British Monsoon
Member
...huh?
For the uninitiated, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (the oldest professional wrestling company in Japan) are hosting their annual Tokyo Dome show on January 4th. In October 2012 New Japan offered their PPV's to international customers for the first time and, since then, we've seen a spike of interest in the promotion within the WrassleGAF community. New Japan are considered by many to currently be the premier wrestling product in the world and, as we head towards New Japan's biggest show of the year, we thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce some potential new fans to the promotion.
So, this is just Japanese WWE?
Not quite. Despite the roster including a number of ex-WWE superstars (Shelton Benjamin, Luke Gallows, Harry Smith, Lance Hoyt, etc) New Japan has a much greater focus on in-ring action. The presentation is decidedly sports based, from the national press photographers scampering about at ringside to contract signings and the post-show press conferences. Although there are interviews and promos, the emphasis is on largely on in-ring storytelling between larger than life characters who are regarded as some of the best wrestling talents in the world today. See the GIFs & Media section below for examples.
When does this all happen?
Wrestle Kingdom 8 itself takes place on January the 4th, while there are a couple of FREE pre-show events on Friday, January 3rd;
- 01/03 - Wrestle Kingdom - Battle of the Past: 2008 ~ 2013 | FREE: www.ustream.tv/njpw
- 17:00 CET | 16:00 GMT | 11:00 EST | 08:00 PST
- 01/03 - Wrestle Kingdom - Ring Construction | FREE: www.ustream.tv/njpw
- 21:00 CET | 20:00 GMT | 15:00 EST | 12:00 PST
- 01/03 - Wrestle Kingdom - Battle of the Past: 2008 ~ 2013 | FREE: www.ustream.tv/njpw
- 00:00 CET | 23:00 GMT | 18:00 EST | 15:00 PST
- 01/04 - Wrestle Kingdom VIII | BUY: ¥3,000 with Japanese commentary, $35 with Spanish commentary
- 17:00 JST | 09:00 CET | 08:00 GMT | 03:00 EST | 00:00 PST - VOD available until 01/13
- IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles: The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) © vs Suzuki-gun (TAKA Michinoku & Taichi) vs Forever Hooligans (Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov) vs TIME SPLITTERS (Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA)
- IWGP Heavyweight Tag Titles: K.E.S. (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr) © vs BULLET CLUB ('Machinegun' Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows)
- NWA World Heavyweight Title: Rob Conway © vs Satoshi Kojima
- Special Challenge Match: Yuji Nagata & Kazushi Sakuraba vs Daniel & Rolles Gracie
- Grudge Match: CHAOS (Toru Yano & X) vs Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Shelton Benjamin)
- King of Destroyer Match: Togi Makabe vs Bad Luck Fale
- Goto Return Match: Hirooki Goto vs Katsuyori Shibata
- IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Prince Devitt © vs Kota Ibushi
- IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada © vs Tetsuya Naito
- IWGP Intercontinental Title: Shinsuke Nakamura © vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
. Pre-Show Match: Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Tomoaki Honma, Captain New Japan & BUSHI vs Manabu Nakanishi, Super Strong Machine, Jushin 'Thunder' Liger & Tiger Mask
A throwaway 8-man tag with random faces usually opens pre-show of New Japan's big events and this year is no exception. Should be fun for what it is. Also, the bi-annual appearance of the legendary Super Strong Machine, who's always been a big fan favourite in recent years. Both Machine and Liger appeared on the very first New Japan show from the Tokyo Dome, 22 years ago.
. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles: The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) © vs Suzuki-gun (TAKA Michinoku & Taichi) vs Forever Hooligans (Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov) vs TIME SPLITTERS (Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA)
2012 & 2013 saw the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles switch hands on a number of occasions between just a handful of teams. All four participating teams here held the titles at least once in 2013 and with no no.1 contender to the belts, New Japan decided to hold a 4-way match between the teams to decide things once and for all. The current champions are Nick & Matt Jackson, known as The Young Bucks. They represent Prince Devitt's BULLET CLUB faction and are one of the top tag team on the US indie circuit, holding belts in promotions such as PWG & Dragon Gate USA. First among their challengers are the Suzuki-gun team of TAKA Michinoku & Taichi, who held the titles for just 26 days before losing them to The Young Bucks. TAKA & Taichi are the dirtiest of heels, pulling every trick in the book to one-up their opponents, but still fell short to the Bucks, who had outside assistance from their BULLET CLUB team-mates. Next, representing CHAOS, the Forever Hooligans of Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov. An unconventional tag team, Romero & Koslov's contrasting styles led them to tag title runs on two occasions and, despite technically being heels, they are fairly popular with the New Japan crowd. The fan favourites, however, have to be TIME SPLITTERS of Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA. Shelley, formally of TNA's Motor City Machineguns, has a mixture of technical ability and explosive speed at his disposal, while his Japanese partner KUSHIDA is an exciting, pacey and very agile member of the Jr. Heavyweight roster. The Jr. Tag Title matches have been a regular highlight of New Japan's PPVs for the past year and with this match it certainly looks like New Japan will kick 2014 off in good style.
