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IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Intercontinental Champion Kota Ibushi vs. Jay White with Gedo.
As you might have expected, White talked a lot of trash and stalled early on.
They locked up and White gained the early advantage, grinding away with a side headlock. Ibushi fought his way out but was again snared in the move. Ibushi fought his way out and went for a buzzsaw kick but White saw it and powdered out to the floor.
Ibushi followed White to the floor but was attacked and slammed on the apron on his head and neck. White feigned caring about his well being. White drilled his ribs into the apron and the barricade. White worked over Ibushi for a long time, wearing him down with a waistlock and a bearhug on the mat. They are pacing for a long match. He nailed a catapult into the ropes, snapping the champion's throat.
White continued beating Ibushi down, working over the mid-section. Ibushi mounted a comeback with several kicks to the chest and nailed a standing moonsault for a two count. Ibushi kicked White to the floor and followed him out, only to be shoved backwards into the ring apron, then propelled forward into the barricade, hitting it chest-first. Ibushi returned to the ring, trying to put distance between the two. White followed but was caught with a powerslam. Ibushi went to the corner but was driven into the buckles.
White grabbed Ibushi's leg while he was on the buckles and hit a Dragon Screw Legwhip, adding that to his area of attack. White fired back with right hands and hit a big uranage. Ibushi came back with a big rana. Ibushi fired up the audience. He went for a springboard move but was attacked and crashed into the top rope. White suplexed Ibushi into the turnbuckle.
They fired back and forth at each other with forearms and strikes. Ibushi nailed the B**tard Driver on White but was too spent to capitalize. Ibushi missed a running knee in the corner and was drilled with a pump kick. White nailed a big uranage for a two count. Ibushi nailed the Bom-Ba-Ye knee. They went back and forth. White had the champ pinned but used the ropes for leverage, only to be caught by referee Red Shoes Trionfo.
Ibushi drilled White with a series of klicks to the head and ascended to the top. Gedo climbed up on the apron to distract, allowing White to attack Ibushi. White tried for a back suplex off the top but was elbowed off. White cut off Ibushi's leg on the mat and executed a series of Dragon Screw Legwhip. He cinched in a Death Lock on the mat, trying to force Ibushi to tap. Ibushi fought his way to the ropes to force a break.
White kept kicking Ibushi in the face. Ibushi absorbed the shots and got more and more angry. He stepped up to White and refused to acknowledge the shots he was absorbing. He nailed White with a stiff forearm and the Kiwi star went down in the corner, covering up. Ibushi went after him but was backed up by the referee. He challenged White to meet him center ring. He did and was dropped down. Ibushi challenged him again to face him. Ibushi stuck him down with another forearm shot.
White ended up on the floor. Ibushi rallied the crowd. White returned to the ring but dropped down and said he was done and asked Ibushi to pin him. Instead, Ibushi began stomping and beating him. The referee tried to intercede but was shoved away by Ibushi. That allowed White to lowblow the champion. White rolled Ibushi to the floor and drilled him into the barricade and the apron, over and over.
White continued assaulting Ibushi, beating him up the aisle. White worked him over and set up for a German suplex on the outside. Ibushi grabbed the ropes and was able to pull White up on his shoulders. White escaped into the ring but was kicked in the head. Both men were down from sheer exhaustion as he headed towards the 40 minute mark.
Ibushi pulled White into the ring from the outside with a German suplex. Ibushi nailed an elevated sit-out powerbomb for a close two count. Ibushi went for a knee but White blocked and countered it into a suplex, dropping Ibushi on his head. He nailed a Regalplex for a close two count. White went for Blade Runner but Ibushi countered into a backslide and nailed a knee for another two count.
Ibushi went to the top and attempted the Phoenix Splash, nailing it but Gedo pulled the referee out of the ring as he counted. Gedo went to hit Ibushi with brass knuckles but Ibushi blocked and nailed him with a knee strike, KOing him. Ibushi returned the referee to the ring but White nailed him with Blade Runner. Ibushi kicked up at the very last second.
They continued to battle. White locked on another deathlock. Ibushi fought to the ropes but was pulled back to the center of the ring. Ibushi finally fought to the ropes and made it, forcing the break. White nailed another Regalplex for a two count. He went for Blade Runner but Ibushi blocked and drilled him. Ibushi avoided Blade Runner and nailed a big lariat. Lots of reversals. Ibushi nailed a knee strike to the back to the head and then one to the face. He covered White and made the pinfall.
Your winner and still IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Intercontinental Champion, Kota Ibushi!
Hell of a 48 minute bout. Just a great back and forth match.
White was out and kept trying to hit Ibushi after the match, not realizing it was over.
SANADA came out after the match and challenged for the titles. Ibushi said he was the strongest and best he's ever been and is more powerful than ever. He agreed and said he wanted to wrestle SANADA again in the future. They shook hands an SANADA exited the ring. Ibushi celebrated and headed to the back.
That's all from Wrestle Kingdom!
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