Jay White vs. Tetsuya Naito To Headline NJPW Destruction in Kobe

New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that Tetsuya Naito will defend the IWGP Intercontinental Championship against ‘Switchblade’ Jay White at NJPW Destruction in Kobe on September 22. Here’s the press release:

A huge championship match has been signed for DESTRUCTION in KOBE on Sunday, September 22, as Switchblade Jay White will face champion Tetsuya Naito, it has been announced.

Naito and White met one on one on the last day of block action in G1 Climax 29. In controversial form, with Gedo playing an assisting role, White defeated Naito, and advanced to the finals of the tournament. While White would lose in the G1 finals to Kota Ibushi, he would remain steadfast in the belief that Naito was his ‘destino’.

In Long Beach on August 25, White would take to the microphone and declare that he and he alone deserved to be Intercontinental Champion, and would go on to become the first ever double Intercontinental and IWGP Heavyweight Champion in the Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom 14. Naito has long declared double gold to be his ambition, and Kota Ibushi stated after winning the G1 Climax that he too had designs on the unprecedented feat.

For White, the first step is seizing the title from Naito. Jay White’s one and only Intercontinental Championship match was at Wrestle Kingdom 12, when he took on Hiroshi Tanahashi on return from excursion. White fell short, but quickly shot to stardom afterward.

Naito will be making the first defence of his fourth reign as IWGP Intercontinental Champion, but hasn’t been entirely successful of late with the belt, with his last two reigns as champion ending at one and zero defences respectively. Naito will be hungry for revenge, and eager to keep his Tokyo Dome dreams strongly alive.