While Naito will still have to defend his G1 tournament briefcase, including against Jeff Cobb in the upcoming months, the victory more than likely gets him into the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 18, which is scheduled to be held in the Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2024. Currently, Naito would challenge SANADA for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, in a match pitting Naito against his former Los Ingobernables de Japon teammate.

Right now, though, Naito isn’t concerned about who the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion is, or even the title himself. The most important thing is once again headlining the Tokyo Dome on January 4, something he hasn’t done since 2021.

“I was always chasing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, not the World Heavyweight Championship,” Naito said. “Matter of fact, right up until they made the belt, I was against it. So if it’s a question of the Tokyo Dome main event or the world title, the Dome is way up here and the belt is down here.