The original plans for the main event of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14 were different from what played out last weekend.
Wrestle Kingdom 14 saw Jay White, Kota Ibushi, Tetsuya Naito and Kazuchika Okada compete in the Double Gold Dash tournament for the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Titles.
At night one, Okada retained the Heavyweight Title against Ibushi and Naito beat White to win the Intercontinental Title. Fast forward to night two, Naito beat Okada in the finals to win both titles.
Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio the original plan for the final four was to have Ibushi, Okada, Naito and Kenny Omega.
If Omega didn’t leave NJPW for AEW then he would’ve beat Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom last year and then Omega wrestling Okada inside Madison Square Garden on WrestleMania weekend. The plan was for Omega to retain the title while Okada was going to eventually win the Intercontinental Title to elevate it.
Per the report, Ibushi and Omega would have faced off on night one of Wrestle Kingdom 14 while Naito vs. Okada in the other contest with the finals seeing Naito win it all.
Last February it was reported that Okada vs. Omega at MSG was the original plan for NJPW but plans changed once Omega was weighing his options between WWE and AEW. NJPW put the belt on Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13 and had White fill the booking role Kenny left behind.
