Aaron Wolf will challenge for the NEVER Openweight Championship in his debut match.
The previously announced match involving EVIL and Wolf will now include the former’s championship being defended, as stated during a press conference to promote the January 4 event at the Tokyo Dome.
Wolf, 29, is considered one of the biggest prospects in the promotion’s history after winning a gold medal in Judo at the 2020 Summer Olympics before signing with NJPW.
The combination of Wolf’s debut and the retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi has seen a surge of tickets being sold for the event, along with TV Asahi choosing to broadcast the event for the first time in over twenty years.
The latest lineup for Wrestle Kingdom includes:
- IWGP World Heavyweight vs. IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship: Konosuke Takeshita © vs. Yota Tsuji (c)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. TBA
- NEVER Openweight Championship: EVIL © vs. Aaron Wolf
- STRONG Women’s vs. IWGP Women’s Championship: Saya Kamitani © vs. Syuri ©
