Wrestle Kingdom 13 Preview

From the time Hiroshi Tanahashi won the finals of the G1 Climax 2018 back in August, we have been counting down the days until Wrestle Kingdom 13. Here we are, with only one week to go until January 4th 2019, and the biggest show of the New Japan calendar is almost here.

A lot has changed in the past 12 months in the world of New Japan Pro Wrestling: Kazuchika Okada’s record-breaking 720-day reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion came to an end in June when he lost the title to Kenny Omega in an outstanding 2-out-of-3 falls match at Dominion; Chris Jericho became a 10-time Intercontinental Champion and won his first ever title in NJPW, and Bullet Club has been anything but fine.

So, with just seven days to go until we once again venture to the Tokyo Dome, let’s take a quick look at some of the marquee matches scheduled for the 28th annual January 4 Tokyo Dome Show.

Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will Ospreay (NEVER Openweight Championship) 

The idea of this match was put into the minds of the fans during the Road to Destruction tour in September, when a tag match of Chaos mates Tomohiro Ishii and Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi (The Golden Lovers) was to set the scene for the then-upcoming Heavyweight title match of Omega vs. Ishii. However, it was the other matchup that had people talking. When Will Ospreay and Kota Ibushi stood face to face in the ring, you knew that some crazily athletic showdown was about to ensue. From that moment on, people wanted to see them go one-on-one.

There was one issue though. Kota Ibushi is a heavyweight, Will Ospreay is a Junior Heavyweight. The solution, have Kota Ibushi defeat Hirooki Goto to become NEVER Openweight Champion; a belt whose very definition means it can be defended between weight classes. All that was left was for Ospreay to defeat Taichi to become number one contender, and a match is set for January to determine perhaps who is the most athletically gifted wrestler in the entire world.

Kota Ibushi celebrates becoming NEVER Openweight Champion for the first time

Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (British Heavyweight Championship)

After losing the belt to Minoru Suzuki at the NJPW Strong Style Evolved UK show in Altrincham, Manchester in July (had to mention it as most of Official Wrestling's’ A Few Good Marks were in attendance), Tomohiro Ishii managed to get his revenge and win the belt back in London in October. Now, he is challenged by a protegee of Suzuki, and the man who has held the British Heavyweight Championship for longer than anyone else, Zack Sabre Jr.

Of course, the most interesting part of this to us fans here in Britain, is that NJPW, for the second time, is having Revolution Pro Wrestlings' Heavyweight title being defended on a major show, between two of the top stars in the company. Fingers crossed this leads to more New Japan shows and talent coming to the United Kingdom to perform.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White

What a year these two men have had. From Okada transitioning from the greatest wrestler on the planet into the crazed, red-haired, Scooby-Doo yelling, balloon-making maniac, it’s safe to say he’s had his ups and downs. Meanwhile, Jay White made his return from excursion at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in a match with Hiroshi Tanahashi that underwhelmed many. Some saw that as perhaps the end of Switchblades’ push, but as we always say, never doubt the man with the plan, Gedo.

From the very beginning, Jay White has been portrayed as a master manipulator, pulling strings so that opportunities would fall in place. At first, he turned down an offer to join Bullet Club, and the very next day joined Okada’s ranks in Chaos. However, he always said that he wasn’t going to take a step back and sit in Okada’s shadow as other Chaos members had. He started off strong and defeated Kenny Omega to win the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship. From then on, he never truly felt like a member of Chaos. Throughout the G1, he would turn his back on Yoh; his tag partner, and yell at Rocky Romero who was sat on commentary for much of the event. Importantly, on the very first night of G1 action, he used a chair and a low blow to defeat his “leader”, Kazuchika Okada, and then in his next match, defeated the eventual G1 winner Hiroshi Tanahashi via similar means.

Following a match between Okada and Tanahashi for the Tokyo Dome main event contract at Destruction in Kobe, Jay White came to the ring to demand a shot at Tanahashi’s contract, and rightfully so, White had beaten Tanahashi in the G1. Next, however, he attacked Okada, but fortunately, Gedo, the man who had been by Okada’s side for six years, through four Heavyweight title reigns, came to his friends' aid. That was until Gedo slammed a steel chair into the back of the Rainmaker, destroying everything they’ve built together since 2012. Gedo aligned himself with Switchblade, before Jado, Gedo’s longtime tag partner also jumped ship from Chaos and did the unthinkable. All three men aligned themselves with Bullet Club. Jay White, in less than a year, went from turning down Bullet Club, to becoming its leader. Now Okada, who has had issues with Bullet Club when it was run by Prince Devitt, AJ Styles, and Kenny Omega, now has a new thorn in his side in Switchblade. At Wrestle Kingdom 13, he needs to avenge his loss from G1 and beat the man who broke up Chaos and his alliance with Gedo.

Jay White's new manager Gedo begs for mercy from his longtime ally Kazuchika Okada

Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito (IWGP Intercontinental Championship)

Chris Jericho’s not had too bad a year himself either. After semi-main eventing Wrestle Kingdom 12 with a show-stealing match with Kenny Omega, most thought he was then done with New Japan. That was until he returned on January 5th to attack and bloody up Tetsuya Naito. Jericho then appeared on the abomination that was Raw 25, made bank by flying to Saudi Arabia to enter at #50 in the Greatest Royal Rumble, before returning to Japan in June to destroy Tetsuya Naito at Dominion and gain control of the Intercontinental Championship. Plus, he organised his own wrestling cruise during this time.

Chris Jericho and Tetsuya Naito in their war over the Intercontinental Championship from Dominion

It seems, though, that Naito has never forgotten that beating given to him on January 5th at New Year's Dash. The two have traded barbs through the medium of YouTube videos directed at one another. Jericho discussing how he is the greatest of all time, and how he will once again make Naito a global superstar just like himself. Naito has been responding in his typical ‘Tranquilo’ fashion, stating that if Jericho were as big a star as he thought, that he wouldn’t need to steal Los Ingobernables’ t-shirt designs and that he would have better production for his YouTube videos. Jericho is getting worked up, Naito is staying Tranquilo, and it is all likely to explode at Wrestle Kingdom.

Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (IWGP Heavyweight Championship)

In short, this match is Tanahashi, the G1 winner, facing the Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega in the main event of the biggest show of the year. However, it is so much more than that. This is a battle of ideologies. This is new school vs. old school. Kenny Omega’s motto is ‘Change the World’. He wants to revolutionise the wrestling business. He doesn’t care about heels and babyfaces, he wants there to be a grey area. No one on earth is a solely good person, nor a solely bad person, so why should wrestlers be portrayed as such. To Omega, long gone are the days of Hulk Hogan saying his prayers and eating his vitamins, and here are the days of wrestlers opening up to the world about who they really are. He is willing to show himself off behind the scenes on shows like Being the Elite or taking on The New Day in Street Fighter tournaments. Tanahashi on the other hand, brought back New Japan from the brink of extinction, by returning to what made wrestling popular in the first place. He became the biggest babyface perhaps in the history of Japanese wrestling. People weep as he makes his way to the ring, people bring air guitars to toss to him so he can play them a victory song, people bring towels for him to wipe his sweat off his face after a match. He is the ultimate babyface. But, as Kenny Omega will point out, is this all just a farce, is this part of the show? Is the Hiroshi Tanahashi that is seen in the ring anything like the man who lives outside of it?

This is a match between two of Japan’s top stars, nay, two of the world's top stars, but it may also offer a glimpse into how New Japan sees its future. Does it go with the progressive style of Omega, or does it stick with what’s worked since 1972 and crown Tanahashi an eight-time Heavyweight champ? We’ll have to find out come January 4th.


Also on the show are Kanemaru and Desperado (c) vs. Roppongi 3K vs. Bushi and LIJ’s newest member Shingo Takagi in a three-way tag match for the Junior Heavyweight tag belts; Guerrillas of Destiny (c) vs. Evil and Sanada vs. The Young Bucks in another three-way tag match for the Heavyweight tag belts; Cody (c) vs. Juice Robinson for the IWGP US Heavyweight title in Cody’s first defence; and Kushida (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori in what will likely be a spectacular match for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship.

From the card that has been put out, this looks to be one of the top shows of 2019 just four days into the new year. We hope you can watch it, especially if this will be your first venture into the world of New Japan Pro Wrestling, and we at A Few Good Marks will be back in the new year with brand new content and a full audio podcast review of Wrestle Kingdom 13. Have a happy new year and you’ll hear from us all again soon.


by Michael Candeland

All images from njpw1972.com

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Power Struggle- a look at WWE's most devastating finishers

by Liam Croft

Finishers aren't what they used to be. Way back when, a "finisher" was just that- it finished the match almost every time. In today's WWE, however, and indeed the wider wrestling world, finishers often seem like just another move. We need only look to some of the biggest marquee matches of the past few years to see a number of finishers that would be considered astonishing in the 80s, that today are often brushed off for a two count.

There are, however, some finishers that are simply too powerful to shrug off. These are the stalwart pillars of top superstars' movesets, the go-to  moves when it's time to stop playing around and score  the victory. Today, I'll be analysing some of these moves seen in WWE in the modern era- sorry Atomic Leg Drop, maybe another time!

The F-5

PSA: If you're Samoan, Lesnar is probably going to F5 you.

Perhaps the king of modern-day match enders, Brock Lesnar's F-5 is a devastating finishing move that needs no grand introduction. At Wrestlemania 33, Lesnar defeated Goldberg to hand the latter his first, and currently only, clean singles loss, a win that also began the "1 F-5" trend that would persist throughout the year that followed.

In 2017, Lesnar defeated Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman and AJ Styles- who at the time was the recently crowned WWE champion- each with just one F-5. Heading into 2018, it was beyond a shadow of a doubt the most protected and effective finishing move in WWE- that is, until Wrestlemania 34, when Roman Reigns managed to withstand five F-5s before a sixth put him down for the count. Reigns' resilience notwithstanding, the F-5 remains at the top of the pecking order when it comes to finishing moves that are worthy of their namesake.

The Powerslam

Is there anything better than a big hoss hitting a powerslam?

The Powerslam is an interesting finishing move in that it is the wrestler who uses it that makes it seem so dominant. I am of course talking about Braun Strowman, a competitor that has steamrolled his competition over the course of the past year- and has used the Powerslam to aid him along the way.

In his Wyatt family days, the Monster Among Men used his elevated Triangle Choke to chalk up wins, but since stepping out on his own, he transitioned into using the Powerslam as his sole finisher. Why does it work so well? The answer lies in the spectacle of the move-  a 6'8, near-400-pound behemoth hoisting his opponent up on his shoulder, before charging forward and driving them onto their back for the win. It's bound to knock the wind out of your sails, and the quickness and agility Braun showcases with the move adds to its devastation. Would this move have the same impact if, say, The Miz used it? Absolutely not. Which brings us to our interesting next entry...

The Running Knee

The Knee The Beat... Fandango?

The Knee-Plus. The Knee That Beat John Cena. "THE KNEE!" if your name is Michael Cole. Whatever you want to call it, Daniel Bryan's finisher is a thing of beauty- and it's ultra powerful to boot. Unlike his "Yes! Lock," which like many submission finishers has been reversed and broken up countless times, Bryan's running knee rarely leads to anything but a three count for the Flying Goat.

The running knee goes to show that you don't need to be a hulking beast like Braun or Brock to make an impact with your finisher. As mentioned  earlier, this has been called the "Knee That Beat Cena," no easy feat for just any move. In fact, the Running Knee had never been kicked out of (unless you count Randy Orton kicking out of Batista's pin at Wrestlemania XXX)... until everybody's favourite Big Dog did just that at Fastlane 2015. Speaking of which...

The Spear

Even better in slo-mo.

