Not the best WK ever but one of the best I've seen from top to bottom. Really solid undercard which with a lot of NJPW shows isn't always the case. Omega vs. Jericho & Okada vs. Naito delivered in a big way. Not "6 star" matches but excellent bouts. Really surprised Naito didn't go over. I felt the time was right. I'm going to predict those two again at next year's dome show. Depending on your taste, Omega/Jericho was almost as good. Jericho's best match in ages. He's lost a step but it's amazing what he can still do without the constraints of WWE. Loved Omega getting color. The PC world will tell you it doesn't have a place in today's wrestling but as long as it's used sparingly for big feuds such as this and you're not double juicing, I feel it still has a place. And the blade is a lot safer than a Lesnar elbow. Tons different than Omega's match from last year but really cool to see him work this kind of style.
Tanahashi vs. White wasn't a bad match but I thought it was probably the most disappointing match of the show. It was paint by numbers Tana but the match did nothing for White. It's never too bad of a thing to lose to Tana at the dome but his new character could of really used a shot in the arm with a win in my mind.
IWGP Jr.'s was very good. Great showcase for Ospreay. Hiromu should of won but not a big deal. I want to criticize some of Gedo's outcomes but the guy knows what he's doing as he's proved so many times. We may look back in a couple of years and say some of these outcomes weren't the best but until then he has my trust.
I loved Suzuki vs. Goto. Probably more than most. Suzuki isn't good as he once was but he's good once as he ever was & last night was one of those nights. Hard hitting affair.
IWGP Tag match. Solid stuff. Interesting layout.
Cody vs. Ibushi. Maybe the best Cody match I've seen. I've been saying that a lot more often the last year or so. Of course Ibushi has a lot to do with that but to be fair Cody was good as well. Ibushi is a crazy bastard. Took a Cross Rhodes from the apron to the floor that he was lucky didn't hurt him bad.
Never Openweight Six-Man Title Gauntlet Match. Good showcase for Beretta. Man, that guy can bump! Cool submission by Sabre on Rowe. A travesty this is all they had for Ishii. Solid match.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title Match. Good match. One of the better worked Young Bucks matches. Sho & Yoh are going to be big Jr. stars for years to come.
RAMBO. Nice feel good finish though I really don't know a lot about Kakihara. Love Cheeseburger in these. Also loved NJPW making Chase Owens look good as well.
They announced that the final 3 days of the G-1 will be held at the hallowed halls of Budokan. Home of All Japan's heyday in the 90's. Very ambitious as it holds 15-16,000.
I really love this show every year. I take off & stock up on snacks & watch it live. That time of day is so peaceful & it's cool to enjoy some of the best in the world to kick off the year. They say the Royal Rumble kicks off WrestleMania season but I think this show kicks it off for a lot of fans as the world of wrestling gets hot for 3+ months. This is the most wonderful time of year for us wrestling fans & so it begins.
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