1. The Matches
In the end, it all comes down to one thing if the action doesn't deliver in the ring, then there's nothing that can save a wrestling promotion. The ring, though, just happens to be where New Japan Pro Wrestling truly excels. Though Japan was the place to be for classic action in the 1990s, most of the best stuff (excluding
joshi, Japanese female wrestling) was coming from competitor All Japan Pro Wrestling. "The Four Corners of Heaven" as Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Toshiaki Kawada, and Akira Taue were collectively called became superstars and the darlings of tape traders on this side of the Pacific. Twenty years later, though, it's New Japan who rules the roost, worldwide. In addition to aforementioned prodigies like Tanahashi and Ibushi, New Japan cards are filled with action from former IWGP Heavyweight Champions like Okada and Nakamura, up-and-comers like Tomohiro Ishii (whom Meltzer has praised as the best worker of 2014) and Tetsuya Naito, and "outsiders" like Suzuki and Styles. Many of the ex-WWE wrestlers in the company, like Smith, Archer, and Gallows, have added new depth to their performances and honed their skills in an environment where wrestling is king. No matter what the matches are, New Japan's cards are always full of must-see action, and no one regrets spending money on the product.