Ah, the spear. A timeless classic used by all-time greats including Goldberg, Edge- and, in recent years, Roman Reigns. It's Reigns' spear that has surpassed its predecessors in terms of kayfabe power levels- a spear from The Big Dog means you're going home. It doesn't matter who you are- Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, Daniel Bryan, John Cena... the list of competitors Reigns has felled with the spear feels endless, and is only likely to grow when he returns. (Get well soon champ- you'll be back in the ring spearing faithless fools out of their boots in no time!)

Reigns' spear is devastatingly powerful, but if we're analysing his finishing potential, it's only right that we look to his brothers in the Shield too.

The Curb Stomp

Admit it- you popped.

If you're anything like me, you marked out when Rollins re-debuted the Curb Stomp against Finn Balor earlier this year. Infamous for being banned by WWE's top brass- allegedly for fears children would toss the "don't try this" warning aside and stomp their friends' teeth out- it marked the return of one of WWE's most protected finishers. To date, you can count on one hand the number of people that have kicked out of what is now known as the "Blackout-" John Cena at Royal Rumble 2015, and Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 31 (but we'll forgive him on account of the fantastic RKO reversal.) 

It's close to call which Shield brother has the most devastating finisher, but really, it has to be...

Dirty Deeds

Did somebody say "protected?"

Who'd have thought that a DDT would be one of WWE's most protected finishers? The Dirty Deeds is tantamount to a nuclear bomb in kayfabe terms, with only Cena and Reigns kicking out of one (you could argue Brock Lesnar kicked out of it at WM32, but to that I say "Dean didn't hook his arms." That makes all the difference, don't you know!) 

Dirty Deeds is the best example I can give you of a finisher treated properly in the modern era. Whilst other finishers can be hit countless times without getting the job done, Dirty Deeds is teased throughout the match- Dean could hook only one arm, or have the move reversed some other way. When all is said and done, though, if he hits it- it's all over. Which will make it all the more shocking next time somebody shows the resilience to pop their shoulder up before 3. 

While we're on the subject of DDTs, it's important I mention Alexa Bliss. Her DDT has, in recent memory, only been kicked out of once by Nia Jax, who took an arguably less effective kneeling version. 

To nobody's surprise, Bliss gets the 1-2-3.

Some honourable mentions are in order for Baron Corbin's End of Days, which would be higher in my estimations if it led to real career success for him- effective as it may be, we're yet to see it net Corbin a meaningful win unlike the other entries on this list. Another move that can't be understated is Aleister Black's "Black Mass," which to date has yet to be kicked out of. Don't expect to see anybody squirm out of a pin after this move until Black moves up to the main roster, where I'm sure it will be kicked out of by Bo Dallas in no time if creative keep up their track record with NXT callups.

Trying to out-kick Aleister Black. See also: bringing a knife to a gun fight.

And of course, all of the above pales in comparison to the one move to rule them all. The move that beat Shinsuke Nakamura on multiple occasions. The move that beat AJ Styles, who succumbed to just one of these despite having kicked out of 3 AAs in the past. The move so powerful that even Randy Orton, the last man before Roman Reigns to kick out of an F5, couldn't withstand it's power... do I really need to spell it out for you?

Goodnight folks.

Liam Croft is a contributor to Official Wrestling and their regular podcast, "A Few Good Marks," as well as being OW's resident NXT maestro. You may find him insisting that he's not fuming, spreading the good word of Braun Strowman to everyone he meets or swearing blind that the B-Team are going to revolutionise tag team wrestling.

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Corporate vs Camaraderie- Kayfabe in the Modern Era

"Kayfabe" is the practice of presenting the storylines and events in the world of wrestling as true to life. It's the suspension of disbelief that makes the motivations for what happens in the ring make sense. Back in Professional Wrestling's Golden Age of the 1980s, kayfabe was gospel- there was no two ways about it, if you were in the business, you were treating it as the real deal, 24/7. Hulk Hogan really was a near-superhuman American hero. Sgt Slaughter really did turn his back on Old Glory. Yet in the modern era, it's becoming increasingly difficult to uphold kayfabe, especially when pro wrestling is in the spotlight and under scrutiny.

Today, I'd like to take a closer look at kayfabe, and weigh up whether or not it truly is a "lost art."

Social Media

We're living in the Information Age; we have a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips, and can access centuries of human curiosity with the push of a button. However, many of us use smartphones and the internet for entertainment, and a large part of that is using it to follow the stars of sports entertainment on social media.

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other platforms- including, as I'm sure nobody wants to remember, the ill-fated Tout- have become increasingly important in pro wrestling in recent years. Some individuals, like Bully Ray's "Twittah Machine" gimmick, have based their entire personas around their social media activity. Certain angles and storylines have been fought and won on Twitter, as recent as Ronda Rousey's feud with the Bella Twins. Even WWE's policy and approach have been shaped by that little blue bird, with the Women's Revolution dating back to the "#givedivasachance" movement. As such, WWE talent have been expected to follow suit, with most having their own social media accounts to reflect their in-ring personas.

For some competitors, social media has been of paramount importance to their appeal. One only has to look to current NXT champion, Tommaso Ciampa, to see social media- and to a larger extent, kayfabe- done to perfection. Ciampa has just three posts on his Instagram account, two of which are gloating about his success. He refused to sell his popular "Blackheart" merch on the WWEShop, because it was better for his character to deny fans the chance to wear his shirt. Ciampa lives and breathes his heel persona, and is rightfully despised for it.

For other superstars, it's clear that social media isn't so beneficial. Take, for instance, Bray Wyatt- an individual whose character is known for his dark twisted ramblings and charlatan-like sermons. This gimmick doesn't exactly scream "Twitter user;" yet there he was, tweeting from the Lake of Reincarnation which, presumably, has a waterproof router down there along with his rocking chair and lantern. The problem here is that certain gimmicks benefit from upholding kayfabe, such as Wyatt's and Ciampa's- where they differ is in their themes, with Ciampa's character being a better fit for the modern age and feasibly using Twitter, whereas Wyatt's feels straight out of a 90s backwoods horror slasher. He has no place owning a smartphone, let alone checking in with regular updates.