. IWGP Heavyweight Tag Titles: K.E.S. (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr) © vs BULLET CLUB ('Machinegun' Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows)
The Killer Elite Squad of Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. have taken the New Japan heavyweight tag scene by storm since their formation in 2012. Representing the Suzuki-gun stable, they've held the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Titles on two occasions, feuding mostly with legendary tag team TenKoji of Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima. Smith & Archer's size and strength has set them firmly as the monsters of the heavyweight tag division and, with age and injuries catching up on TenKoji, it seemed as if there were few worthy challengers left for their championships. That was until the World Tag League this past month, when BULLET CLUB vice-captain Karl Anderson & the imposing Doc Gallows emerged victorious after a gruelling two-week tournament. Throughout the event Anderson & Gallows showed the sort of power and teamwork that could pose a serious threat to K.E.S. and their titles, so it's sure to be a very hard-hitting affair with no love lost between these members of opposing heel stables when they face off at the Tokyo Dome.
. NWA World Heavyweight Title: Rob Conway © vs Satoshi Kojima
At the beginning of the year New Japan surprised many fans by announcing a working partnership with the NWA. Although the NWA's stature has fallen greatly in the US, on Japanese shores the name and, more importantly, the NWA World Heavyweight Title still hold some weight. That April, New Japan was promptly invaded by the maniacal Bruce Tharpe-des, NWA President, and former WWE superstar Rob Conway, the current NWA World Heavyweight Champion. Tharpe's goal has been to simply prove that the NWA is greater than New Japan and that the NWA World Heavyweight Title holds more prestige than the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but so far Conway's defences have been restricted to lower card matches against veteran workers. One of them, Satoshi Kojima, came up short in Conway's first defence of the title, but only due to interference from Bruce Tharpe, and now on the biggest stage of the year Kojima looks to add the NWA World Heavyweight Title to his long list of accomplishments. While Conway's performances haven't exactly lit the world on fire, he's a solid worker and if anyone can get a great match out of him, it's Satoshi Kojima.
. Special Challenge Match: Yuji Nagata & Kazushi Sakuraba vs Daniel & Rolles Gracie
This is an odd one. The Gracie Family is one of the most recognisable names from the world of MMA, as is Kazushi Sakuraba who is known as The Gracie Killer. Sakuraba, a veritable MMA legend, returned to pro-wrestling in 2012 with his protoge and former graduate of the NJPW dojo Katsuyori Shibata. Collectively they are known as Laughter7 and made it clear that they don't approve of the flashy, exciting style employed by many New Japan wrestlers, a point emphasised by Shibata's brutal strongstyle wrestling and Sakuraba's dangerous shootstyle techniques. In a tag match against Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi, Sakuraba took a nasty spill from a backdrop driver and dislocated his elbow. As dictated by the rules of Japanese pro-wrestling, when he returned to fitness he had to face off against Nagata, the man who injured him. After a good contest, Nagata came up on top, but respect was found between the two competitors who first faced off waaaay back in 1995 as part of the famous NJPW vs UWFi feud. Nagata & Sakuraba then began teaming together to fight mutual enemy Takashi Iizuka of the CHAOS stable, and after securing victory against Iizuka at the World Tag League earlier this month, they were unexpectedly challenged by Daniel & Rolles Gracie, who watched the match from ringside. No one quite knows what to make of this match, or how it will fare compared to the rest of this high-quality card. Also, pro-wrestling & MMA mixtures can often be awkward, messy affairs, but they're usually fairly interesting and there's a chance the stars align and this match ends up surprising everyone. Or, it'll be pretty awful.
. Grudge Match: CHAOS (Toru Yano & The Great Muta) vs Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Shelton Benjamin)
Minoru Suzuki's feud with the CHAOS stable pretty much ended with his failure to capture Shinsuke Nakamura's IWGP Intercontinental Title, but there's still one lingering CHAOS thorn in his side in the form of Toru Yano, who has done his very best to ceaselessly annoy the already perennially disgruntled Suzuki over the past few months. Upsetting his and former WWE superstar's Shelton Benjamin plans to win the World Tag League, however, was the last straw. But Yano is a very crafty man, one of the most unconventional wrestlers on the roster and someone not to be underestimated, as Suzuki has found to his detriment on more than one occasion. What's more, Yano has a special surprise in store for Suzuki - a mystery partner, which Yano says he'll reveal on the December 21st Road to Tokyo Dome show. *UPDATE* - it's The Great Muta!!!
