10 Live Observations From NJPW’s FIRST EVER UK Tour

6. Starr Turn

Kazuchika Okada Zack Sabre Jr
Robyn Goding/Beyond Gorilla

David Starr's retention of his British Cruiserweight Championship against Tiger Mask, Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo was less to do with the title belt in question and more Starr's unique ability to get his multitude of nicknames over regardless of which version of his gimmick he portrays.

Working his magic against three more athletically dynamic performers, Starr huffed, puffed and stalled with glorious pro wrestling aplomb - his Sports Entertainment-esque sh*thousery a welcome tonic to the hard hitting strikes and aerial assaults of the three airborne challengers.

The contest proved in hindsight to be one of the few in which the result mattered less than the spectacle. Former Bone Soldier Taiji Ishimori was hugely over thanks to his Bullet Club colours (the group still dominate wardrobes worldwide even if fractured in the current context of the company), El Phantasmo got audiences up a height by scaling them himself, whilst Tiger Mask IV embodied the gimmick's entire lifespan for an audience that seemed appreciative to be in its presence as much as the man behind the mask.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 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 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, 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