The Real World

As much as WWE may sometimes want us to pretend their world is the only one that matters, it's simply impossible to ignore the real-life goings on that affect the industry. To return to the matter of social media, this matter reared its ugly head when Emma was released late last year. Many superstars didn't immediately react publicly, as is customary when a competitor is released, yet others- such as NXT upstart Lio Rush- took the opportunity to use the situation to further their gimmick. Rush took to Twitter, saying "I guess these are the things that happen when you're not TRULY ready for @WWEAsuka," prompting furious rebuttals from Emma's friends and coworkers; these included the aforementioned Bray Wyatt, who said "You ain't gonna make it here with the wolves, kid." Peyton Royce also weighed in, criticising Rush's lack of professionalism.

Here, Rush was criticised for exploiting the situation and attempting to make light of an unfortunate situation (quite insensitively, too.) However, what he said made perfect sense for a heel character in kayfabe. So, the question is, where is the line drawn? If superstars are expected to both use social media and uphold kayfabe, what are they supposed to do when the two expectations are in conflict?

A more recent example is the tragic news that former Universal Champion Roman Reigns has had to relinquish his title and go on hiatus to fight leukaemia. What followed his announcement at the start of the October 22 episode of Raw was a kayfabe-shattering outpouring of support from his fellow superstars, including former foes Braun Strowman and Paul Heyman.

And rightly so, too- all storylines aside, the bond between wrestlers in the industry is one of the most well-documented and steadfast displays of solidarity in all of entertainment. It would be remiss of WWE to jeopardise that bond to further storylines and character arcs as they have done before, and we can only hope that this is a turning point for the business. Gone should be the days of "Eddie's not in heaven." Cashing in on tragedies was once WWE's modus operandi; instead, they can and should be used to bring the community of fans and performers alike closer together.

The State of Kayfabe today

It's more apparent than ever before that kayfabe doesn't hold the same weight that it used to. In the modern age, the illusion that "it's all real" just isn't feasibly possible to uphold anymore. Social media and life in the public eye are two things that often go hand in hand; we can only hope WWE allows superstars the freedom to express that relationship in a way they're comfortable with, not just in a way that pushes an agenda.

Liam Croft is a contributor to OfficialWrestling and an occasional member of their affiliate podcast, "A Few Good Marks."  You'll often find him swearing blind that NXT is the best thing since Sliced Bread No. 2, arguing with Kieran or laying down the gauntlet when it comes to The Rock vs Sting. 

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New Japan Pro Wrestling G1 Special in San Francisco Recap

New Japan Pro Wrestling presents G1 Special in San Francisco (07/07/2018)

G1 Special in San Francisco.
Source: Fight Network

After New Japan Pro Wrestling ran the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California back in March and two Strong Style Evolved shows in the United Kingdom in June/July, it’s time for New Japan’s fourth international venture of 2018 as once again they come to California, this time for the G1 Special in San Francisco.

Being held in a historic venue for wrestling in the United States, the Cow Palace, things have changed since their last U.S. outing. Kazuchika Okada’s epic 720-day IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign came to an end on June 9th at Dominion as he lost a 2 out of 3 falls match to Kenny Omega. Now, it’s the Best Bout Machine who must carry the company into the future, and where better to start than having your first title defence on U.S. soil against fellow Bullet Club member, Cody.

Match 1. Bullet Club (King Haku, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens) defeated Chaos (Yoshi-Hashi, Gedo, Rocky Romero, Yoh and Sho)

This is kind of what you’ve come to expect from an NJPW opening tag match, a large schmoz of wrestlers all taking their turns to enter the ring, hit a few moves, and exit the ring again. Not much to talk about here except the in-ring return of King Haku; the father of the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa), who at the end of the match, pushed Gedo into the path of his son Tama Tonga who hit the Gun Stun for the pinfall.

Match 2. Chaos (Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano) defeated Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr.)

At Dominion, these two teams faced off and it set up the storyline of Minoru Suzuki and Tomohiro Ishii wanting nothing more than to club each other’s heads off with forearm strikes. This led to a singles match in Manchester between the two, which a couple of us at Official Wrestling witnessed in person. We heard first-hand the vicious blows and sickening thuds as two sadists went at it. This match in San Francisco was more of the same, suggesting this Ishii vs. Suzuki feud is not dying away any time soon thankfully. The actual tag match wasn’t anything special, probably not as good as their Dominion match, but a clever spin on the finish from Dominion which saw Sabre Jr. catch a Yano low blow attempt and turn it into a submission almost occurred again, but a save from Ishii led to a quick roll up and a victory for the Chaos duo.

Suzuki and Ishii trade forearms as Yano looks on.
Source: https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/26145?showResult=1

Match 3. Bullet Club (Hangman Page and Marty Scurll) defeated Taguchi Japan (Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kushida)

If you’re familiar with New Japan shows, it should come as no surprise that another tag match followed, this time between members of Bullet Club and Taguchi Japan, who were actually accompanied to ringside by Ryusuke Taguchi. I would not mind at all if this becomes a long-term thing with Taguchi accompanying members of his stable to matches, it would add a little bit of legitimacy to the faction, and legitimacy is what you need when you have Taguchi Japan phone cases to sell. Another short but solid match, kind of teasing the upcoming G1 Climax match between Tanahashi and Hangman, who I always forget is as athletic as he is until he starts hitting running shooting star presses from the ring apron to Kushida on the floor.

