The Puroresu Perspective
New Japan on AXS #1
By Mark Adam Haggerty
Welcome to The Puroresu Perspective: The Geijin Guide to Japanese Wrestling here in America. My name Is Mark Adam Haggerty and in addition to my five regular once-weekly reviews, I've taken on the responsibility of introducing the Cheap-Heat community to NJPW and the wonderful world of puroresu. Wrestle Kingdom 9 was the first ever Japanese wrestling show broadcast to American pay-per-view providers and it was incredible, an amazing product from top to bottom that you can read about in my first installment of �Puroresu Perspective.' Coming off the heels of what might be the biggest international event in company history, NJPW is furthering its reach into Western Culture with the debut of New Japan Pro Wrestling on AXS TV. I heard a few rumblings in regard to what I might expect, but the finished product blew me away. Without getting too deep into the extraordinary in-ring action, let's quickly discuss some of what could make NJPW the best hour of wrestling on television.
The first face we see smiling back at us is that of the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi, who humbly introduces himself before presenting the first match in this landmark series. Tanahashi is a genuine individual who makes light of his own shortcomings and relies greatly on the support of his fans. Rather than relying on three to four ten minute house-show matches like every other wrestling show, NJPW has chosen its greatest bouts from the past two years to showcase for a brand new audience. Therefore the first match of the series is the 33-minute championship bout between Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada from Wrestle Kingdom 7 in 2013.
Immediately we're transported back to the Tokyo Dome just in time for "The Rainmaker" to make his appearance on the stage. The biggest drawback for English-speaking fans has always been the language barrier, leaving plenty to be desired as far as context. I know that my friends have trouble sitting through entire NJPW events because they don't find the stories as compelling as those told by "Stone Cold" and Mr. McMahon or Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes. But the story is most certainly there, it's just lost in translation. We're introduced to our play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo, a celebrated sports broadcaster with experience in football, hockey, boxing and mixed martial arts. His partner and color-analyst for this new venture is former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett, who uses his own professional wresting experience to help explain what's happening inside the ring.
The match is of course outstanding complete with everything you'd expect from Tanahashi and Okada, two years to the day of their most recent clash at Wrestle Kingdom 9. Although calling a match from 2013, Barnett and Ranallo worked as if it was live and they were sitting ringside. Barnett talked about his own experiences inside the Toyko Dome which gave a great sense of presence to both announcers as they got set to call one of the best matches of 2013. I really value having an English-speaking broadcast team, especially for some of the biggest matches in recent NJPW—matches that are already enchanting, but given the right context are downright uncanny. As he proceeded to describe the individual combatants, Ranallo made mention that Okada had a brief stint in TNA, even joking about how he was used while in America. On the occasion that Ranallo would speak of outside promotions such as TNA and WWE, he did so in a tactful and informative manner which is a welcome change from either pretending the other companies aren't there, or attacking them head-on.
Tanahashi of course won the confrontation and retained his title in 33 minutes, in front of a sell-out Tokyo crowd. Immediately following the match were subtitled interview excerpts from both Tanahashi and Okada, cut from the Wrestle Kingdom 7 post-show and arranged accordingly as an epilogue to the battle itself. Standing in the ring victorious, Tanahashi smiled and spoke between bated breaths, telling his adoring fans that his era was not yet over. The most appealing aspect of New Japan on AXS outside of the unparalleled ring-work has to be the broadcast duo of Mauro Ranallo and Josh Barnett, who within one episode might have already become the best commentators in the industry. Both individuals present themselves in a professional manner and treat wrestling like a sport. Mauro isn't selling an app, he's taking the viewer through the colorful history of the IWGP title in an easy to understand way by including household names such as Vader and Brock Lesnar. Barnett applies his hybrid expertise to the contest by explaining the significance of every maneuver and how it will effect each competitor going forward.
When the program had drawn to an end, I sat in front of my frozen DVR screen humbled by the chance to watch a professional wrestling show again. The pride that the Japanese wrestlers take in their work is unimaginable to the average American who hears "pro wrestling" and thinks of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. The two biggest drawbacks to being a puroresu fan have always been the scarce availability and the stark contrast in communication. This show presents the biggest names on the current roster in some of the best wrestling contests on the planet, skillfully narrated by one of the leading names in all of sports casting. Ladies and gentlemen the hour-long wrestling market is getting hotly competitive, please take my advice and set your cable or satellite to AXS TV every Friday night at 9. Until next week, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this has been The Puroresu Perspective.
