That’s some damn good synchronised diving. Credit: NJPW
The final night of Fantastica Mania madness. I’m sad to see it go. Sure it means we’re closer to The New Beginning tour which has loads of great matches booked but does it have a caveman? No, it does not!
If you’ve even glanced at my other Fantastica Mania reviews, then you’ll know I’m not exactly taking this seriously. Please don’t expect that to change here. Let’s dish out some stars.
Night two of the televised versions of Fantastica Mania and we have a tag tournament alongside another title match. At this point, as long as these shows deliver a dose of fun I will be happy. Give me flips and ridiculous characters all day, please. Let’s dish out some stars.
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.
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.
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.
We’re on the Road to Wrestle Kingdom, every night I’m hugging my IWGP Title. Yea that didn’t work. Anyway, we’re back in New Japan and it’s not for a World Tag League show. Bless the wrestling gods. Nope, it’s the final build-up to the Dome and gosh darn it I’m excited. Let’s dish out some stars.
We’ve made it! Nineteen shows later, and World Tag League is over. I reviewed every single one of those bastards. And, for a peek behind the curtain, there ain’t multiple people doing this. It’s all me. God, I need a life.
Self-loathing aside, this is actually a good card and is essentially our Wrestle Kingdom go-home show. That alone is enough to make it worth a watch. Let’s dish out some stars.
Photos aren’t up yet, but I’ll get some when they are. Credit: NJPW
This was one hell of a card. New Japan’s last major show of the year was stacked, as every title match not involving a bull rope looked like a guaranteed success. Throw in some intrigue over the debut of Switchblade and Wrestle Kingdom beginning to take shape, and this was unmissable. Let’s dish out some stars.
For the first time this year, New Japan comes into a major show having been merely alright last time around. Destruction didn’t set the world on fire, but, King of Pro Wrestling is not Destruction, and, on paper at least, this was one hell of a card. Let’s dish out those stars.