The Puroresu Perspective
A Geijin Guide to NJPW
By Mark Adam Haggerty
Welcome one and all to the Puroresu Perspective, an in-depth analysis of New Japan that also serves to educate the uninformed as to where to catch the most exciting wrestling action on Earth. I can't pretend as though this will be a regular periodical as I myself only catch the big events for New Japan and rely greatly on match reviews and podcasts in between. But I fancy myself something of an expert when compared to the casual Cena-supporter who may just now be getting with the NJPW program. There are sure to be some condescending smarks hiding away in cyber space who will be quick to belittle the less seasoned puroresu fans, but trust in Cheap-Heat.com as well as your pal Mark Haggerty. I’m here to make the learning process simple and more importantly enjoyable. First and foremost, "puroresu" is the Japanese term for what we in America have come to know as Sports Entertainment; it's sort of a reverse engineered cognate in that puroresu is merely the way most Japanese fans pronounce, "pro wrestling." "Geijin," is another Japanese word referring to the foreign talent working in Japan regardless of where they might be from originally.
Now that you've got a handle on the lingo we can dive right into what is already being called one of the best cards of the past 20 years. For those of you who might be making your residence underneath a rock, New Japan Pro Wrestling produced it’s first pay-per-view outside of Japan and the results have been overwhelming. Wrestle Kingdom is considered by many to be the Wrestlemania of Japan, and thanks to Jeff Jarrett and GFW, this year’s ninth edition reached more homes than ever before. The show was breathtaking from beginning to end, serving as the perfect introduction to a worldwide audience formerly unfamiliar with strong style wrestling or the Japanese performers. In addition to familiar faces such as AJ Styles and Jeff Jarrett, new fans were welcomed by comforting vocal tones—those of WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross and the voice of Lucha Underground Matt Striker. I thought Jim seemed a bit out of his element but did an incredible job nonetheless. Let’s break down each and every match from Wrestle Kingdom 9; I’ll give you the who, the what, and most importantly the why, as well as my 5-star match ratings.
IWGP Jr. HW Tag Team Championship
The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) vs. The Time Splitters (Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA) vs. Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov & Rocky Romero) vs. reDragon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly) (c)
This was an impressive start to a fantastic show, broadcast in front of an incredibly wide audience and quite a bit of credit can be given to the co-bookers Jado and Gedo who chose to lead off in a traditional sense, featuring the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Titles. I feel as though a match featuring seven Geijin might have helped ease an otherwise apprehensive audience into what is, quite literally a FOREIGN CONCEPT. This was an incredible bout contested between four of the best tag teams in the world. I recently released my weekly "Honorable Mention," discussing the December 27th edition of Ring of Honor; this week's episode of ROH TV featured reDragon defending their other set of titles against six worthy adversaries in a 4-team elimination match. It was an extremely entertaining exhibition but could hardly stand on par with this carefully worked contest featuring The Young Bucks, The Time Splitters and Forever Hooligans. After the hype died down and the bell finally sounded it became clear that the duo of Rocky Romero and Alexander Koslov were just as impressive as the more talked-about-teams like The Young Bucks or Time Splitters. The match came down to a spot-fest as one might imagine, complete with a separate Super Kick party starring the Young Bucks playing on every one of their opponents. The story of the match was the heat between The Young Bucks and The Time Splitters; reDragon and Forever Hooligans played into the affair but the flashy bravado of The Young Bucks seemed to reignite a longstanding rivalry between Kushida and Shelley and the Bullet Club's Nick and Matt Jackson. That's Alex Shelley for anyone wondering who I'm mentioning at random—yes the former Motor City Machine Gun is enjoying an exceptionally successful career as teammate to former Junior Heavyweight Champion Kushida in what has always appeared to be a "Back to the Future" gimmick. While Romero and Koslov enjoyed their share of high spots, the most thrilling nuances of this particular match occurred at the hands of The Young Bucks and Time Splitters, and ultimately reDragon. Just as they did to retain their titles on Ring of Honor TV, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish managed to swoop in and pick up the victory using an elaborate assortment of trickery and technique. If you like high-flying acrobatics mixed with logical chain wrestling and old school ring psychology, why not give the opening contest of Wrestle Kingdom 9 a watch?
