10 Reasons To Stick With NJPW After Wrestle Kingdom 12
6. Their Sharp In-Ring Focus
Fans who value great in-ring action above all else can't afford to not follow New Japan Pro Wrestling. The company is, without question, the most cutting edge promotion in the world. Their roster is sellar, and the focus is on match quality, not over-the-top dramatics, with each major pay-per-view delivering at least a handful of outright bangers.
This is by design. While company president Takaaki Kidani's fondness for American sports entertainment is well known, his booker, Gedo, knows the audience want to see pure wrestling. Thus, NJPW is largely free of the smoke and mirrors that plague other promotions, with the product presented more like a real sport than a soap opera.
There are few in-ring restrictions, with the increased creative freedom allowing wrestlers to show the full breadth of their athletic and artistic talents, rather than forcing them to conform to one limited style. NJPW rarely sacrifices storytelling for high spots, though. Their narratives usually unfold inside the ring, and lengthy segments are rare. This makes for a refreshing change of pace, but doesn't prevent them from delivering incredible angles either, as proven by Katsuyori Shibata's tearjerking return from the brink of death at the 2017 G1 Climax Finals.