Wrestle Kingdom 9
On August 10, 2014, NJPW made two announcements. Firstly, Wrestle Kingdom 9 would be held at the Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2015. Secondly, NJPW revealed a partnership with Jeff Jarrett's Global Force Wrestling, which it approached about bringing the event to a new market. On November 4, GFW announced that it would present the event live on American pay-per-view television and that it had a PPV market of 125 million homes.
Wrestle Kingdom 9
The eighth match was between A.J. Styles and Tetsuya Naito. Although Styles twice attempted his signature "Styles Clash", Naito countered and Styles then focused on attacking Naito's left leg. Styles later applied the "Calf Killer", forcing Naito to grab the rope to break the hold. After another "Styles Clash" attempt, Naito countered by throwing Styles over the top rope to the floor. When Styles returned to the ring after a 19 count (NJPW employs a 20 count in their matches), Naito attempted a top-rope huracanrana. Styles blocked it, converting it to a "Styles Clash" from the second rope before pinning Naito for another Bullet Club victory at 14 minutes and 25 seconds.