Winners: reDragon
Rating: 3.5/5
The Bullet Club vs. Tenzan, Kojimo, & Honma
This match was a let-down for a variety of reasons, none of which being the slovenly workrate of which there was plenty. It was an abysmal debut for the Bullet Club in front of a global audience. Even after the Young Bucks competed in the opening contest, this was obviously The Bullet Club's formal introduction and you're first privy to Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi and part-time �Club member Jeff Jarrett? That seems like a strange decision however I can't argue with putting Jarrett on as early as possible. Their opponents were Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojimo, and Tomoaki Honma—a tremendous trio of seasoned athletes generally known as individual talents, come together to help vanquish the dastardly Bullet Club. I guess it's important to talk about why Japanese fans hate the Bullet Club and why Westerners can't get enough. The Bullet Club is essentially an homage to the "Kliq," drawing upon gimmicks and mannerisms made famous by both the NWO and Degeneration X. The Japanese wrestling culture has a long tradition of honor and respect, so an entire faction of Geijin pretending to be Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan tends to drive a lot or puroresu purists absolutely insane. The match was slow even by American Rasslin' standards and I would have much rather seen Jeff later in the evening, perhaps standing in AJ Style's corner—not wrestling. Yujiro is an interesting case as he's the only Japanese member of the Bullet Club outside of offshoot factions across indie America. He's a wonderful example of how charisma can transcend language barriers as I feel more in tuned to someone like him than I do Bad Luck Fale. This was my t-shirt match, meaning it was the bout where I would normally buy my mandatory souvenir had I been in the arena. In this case I started writing the intro for this very article and tuned out until the final bell. Not a very good match obviously which is unfortunate because I'm sure several people were excitied to see Double Jay mix it up in the ring once more. Although I'm giving this match a pretty lousy rating, I would implore you not to do yourself a disservice by skipping any bit of this pay-per-view; the worst match from Wrestle Kingdom 9 is better than 99% of what you're going to see on Raw all year.
Winner: Tenzan, Kojimo, & Honma
Rating: 2/5
TMDK, Marufuji, & Yano vs. Suzukigun (Killer Elite Squad: Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer, and Takashi Iizuka)
I hope it wasn't lost on the first time viewers that this 8-man tag contest was a groundbreaking bout for New Japan and professional wrestling as an industry. "TMDK" is an impressive young duo comprised of Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste—both wrestling out of Perth, Australia whose team name initials stand for "The Mighty Don't Kneel." What's most bizarre about this match and the way in which it was booked is that TMDK and Naomichi Marufuji are all signed to NOAH—a smaller but nonetheless competitive promotion also located in Japan. That's like if Wrestlemania 31 rolled around and Vince McMahon decided to book an 8-man tag featuring Ring of Honor wrestlers. That would be incredibly awesome, but we know it's not going to happen. They're lead into battle by Toru Yano, an NJPW mainstay who has promised to build a team to take down his longstanding rivals, Killer Elite Squad. Little did KES know however, Yano would explore alternative avenues when scouting talent for their collision at Wrestle Kingdom. On the opposite side of the ring stand Yano's most dreaded foes who just so happen to be former WWE Superstars—Shelton Benjamin, now sporting a stylish X in between both his first and family name; David Hart Smith, the son of Diana Hart and the late British Bulldog; and TNA-turned-WWE wrestler Lance Hoyt AKA Vance Archer, now operating under the moniker, "Lance Archer." Shelton Benjamin and Killer Elite are part of a faction known as "Suzukigun," meaning "Suzuki Army." Unlike the Bullet Club, this ragtag band of Geijin work closely with a number of Japanese wrestlers, this evening teaming with Suzukigun member Takashi Iizuka. The MVP's of this match were most certainly the explosive team of Nicholls and Haste who wasted little time in introducing themselves to not one, but two brand new sets of viewers. Despite their lumbering style when compared to the smaller and generally swifter native talents, take nothing away from Smith and Archer whose more traditional presentation makes for an all-original hybrid sports-product. Shelton X Benjamin was far more low-key than I would have preferred but I can't fault him had it been in an effort to mask his age and protect his image. He was impressive nonetheless in delivering some of his more signature spots such as the heel kick complete with the initial fake-out. I was really excited and surprised to see the outside team win, even though they were led by Yano. A very fast paced back and forth with staggering displays of strength. If you like insane acrobatics but you also want to see choke slams, this match is right up your alley,
Winner: TMDK, Marufuji, & Yano
Rating: 2.75/5
Minoru Suzuki vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
