestle Kingdom II)
The Tanahashi/Okada rivalry became so huge that it’s easy to forget that Tana had another rival in the form of Shinsuke Nakamura, who came up in the dojo with him. This Wrestle Kingdom II bout wasn’t their first single's match or even their first match for the IWGP Heavyweight Title, but it was a big deal as their first clash at Wrestle Kingdom. After 23 minutes, Shinsuke Nakamura would manage to defeat his rival for the title, assuming his position at the top of the mountain.
9 Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada (Wrestle Kingdom 14)
The main event of Wrestle Kingdom 14 was the culmination of a storyline kicked off at Wrestle Kingdom 8, as Tetsuya Naito’s unsuccessful IWGP Heavyweight Title shot was bumped from the main event thanks to a fan vote. Naito, a babyface, reinvented himself as a heel and managed to become way more popular than before, and worked his way to the top. The result -- a winner-take-all bout for the Heavyweight and Intercontinental Titles -- ended in triumph, as Naito achieved his goal and then some.
8 Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kota Ibushi (Wrestle Kingdom 9)
The IWGP Intercontinental Championship wasn’t anything near a prestigious title until Shinsuke Nakamura won it and elevated it to importance, and this Wrestle Kingdom 9 title defense had him going up against Kota Ibushi, a younger competitor with something to prove.
A former junior heavyweight, Ibushi was out to prove that he could hang with one of his idols. But Nakamura didn’t think much of Ibushi, so Kota had to get ridiculously aggressive with the champ, resulting in a show-stealing match -- a tough feat for one of the best Wrestle Kingdoms in history.
7 Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (Wrestle Kingdom 13)
Kenny Omega finally managed to conquer New Japan, and all it took was defeating Okada in one of the greatest pro wrestling matches of all time. Soon enough, Omega began to lean back into his heel persona, and NJPW ace Hiroshi Tanahashi took it upon himself to save New Japan from The Cleaner and defend the honor of Japanese pro wrestling. Their IWGP Heavyweight Title main event would end with Tanahashi reclaiming the throne and Omega delivering a fitting swan song to his NJPW career.
6 Tomohiro Ishii vs. Katsuyori Shibata (Wrestle Kingdom 10)
The NEVER Openweight Title is an odd one in NJPW, as it originally started as an NXT-style belt for younger competitors, but has evolved into the championship for guys that like to hit one another as hard as possible.
This Wrestle Kingdom 10 match offers one of the best NEVER title matches you could see, as fierce strikers Tomohiro Ishii and Katsuyori Shibata put together a ridiculously stiff match that redefines “strong style”. Neither man held back in the slightest during this bout.
5 Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada (Wrestle Kingdom 9)
The definitive New Japan rivalry had young upstart Kazuchika Okada attempt to take Hiroshi Tanahashi’s spot as the ace of the company. Okada upset Tanahashi a month after Wrestle Kingdom 6, but failed to defeat him the following year. Okada finally got a Tokyo Dome rematch at Wrestle Kingdom 9, and this 30-minute classic had Okada once again fail to take down the Ace at the Dome. Soon enough, however, Okada would take the throne, establishing himself as the man to beat.
4 Kota Ibushi vs. Low Ki vs. Prince Devitt (Wrestle Kingdom 7)
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is strictly a midcard title, but that doesn’t mean they don’t put on amazing matches. Wrestle Kingdom 7 offered a particularly fun junior match as Prince Devitt -- still four months from forming Bullet Club -- defended the title against Low Ki and Kota Ibushi in a three-way match.
Given the performers in the bout, the result is as insanely athletic as you’d expect, with lots of jaw-dropping spots and Low Ki wrestling the whole thing while wearing a suit.
3 Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (Wrestle Kingdom 10)
In New Japan, triumph does not come easily. Some fans were disappointed that Okada failed to defeat Tanahashi at the Tokyo Dome in 2015, but 2016 provided “The Rainmaker” with the ultimate test. Okada was the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, and Tanahashi won the G1 Climax, earning a title shot. Would Okada successfully defend his title, or would he succumb to The Ace like he did the previous year? Wrestle Kingdom 10 was the culmination of Okada’s rise to the top, and he earned his spot after a 36-minute classic, full of drama.
2 Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles (Wrestle Kingdom 10)
Wrestle Kingdom 10 was an absurdly great show even by NJPW standards, and bouts like Shinsuke Nakamura defending the Intercontinental Championship against AJ Styles are the reason. A dream match that happened before WWE thought of doing it, two of the best wrestlers in the world put on a bout that lived up to the hype and proved to be the last big match in NJPW for both men.
The bout featured amazing action, some truly breath-taking counters and both men exhibited a level of chemistry that is seen maybe once-in-a-generation in the business.
1 Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega (Wrestle Kingdom 11)
After assuming his spot at the top of NJPW, Kazuchika Okada found himself in a rivalry with G1 Climax winner Kenny Omega, the first gaijin to ever win the tournament. The first time they ever fought in a single's bout was this Wrestle Kingdom 11 main event, which turned out to be a 45-minute epic that was hailed as a classic, praised by fans and wrestlers alike, even breaking Dave Meltzer’s rating system. It would likely be praised as one of the best matches of all time if not for the follow-ups.