I haven't wrote a piece in a while as I was growing tired and weary of simple reviews. It wasn't just this that was causing me to be motivated. It was the lack of motivation I have been struggling to find and was running low on my creative juices. Everyone does reviews, so why should I? I decided not to write something until it was original and more different from the pack. Now, you might ask yourself why am I typing this? Well, I have finally thought of something to write about. My inspiration for this wasn't just a fantastic event put on by New Japan Pro Wrestling, but the wonderful fans I see posting each and every day on social media. I felt that it was my turn to get my thoughts and emotions out in a way that was easy for me to look back on. So, here goes nothing...
This was the first Wrestle Kingdom that I have watched live. Every other one I would just seek out a day or so after it had happened. Not this time, I was determined to catch Wrestle Kingdom 11 live! I wanted to feel the energy and excitement with the great people on social media. I wanted to watch one of my favorite promotions put on a grand event and exceed expectations from all. I did indeed stay up and didn't catch any sleep prior to the show. I watched SmackDown Live, 205 Live, and Talking Smack just hours before. I took in a lot of wrestling in just one day to say the least.
It was 2AM est. on January 4th and the pre-show was beginning. The stage, crowd, and overall feel of the presentation just felt right. I got that feeling that assured me I wasn't just in for a good show, but a great show. The event started with the NJPW Rumble. I find myself popping already two minutes in when I heard that awesome tune that is Michael Elgin's theme song. He got a very good reaction from the crowd. I couldn't have been more glad to see Big Mike return and on a big stage. Obviously I would have preferred to have seen him used in a bigger way, but you have to deal with the cards that are dealt to you. This match was full of fun spots and returns from the old dads. Who would have thought ROH's Cheeseburger would be so over with the wonderful Japanese crowd? Not me. The guy has that look and gives off that vibe to where you can't help but cheer the guy. The Rumble came down to him and Elgin. Big Mike went over after running the table, good stuff. This was the right move as this win could be used to elevate Elgin. I enjoyed the performances from most men involved, easy watch.
I looked at the clock and saw that it was 2:45 AM. I was feeling the energy and constantly checking twitter for any news. I mainly saw the people going nuts over Scott Norton who returned in the NJPW Rumble, which was great. The excitement and anticipation for this event was at an all-time high, I didn't really know what to expect from these performers.
The show is beginning finally! I don't want to make this whole piece a review on the show as you can check other sites to get their in-depth analysis on it. I will go through the most notable parts from my view. The undercard was fine, but not great. It was just there for me.
It's about 6AM and I find myself struggling to keep my eyes open. Getting at least an hour of sleep would have been more ideal before watching this show. This wasn't because of a bad show up to this point, but more because I was exhausted after being up almost 24 hours. A decent Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match had come to a close. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano stood tall over GBH and the Guerrillas of Destiny. I found myself asking "Why am I even staying up for this show?" as nothing great has happened yet. I would soon find out why I stood up and wouldn't be disappointed.
The second half of Wrestle Kingdom 11 was unlike anything I had every witnessed in professional wrestling. I cant think of a better two hours of professional wrestling that what followed the decent first half. We were finally getting to the meat of things.
Hiromu Takahashi vs. KUSHIDA for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship. This match was a bit sloppy at times. Takahashi was going insane right out of the box. The sloppiness from Hiromu played to his crazy character and made me enjoy the match even more. KUSHIDA was selling his butt off in this one. I screamed "OH MY GOD, KUSHIDA IS DEAD!" as he took a powerbomb to the outside from Hiromu. I thought KUSHIDA nearly banged his head against the guardrail and thank goodness he didn't. This match had me feeling so worried for both men's safety and gave me the adrenaline rush I desired so much. I was feeling awake again and this match made me feel fired up for what was yet to come. Just writing about this match makes me feel that rush once more! Hiromu Takahashi ended up finishing KUSHIDA off and became the new IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion. This could easily be argued as the best Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match at the Dome. I ended up rating this match ****1/2, tremendous stuff.
