10 Things That Prove January Is The Best Month For Wrestling

3. Wrestle Kingdom

The Rock John Cena
NJPW

January 4th is a sacred day for fans of New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Since 2007, that date has been reserved for NJPW's annual Wrestle Kingdom show. But even before 2007, January 4th has seen New Japan deliver an annual Tokyo Dome spectacular as far back as 1992.

For all intents and purposes, Wrestle Kingdom is NJPW's version of WrestleMania. Just, y'know, with better matches, more well-designed story arcs, and a level of prestige that even 'Mania struggles to reach.

To date, January 4th has housed a whopping 28 super shows from New Japan, with 2020's Wrestle Kingdom 14 going one better and being a two-day showcase of the very best that NJPW has to offer. Not only will fans get two days of excellent in-ring action, but one of the biggest selling points of this coming January's offering is the official retirement of the iconic, legendary Jushin 'Thunder' Liger.

"Generational talent" is a label that gets thrown around a little too easily these days, and to call Liger a generational talent would be a huge understatement. This is someone who is a true revolutionary, with a longevity that has rarely been matched.

Wrestle Kingdom is one of the most enjoyable shows of the year for wrestling fans, and this upcoming 14th edition of the PPV is even more hotly anticipated than usual due to it being the swansong of the beloved Jushin Liger.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.