Match 4. Hirooki Goto (c) defeated Jeff Cobb (NEVER Openweight Championship)

I love Goto’s theme! It’s like Hans Zimmer himself composed it, which isn’t surprising when Goto reminds me of a pirate, but surprisingly, it was Cobb who the fans were behind in this match. As a result, Goto started working a little more heelish, a bit more dastardly, kind of like a pirate might, not allowing clean breaks and throwing Cobb into the ring post. Cobb is relatively new to New Japan, especially singles matches so this was his time to shine, and he took his opportunity. He displayed his great power including hitting a beautiful deadlift overhead belly-to-belly suplex, but the 260lb former Olympian also showed his athletic side by hitting a nice dropkick and a very good standing moonsault. In the end though, it was Goto who overcame his opponent with a ushigoroshi followed by the GTR for the pinfall and his first successful title defence in his third reign as NEVER Openweight Champion.

Jeff Cobb displays his athleticism by executing a standing moonsault.
Source: https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/26145?showResult=1

Match 5. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) (c) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Sanada and Evil) (IWGP Tag Team Championship)

A rematch from one of the best matches from June’s Dominion show did not disappoint, not surprising when it’s contested between perhaps the two best tag teams in New Japan. For a long while in this match, Sanada was taking all the weird and wonderful offence that the Young Bucks could think of including a DDT on the apron followed by a 450 splash. The LIJ stablemates though got back into the match but two Magic Killers and even an Indytaker on a chair couldn’t keep The Young Bucks down. Eventually, TYB turned the tides and a Meltzer Driver to Evil was enough to retain the IWGP Tag Team title belts.

Evil and Sanada take a page from The Young Books playbook and deliver an Indytaker to Matt Jackson.
Source: https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/26145?showResult=1

Match 6. Chaos (Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito and Bushi)

Okada made his way to the ring using his new entrance music and his new attire of red and black Okada pants (which I actually like much more than his old ones) and balloons (still don’t know why there are balloons). It seems like losing the IWGP Heavyweight title has removed a lot of pressure off of Okada’s shoulders. He no longer has to be THE man and he is more free to go out there and enjoy himself, especially when working with people he knows like friend and tag partner Ospreay and long-time rival Naito. However, it seemed the fans inside the Cow Palace were more on the side of the LIJ leader, but a Storm Breaker on Bushi by Will Ospreay resulted in a victory for Chaos.

Four-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada makes his entrance in San Francisco with balloons and all.
Source: https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/26145?showResult=1

Side note: I know he’s 66 years old but Jim Ross seems to struggle with people’s names. In this match he called Okada, Naito, he called Bushi, Sanada, even though Sanada was in the last match, and I’m sure in the opener, he called Yoshi-Hashi both Yoh and Sho.

Match 7. Hiromu Takahashi (c) defeated Dragon Lee (IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship)

Dragon Lee (left) and Hiromu Takahashi (right) are ready to battle for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title.
Source: https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/26145?showResult=1

Accompanied to the ring by Mr Belt, Mr Trophy, and Daryl Jr. (the son of Daryl and Carol Takahashi), IWGP Jr. Heavyweight champion Hiromu Takahashi was up against his greatest rival, the man who unmasked him while in Mexico, and CMLL representative Dragon Lee. Dragon Lee wasted no time hitting a frankensteiner from the apron before the bell had been rung. He then followed it up with a crazy suicide dive and then mocked Hiromu’s LIJ leader Tetsuya Naito. 

It’s always a bit nerve-wracking watching a Hiromu match, as he throws a lot of caution to the wind, and Dragon Lee was happy to copy that reckless style. A heart-stopping moment was when a package overhead driver planted Hiromu right on top of his head (and a replay elicited a large “ooohhhhh” reaction from the crowd). But Hiromu recovered, hit Dragon Lee with the Time Bomb and pinned him to continue his run as IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion. Interestingly, this was the first match that got a “New Japan” chant from the crowd, despite one of the competitors working for a Mexican promotion.

Dragon Lee delivers a double foot stomp to champion Hiromu.
Source: https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/26145?showResult=1

Post-edit: It has been reported today (June 9th) that following this match, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi may have collapsed backstage and was taken to a hospital. He has apparently suffered a broken neck as a result of the above-mentioned phoenix-plex which landed him on top of his head. Hiromu Takahashi is a phenomenal talent and we at Official Wrestling wish him well and a speedy recovery.

Match 8. Juice Robinson defeated Jay White (c) (IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship)

This was the first match with a pre-match promo package, and it was a good one. It got over all the necessary points; Juice has never managed to win a title match, Juice’s broken left hand, the turn of Jay White into the sadistic Switchblade, it was excellent. I don’t know who made it but NJPW should sign them and they should make more.

If Goto reminds me of a pirate, Juice Robinson went fully out there with his ‘Flamboyant’ moniker, wearing red, white and blue tights with lacy frills, a golden jacket, and a feathered pirate hat. As for Jay White, I always say that he seems to improve with each match he has, and on this night, he appeared to be the most hated man in San Francisco. Low blows and ferociously throwing Robinson into the guardrails at ringside, one of which knocked JR out of his seat, brought boos, “Fuck you Switchblade” chants and even prompted Josh Barnett to leave his commentary position and begin hunting down the New Zealander.

At matches end, with the referees back turned, Juice used his plastered left hand to deliver a blow to White before hitting Pulp Friction, but that was not enough to keep down the U.S. Champ. White tried to respond with the Blade Runner, but a quick roll up for three crowned Juice Robinson the new IWGP U.S. Heavyweight champ and earned possibly the loudest crowd reaction of the night; not for Kenny, not Okada, not even Naito, but Juice Robinson! And after a Canuck and a Kiwi, there is finally a Yankee holding the United States Championship.

Juice Robinson celebrates becoming the third ever IWGP United States Champion.
Source: https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/26145?showResult=1

Match 9. Kenny Omega (c) defeated Cody (IWGP Heavyweight Championship)

Another excellent pre-match package capturing the Bullet Club Civil War, but I’ve just realised that these last two promos have been in English, so wouldn’t work in Japan, so we’ll probably only get to enjoy them on the shows hosted in the USA.

Accompanied to the ring by Brandi Rhodes and Burnard the Business Bear, Cody was carried down the ramp by sedan chair, while Kenny was seconded by The Young Bucks as part of the recently reunited The Elite/Golden Elite (with Kota Ibushi who was not present on this night).

