New Japan reached new heights in 2018, running more shows in the United States, helping Ring of Honor sell out Madison Square Garden for WrestleMania weekend in 2019, a champion in Kazuchika Okada that bested the number of days reigned combined as IWGP Champion, number of days reigned in a single title reign, and number of title defenses.
His reign was ultimately ended in a historic 2 out of 3 falls match to Kenny Omega, who has put the company on his back in hopes of bringing New Japan to the western part of the world. Here is a list of the top 5 guys that made the most noise in New Japan, for bad or for good:
Kazuchika Okada
Okada had perhaps the best first half of any wrestler in the history of New Japan. He broke Hiroshi Tanahashi’s 1,358 days combined as IWGP Champion on January 3rd. The following day at Wrestle Kingdom 12, Okada defeated Tetsuya Naito to retain the title. During his time as champion, he also defeated a number of contenders with differing styles, such as Sanada and Zack Sabre Jr. He defeated his long-time rival Hiroshi Tanahashi in May to surpass Tanahashi’s record number of title defences in a single title reign at 12.
His challenge to Kenny Omega for a 2 out of 3 falls match for the IWGP Championship led to his downfall. He lost to Omega in an epic match, one of the best of all time, and ending his record-breaking streak at 720 days. Okada came back to New Japan and entered the G1 Climax 2 months later with a different attitude and different look. He started to carry balloons to the ring and dyed his hair red. While he had a decent showing at the G1 Climax, finishing with 6 wins, 2 losses and a draw, he failed to make the finals, which was won by his arch-rival Tanahashi.
He failed to win the Tokyo Dome Championship certificate from Tanahashi in a match with him in September as well. After that match, he was attacked by fellow Chaos member Jay White and Okada’s longtime mentor Gedo. He will take on White at Wrestle Kingdom in hopes of gaining a measure of revenge that he has been unable to get since September.
Kenny Omega
Omega has probably had the most newsworthy year of any performer in New Japan. His year started off at Wrestle Kingdom in a heated no-disqualification “dream match” against future Hall of Famer Chris Jericho to retain his IWGP United States title.
He temporarily lost leadership of Bullet Club when he failed to bring in Jay White as a member, lost his U.S. title to White and was involved with a feud with both Cody and The Young Bucks. His feud with The Young Bucks brought on a reunion former Golden Lovers tag partner Kota Ibushi.
Then move on to June at Dominion, where he became the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion, unseating perhaps the greatest IWGP Champion of all-time, Kazuchika Okada. His G1 Climax was a little up and down, but he continues to be the focal point of New Japan’s expansion into the West. He has a big generation vs. generation match against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom. The result could have ramifications for all of the professional wrestling world in 2019.
Chris Jericho
Yes, Jericho made his return to New Japan after a 20-year hiatus to participate in the “Alpha vs. Omega” dream match with Kenny Omega at WrestleKingdom in a No-DQ match with Omega’s IWGP United States title on the line in the semi-main event.
He ultimately lost that hellacious match, but stuck around the next night at New Year’s Dash to attack Tetsuya Naito. This happened to be a very strategic move on Jericho’s part as Naito would later go on to win the IWGP Intercontinental title, and in doing so, getting attacked again by Jericho setting up a match for the title at Dominion, which Jericho won.
While he has only had one title defence since then, a victory over EVIL in November, a grudge match with Naito is set up for the grandest stage in all of New Japan at WrestleKingdom.
Hiromu Takahashi
Takahashi started 2018 in a slump, having lost a Fatal 4-Way for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title at Wrestle Kingdom and losing a string of tag team matches with fellow Los Ingobernables de Japon member Bushi in efforts to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag team championships.
His fortune finally turned around in late May and early June when he won his block in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament and the defeating Taiji Ishimori in the finals of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament on June 4th. His June got better five days later when he defeated Will Ospreay to regain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title. Unfortunately, his year and possibly his career, ended at New Japan’s G1 Climax Special in San Francisco with a broken neck at the hands of a “Phoenix Plex” against Dragon Lee.
Jay White
White returned to New Japan from his U.S. excursion in November of 2017 and came back as “Switchblade” Jay White, sort of a more clean-cut version of Bray Wyatt. He was immediately given a big push and a main spot on the 2018 version of Wrestle Kingdom, facing the “Ace of the Universe” Hiroshi Tanahashi for the Intercontinental Championship. Even though he lost that match, he caught the eye of the leader of the Bullet Club, Kenny Omega, who offered him membership into the group the very next night at New Japan’s version of the Raw After WrestleMania, New Year’s Dash.
White turned it down and joined forces with Chaos and started a feud with Omega over the IWGP United States title. He wound up winning that title from Omega, a feat even Chris Jericho couldn’t do. Although his 5-month reign as champion didn’t set the world on fire, it was what happened after he lost the title that became significant.
After the G1 Climax, he attacked the leader of Chaos and the man that has the most successful title defences of the IWGP Heavyweight title in history, Kazuchika Okada. Not only did he leave him laying in a heap, but he was able to get Okada’s longtime advisor and mentor, Gedo, to join him and be the leaders of The Bullet Club OGz, with the G.O.D., Bad Luck Fale and Taiji Ishimori.
That has put White into another big Wrestle Kingdom spot with a wrestler in Okada that is clearly still in the prime of his career. Another big performance from him at the Tokyo Dome and we could be talking about him main eventing the Wrestle Kingdom show in 2020.
Recent Comments