King of Pro-Wrestling (2017)

Promotional poster for the event, featuring Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito and Kenny Omega

## Information

### City

Tokyo, Japan

**King of Pro-Wrestling (2017)** was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), which took place on October 9, 2017, in in Tokyo at Ryōgoku Kokugikan. It was NJPW's biggest show between August's G1 Climax and January's Wrestle Kingdom 12 in Tokyo Dome. The top two matches featured Kazuchika Okada defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against EVIL and Tetsuya Naito defending his status as the number one contender to the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 12 against Tomohiro Ishii. This was the sixth event under the King of Pro-Wrestling name.

## Production

### Storylines

King of Pro-Wrestling featured professional wrestling matches that involve different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.

King of Pro-Wrestling was main evented by Kazuchika Okada defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against EVIL. In July, Okada, having at that point held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for over a year, entered the 2017 G1 Climax with the goal of winning the tournament as the reigning heavyweight champion, arrogantly asking if anyone could stop him. On August 5, Okada suffered his first singles match loss in almost a year, when Evil scored an upset win over him. Okada then went on to wrestle Minoru Suzuki to a draw, before losing another match to Kenny Omega, thus failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. With EVIL also failing to reach the finals, he established himself as the next challenger for Okada's title by attacking him after a match on August 13. Eight days later, NJPW officially announced the match between Okada and EVIL for King of Pro-Wrestling. Okada has held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship since June 19, 2016, and this match marks his eighth title defense. If Okada retained the title at King of Pro-Wrestling, he would break Shinya Hashimoto's 489-day record for the longest reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion on October 22.

On August 13, Tetsuya Naito defeated Kenny Omega in the finals to win the 2017 G1 Climax. Following the win, Naito gained possession of a contract for an IWGP Heavyweight Championship match at NJPW's biggest event of the year, Wrestle Kingdom 12 in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2018. Upon receiving the contract, Naito nominated Tomohiro Ishii as his first challenger for it due to Ishii defeating him not only during the 2017 G1 Climax, but also during the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship tournament in July. The match was officially announced for King of Pro-Wrestling on August 21.

   The rest of the matches for the show were announced on September 25, the day after Destruction in Kobe. Added were title matches for both of NJPW's junior heavyweight titles. In the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match, KUSHIDA will defend the title against Will Ospreay. After successfully defending the title against El Desperado on September 16 at Destruction in Hiroshima, Kushida was approached by Ospreay, who stated that he was being defined as the man who could not beat Kushida and wanting to change that perception, challenged him to a title match. This was followed by Hiromu Takahashi entering the ring, but before he could make his own challenge, he was knocked out by Ospreay. Ospreay's previous losses against Kushida included the finals of the 2017 Best of the Super Juniors and What Culture Pro Wrestling's 2017 Pro Wrestling World Cup tournaments, as well as two IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship matches, which took place on April 10, 2016, at Invasion Attack 2016 and June 19, 2016, at Dominion 6.19 in Osaka-jo Hall. In the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match, Funky Future (Ricochet and Ryusuke Taguchi) will defend the title against the mystery team known only as "Roppongi 3K". After dissolving his Roppongi Vice tag team with Beretta on September 16, Rocky Romero approached Ricochet and Taguchi and announced he was bringing in a new tag team named Roppongi 3K to challenge them for their title. Heading into the title match, the identities of Roppongi 3K were kept secret.

   The IWGP Tag Team Championship will be defended in a three-way tornado elimination match, where the Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) defend against the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) and War Machine (Hanson and Raymond Rowe). The three teams faced off in three separate three-way title matches during the previous Destruction tour; the first two matches were won by the defending champions War Machine, while the third match was won by the Killer Elite Squad, who captured the IWGP Tag Team Championship for the first time in three years and eight months. Following the conclusion of the third match, both Guerrillas of Destiny and War Machine challenged Killer Elite Squad to another three-way match, which would this time be contested under elimination rules.

## References

1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `KOPW`
2. ↑ Grabianowski, Ed. How Pro Wrestling Works . *HowStuffWorks, Inc.*. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on 2013-11-18. Retrieved on 2017-08-21.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 ja:【10月9日（月・祝）両国大会の主要カード決定！】IWGP王者・オカダにEvilが初挑戦！“G1覇者”内藤がIWGP挑戦権利証を懸けて石井と再戦!! (in Japanese). *New Japan Pro-Wrestling* (2017-08-21). Archived from the original on 2017-08-21. Retrieved on 2017-08-21.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Rose, Bryan 2017-08-21. NJPW announces Destruction cards, King of Pro wrestling matches . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2017-08-21.
5. ↑ *ja:【新日Ｇ１】オカダついに連勝ストップ　Evilに敗れリング上で大の字* (in Japanese). *Tokyo Sports* (2017-08-06). Retrieved on 2017-08-21.
6. ↑ Rose, Bryan 2017-08-12. NJPW G1 Climax 27 finals live results: Tetsuya Naito vs. Kenny Omega . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2017-08-21.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `FirstCardPWI`
8. ↑ Bergonzi, Ezequiel 2017-08-03. Los récords que puede romper Kazuchika Okada en 2017  (in Spanish). *Superluchas*. Retrieved on 2017-08-22.
9. ↑ *ja:【新日本】オカダ　IWGP最長政権樹立見えた* (in Japanese). *Tokyo Sports* (2017-08-25). Retrieved on 2017-08-25.
10. ↑ *ja:【新日】Ｇ１覇者・内藤が「ＩＷＧＰ挑戦権利証」獲得　防衛戦に石井を指名* (in Japanese). *Tokyo Sports* (2017-08-14). Retrieved on 2017-08-21.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 11.9 ja:【10月9日（月・祝）両国の全カード決定！】Kushidavsオスプレイ！ 棚橋が飯伏とタッグ戦！ 噂の“Roppongi 3K”がJr.タッグ挑戦！ Cody、スカル、ザックも参戦！ (in Japanese). *New Japan Pro-Wrestling* (2017-09-25). Archived from the original on 2017-09-25. Retrieved on 2017-09-25.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Rose, Bryan 2017-09-16. NJPW Destruction in Hiroshima results: Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2017-09-25.
13. ↑ Currier, Joseph 2017-08-26. Daily Update: Mayweather vs. McGregor, Charlotte, WCPW World Cup . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2017-10-05.
14. ↑ Caldwell, James 2016-04-10. 4/10 NJPW “Invasion Attack 2016” PPV Report – Okada vs. Naito, Ospreay's debut, more big title matches . *Pro Wrestling Torch*. Retrieved on 2017-10-05.
15. ↑ Caldwell, James 2016-06-19. 6/19 NJPW Dominion PPV Results – Caldwell's Complete Live Report . *Pro Wrestling Torch*. Retrieved on 2017-10-05.
16. ↑ Rose, Bryan 2017-09-10. NJPW Destruction in Fukushima results: Minoru Suzuki vs. Michael Elgin . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2017-09-25.
17. ↑ Rose, Bryan 2017-09-23. NJPW Destruction in Kobe live results: Kenny Omega vs. Juice Robinson . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2017-09-24.