Cody (left) smiles as he is carried to the ring while Kenny Omega (right) is all business as he makes his entrance.
Source: https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/26145?showResult=1

This match was more weapon-laden than anyone probably expected as Cody was stomped through a table, Kenny was front suplexed onto a ladder, then superplexed off the top of that ladder, and finally, Cody was powerbombed over the top rope and onto, but not through a second table. Yet, it was only a One-Winged Angel that could finally put Cody away for a three count and give Kenny Omega his first successful defence as the 66th IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

Cody suplexes Kenny Omega from the top of a ladder onto the mat below.
Source: https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/26145?showResult=1

Kenny gave the usual post-match promo, thanking everyone for coming and bidding them all adieu, before being met at the top of the ramp by Bullet Club OG Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and King Haku. They all shared a too sweet but then the Tongan family turned on Omega, revealed new Firing Squad shirts and proceeded to beat down all the members of Bullet Club; Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Hangman Page, Marty Scurll, Yujiro Takahashi, and Chase Owens. Then, Cody returned from backstage and revealed he is now on Team… Kenny. He turned on Tama Tonga but received a Gun Stun for his troubles. Finally, Haku delivered a piledriver to Omega on a chair before they made their exit. To end the show, Cody and Kenny officially reunited and the Bullet Club Civil War story now has a new villain in Tama Tonga.

The Tongan Firing Squad stand tall over the fallen members of Bullet Club.
Source: Sportskeeda.com

So where do we go from here? What side is Taiji Ishimori on who wasn’t at this show, or Bad Luck Fale who is Tongan and also one of the original four Bullet Club members along with Tama? Well, that’s for another day. As for now, the Bullet Club is NOT fine, it's not even close to fine!

In summary, this G1 Special at the Cow Palace was a major success. Yes, they didn’t sell out the arena, but they certainly put on a very entertaining show with great wrestling and an intriguing twist to carry us into the future, especially when Kenny Omega and Tama Tonga are set to meet in the G1 Climax on July 21st in the B Block. This was probably the best show NJPW have run in the USA in the past year, and with a few more shows announced in Long Beach on September 30th and Anaheim on November 10th and 11th, the New Japan push into the U.S. market seems to just be getting started.

By Michael Candeland

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NXT 22/11/17- Review

By Liam Croft

In true NXT fashion, the yellow brand followed up a stellar Takeover event with what was essentially a glorified clip show, documenting what happened on Saturday as if their audience hadn't already seen it. I absolutely despise this practice, I see it as lazy and a bit of an insult to those who pay for the network and tune in week in, week out and are expecting new feuds to get excited over. What we got this week was, instead, a match that meant nothing and a pre-recorded main event. With that said, let's jump into the (sparse) action from this week.

Match #1: Ruby Riot v Sonya Deville

The aforementioned "match that meant nothing" was, of course, this one. Both competitors were called up to Raw and SmackDown Live earlier this week, so a victory here didn't really mean anything for either woman. However, the two still put on a highly impressive match that gives me great confidence in their runs on the main roster.

First and foremost, what struck me was Deville's improvement with regards to chain wrestling. She has come on leaps and bounds since joining NXT, and her main roster debut is clear evidence of this. In what is likely to be her last match in NXT, she traded control with Ruby seamlessly. Ruby herself impressed as always, using striking combinations to her advantage before falling victim to Deville's conniving, targeted combat style, with the villain targeting her injured leg.

A highlight of this match was Deville's excellent spinebuster, which appeared to give Deville the advantage- shortly after, however, the clearly hurt Ruby battled back with a stunning DDT to down both women, following up shortly after with a springboard senton using her remaining good leg for leverage. This wasn't enough to score her the pin, and Deville managed to regain control- and almost secured a submission victory- with a nasty looking armbar, before transitioning beautifully into an ankle lock targeting Ruby's fragile limb. Despite the punishment suffered, Ruby made it to the ropes, and finally put the match to rest with an impressive kick.

Match Rating: 6/10. There was some solid wrestling skill on display in this match, but neither woman truly had anything to prove other than that they'd overstayed their welcome in NXT. Moving them up to the main roster seems like the right move, especially with struggling women's divisions on both the red and blue brands.

Standout Star: Sonya Deville. Ruby has already impressed audiences in NXT, but Sonya had perhaps not had the exposure she deserved, and may have seemed like a strange call up choice. However, she is a stellar competitor that has the potential to garner strong reactions from audiences, especially with her MMA background. I can see Lesnar comparisons aplenty in this bright young star's future.

Match #2: Pete Dunne (c) v Johnny Gargano, UK Championship

It may seem strange that one of Dunne's early title defences is against an American competitor, but for a match of this quality, it was certainly worth it.

As you'd probably expect, this match began as a technical display of wrestling prowess. Both Dunne and Gargano are known for their immense grappling skill, and it came as no surprise that they put on a clinic in the early stages of the match.

The match took a brutal turn that is to be expected from Dunne, manipulating the joints of Gargano who couldn't hide his pained expression. Not to be deterred, Gargano fought back in admirable fashion, drawing a huge response from the crowd throughout the contest.

As he battled back against Dunne, Gargano found himself set up for the Bitter End, but pulled out a perfect reversal to score a near fall. As soon as Dunne fought out of the cover, however, Gargano locked in the Gargano Escape in what was perhaps the closest false finish of the contest.

The match showed no signs of slowing down- as the intensity grew, ecstatic chants from the crowd filled the arena, and I struggled to rationalise how this wasn't featured as a bout at Takeover. Gargano set up for his hallmark Slingshot Spear, but was cut off by a strike from Dunne. Capitalising on the reversal, Dunne hit the Bitter End for the 1-2-3, retaining his title in spectacular fashion.

Match Rating: 8.5/10. A very entertaining match from two of NXT's premium talents. It wasn't Dunne's best match, nor was it Gargano's, but it would have been difficult to top their brilliant showings at Takeover: Chicago earlier this year.

