10 Best NJPW Matches Of 2016 (So Far...)
More proof that New Japan Pro Wrestling is #1 in-ring promotion going today.
By the end of the first week of 2016, many were predicting doom for New Japan Pro Wrestling. The company had lost two of its biggest singles stars in Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles, as well as two vital members of its biggest heel faction in the shape of Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows. What would New Japan do now?
Well, after tying up a couple of loose ends, New Japan Pro Wrestling did exactly what it does best, and that is put on some of the finest professional wrestling on the planet. The gap at the top of the tree left by Nakamura and Styles (as well as Kota Ibushi) allowed new faces to march into positions of prominence, none more so than Tetsuya Naito.
The company also continued to put on stellar show after stellar show, and all of their big events have produced something magical. The two tournaments so far haven't disappointed either, with the recently completed Best of the Super Juniors being particularly spectacular.
The annual G1 Climax is about to start, and that tournament is almost guaranteed to give us a whole host of MOTY candidates.
As such, it is good to take stock of the year in New Japan so far, and here are the ten best matches the company has put on in 2016 to date.
10. Kenny Omega Vs. Michael Elgin - Road To Wrestling Dontaku
I'll start the list with arguably the least Japanese wrestling match in New Japan Pro Wrestling so far this year. In the main event of the April 27 Road to Wrestling Dontaku show, Kenny Omega defended his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against fellow Canadian Michael Elgin, and from bell to bell to the whole thing was balls to the wall.
Omega has blossomed into a major start in NJ this year, and the love Japanese crowds have for Michael Elgin is astounding. That man has had a true career renaissance in the last 12 months. Omega was without the Young Bucks here, so resorted to a more hardcore style to try and tackle Elgin's power.
This made for a plunderfest, but a mighty fun one. Some of the sequences towards the end are absolutely bananas too, with Omega reversing an Elgin bomb into a truly sick reverse rana. The finish is one of the wonderful New Japan ones too, where a guy hits a finisher only for his opponent to kick out, so instead of going back to basic offence he just hits him with as many finishers in a row as possible, as quickly as possible.
This was such a fun, fun match.