4 Ups & 5 Downs From NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 (Night 1)
A disappointing first night for Wrestle Kingdom 16, despite Okada, Takagi, and Shibata's efforts.
It's easy to feel weary about NJPW these days.
Where once 4 January was akin to Christmas Day for fans of state of the art pro wrestling, the myriad issues facing the puroresu market leaders in 2022 made it tough for all but the hardest of the hardcore to conjure joy or excitement for Wrestle Kingdom 16. Between flat clap-crowd atmospheres, Gedo's longer-term decline as a booker, Dick Togo's looming Sports Entertainment shadow, and the drawn-out three-night format, there is no shortage of legitimate reasons for this.
It sucks.
But here we are.
Three straight nights. Two in the Dome, one in Yokohoma, with the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship once again contested across the opening two chapters before Pro Wrestling NOAH march off to war on Saturday's finale.
A card padded out by Road To-calibre multi-mans was never going to hit the stunning heights of yore. Even with such can't-fail pairings as Kazuchika Okada/Shingo Takagi and El Desperado/Hiromu Takahashi on the lineup, plus Katsuyori Shibata's long-awaited comeback match, asking for a vintage WK (or even one vaguely resembling the old magic) was fanciful. Regardless, this first night was let down by more than just the obvious filler tags.
Let's dig in...