10 Most Shocking NJPW Upsets

5. AJ Styles Vs. Kazuchika Okada - Wrestling Dontaku 2014

Okada Naito
NJPW

Yet more evidence of Gedo's unparalleled genius, here, he created another megastar over the course of a single match - his second impossible achievement in the span of two years.

AJ Styles was not a household name in the East, but this did not deter New Japan from promoting him as such. He had last wrestled for the company in 2008, as part of the old arrangement with TNA - but hadn't, on this impression, made much of an impression with the Japanese public. Styles and Kazuchika Okada assembled a very worthy contest, lacking somewhat in the inimitable fiery drama of the true modern NJPW classics; this was AJ's first night back, and thus his lack of profile undermined the occasion.

Gedo corrected this, before the match even unfolded, by making sure fans paid attention to him after the fact: he crowned AJ Styles as IWGP Heavyweight Champion on his re-debut.

Assisted by the Bullet Club, in sacrilegious contravention of his clean finish policy, this masterstroke convinced the fans to emotionally invest in a stranger - and it worked because there was no cynicism to detect. New Japan was growing, flourishing. It didn't need to resort to the shock tactic to drum up intrigue.

It worked in and of itself, and in shaping the complexion of the top of the card, because AJ was rapidly approaching career-best form - something Gedo clearly knew.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!