Minoru Suzuki is a name being brought up more commonly in conversation by wrestling fans across the planet and that's perhaps due to his match with AJ Styles last year—a contest deemed, "Match of the Year" by many insiders and outsiders alike. The announcers did their darnedest to put over both Suzuki and Sakuraba's ability inside the MMA arena, and with just-cause. Both individuals have garnered sterling reputations not only as fighters but as pioneers in the evolution of the sport of fighting. I find Sakuraba particularly interesting as pertains to fighting outside the admittedly pre-determined realm of wrestling; Sakuraba has defeated famed fighting family members Royler, Renzo, Ryan and Royce in individual competition earning himself the nickname, "The Gracie Killer." Under all that experience and ruthless determination, Kazushi Sakuraba seems like the nicest guy in the world. Especially in contrast to his opponent, the formidable Suzuki who Jim Ross claims, "Loves to hurt people." This was the first one-on-one battle of the night and was contested under alternative rules than a normal matchup, rather the only way to win was by knockout or submission. The match was a combination of both smash-mouth strong style and amateur wrestling. As the match waned, what had basically been a brawl evolved into a mat-based-game leading Suzuki to lock in the rear-naked choke. It wasn't long before the "Gracie Killer" was asleep. An incredibly violent bout lacking in the hardcore elements that make most mainstream matches intolerable. I will definitely consider this the next time I have a UFC friend that considers checking out professional wrestling.
Winner: Suzuki
Rating: 3.5/5
NEVER Openweight Championship
Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii (c)
Another fast paced strong-style battle featuring two of the most recognizable faces in all of NJPW. Togi Makabe is a former IWGP Heavyweight champion in addition to holding a victory in the G1 Climax 2009, so securing championship titles is nothing new to the bleached blonde babyface brawler. In this match however, Makabe is challenging for a championship rather than defending one which always makes things a bit trickier. The NEVER Openweight Championship is a title without limits originally conceived as a means to highlight up-and-coming talent. But as is the case with the current title holder Ishii, only established wrestlers and former world champions have succeeded in claiming the belt. Makabe is an interesting talent to watch as he doesn't really resemble anyone in the west as far as his style, perhaps a handful of Japanese-influenced members of this generation but no one of importance. Ishii on the other hand uses his size and natural ability to his advantage in luring each of his opponents into a state of security, just before striking and saving his NEVER Title in the process. Makabe is a bit smarter than the Young Boys Ishii's been tangling with as of late and it was only a matter of time before Tomohiro's honor had depleted enough for Makabe to take full advantage and take what belonged to him. Although his youthful exuberance and amateur dye-job give Togi Makabe the appearance of being the youngest NEVER Openweight Champion in history, he is actually the oldest. NJPW is constantly setting precedents and raising the bar, and Togi Makabe's championship victory at The Tokyo Dome show at 42 years of age is another notch in the life expectancy of professional wrestlers.
Winner: Makabe
Rating: 3.5/5
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Kenny Omega vs. Ryusuke Taguchi (c)
Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed this match, but seeing as how it's my job to write about wrestling I guess I'll give it a go. Kenny Omega has been hit with a fair amount of flak since opting to darken his image and align himself with the Bullet Club. Fans on both sides have voiced a variety of valid grievances with Omega as to their opinion on which way his career should have gone. I too struggled with the abrupt change in his otherwise happy demeanor, wondering why they'd turn such a white meat babyface heel for no foreseeable reason. Then I was watching Wrestle Kingdom 9 and during Kenny Omega's entrance I said, "Oh! He was boring as hell before!" While the idea of Kenny Omega turning heel and darkening his hair seemed at first ill-advised, it makes far more sense than wasting an unbelievable young competitor who's fluent in Japanese and able to perform within the single percentile of talent. As far as opponents, Kenny could have asked for none better and not just because Ryusuke Taguchi is currently in possession of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Taguchi AKA Funky Weapon was one of the first Japanese stars I latched onto when I began watching NJPW on a regular basis. He's got an unequalled level of charisma and a nickname that English-speaking puroresu fans are clamoring to scream out loud. His skillset goes beyond his entrance and marketability however as Taguchi has held onto the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship since claiming it from Kushida on July 4th, exactly six months ago. During the match Matt Striker made mention of Kenny Omega's chainsaw spot so as not to completely confuse those who'd never seen stubble used as a weapon. I thought that this was the Match of the Night up until this point without question. Kenny Omega is an awesome addition to the Bullet Club and it was good to see the most talked-about faction in wrestling get at least one win on the biggest card of the year. As sad as it is to see Ryusuke drop a title he's carried with such pride, one can only wonder what's on the horizon for the wrestler known to millions around the world as "Funky Weapon."
