What I really Thought of Wrestle Kingdom 12: A casual Fans perspective
A strong opening
After capturing the IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship on their first night Roppongi 3K looked to kick-start twenty seventeen off with another huge victory in one of the biggest matches of their careers this past Thursday at Wrestle Kingdom twelve when the faced off against the immensely popular Young Bucks consisting of Matt and Nick Jackson. Obviously far more aware of the Young Bucks I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this match. I knew that this was bound to be an impressive contest full of flying spots and intense tag team action but as far as the end result and longevity of the match I wasn't so sure and I'm confident that came down to my pure lack of knowledge. Midway through the match, Yoh suffered a back injury which became the story of the bout following a German suplex onto the ring apron that would only further the pain coming suffered by one-half of the champs. With Rocky Romero standing at ringside, the Young Bucks to it upon themselves to eliminate the one thing they had working against them, the numbers game and a powerbomb done the job perfectly. In a twist of events, Matt Jackson also suffered a back injury which left him on the sidelines as his partner took control of the match, however, once Yoh was able to make the tag to Sho the pace of the match changed and the momentum shifted. This didn't last, however, and the closing moments saw the Bucks back in control scoring the victory via submission crowning them the new champs. For me, as a casual fan, this was a strong opening. I was left fully entertained, there was a clear story being told and both teams had a solid showing. We saw a more psychology based performance from the Young Bucks and some good smart storytelling. With their seventh title victory now under their names the Young Bucks look to be showing now signs of slowing down!Right up my street
The match that followed also proved to be a huge success. I'm uncertain as to how loved this match was by the more hardcore audience but for me, the NEVER open weight 6-man tag team Gantlet Championship match was right up my street. This is the type of wrestling I personally love to watch. a strong mix of styles there was something for everyone here and the teams involved really did have an interesting and solid showing. Action packed, I was never given a reason to be bored what so ever and was left completely entertained and glued to my screen. Even as a casual fan I wasn't as excited about the title change as I was the first match of the night but I was most certainly surprised with the end result with Beretta, Toru Yano, and Tomohiro Ishii defeating Tonga Loa, Tama Tonga, and Bad Luck Fale in the final. Personally, I was expecting the titles to stay on the shoulders of Loa, Tonga, and Fale but the exciting action-packed contest was one I can honestly I say I got a lot of enjoyment out of.New Champions Continue to be Crowned
Wrestle Kingdom Twelve saw several new champions crowned as we have already touched on today and the pattern continued when Marty Scrull defended his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in a fatal four way against KUSHIDA, Takahashi, and Will Ospreay. This for me was one easily one of the best matches of the night, personally ranking it in the top three or four. Throughout the match, the commentators touched on the history between Ospreay and the champ noting the struggle Ospreay has had defeating Scrull. Each star had their moment in the spotlight with Marty as always bringing fantastic flair and character to the contest including rolling out the ring in the early stages only getting back in to break up a pin and later on in the match whacking one of his opponents across the face with an Umbrella behind the refs back. Ospreay however, for me was the standout star of the match. The contest itself was flippy shit at its best with KUSHIDA and Takahashi fitting in some brilliant offense and impressive spots but from start to finish Ospreay made sure all eyes were on him with a never a dull moment whenever he was in sight. This was a high paced, spot fest that kept everyone entertained. It was everything fans could expect from the four competitors involved and I can honestly say I really enjoyed every single second. We had a brilliant story being told, every single talent had their moment and the match itself was different to everything else on the card and the end result was well thought out and a hundred percent the right booking decision.Chris Jericho VS Kenny Omega
One of the most anticipated matches in professional wrestling history was up next as Kenny Omega defended his IWGP United States Championship against Chris Jericho! I'll be honest, this was the match that drew me in. I'm a casual NJPW fan and so there were names on the card I wasn't super familiar with, however, Omega and Jericho simply are two of the greatest in this industry. Jericho has been around for years and has earned the right to be named one of the best of all time while Omega throughout his career has worked several phenomenal matches that really have changed the game making him one of if not the best wrestler on the scene today. Their clash at Wrestle Kingdom twelve was seriously hyped with everyone in the wrestling community buzzing to see them collide and honestly it didn't disappoint. Now, I know as always there will be split opinions and not everyone will agree but for me personally, this is a serious contender for match of the year and we're only days into January.These two went out there and proved exactly why they are the best of the best. What did surprise me was just how barbaric the match got. Yes, this was a no disqualification match but it did take some time before we got some technical, pure wrestling between them which is something I expected to see more of. The first half of the match really showed just how intense and personal their rivalry was. Jericho spent a lot of time slightly in more control and his attitude throughout the match allowed him to bring so much character to the table. This was an intense, Dramatic, bloody, war that honestly gave the fans in attendance and everyone at home exactly what they wanted. A phenomenal match that once again raised the bar and gave the main event a heck of a lot to live up to! I'll be writing more on this match in the near future!The Main Event
And finally, we have the main event as Kazuchika Okada defended his IWGP Heavyweight championship against the man of redemption Tetsuya Naito. Building his way back to the championship picture Naito headlined the biggest show of the year in front forty thousand fans in Tokyo against one of the best wrestlers in the world today. This match once again strengthens the championship itslef. Okada was able to successfully defend the title yet again proving the point I just made, he really is one of the best pro wrestlers in the world right now. Another win prolongs his title run, he was able to continue his dynasty, push his legacy to the next level while also ensuring that the man that finally does defeat him for that title will become a huge and even bigger star than he currently is. By far the best champion in professional wrestling today Okada was pushed to his limits by Naito who really did lose nothing via the loss. He took the champ to new heights and gave the champion a fight of which he hasn't been pushed to since facing Kenny Omega. Several close calls had me believing the title could just change hands, after all, coming just seconds away from capturing gold. His star power was on show last Thursday and a war on this scale with Okada is something that won't go forgotten anytime soon. In my opinion, a brilliant way to close the show and a brilliant main event.Other Matches and Overall opinion
Overall, I really enjoyed Wrestle Kingdom twelve. It's the one New Japan show I've stayed loyal watching for a while and this was another that didn't disappoint. As a more casual fan I found this an excellent night for pro wrestling and one that will give shows like WWE's Wrestlemania a huge run for its money with the company very unlikely to top what we saw go down at Wrestle Kingdom. There really was something for everyone and I was left wanting to watch more, learn more and invest more time into the promotion.There were plenty of matches I didn't touch on in this review but the show as a whole really was fantastic. I did find some filler matches more difficlt to invest in and pay attention to but overall again, this was a strong strong show. I am planning on writing more NJPW based content especially after watching Wrestle Kingdom 12 so make sure to let me know if thats something you would be interested in but for now you can tell me what you thought of Wrestle Kingdom twelve by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me over at @TezangiVictoria.Recent blog Posts:
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