Quick disclaimer, chronologically, I should be covering Tenyru, Kawada and Fuyuki vs Tsuruta, Fuchi and Yatsu. However, I can’t find it anywhere. If anyone knows where I can get a copy of it or even some highlights, let me know. For now, we must move on.
Make Wrestling Better
Wrestling is my safety blanket. When I’m feeling down or when life is a bit too scary, I turn to my imaginary world of superheroes. Of giants and champions. I feel safe there. All of which is why I get sad when I see shit begin to leak out of that world. I want to bury my head in the sand when accusations of abuse or manipulation run rampant on Twitter. I genuinely hate it when the discussion turns to the horrible deeds rather than the fantastic matches.
RevPro Live At The Cockpit 25 Review
RevPro kicked off the year with a terrific show at the Cockpit and came straight back the next night. Live At The Cockpit 25 was wrapping up their women’s tournament and had a few other treats on the card too. How exciting. Let’s dish out some stars.
RevPro Live At The Cockpit 24 Review
RevPro’s first show of 2018 took them back to The Cockpit for the start of their women’s title tournament. A card full of exciting women’s matches was further proof (as if it was needed) that it’s ridiculous for most companies to continue to treat them like a box to tick rather than an essential part of the show (something that RevPro themselves are guilty of). We can only hope they learn from this. Let’s dish out some stars.
Kazuchika Okada: The Unbeatable Champion
“All of which leads us to January 4th and Okada vs Naito. The golden boy vs the rebel. There’s only one way this should go and it’s with the rebel getting the win.”
The words of, well, me. In the build-up to Wrestle Kingdom, I was so sure that Naito would beat Okada that I’d have bet your life on it. It seemed like a foregone conclusion. The pretty pink bow on Naito’s long story. Honestly, I still think it should have been, but the evils have popped out of Pandora’s box, and they ain’t going back in. So, we’re left with Okada and time to ponder whether this was the right story to tell.
Meltzer’s Classics: Lioness Asuka, Mika Komatsu, Kazue Nagahori, Mitsuko Nishiwaki, Etsuko Mita and Sachiko Nakamura vs. Chigusa Nagayo, Yumiko Hotta, Mika Takahashi, Mika Suzuki, Yumi Ogura and Yachiyo Hirata, 12/6/87
Time to be honest. There is no way I am going to be able to write out a match report for this or even anything close to one. There are twelve women in this and – outside of Nagayo and Asuka – I know nothing about them. They also all wear very similar gear and are constantly switching in and out of the ring. What I’m trying to say, is I don’t have a clue who anyone is. On top of that, I don’t think the full thing is out there. As far as I can tell there’s only a seventeen-minute highlight package online. It’s far from convenient but as Meltzer once described this as the best match he’d ever seen, I don’t think I can miss it out. So I’ll have to do my best with what I have.
PWG All Star Weekend Night Two Review
Night Two of All Star Weekend had a tasty main event. With Ricochet having turned heel and challenged Chuck Taylor following his BOLA victory it was a question of whether he was going to get a run with the PWG Title before heading to WWE. Let’s dish out some stars.
NJPW New Year Dash 2018 Review
It’s the night after Wrestle Kingdom and all through Korakeun Hall, new stories are stirring and I’ve got nothing more.
That will be my last Christmas themed intro I promise.
If you’re getting into New Japan for the first time, look at New Year Dash as being their Raw after WrestleMania. It’s when NJPW hit the reset button and set up the storylines that are going to take them into the New Year. Which makes it pretty damn exciting. Let’s dish out some stars.
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 Review
It’s time. I’m not going to bother with a preamble. It’s January 4th and New Japan are in the Tokyo Dome. We all know what that means. Let’s dish out some stars.
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 Preview: A Beginner’s Guide
Forget Christmas and New Year, it’s Wrestle Kingdom season, and that is the most wonderful time of the year. New Japan is all set for their biggest show of the year, and it looks likely to be their biggest version of their biggest show in quite a while.
Which means that a lot of people will be watching for the first time. A year ago, I did the same thing at Wrestle Kingdom 11. That decision kickstarted my love of New Japan. However, there’s no denying that a lack of context took a bit of sparkle off that show. Going back to it with what I know/have seen now, it is even better.
So, with that in mind, this is a beginner’s preview to Wrestle Kingdom. I’m not only going to focus on who I believe should win each match and why, but also how we got here. I hope it proves useful.
Continue reading “NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 Preview: A Beginner’s Guide”