Standout Star: Pete Dunne. The breakout UK star shone again, as he tends to in all matches he's involved in, cementing himself as a varied and thoroughly impressive competitor. He remains untouchable, and is likely to remain champion well into Wrestlemania season unless he is dethroned at NXT's next Takeover event, a highly improbable outcome considering the lack of credible challengers he has yet to defeat.

Although I feel the better man won, it is a shame that Gargano has been on such a depressing losing streak in recent weeks. Coming up short to upstart Fabien Aichner and Dunne in such a short space of time would kill the momentum of most stars, but then again, Johnny Wrestling isn't most stars. Expect a comeback story soon for Gargano, leading to a showdown for the ages against former partner Tommaso Ciampa when the latter returns from injury.

Overall Show Rating: 6.5/10. The weekly show after a pay-per-view is a vitally important one. Viewers expect sparks that light fuses of new rivalries and exciting contests ahead of the next big event. With NXT only holding Takeovers every few months, it isn't too detrimental for a weekly show to be so devoid of action; however, are the endless recaps of a show regular audiences have undoubtedly watched truly necessary? It can feel like an insult to paying audiences to serve them up content they watched just 4 nights ago with a slick filter over the top.

The UK Championship bout saved what would have surely been a vastly underwhelming weekly show.


Liam Croft is a contributor to Official Wrestling and their regular podcast, "A Few Good Marks." You'll often find him making questionable pizza topping choices, complaining about 2K development oversights and sacrificing his sleeping pattern to watch NXT.

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A Year in the Spotlight - Why 2017 has been a momentous year for British Wrestling

By Kieran Moran

Any British wrestling fan will have noticed that the business is going through somewhat of a silver age at the moment. The number of promotions has grown rapidly since 2012 and British talent are representing the nation across the globe in a number of different promotions, as-well as becoming mega stars on home soil. Not since the Golden age of British wrestling in the 1970's and 80's, when Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks ruled the roost every Saturday afternoon on ITV's legendary World of Sport, has British wrestling enjoyed such a successful and productive time. 

British wrestling Icons - Big Daddy & The Giant Haystacks

After what can only describe as a less than prosperous time for British Professional Wrestling in the 1990's and early 2000's, a number of promoters started to put our boys first over international talent, and a revolution was started. As of right now there are over 110 promotions in the UK with god knows how many excellent training schools, meaning it is quite possibly easier than ever to produce and showcase top talent. Needless to say, it was only a matter of time before higher powers started to take notice.

Business is about to pick up.

It was mid-October 2016, everyone starting to gear up for the festive holidays coming our way (and ICW's first crack at hosting a show at The Hydro). Then seemingly (much like a well placed RKO) out of no where came a huge announcement out of ITV, that they would be bringing World of Sport wrestling back for a one off show on New Years Eve. Cue the internet blowing up. The roster was filled to the brim with recognisable faces from around the country, with the likes of ICW's Grado and Kenny Williams and PROGRESS's Dave Mastiff, El Ligero and Zack Gibson, just some of the faces to be picked out from the stacked roster of experienced British talent.

World of Sport's updated roster

The whispers then started to grow. The whispers became rumours. The rumours then became reality in Mid-December as the WWE COO Paul Levesque (Triple H to you and me) announced in London, that a tournament would be held in Blackpool, in January 2017, to crown the first ever WWE United Kingdom Champion. Cue internet going into meltdown. It seemed obvious that the WWE was trying steal some of the spotlight that World of Sport (WOS) had initially garnered, but from a fans perspective, who cares? We were guaranteed 3 shows (with the WWE UK tourney going on over two nights) showcasing the very best of British wrestling talent. WWE's roster selection consisted of 16 men, who seemed to adhere to the profile of 'British Strong Style' with BSS stable members, Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate and Trent Seven taking centre stage in the tournament, with the likes of Wolfgang, Joesph Conners, Mark Andrews and Jordan Devlin, adding to the mix. 

5 of the 16 WWE UK Superstars

When comparing the two rosters side by side, it becomes obvious that WOS went with more colourful and flamboyantly gimmicked wrestlers, but ultimately, those who would be the more appealing to a family friendly audience. WWE's talent selection seamed to follow a much different route, with more down to earth characters and gimmicks. Of course this comes down to the presentation of the two products, because I am by no means saying that Zack Gibson, Dave Mastiff and CJ Banks (for example) would not fit, in the WWE (because the absolutely would), and vice versa for the likes of (again, for example) T-Bone, Mark Andrews and Wolfgang. But while WOS looked to appeal to the family-friendly wrestling show goers, WWE appealed to the grown-up indy supporters, creating two very different shows, but both equally as entertaining. 

Greetings Grapple Fans... Once again.

World of Sport were first up. New Years Eve 2016. With the enlisted help of WWE Hall of Famer (Good Ol') Jim Ross on commentary, the show went down like a treat... to existing wrestling fans. The show reached a TV rating of 1.25 millions viewers, which is pretty darn good given wrestling had been off main stream TV to 3 decades. However, losing half of your viewers once the show stars and gaining them back after its finished, isn't the best of signs. Not even the crowning of the first ever World of Sport Champion in Dave Mastiff, and the second WOS champion, Grado, in the same night was enough to entice the masses into watching the revival show.

Then it was WWE's turn to make an impression on the British wrestling fans. Masters of their craft, the WWE showcased the high-flying, technical and hard-hitting British wrestling style that many fans are familiar with, and what this generation of British wrestlers have become known for. The two nights in Blackpool introduced new the 'Superstars' to the WWE Universe (I say it like that cause most British fans will have known these guys previously), gave us some beautiful storytelling and the apparent second coming of Jesus (here's to you, Saxon Huxley). The first night was an introduction to the competitors with not many matches standing out as classics but that wasn't the purpose of night one. The time to shine was on night two. And my word did our boys shine. Tyler Bate was crowned the first ever WWE United Kingdom Champion after a gruelling match with Pete Dunne, who arguably stole the show with the match of the night against Mark Andrews.

