Editors Note – This week we have a new potential SLTD Wrestling writer @salfordsmith61. Kyle sent us this piece and it was too good not to release. We hope you read, enjoy, and look out for more from Kyle on SLTD Wrestling.
Kayfabe
Do you ever try to introduce a friend to the great sport of Pro Wrestling, only to be greeted with a cacophony of laughs accompanied with a smarmy comment akin to “don’t you know it’s all fake”? Well, maybe you need to head further east to rediscover the delicate art of Kayfabe.
Since the 1990s, the WWE has played hard and loose with Kayfabe – not only through poor, short-term booking decisions- and it has left casual fans feeling jaded, uninterested and the product has suffered as a result of this – after all – who would watch Die Hard if you could see the green screen behind Alan Rickman as he fell from Nakatomi Plaza?
Well, fear not – New Japan Pro Wrestling is a proud guardian of kayfabe and the wrestling tradition. From the sponsors on the ring to the legitimate sports press conference – New Japan has the feel and look of one of the worlds best Sports Organisations. You can easily slip into the belief you’re watching an MMA promotion – such as the old PRIDE Fighting Championships from the same region. Storylines are slow burning, realistic – almost guttural feuds between sportsmen – rather than frivolous soap opera. This makes for extremely compelling matches that even the casual fan cannot avoid being hypnotised by.
Main Events
The vast majority of WWE PPV’s lack a huge, show-stealing main event to send the punters home crying tears of unmitigated, wrestling joy. Every six month or so we’re thrown a bone with n half hour classic between two great wrestlers – yet it’s rarely on a consistent basis and often we’re left with glorified house matches ending the average PPV. Cast your mind back across the last six months in WWE – we’ve seen no-DQ main events finish in count outs, we’ve seen cage matches finish in draws where a man hit the floor first and not to mention main events where one competitor is taken out injured on a stretcher only to return… remember kayfabe?
New Japan Pro Wrestling has consistently booked main event matches that rival some of the greatest of all time. The series of Okada vs Omega matches are a modern classic that redefines what a wrestling match can truly deliver, it will go down in history as our generations Savage vs Steamboat or Hulk vs Goldberg at the Georgia Dome – it was a special night for all involved and fans at home.
Every couple of months we are seeing greatness redefined by the current crop of elite stars in the Far East. Omega, Okada, Naito. Those three names alone have put on more great matches in the last year than WWE have in the last decade. Seriously. No hyperbole.
If you cry for the days where your main event really did warrant displaying actual emotions (other than boredom) such as excitement, anticipation and amazement – NJPW is the destination for you.
Gang Warfare
Remember when the 90s when the wrestling landscape felt more like gang warfare? When each wrestler had a family of fellow hit men; whether it was DX, NWO or even The Ministry – it was quite cool to be able to almost align yourself with a team of stars. It was also great for business too as merchandise sales for the groups were nothing short of amazing. What we tend to forget about this era is the droves of awful, cringe-inducing factions that paraded before us – Truth Commision, Oddities, DOA. It seemed for every really hot, cool stable there was – 5 really poor ones existed too.
New Japan has somewhat learnt from this and created a comprehensive set of brilliant stables – each with its own modern, hot brand. Each group are selling mountains of merchandise – even without taking into account the global phenomena that is The Bullet Club. The current landscape of factions is truly modern and dynamic, the branded groups often cross international borders and have several chapters in different promotions, appearing at different events in different continents – almost like a wrestling version of the Hells Angels. It’s all extremely cool.
Tournaments
Up until recently, the WWE had truly forgotten the about the great benefits of properly booked tournaments in wrestling, since the days of King of the Ring up until the recent spate of Network Specials – we didn’t have many to indulge in.
Tournaments can offer a great storyline for the short term, giving ultimately “boring” singles matches a storyline and context without having to build towards it. It gives every performer a chance to shine while ultimately giving one or two guys the big push. A promotion can also use a tournament as a springboard for future storylines going forward – this is something New Japan is at the forefront of. Every single year we have the G1 classic, this gives fans the chance to see the very best stars the promotion has to offer go head-to-head in a series of gruelling matches over a short period of time. The trophy is extremely prestigious and has more of a feel of a FIFA World Cup than a wrestling belt – it’s an extremely impressive monument too.
The tournaments are short and snappy, it keeps you hooked – unlike some of the WWE specials which feel almost laborious to get through – almost like a full FA Cup season in comparison to a punchy World Cup vibe from NJPW. The Final of the 2017 G1 Classic was quite literally one of the great matches in history – Kenny Omega vs Naito. Just go and watch it. As the pair aren’t booked in four pointless matches a month on a weekly TV show like WWE Raw, it was truly exciting to see the tournament unfold in a manner which led the two to square off.
They Don’t Fuck Around
This for me is why I watch NJPW. When I watch the product I don’t feel like I’m being bullshitted. I don’t feel like I’m watching a tired old entertainment format. I don’t feel like each match is so carefully scripted that I may as well be watching Netflix. They don’t make decisions which hamper their talent. Granted I’m sure there is a lot NJPW could improve on – but it’s so refreshing to see a product that feels classic in its match quality yet extremely modern in its presentation.
Strong-Style is the new addition to the bingo card of over-used wrestling terms – but the way in which the New Japan roster work in comparison to the WWE roster is there in plain sight. Due to the nature of Japanese culture – where MMA and shoot fighting are as respected as Football and Baseball – the wrestlers cannot risk being seen to be weak or a bad hand in the ring, it’s truly a thing of honour. Every chop has a sickening whipping crack – you almost hear the opponents’ blood vessels raise to his skin. While watching you feel every thunderous kick, every blow to the body more mighty than the last. Granted many detractors of the product will claim this leads to the guys having a much shorter, injury-laden career – which might explain the recent trend of Japanese stars not living up to their potential in WWE, as they travel over to the states in search of an easier working environment where they aren’t pummelled with strikes more likely to be seen in an octagon than a wrestling ring.
BONUS 6TH REASON
THAT LOGO. LOOK AT IT. It looks like the badge of an underground fighting league ran by the Yakuza. It’s a thing of true-fucking-beauty.
Do you want to join the SLTD Wrestling team? JOIN HERE
SLTD Wrestling brings you all the greatest wrestling content. from blogs, to podcasts to exclusive Predictions and Fantasy Leagues.
Recent Comments