Following that match, we got the culmination between to childhood friends. It was time for Hirooki Goto vs. Katsuyori Shibata for the NEVER Openweight Championship. Alright, can someone tell me if this was a damn shoot? It sure felt like it. The thuds from the headbutts in this match had me cringing and wanting more. I feel guilty saying this as I was just previously worried about Takahashi and KUSHIDA's health in the match prior. Now, Goto is known to many as being just a loser who can never get the job done. I see him as more than that. He comes off as a geek, but I think it is almost impossible to not see the fire he displays in the ring. The facials and just flow of his work is much appreciated by me. I look for that stuff that will set one apart from the other. Goto just has something that draws me in and makes me connect with a performer. Shibata was Shibata as always. He had no regard for his health in this. I don't think he ever does. There was a spot where both men were just throwing headbutts back and forth, it was insane! "HOLY SHIT!" is what I was yelling from the basement as I heard Goto and Shibata's heads make a clunking noise when they collided. My little brother shouted "Shut up!" from upstairs as he was trying to get some rest. I never did apologize for waking him up. At the end of this war, it was Hirooki Goto who finally got the job done and won the NEVER Openweight Championship. Again, I gave this match a ****1/2.
That war was then followed by the match I was most looking forward to. It was time for Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. The video package to setup the match was fantastic. Naito is my favorite wrestler in NJPW and Tanahashi is a close second. If you are into storytelling, this is the match for you. Callbacks from other matches and cringe inducing spots filled this match. The crowd was going insane as they were for majority of the event. Near-falls were executed to absolute perfection and had me jumping off my seat every single time someone kicked out right before the referee could count to three. I loved this match so much and it was right up my wheelhouse. Naito defeated Tanahashi in the end with the Destino. The post-match was good too as Naito kind of showed respect to the fallen Tanahashi. I rated this match *****.
The main event was finally here. Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. I really didn't care about this match heading in as I didn't have a horse in the race. Omega is great when he isn't doing his comedy act and Okada' act is just tiring. This match started slow and the first half lacked something. It felt like these two just weren't on the same page. Omega did several breathtaking spots, but I still couldn't get into this. The first half just had a lot of stuff it didn't need. The last 20 minutes of this match were just incredible. Omega and Okada got on the same page. They pulled out everything. Okada connected with a Rainmaker to Omega and he kicked out! Okada's immediate reaction was just priceless. He couldn't believe that Omega wasn't finished with that move. He ends up retaining the championship after another Rainmaker. This might be the best finishing sprint of a match I have ever seen. I wouldn't say this was my favorite match ever though or on the card. The pacing was just off to me. They would turn it up and down constantly about 15 minutes in. This was a good way to close the show though, I dug it. I ended up giving this match a ****1/4, sorry Meltzer.
Now, go back and look at all of the ratings I gave to these matches. Notice anything? I will tell you if you struggle to get it. The connections I felt with the performers made me feel either so much more invested in the match or not. The false finishes had me gasping and had me cheering for who I wanted to win. The stories being told and the journey these wrestlers took me on during this show ultimately decided how much I enjoyed the matches. We have heard recently that Dave Meltzer of WON gave Okada vs. Omega a six star rating. Do you think that rating is too high? I have seen people getting mad at Dave for this. They shouldn't and I'll tell you why. We all have went through different things in life and express our emotions in multiple ways. We connect with different people. All of these qualities determine our personality and character. No one is the same. We may think similar sometimes, but we are not the same. I gave Tanahashi vs. Naito a five star rating while I have seen others not care too much for it. I get it completely. I just feel a connection to the story of Tanahashi and Naito. Tanahashi wanted to prove that he still could be the top guy and ultimately came up short. I have tried to prove people wrong and have failed. The story told in the ring just played with my emotions on another level. We see ordinary people portray these characters on television that remind us of ourselves or someone we know in our personal lives. The emotions that we feel from watching wrestlers go on a journey won't be the same. That is what makes professional wrestling so unique and different.
I hope you can take something positive out of this as I just felt the need to express my thoughts. Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Not everyone will find that same beauty in a match as you and that's okay!
Thank you so much for reading this, I am grateful you took the time out of your day. If you would like to give feedback, I will be sure to read it. If you want to ask a question, I will try my best to answer it. If you ever want to just talk, shoot me a message.
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