. King of Destroyer: Togi Makabe vs Bad Luck Fale
The Underboss of the BULLET CLUB, Bad Luck Fale is one of the largest members of the New Japan roster. For months now the New Japan faces have tried to stand up to Prince Devitt's gaijin invaders and Togi Makabe has been front-and-centre throughout. A very physical, hard-hitting wrestler who's hugely popular with the fans, Makabe has had to watch as numerous team-mates have been knocked out cold by Fale's devastating Bad Luck Fall finisher and now Togi wants revenge, one on one with the monster of the BULLET CLUB. He'll be looking to use his veteran experience to take the big man down, for as big as Fale is, he's equally untested and this match marks his first real test in singles competition. Undoubtedly, the BULLET CLUB will be at ringside to assist should things go south, so Makabe will have to be on top of his game or find some help of his own if he's to teach Fale a lesson and gain a measure of revenge in this submission or KO only bout.
. Goto Return Match: Hirooki Goto vs Katsuyori Shibata
Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata both graduated from the same class at the New Japan dojo. Friends and rivals, their careers were to take different paths when Shibata left pro-wrestling to take up a career in MMA. Goto, meanwhile, stayed with New Japan and worked hard, climbing his way up the roster to become regarded as one of the toughest, technically gifted wrestlers in Japan today. Upon Shibata's return, it was inevitable that it would be Hirooki Goto that confronted him. Shibata claimed that the New Japan wrestlers had forgotten what strongstyle pro-wrestling was all about, which Goto certainly took issue with and their first match very firmly dissuaded that notion. To say it was a hard-hitting affair would be a pure understatement, as both men physically dismantled each other until neither was able to compete, a devastating head-butt causing a double KO. Since then they've met on three other occasions, which resulted in another double KO and two victories for Shibata. Goto was then injured in the annual G1 Climax Tournament, breaking his jaw in a match with New Japan superstar Hiroshi Tanahashi, and it was inevitable that on his return he would chose Shibata to face him on the grandest of stages. With a record of 0-2-2 against his old friend & rival, it's make or break time for Hirooki Goto in what will likely be the most physical, hard-fought match up on the Wrestle Kingdom card this year.
. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Prince Devitt © vs Kota Ibushi
This past may at Wrestling Dontaku, Prince Devitt turned on his long-time Apollo 55 tag partner Ryusuke Taguchi and aligned himself with Bad Luck Fale. Dubbing himself 'The Real Rock 'n' Rolla', Devitt would go on to form the BULLET CLUB, an all gaijin stable of heels that have made it their goal to cause as much havoc as possible and hold New Japan to ransom. They've become just about the most despised faction in New Japan, with their constant cheating and harsh treatment of interviewers and the journalists from Tokyo Sports. What's more, Devitt holds the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title and has done since November 2011. After turning heel, Devitt declared that the Jr. Heavyweight roster was beneath him and that he was moving to the heavyweight division and keeping the Jr. title hostage indefinitely, which didn't sit well with New Japan, but it seemed as if there were no suitable challengers. Enter Kota Ibushi, a high-flying prodigy from the DDT promotion, who signed a joint contract with DDT & New Japan this past October, making him the first wrestler in Japan to officially have two home promotions. Ibushi has a huge following of fans and is regarded as one of the greatest Jr. Heavyweight wrestlers in the entire world. He made it very clear that the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title was his goal and, after a series of heated confrontations with the BULLET CLUB, the overconfident Prince Devitt agreed to put his title on the line at the Tokyo Dome. Ibushi is known as the Golden Star and, on the biggest stage of the Japanese wrestling calendar, he'll be looking to shine the brightest and capture the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. But, the Real Rock 'n' Rolla is guaranteed to have his BULLET CLUB brothers in his corner, which will certainly complicate matters for Ibushi. This one's guaranteed to be special.
. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada © vs Tetsuya Naito
'The Rainmaker' Kazuchika Okada has taken the wrestling world by storm. Trained by Ultimo Dragon before joining and graduating from the New Japan dojo, Okada had been stuck on a learning excursion to the US to work for TNA. Underused and entirely undervalued by TNA management, no one expected anything of note from him when he returned in 2012 and were entirely incredulous when he challenged then-champion and star of New Japan Hiroshi Tanahashi for the title. The match that followed at The New Beginning in February 2012 would silence every one of his doubters. This 25 year-old showed incredible talent as he took Tanahashi, undeniably one of the greatest wrestlers in the world, to his limit and beyond it, winning the title to become one of the youngest IWGP Heavyweight Champions in history. Okada went on to prove himself as a thoroughly exceptional competitor, putting in excellent performance after excellent performance against some the biggest stars in Japan. Now, in the midst of his 2nd title reign, he faces a challenge from Tetsuya Naito, the 'Stardust Genius' who is hailed as having one of the greatest wrestling minds in the business. Naito, now 31, has had a decidedly rockier road on his title hunt than Okada ever did. Seemingly destined for greatness, a series of injuries have set his career back a step. He returned to the ring this year just in time for the annual G1 Climax Tournament, which he would eventually win in-spite of not exactly setting the world on fire. Reactions for him since have been very mixed, with some crowds firmly behind him, some not really caring and a few outright booing him, and this is reflected in the card placement of this match. Usually, the IWGP Heavyweight Title always main events the show, but this year New Japan put it to an online vote and, rather than give the main event to the young guard, they instead chose the tried & tested veterans. For that reason alone, Naito & Okada will be out to steal the show and, if their fantastic encounter from 2012 is anything to go by, this one will be a real exciting contest.
. IWGP Intercontinental Title: Shinsuke Nakamura © vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
When Shinsuke Nakamura won the IWGP Intercontinental Title from Hirooki Goto in mid-2012, he had one goal; to bring prestige to the relatively young title belt and make it the most important championship in New Japan. With the fans vote to make this match the main event of the biggest show of the year, it's clear Nakamura is well on his way to achieving his aim. That being said, Nakamura & Tanahashi are undoubtedly the two biggest New Japan stars of the past decade and have fostered a highly competitive rivalry that began way back in 2003. The Japanese fans are understandably enthused to see these two superstars go at it on the grandest stage one more time, but for Tanahashi, this is a real watershed moment. Although Nakamura rose to early prominance and fan favouritism, Tanahashi fought and scraped for every scrap of respect until he became regarded by the fans as the Ace of New Japan. That title, however, passed from him earlier this year, when Kazuchika Okada ended their rivalry with 3 wins, 2 losses and a draw, declaring himself the true Ace of New Japan. Tanahashi now has a lot to prove, namely that he's still relevant and that the main event scene hasn't passed him by. To do so, he'll have to defeat his greatest rival, Shinsuke Nakamura. In their previous two encounters at the Tokyo Dome, Nakamura came out on top. An incredibly versatile wrestler, Nakamura combines strongstyle toughness with technical wrestling ability and an unconventional, unpredictable style that has cost Tanahashi on a number of occasions, but Tanahashi is a versatile competitor as well, adapting to his opponents and using their strengths against them. Really though, these two know each other so very well, it's hard to know exactly what to expect. But, as the years have passed by and the younger generation have made their rise, you have to feel that this could be both Tanahashi & Nakamura's last chance to main event the Tokyo Dome, so it's fair to expect them to go out with the biggest of bangs and make this match the classic to outshine their much vaunted previous encounters.
Recommended Media
A selection of some of the best matches from this year;
Prince Devitt © vs Low Ki vs Kota Ibushi - (NJPW 01/04/13)
Shinsuke Nakamura © vs Kazushi Sakuraba - (NJPW 01/04/13)
TIME SPLITTERS © vs Forever Hooligans - (NJPW 02/10/13)
K.E.S. © vs TenKoji - (NJPW 02/10/13)
Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs Kazuchika Okada - (NJPW 04/07/13)
Hirooki Goto vs Katsuyori Shibata - (NJPW 05/03/13)
Kazuchika Okada © vs Togi Makabe - (NJPW 06/22/13)
Katsuyori Shibata vs Tomohiro Ishii - (NJPW 08/04/13)
Tetsuya Naito vs Hiroshi Tanahashi - (NJPW 08/11/13)
Kazuchika Okada © vs Karl Anderson - (NJPW 11/02/13)
GIFs
Kazuchika Okada;
Tetsuya Naito;
Shinsuke Nakamura;
Hiroshi Tanahashi;
Prince Devitt;
Kota Ibushi;
Katsuyori Shibata;
Hirooki Goto;
Join us! There's going to be a bunch of us from WrassleGAF watching the shows live and, whether you're a current WWE fan looking for something different, or a lapsed wrestling fan who's forgotten what great wrestling looks like, this is sure to be a fantastic show well worth the asking price.
