In the main event of NJPW Destruction at Kobe on Sunday night, “Switchblade” Jay White ended Tetsuya Naito‘s fourth reign as IWGP Intercontinental Champion at 105-days, as he defeated Tranquilo for his third title in just two years since returning from his excursions abroad. Upon his return he quickly feuded with Hiroshi Tanahashi, capturing the IWGP United States Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in 2018. This year at NJPW New Beginning in Osaka in February, Jay White once again defeated Tanahashi, but this time for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
“二冠”を目論むジェイが内藤を撃破…！
インターコンチネンタル王座を初戴冠！鷹木を下した後藤が“次期挑戦者”に名乗り!!
※9.22神戸大会を新日本プロレスのスマホサイトで独占詳報中！
⇒https://t.co/CeohyLXM3v#njpw #njdest pic.twitter.com/W2ZNsmHZms— 新日本プロレスリング株式会社 (@njpw1972) September 22, 2019
It also marked the one year anniversary of Jay White’s betrayal of his former faction CHAOS, when he turned on Kazuchika Okada at last year’s Destruction at Kobe to join Bullet Club, where he was later anointed the new leader following the departure of The Elite‘s Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and Marty Scurll. White’s IC win now gives Bullet Club an edge in the hardware department, as Bullet Club now controls four of NJPW’s eight titles – KENTA is the NEVER Openweight Champion, Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) are the IWGP Tag Team Champions, and Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo hold the IWGP Junior Heavyweight titles. CHAOS still holds two titles – with Okada still the IWGP Heavyweight Champion in his 5th reign and Will Ospreay the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion – with freelancer Jon Moxley holding the IWGP US Championship. The ad hoc trio of Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe, & Toru Yano hold the NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Titles, and for the first time in a while, Los Ingobernables de Japon are shut out of any New Japan gold. CHAOS looks to be evening the score, as Hirooki Goto crashed Jay White’s celebration party last night, looking for the first title challenge.
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