Winner: Omega
Rating: 4/5
IWGP Tag Team Championship
Meiyu Tag (Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata) vs. The Bullet Club (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) (c)
Meiyu is a much beloved tag team made up of high school classmates and lifelong friends Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata. The story here is a pair of small town All-Japan athletes defending themselves and their national pride against Luke "the Doc" Gallows and the defacto leader of the Bullet Club—"Machine Gun" Karl Anderson. First of all, I absolutely loved the detail involved in Anderson's entrance, stopping midway down the ramp to take his shot at the forty-thousand fans inside the Tokyo Dome. It's a spot he employs on a regular basis but on this night was captivating given the ambiance and grandeur of the arena. I got the feeling that Jim Ross did the most preparation for this match as he featured Karl Anderson on his show this past week. He also seemed all-too-comfortable falling back on his WWE wrestling knowledge to help steer away from water deemed too deep, and that's why a match involving Festus AKA Fake Kane AKA Doc Gallows is right up Good Ol' JR's alley. I thought this was an unimpressive contest that did little to excite but I was willing to cut it a fair amount of slack given it's position, nestled in between the Junior Heavyweight Title match and AJ Styles versus Naito. Not much to say except another poor showing for the Bullet Club, and this time from the man claiming to be in charge. Karl Anderson is one of the biggest stars of New Japan, I just wish the company would choose to market him as such rather than relegating him to yet another tag team on the roster. Anderson was once part of a far more imposing duo with retired WWE superstar and current NXT commentator Matt Bloom AKA Jason Albert. Now he's tagging up with Festus? I will give credit where it's due—Luke Gallows is a funny guy, especially on The Bullet Club's podcast, "Talkin' Shop." But Tag Team Champions? Once again, it's time for Karl Anderson to go his own way. By the end of the match the hometown boys were afforded their "Wrestle Kingdom Moment" as they sat stoically in the center of the ring, a tribute to a simpler time as school boys to symbolize just how far they had come.
Winner: Meiyu Tag
Rating: 3/5
AJ Styles vs. Tetsuya Naito
I wasn't sure this would be the best match on the card and I'm happy I kept my expectations low because as fun as it was, it didn't reach the heights of what either wrestler is capable of. Many fans had been waiting for this match more than most others on the card and with good reason I suppose; this could be the only time we hear Jim Ross call an AJ Styles match ever. But add to that the significance of two celebrated athletes squaring off in another historic battle, this time at the January 4th Dome Show, and you're on the precipice of a Match of the Year Contender. I'm slowly starting to see the value in Naito, a wrestler I've admittedly been down on since his revival earlier this year—I just don't get the eye thing, what is up with the eye thing? Regardless, his matches with some of the biggest names in the sport have started to sway me somewhat and this bout in which he's featured across from "The Phenomenal One" was another well-paced learning experience. AJ is just so good at what he does especially when tweaking his nice guy image to play a true heel. When working a crowd where words aren't an option, everybody needs to be at the top of their game in terms of big gestures and high yield sales tactics. AJ never phones anything in and commits to even the most evil character he's asked to portray, adopts a more carefree delivery of how he stomps Naito into the ground. I was surprised when the final pin fall was tallied and I was able to gauge the length of the match, discovering it lasted far longer than I would have guessed. AJ of course walked away with the win following an incredibly risky "Style's Clash" from up high. If you hadn't had the chance yet, give my "Top Fourteen Wrestlers of 2014" a read and see why I named AJ Styles the Number Two Wrestler of Twenty-Fourteen.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: 3.5/5
IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Kota Ibushi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (c)
