King of Pro-Wrestling (2017)

King of Pro-Wrestling (2017) is an upcoming professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), scheduled to take place on October 9, 2017, in Tokyo at Ryōgoku Kokugikan. It will be NJPW's biggest show between August's G1 Climax and January's Wrestle Kingdom 12 in Tokyo Dome. The top two matches will feature Kazuchika Okada defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against EVIL and Tetsuya Naito defending his status as the number one contender to the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 12 against Tomohiro Ishii. This will be the sixth event under the King of Pro-Wrestling name.

Storylines
King of Pro-Wrestling will feature professional wrestling matches that involve different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.

King of Pro-Wrestling will be main evented by Kazuchika Okada defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against EVIL. In July, Okada, having at that point held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for over a year, entered the 2017 G1 Climax with the goal of winning the tournament as the reigning heavyweight champion, arrogantly asking if anyone could stop him. On August 5, Okada suffered his first singles match loss in almost a year, when Evil scored an upset win over him. Okada then went on to wrestle Minoru Suzuki to a draw, before losing another match to Kenny Omega, thus failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. With EVIL also failing to reach the finals, he established himself as the next challenger for Okada's title by attacking him after a match on August 13. Eight days later, NJPW officially announced the match between Okada and EVIL for King of Pro-Wrestling. Okada has held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship since June 19, 2016, and this match marks his eighth title defense.

On August 13, Tetsuya Naito defeated Kenny Omega in the finals to win the 2017 G1 Climax. Following the win, Naito gained possession of a contract for an IWGP Heavyweight Championship match at NJPW's biggest event of the year, Wrestle Kingdom 12 in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2018. Upon receiving the contract, Naito nominated Tomohiro Ishii as his first challenger for it due to Ishii defeating him not only during the 2017 G1 Climax, but also during the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship tournament in July. The match was officially announced for King of Pro-Wrestling on August 21.