After six years, Shinsuke Nakamura faced off against Yoshihiro Takayama for the second time in the Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom 4.
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Shinsuke Nakamura had already won his third and final IWGP Heavyweight Championship before he truly began the King of Strong Style era in the 2010s. However, in the years leading up to that, it was the Intercontinental title that would define Nakamura. But before the white and gold, there was one prize that Nakamura had his sights set on, and he achieved it.
In the main event of January 4, 2010, Nakamura faced off against the giant Yoshihiro Takayama. Six years prior, the two had met in a double championship bout over the NWF and IWGP Heavyweight Championships, a match that Nakamura barely won. Takayama was eager to see how much Nakamura had evolved since their last encounter. After a one-two shot of Boma Yes from Nakamura, Takayama felt just that, and he was forced to yield to Nakamura. Less than a year after forming CHAOS, Nakamura was on top of the wrestling world and ready to embrace his role as the King of Strong Style.
Meanwhile, the connection between NJPW and NOAH was evolving into an all-out war at Wrestle Kingdom. Go Shoiozaki and Hiroshi Tanahashi, the young faces of both companies, would face off on the card, which also featured a battle between Takashi Sugiura and Hirooki Goto.
Sugiura had beaten Shiozaki the previous month to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship for the first time, beginning a dominant 581-day reign. Goto, on the other hand, blamed Sugiura for a loss in the G1 Climax that could have secured his second consecutive G1 tournament victory. Goto brought an aggressive approach to the match, but his impetuousness allowed Sugiura to take control on the floor. Although the challenger regained control with a brutal neckbreaker on the apron, Sugiura fought back and used the ankle lock to secure victory.
As for the battle between the fresh-faced aces, Hiroshi Tanahashi carried the pride of NJPW one year after his torch-taking match against Keiji Muto in 2009, which earned him the Tokyo Sports MVP award for the first time. Tanahashi was the face of Japanese wrestling, but Go Shiozaki intended to destroy that face, catapulting Tanahashi face-first into the ring post early in the match. However, NJPW’s Ace persevered, and the High Fly Flow connected on the second attempt, securing the win.
The pride of NOAH on that night was Naomichi Marufuji. The 2009 Super J-Cup winner defeated Tiger Mask, capturing the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship and attracting a line of contenders from NJPW eager to reclaim the title.
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