The beautiful venue for the WWE United Kingdom Tournament

So, in comparison it's easy to see that the WWE got the better reception of the two shows, but you'd expect that from WWE. They've been in this game so long they've probably forgotten more about putting on a wrestling show than most would ever know (Yes, I know it's a cliche but it's also true). But if World of Sport had an equally talented roster as the WWE UK tournament did, and it had roughly the same amount of money behind it, why was one better received than the other?

Simple answer. One word. Audience. As mentioned before WOS were trying to appeal to the family, who would all sit round the TV together and watch 'the wrestling'. But times have changed. You only have to look at the audiences of the two biggest companies in the UK right now (ICW & PROGRESS), and see who's watching their shows and how big the shows are becoming. British wrestling's biggest companies offer a hardcore, hard-hitting element by their very nature. It's kind of like the coolness of the Attitude Era, only with more respect for female wrestler and less run-ins, coupled with solid wrestling ability that Britain is known for. It's a great time for all. WOS missed the mark with their programme, but you can see what they were going for and it's a shame it wasn't as big as it probably deserved to be. 

Make a Name for Yourself...

The World of Sport wrestling special was advertised as a "one off", but I think everyone saw through that from the moment it was said. However, it appeared that these plans might have been scuppered due to the poor ratings return after the Pilot episode on New Years Eve. You could see the sense in that but still 1.25 million viewers is very impressive, and ITV commissioned a full season of WOS Wrestling for the Summer of 2017. But, yet here we are in the tail-end of 2017 and no such show has formed. TV tapings that were set to take place in May at Preston were postponed. No official reason was given apart from "contract negotiations". Make of that what you will but fingers have been pointed a Jeff Jarrett and Impact wrestling. That's all I'll say on that matter.

While WOS struggled to get their feet off the ground, the WWE UK Division is finding its feet, quite nicely, in the company. After two stellar night's at the Blackpool tower the WWE UK superstars had proved to the world that the WWE was right to put it's trust in those 16 men to show off what UK wrestling is all about. Speculation started growing of a weekly WWE UK on the WWE Network to showcase the newest additions to the WWE Roster. And so we waited... and waited... and waited... and nothing seamed to develop. And then we got a special on the WWE Network, that in all honesty, appeared to just be an experiment. JR and Nigel McGuinness weren't even ringside and you could barely hear whoever was on the microphone. Not what you'd expect from a WWE production. The show had a few good matches but will probably be remembered as the show that crowned Pete Dunne the number one contender to Bate's UK Championship, at NXT TakeOver Chicago.

Bate flies through the air at NXT TakeOver: Chicago

Hopes were high for this match in Chicago. Expectations were high for this match. Then the match happened, and both, hopes and expectations, got smashed out of the f*cking park. Rated 4.75 stars by Dave Meltzer, the match blew up the Internet and safe to say made every wrestling fan on home soil feel very, very proud. Only two other matches in WWE have matched this rating in 2017, those being the Main Event of Summer Slam, Brock Lesnar V Braun Strowman V Roman Reigns V Samoa Joe for the Universal Title, and AJ Styles against John Cena at the Royal Rumble for the WWE Title. After this Dunne has defended his UK title numerous times, including the first ever WWE title defence outside of the company at an ICW show this summer. Bate and Seven have appeared in NXT a handful of times as British Strong Style, as has ICW original Wolfgang.

It seems the WWE UK Division is being kept within the confines of NXT for the moment, which is fine. It was Triple H's idea and if keeping the lads in Florida for now pays off in the long run, then I'm okay with that.

*A few weeks after I wrote this article, the WWE UK division appeared on 205 Live, Main event and Pete Dunne made his debut on RAW as part of the WWE's UK tour in November. Big moments all round. Congrats lads!

After the Bell

As it stands World of Sport seems a world away from developing into a full television show and the WWE UK division is sitting comfortably within the confines of NXT. But I want to ask, is this not a good thing? For one, every wrestler who appeared on each show respectively, can now say they are a WOS/WWE wrestler, which is a huge draw to any promotion, and that's just a start. The wrestlers who wrestled for the two companies are now big, fucking, deals. Having a WOS wrestler or WWE superstar on your show can almost guarantee an increase in ticket sales, not to mention the money from those cheeky photo-ops in the ring during the interval. 

The moment in the spotlight for British Professional Wrestling has done our scene the world of good. This is without mentioning Neville and Jack Gallagher doing their thing on WWE 205 live, and Zack Sabre Jr, Marty Scurll and Will Osprey tearing it up in New Japan. 

Recently, the WWE sent out a questionnaire to it's network subscribers, asking about various content ideas and future services they would like to see offered on the WWE Network. One of these questions hinted at the possibility of ICW and PROGRESS Wrestling content appearing on the network. If this means that the WWE are putting a little bit of cash in the back pockets of Mark Dallas and Jim Smallman (& Co.) respectively, and funding those two promotions to continue to put on the great shows that they are, then I'm okay with that.

PROGRESS wrestling at The Electric Ballroom in Camden

So, where do we stand at the moment? Many UK promotions now have their own networks with hours of content from their own companies and others from around the globe. This would appear to be the way to go, and swerve television altogether. The exposure given to the wrestlers who competed on World of Sport and in the WWE UK Tournament, has boosted their careers ten fold and has done the entire British scene a world of good. It has done exactly what it should have done, which is give the real British scene the much deserved exposure it has earned. With ICW having just had a second crack at the Hydro in Glasgow and PROGRESS set to tackle Wembley next year, British wrestling is reaching its biggest high for almost 40 years, and it's still got room to grow.

Kieran is the host of our weekly podcast 'A Few Good Marks' and is one of our founding members. He can often be found discussing various topics, ranging from why WWE creative sucks, to which UK wrestler he'd rather manage and why. This is currently the only job he has.

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