Until the final match was underway I would have called this the match of the night. Much like during the glory days of WWF the Intercontinental Championship is among the most prestigious titles available, and quite often even headlines pay-per-view events. Shinsuke Nakamura is a highly visible figure in Japanese culture; sporting an array of alternating bizarre hairdos along with his throwback threads from the 1980's, Nakamura has been considered by many, "The King of Strong Style." His kicks and forearm strikes are perhaps just as deadly as Okada's Rainmaker, or perhaps Roman Reigns' Super Man Punch would be a better example. This match was by my estimation the strongest style contest of the evening and that's including the earlier bout with Suzuki and Sakuraba. Both individuals have a keen understanding of what they are willing to do to steal the show, as well as an accurate idea of their personal limits. Nakamura was never the most technically proficient member of the NJPW roster, but his Freddie Mercury-inspired charisma is what has helped him to reach the top-most tier of stardom. The challenger for Nakamura's belt is 32-year old Kota Ibushi—described by both JR and Striker as a "young buck" compared to Nakamura, although he is only but a few years younger. Both performers had high spots and low points from the dawning of the contest until its conclusion but the action never waned. Although unable to attain victory, Ibushi was lucky enough to walk away better than before. His varied arsenal helped him earn the respect of Nakamura, perhaps most notably the kick which may have given Nakamura a concussion.
Winner:В Nakamura
Rating: 5/5
IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (c)
It's only January 4, but I think we have a solid contender for Match of the Year. I started following NJPW closely some years back and I've been afforded the opportunity to watch young Kazuchika Okada evolve from a Young Lion to the Rainmaker we know today. The story as it relates to Okada and the champion Hiroshi Tanahashi is respect or lack-thereof. Tanahashi is the aging champion who, although nearing the end of his career, is unable to pass the torch to someone as dishonorable as the 27 year old former IWGP champion Okada. I am personally enamored with Okada as I think he is one of the finest performers in the world. Any time you can get excited about a man's dropkick in 2015 is a moment worth celebrating. Not to take anything away from the record-setting Tanahashi and his seven illustrious title reigns, but I feel as though the time has passed and not only in a Kayfabe context. When Tanahashi hits the ring he's played out by an orchestra of stereotypical Japanese pop music with big flashy poor English translations reading phrases like "Ace Universe." Hiroshi Tanahashi might still be one of the greatest wrestlers in the world, but if the conversation is about the future, look no further than Okada. Tanahashi is a man out of time. I thought Striker and JR touched upon some interesting stuff and that's that Tanahashi will forever be remembered as the man who helped turn NJPW around; Okada is the man who took NJPW to the next level. This match was just as fluid as anything you're going to see anywhere in the world; the 38-year old Tanahashi has no trouble keeping in step with the star eleven years his junior and in most cases sets the pace for the match himself. Tanahashi and Okada each made use of their big spots and signature maneuvers, but as the clock ticked away and the four hours of Wrestle Kingdom 9 came to a close, there could only be one winner. After a continuous aerial assault bombarding Okada with a series of big splashes, Tanahashi managed to turn his 227-pound frame in midair securing one final cross body and thus saving the highly coveted IWGP Heavyweight Championship. If you're going to see just one match from Wrestle Kingdom 9, make sure it is the main event contest for the IWGP Title featuring Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada. Both men gave an extraordinary effort, the likes of which most wrestling fans have never seen before.
Winner: Tanahashi
Rating: 5/5
This event is already being hailed an overall masterpiece and I have to agree. During the final moments of the main event Jim Ross exclaimed, "If you can find two better matches back to back all year long, I want to be there to see them with you." His praise was in no way hyperbolic as the final three contests could have each headlined their own separate pay-per-view anywhere in the world. Jeff Jarrett really struck oil with this partnership and I hope GFW can continue showcasing international talent for years to come. If Wrestle Kingdom 10 can achieve half the success as did its predecessor, there might be a day where we say, "Wrestlemania—it's like the Wrestle Kingdom of America." Until that day I promise to keep you up to date on the most important movements inside the fascinating world of Japanese wrestling. As for now however, my work is finished—my name is Mark Adam Haggerty wishing you a Happy New Year and thanking the good folks at NJPW and GFW for a phenomenal first show of the year. Domo arigato.
