10 Things WWE Can Learn From NJPW Dominion
What New Japan's latest classic show can teach Vince McMahon...
For the second time in sixth months, New Japan Pro Wrestling has become the talk of the wrestling world by putting on a show that surpassed even the wildest of expectations. This time, it was Dominion, the Osaka-Jo Hall staple that has been likened to WWE's SummerSlam in terms of scheduling and importance.
The biggest story for the show was that Kenny Omega and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada - who battled at Wrestle Kingdom in a match that has been widely praised as one of the best of all time - were set to clash in a rematch for the title. Arguably the two best pro wrestlers in the world today, Omega and Okada ended up battling to a 60-minute time limit draw, putting on a performance that stands proudly beside their first classic but still leaves doubt as to whom the better man truly is.
The rest of the show was equally memorable, as each and every one of the company's championships were on the line, some in bouts that would have stolen any other show. In fact, the entire card was a lesson for just what wrestling looks like when it's truly done right.
If anyone with any power in WWE was watching the show, there was a lot for them to learn. For now, here are 10 lessons New Japan taught at Dominion that WWE would be wise to follow:
10. Shows Can Be Five Hours Long - If They're Good
Moving all PPVs to the WWE Network has meant that the company no longer has any time restrictions when it comes to the shows. As such, they've decided that more is more - WrestleManias 32 and 33 and SummerSlam 2016 were both gigantic events, with this year's 'Mania topping out at just over seven hours including the pre-show.
As one would imagine, shows that long are incredibly draining. Even when the card is as important as WrestleMania is supposed to be, fans seem to be drifting off after a few hours, and you can't really blame them - stuck in with all the wrestling, there's a ton of interview segments, clip packages, and plain old nonsense.
Still, Dominion was almost as intimidating - the streaming file for the entire show was five-and-a-half hours long. The difference, though, is that Dominion was all action and no nonsense. The only clip packages came before the top two matches, and the rest was just bout after bout in ascending order of importance. The crowd was hot throughout the quarter-day-long event.
If WWE can pace their shows better, the company can continue their high-quantity output model - but it will take a major shift in the philosophy of putting shows together.