10 Greatest Angles In Modern Wrestling History
1. The Red Mist Descends On Kazuchika Okada
The utopian idea of inter-promotional warfare is as effective as it is near-impossible.
The politics are too fraught. Unless the storyline is handled with incredible attention to detail - like the exceptional ROH Vs. CZW rivalry - one promotion always loses. And it's not as though a top star is losing, which any promoter is wary of booking; one misstep, and the very brand is stigmatised as a loser.
With a glorious long-term heft, the curious association between New Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH that began in 2022 revealed its true purpose a year later.
At Wrestle Kingdom 17 In Yokohama Arena, Kazuchika Okada teamed with Togi Makabe to take on Kaito Kiyomiya and Yoshiki Inamura. The expected result was for Makable (ageing, respectable scalp) or Inamura (powerhouse on the rise) to take the fall after glimpsing some thrilling exchanges between the two standard-bearers.
This didn't happen; in a glorious angle, a masterpiece unto itself that sold a match thought impossible, Kiyomiya - blanked by Okada - walked into the ring the second that Okada had Inamura in a rest hold. He kicked Okada in the back. Okada had no interest in selling for a lowly NOAH talent - even, and what an arrogant bastard, the GHC Heavyweight champion.
Kiyomiya kicked him in the back again. Nothing. Perhaps a shoot kick to the f*cking face would have the desired effect, and it did: Okada, furious, rampaged across the ring, knocked Kiyomiya off the apron, and delivered a note-perfect beating. With a stunning blend of safe strikes and some real violence, Okada, because he is a genius, morphed into one of the best brawlers ever within seconds. He was driven into brutal vengeance like a gale force wind to defend his territory. That is a motherf*cking invasion angle.
Their fight was electrifying.
Enhanced by stakes as unexpected as they were grand, and the aloof facade Okada has cultivated over the span of years - you'd have to really, really piss him off to get that out of him - the angle built the hottest match in Japanese wrestling for years and years.