10 Reasons To Be Excited About Wrestle Kingdom 11

2. The New Ace Or The Gaijin Ace?

Wrestle Kingdom 11
NJPW

I don't want to compare Wrestle Kingdom to WrestleMania as they occupy vastly different realms of the wrestling world, but remember at 'Mania 32 when we were given a main event of Reigns Vs HHH? The match wasn't a match, it was a photo opportunity to get shots of Roman celebrating at the end of WrestleMania, something WWE must have believed was imperative to him becoming the next 'guy.'

New Japan aren't in the same transitional phase, they're in the beginnings of a golden era, and they're using the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 11 to display that as clearly as they can. They could have gone back to old faithful Tanahashi (who had been in and won five straight WK main events up to this point). They even could have gone with the hottest new thing, Los Ingobernables' Naito. But they went with Kenny Omega because over the course of 2016 he proved to be one of the best performers in the company and in the world.

As a result we have one of the most unpredictable main events in the past decade. Will Okada get started on a Tana-esque main event winning streak, or will Kenny Omega, in a year of firsts, be the first foreigner to have his hand raised at the end of Wrestle Kingdom? No matter how hyped the show is before this, you definitely won't be dozing off come main event time.

Contributor
Contributor

University of Edinburgh student, freelance writer and all-round banter merchant.