5 Ups & 2 Downs From NJPW New Year Dash 2019

Wrestle Kingdom 13 fallout, and 'Switchblade' Jay White wins big yet again...

by Michael Hamflett
Jay White
NJPW

Having managed to build up the January 5th follow-up show almost as well as Wrestle Kingdom itself over the past few years, the switching of the current arrangement to two back-to-back evenings at the Tokyo Dome in 2020 makes business sense before even considering the creative opportunities.

Much like with WWE's post-WrestleMania Raw, the event has long had the potential to reward those that have travelled the furthest, and there are routinely far more disappointed fans on the outside of the venue than the 2,000 that squash into Korakuen Hall keen to see NJPW kick off their calendar with all the requisite follow-ups and follow-throughs from the biggest event of the year.

A heavy weight of expectation again sat across the shoulders of booker Gedo following another glorious supershow, and the activities from the past several years' worth of post-Dome blockbusters. January 5th was the night Kenny Omega usurped AJ Styles, the night Minoru Suzuki waged fresh war on New Japan, the night Jay White rejected Bullet Club for CHAOS and the night Chris Jericho foreshadowed his entire 2018 with a brutal assault on Tetsuya Naito.

What, this year, did 'Switchblade's sidekick have up his slippery sleeve?

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett