This 12 months wrestling followers have been handled to 2 distinctly totally different reveals on the Tokyo Dome, between NJPW’s signature occasion, Wrestle Kingdom 19 on January 4, after which the multi-promotion joint present, Wrestle Dynasty, that occurred on January 5.
Recapping the weekend, let’s take a look at who can stroll away from the Tokyo Dome as a winner, and who shall be trying again on the weekend wishing issues labored out otherwise.
Winner: Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega returned to in-ring motion for the primary time since December 2023 (the place he wrestled Ethan Web page on an episode of Collision) at Wrestle Dynasty, and to say he picked up the place he left off could be an understatement.
Omega delivered a sweeping epic towards a really sport Gabe Kidd, having what was thought-about by most viewers as simply the most effective match of the weekend, and looking out like he didn’t miss a beat regardless of the year-long layoff.
Omega was in incredible bodily form and didn’t look compromised in any respect, going over half-hour in an action-packed match that noticed a ton of huge strikes and spots that have been harking back to past-Tokyo Dome performances by Omega. Throughout his absence all through 2024, it was simple for youthful wrestlers, similar to Will Ospreay and Konosuke Takeshita, to leap ahead within the race to be deemed the most effective wrestler on the earth. Omega’s efficiency on the Tokyo Dome was a reminder that regardless of his accidents, he’s pretty much as good as some other wrestler on the earth.
Winner: Gabe Kidd
Omega’s dance associate, Gabe Kidd, was given the most important alternative in his profession when he was given the Omega match, and he greater than held up his finish of the discount. Whereas Kidd was finally overshadowed by Omega, which was to be anticipated given Omega’s star energy and status, he nonetheless walks away as an enormous winner of the weekend as a result of through the match he felt like he was inside arm’s attain of Omega, a serious step ahead for a promising younger expertise.
Kidd was positioned within the match as somebody representing New Japan towards a returning Omega, who constructed the match by arrogantly claiming he was accountable for all the good issues NJPW has achieved during the last decade. This was a far cry from Kidd’s typical positioning within the firm, as mainly a goon for the heel-laden Bullet Membership Warfare Canine. When Kidd revealed the NJPW lion emblem on his tights for the match, he bought an audible babyface response from the followers, and his efficiency towards Omega would be the harbinger for change.
The change could be welcomed. Kidd has the in-ring capacity, depth, and charisma to be a reputable high star in NJPW. What has held him again has been an obnoxious dedication to making an attempt to be as edgy of a heel as potential. A babyface change would hopefully curb that conduct, and as an alternative maximize all of his strengths into changing into a extra sustainable, full performer.
Loser: Shota Umino
Wrestle Kingdom proved to be near a worst-case state of affairs for Umino. The tepid reactions he had been getting all through the construct as much as the present have been a transparent sign that one thing was amiss, and the reactions he bought from the dwell crowd whereas he was working in the principle occasion towards Zack Sabre Jr. have been dismal.
The match was a catastrophe, as followers have been handled to a slow-paced affair that stretched out over 40 minutes whereas the group sat in silence as Umino struggled out of varied submission makes an attempt. Whereas Umino labored laborious within the match, the system and strategy have been all mistaken. The gang was actually not invested in an extended battle for Umino, a match the place Umino labored at a quicker tempo and took it extra on to Sabre would have most likely offered no less than a greater, if nonetheless tepid, response to the match. The match was simply the worst Wrestle Kingdom most important occasion since I began watching in 2012.
Issues didn’t enhance for Umino at Wrestle Dynasty, the place he was booed regardless of wrestling Claudio Castignoli, with Castignoli beginning the match by assaulting Umino from behind in a determined try to get some assist from Umino. It might look like a heel flip could be wanted, besides, at no level in his profession has Umino proven the charisma of a high man.
Umino was outclassed badly over the weekend by two of his contemporaries; Yota Tsuji, who had the match of the evening on Wrestle Kingdom towards David Finlay, and Gabe Kidd who had the good match towards Omega on Wrestle Dynasty. But, NJPW nonetheless went with the choice to place Umino in the principle occasion of its largest present of the 12 months, so clearly there may be plenty of religion in Umino, and that’s unlikely to dissipate completely going ahead.
Winner: David Finlay
Since taking on BULLET CLUB and getting the most important push of his profession, Finlay has carved out a dependable area of interest in NJPW. Whereas his ceiling is sort of a bit decrease than former BULLET CLUB leaders similar to Omega, AJ Types or Jay White, Finlay has emerged as one of the crucial constant wrestlers within the firm, and had a really robust 2024 the place he was typically concerned in the most effective match on the present.
Finlay sought to proceed that development in 2025, and he bought off to an important begin with two very robust matches. First, he had the match of the evening on Wrestle Kingdom towards Tsuji, after which adopted that up with a equally robust efficiency towards Brody King at Wrestle Dynasty. If Wrestler of the Yr voting ended right this moment, he would have a powerful likelihood at taking house the award.
