10 Things New Japan Does Better Than WWE

For those of you who don’t know, Dave Meltzer is an impressively hench, unseasonably-tanned 57 year-old wizard who inhales wrestling content and exhales perfectly-objective match ratings. He is the standard bearer for wrestling fandom worldwide and his word is gospel. The ‘Meltzer 5 Star Match’ is the perennial white whale for many wrestlers in the industry, and to fans it gives an immediate starting point for anyone who wants to poke their nose out into the world beyond WWE.

I say ‘beyond WWE’ because according to Meltzer, WWE have only pulled off the wrestling masterpiece five times since their inception. New Japan have pulled off such a feat five times since the start of last year. Be it the authentic ‘strong style’ that New Japan is known for, their straightforward yet engaging storytelling, or simply the technical, athletic, and creative superiority of their talent both in the ring and behind the scenes, many critics are in agreement that New Japan’s brand of wrasslin’ is the best the world has to offer. If you have the time, watch some of the barn burners at this year’s G1 or Wrestle Kingdom and let yourself bask in the almighty glory of puroresu.