As previously reported, Juice Robinson has been pulled from Wrestle Kingdom 15 with a fractured orbital bone, and will no longer be able to challenge KENTA for the right to battle IWGP United States Champion Jon Moxley. At Wednesday’s show in Korakuen Hall, former-IWGP Heavyweight Champion, and leader of the gluten-obsessed Bread Club Satoshi Kojima stepped up to KENTA and demanded a match at the Tokyo Dome. KENTA accepted Kojima’s challenge in the post-match comments, but NJPW had yet to make the match official.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has just announced that match will go forward. KENTA will face Satoshi Kojima for the IWGP United States Title Challenge Briefcase. KENTA won the case by beating Jeff Cobb in the finals of the New Japan Cup USA in September.
The match marks a return to form for Kojima. The multi-time IWGP Tag Champion hasn’t wrestled as a singles competitor since the 2018 New Japan Rumble, and hasn’t had a singles match on the main Wrestle Kingdom card since 2014, where he defeated NWA Champion Rob Conway to win the title.
Juice Robinson's replacement for KENTA January 4 is official:
Night 1 of Wrestle Kingdom will see KENTA vs Satoshi Kojima!https://t.co/4v0r9YPmKk#njpw #njwk15 pic.twitter.com/prFjJjAb8p
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) December 24, 2020
Here is the updated card for both nights of Wrestle Kingdom 15, which will air LIVE on NJPWWorld & FITE TV.
1/4/2021
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15
Night 1
Pre-Show 2am EST, main card 3am EST
- Pre-Show: 22-Man New Japan Rumble (Final four participants advance to four-way match for KOPW 2021)
- Best of Super Junior 27 Winner vs. Super J-Cup 2020 Winner Match: Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Phantasmo
- IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match: Suzuki-gun (Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi) (c) vs. Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)
- ADDED: IWGP United States Heavyweight Right To Challenge Match: KENTA (c) vs. Satoshi Kojima
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Great-O-Khan
- Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay
- IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Intercontinental Heavyweight Double Championships Match: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
1/5/2021
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15
Night 2
3am EST
- Dark Match: STARDOM Match TBA
- KOPW 2021 Four Way Match (Participants determined by New Japan Rumble)
- IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match: Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado) (c) vs. Rysuke Taguchi & Master Wato
- NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Jeff Cobb
- SANADA vs. EVIL
- IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match: Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. (Winner of Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado)
- IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Intercontinental Heavyweight Double Championships Match: (Winner of Tetsuya Naito vs. Kota Ibushi) (c) vs. Jay White
