10 Best Wrestling Pay-Per-Views Of 2019 (So Far)
9. NJPW Dominion
An adequate entry into an unmatchable canon of shows, this year's Dominion wasn't the destination of the greatest pro wrestling of all time, but a wild, angle-driven journey into NJPW's fascinating post-Elite future.
Not without controversy, the Kazuchika Okada Vs. Chris Jericho main event was very well-worked for what it was - but not many wanted that, inspiring enough discussion about the purpose of heat to ascertain that the Painmaker probably did something right in Osaka. Kota Ibushi Vs. Tetsuya Naito divided the Internet, too: their match was stunning in drama, athleticism, craft and the exploitation of danger, but the danger was too real. But it's better when it's bareback, isn't it? The thrills were cheap, for performers of such rich psychological prowess, and ultimately this was a betrayal of pro wrestling.
An unreal betrayal of pro wrestling.
Will Ospreay Vs. Dragon Lee stole the show, if not the headlines, in their super-physical, unhinged update on the Junior Heavyweight template, the selling in which cast both performers as formidable stars. On the undercard, Jon Moxley battered and then befriended Shota Umino in a weirdly endearing angle. KENTA debuted. Fellow first-time G1 entrant Shingo Takagi, a Junior, declared and bested a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Satoshi Kojima, in an excellent and forward-thinking match. A necessary one, too.
This latest Hiroshi Tanahashi comeback feels like his last as a top-tier worker, on the evidence of his sad showing.