10 Ups & 4 Downs From NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14

7. A Tale As Old As Time

KENTA Hirooki Goto
NJPW

As far as balancing great heel work with great wrestling goes, KENTA is the man Jay White should look to for inspiration.

Not that the former Hideo Itami is a better pure wrestler than 'Switchblade,' but he's a lot more adept at incorporating villainous shtick effectively and without hindering the flow of the match, hence why he's gotten over to such a degree in this promotion. Age is catching up to him, he's not as explosive as he used to be, and he'll never be the NOAH KENTA again, but it doesn't matter: KENTA has adapted. He's simultaneously a stiff old *ss-kicker and a cocky piece of trash, and it rules.

This match for a perfect clash of personalities with Hirooki Goto. New Japan's eternal bridesmaid he may be, but Goto is a valiant, honourable warrior with an unbreakable respect for pro-wrestling as a craft. Their ideologies couldn't be more different, and this was the story over their compelling, bruising NEVER Openweight Championship victory, in which Goto was victorious following a closing stretch so vicious it was impossible to watch without experiencing vicarious jaw pain.

Say what you will about Goto's positioning in the company, but the man delivers in big spots.

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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.