Early And Closing Betting Odds For Night Two Of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15

Just like yesterday, I spent this morning watching the live coverage of day two of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 and did so with an eye on the closing betting odds. 

Here are the results along with the early and late prices from Kambi.

4-Way For Provisional KOPW 2021 Trophy
The final four in the New Japan Rambo battle royal from yesterday met in a four-way match to determine the first provisional holder of the King of Pro Wrestling 2021 Trophy. 

Kambi placed the 2020 winner - Toru Yano - as a 4/6 favourite when its market was published yesterday. The second favourite was Bad Luck Fale (6/4). Following Fale was Bushi - at 6/1 - and Chase Owens at 8s.

The market was adjusted sometime between 10:45PM last night and 7:30AM GMT today with Bushi's odds lowered into 7/2 while Yano moved to 3/4 and Fale to 19/10. 

Owens stalled at 8/1.

The bout was won by the Yano.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship

The bookmakers published a market for El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru's IWGP Junuor Heavyweight Tag Team Championship defence.

When the market was first installed on Boxing Day, the first sign of action appears to have gone the way of the challengers - Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato - as their price dipped from 11/10 into 21/20. The Suzuki-gun duo remained favourites to successfully retain their straps. However, their price was increased from 13/20 to 7/10.

Desperado and Kanemaru lowered into 3/5 by the morning of January 2nd and was then placed at 2/7 yesterday afternoon. Then - sometime before 7:35AM GMT this morning - the champs dropped once again when they became 1/4 favourites. They remained at those odds right up to match time.

Taguchi and Wato closed as 5/2 underdogs.

The late bettors were on the correct side as the champions retained.

NEVER Openweight Championship
Kambi's market for Shingo Takagi's NEVER Openweight Championship defence against Jeff Cobb was initially published on Boxing Day with the challenger a 7/10 favourite over Takagi's EVS.

The market remained stationary right up to yesterday when Cobb's price was reduced to 4/6 while Takagi rose to 27/25. The decline in favour of the challenger continued this morning when the fave dropped into 11/20.

Takagi was declared the winner after a brilliant match.

The result made sense to me - and I placed a couple of bets on Takagi since Boxing Day  - because I felt that, with the pandemic going on, I assumed NJPW wouldn't put a championship on a person who might not be permanently living in Japan and could face trouble getting in and out of the country with travel restrictions potentially getting in the way.

EVIL .vs. SANADA
The market for what I once guessed would be the main event of this year's event (I thought it would be SANADA as G1 Winner challenging EVIL for the titles) opened with both men at 17/20 when it was first published a day after Christmas.

From there, the odds for SANDA descended. 

The G1 Climax finalist was down to 4/5 by the evening of December 27th and was then at 7/10 on New Year's Eve. Cold Skull's odds were cut for a final time yesterday when they were placed at 8/13.

With SANADA's odds lowered in that period, his opponent went from the aforementioned 17/20 right up to 23/20.

The betting favourite was declared the winner. 

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship
With Hiromu Takahashi confirmed as the challenger to Taiji Ishimori's IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship following a win against El Phantasmo on day one, the oddsmakers from Kambi published a market for today's match yesterday. When it went live, the champ was a 7/4 underdog.

Takahashi won the match.

As you can see below, the eventual winner closed as a 1/3 favourite. He had started out at 2/5.

Kota Ibushi .vs. Jay White
There wasn't a straight match winner market for today's main event. 

With three potential names, that could have left today's event with the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships, Kambi created a market in November in which customers could gamble on who would be the titleholder at the conclusion of the two nights.

With Tetsuya Naito's loss on last night's card, his name was removed from the running leaving the new champion - Kota Ibushi - and the holder of the January 4th/5th title contract, Jay White.

When betting first started, both of today's competitors were available at 13/10 apiece. The then-champion, Naito, was 43/20.

Apart from a slight dip for White on January 3rd (when he fell from 2/1 into 7/4), the odds for Ibushi to be in possession of both straps at the conclusion of Wrestle Kingdom 15 fell from the aforementioned 13/10 into 1/5.

The favourite successfully retained his titles in what was a excellent main event to end this year's shows.