Finlay has so much working towards him. He was in NJPW for a really very long time with out being given a lot of substance, with the corporate solely actually turning to him after plenty of expertise had both departed or aged out of effectiveness. He was additionally given the duty of being the chief of the BULLET CLUB, a stale act that’s nicely previous its expiration date.
Given these circumstances, he has finished an admirable job turning himself into an anticipated a part of any card he has been on. It’s that type of spirit and can-do dedication that NJPW must construct new stars, and whereas Finlay isn’t probably the most gifted man on the earth, he has definitely been making an attempt to get the utmost out of his capacity since his push started.
Loser: Tetsuya Naito
As was the case all through 2024, NJPW leaned on Naito to be the principle drawing act within the firm for Wrestle Kingdom, together with his match towards Hiromu Takahashi being probably the most anticipated match on the present for many followers, particularly given the weak most important occasion. Naito nonetheless has star energy, however his waning bodily capacity, slowed down by numerous points from his knees to his eyes to his neck, as soon as once more got here to a head through the semi-main occasion.
Even with the understanding that each guys aren’t what they as soon as have been bodily, the match was a disappointment. It was like a wrestling model of the Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Manny Pacquio struggle, which had been delay for years and solely occurred after each guys have been nearing retirement. Naito struggled all through 2024 as world champion, working prolonged most important occasions to various levels of success. With Tanahashi sunsetting this 12 months and shifting firmly right into a mid-card act, Naito is absolutely the one main, established star within the firm, and can doubtless be known as on a number of instances to anchor large reveals.
The 12 months is perhaps tough–Naito’s capacity to hit his signature offense, together with the Destino, has been derided by followers and has been talked about by commentators throughout his matches. Maybe probably the most telling second over the weekend was throughout a tag match at Wrestle Dynasty, the place the 42 12 months outdated, 275lb Jeff Cobb landed a cleaner Combinacion than Naito has landed shortly.
Winner: Walker Stewart
The weekend ought to be checked out as a crowning achievement for Walker Stewart, who has quickly turn out to be among the best play-by-play males in your entire enterprise. Stewart actually got here out of nowhere earlier than he was handed the job of lead English broadcaster by NJPW in October 2023, and his reward for broadcasting was on full show over the weekend.
Stewart has an important, pure voice for broadcasting, however the place he has actually grown is the power to provide gravitas to a serious occasion, one thing that could be very tough for a broadcaster with such restricted expertise. Stewart shined over the 2 occasions, with the ability to make each Wrestle Kingdom and Wrestle Dynasty really feel like the key reveals they have been designed to be.
I believe my favourite name of the weekend was throughout Wrestle Dynasty, through the match for the NEVER Openweight Championship between Konosuke Takeshita vs Tomohiro Ishii. Whereas describing the legacy of the title, Stewart exclaimed “The division that was constructed on the again of the stone pitbull, brick-by-brick!”
It’s a pleasant, poetic phrase, however what made it so nice is Stewart mentioned it proper after Ishii had fired up and went by a basic Ishii sequence the place he trades bombs together with his opponent. It was classic Ishii, and Stewart unfurled that line proper as I used to be occupied with how nice Ishii was as a performer. It was timed so nicely and actually, truthfully, enhanced the match.
Loser: Chris Charlton
I like Chris Charlton. He looks like a enjoyable man, and he’s labored his means up from being an on-air translator to a fairly enjoyable colour commentator for NJPW. His choice through the course of Wrestle Dynasty to turn out to be an object homer for NJPW and spend a big portion of the present burying AEW and AEW expertise, was very complicated.
Whereas Wrestle Dynasty had a variety of matches that pitted AEW wrestlers towards NJPW wrestlers, the present was probably not offered as an AEW vs NJPW present. All through your entire relationship between the 2 organizations, the tone from each side has been very respectful, the place each firms see the opposite as an equal. That friendliness is counted on as a result of with Wrestle Dynasty and Forbidden Door, each firms are counting on the drawing energy related to the opposite firm to promote main reveals.
Charlton hung out throughout matches to try to discredit and diminish AEW expertise, a puzzling alternative given {that a} majority of the AEW expertise on the present had important ties to NJPW. It was additionally simply awkward that Charlton labored to try to downplay Kenny Omega, as Omega was placing out an epic efficiency that made NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi cry at ringside.
Evidently, NJPW was not proud of Charlton’s efficiency, as he has been positioned on indefinite hiatus from commentary. On condition that NJPW is relying on AEW followers to devour the NJPW product, together with attending dwell occasions the corporate has deliberate for the US, which undoubtedly will characteristic AEW expertise, together with doubtless appearances by no less than two AEW EVP’s within the Younger Bucks, it’s comprehensible why the corporate is upset with Charlton.
That being mentioned, I hope Charlton returns quickly. He’s an entertaining man and he has introduced so much to the NJPW broadcasts since his position has expanded.