10 Ups & 4 Downs From NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14

3. This Isn’t Wrestle Kingdom

SANADA Taichi Zack Sabre Jr
NJPW

The biggest concern to arise when New Japan first announced Wrestle Kingdom 14 would be stretched across two days was that the lower-card that creeps into literally every other NJPW show would dilute their most special event of the year, as was the case early on night one.

The two eight-man tags were pointless. Other than Zack Sabre Jr. pinning BUSHI to avenge a recent Road To loss, they offered little narrative development. Both were functionally sound and relatively well performed, but they belong on Korakuen Hall undercards, not Wrestle Kingdom, and neither brought a significant angle to the table either.

Both were a waste of time that would have been filled much more satisfyingly by a singles match for someone like Shingo Takagi or Tomohiro Ishii. Those guys are two of the best in the world, yet New Japan could only accommodate them in inconsequential fart matches, even if Takagi left the weekend a NEVER Six-Man Champion. Him and Ishii could have wrestled each other, though! Imagine how class that would've been.

Let's hope that the eight-mans after left behind if the two-day concept continues in 2021.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.