11 Ups & 2 Downs From NJPW King Of Pro-Wrestling 2018

10. No Surprises In Solid Jr. Heavyweight Tag

Tiger Mask Kanemaru
NJPW

Regular New Japan viewers aren't going to believe this, right, but El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru jumped Jushin Liger and Tiger Mask ahead of their IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Title defence, kickstarting a signature Suzuki-gun brawl.

The defending team immediately went after the veterans' masks. They weren't successful, but had Tiger and Liger sufficiently rattled to maintain control, enacting grinding heel offence on the duo. The ever-surly Tiger would eventually return the favour by trying to rip Despy's own mask, but while him and 'Thunder' popped the crowd with their comebacks and scored a visual pin, they inevitably fell to Suzuki-gun's scuzzy tactics.

Stuck in the opening spot, the bout was about as good as you'd expect. Though nothing you'll remember a week from now, the action was solid and the layout functional, with the heel tandem bringing enough heat to elevate the clash beyond exhibition level. Still, it'd be nice if New Japan stopped positioning these straps so slow. There were a lot of matches to get through at KOPW, and the Jr. Heavyweight Titles are rarely booked with prestige, but booking Despy and Kanemaru in this spot against two guys who barely had a hope of winning sends negative messages.

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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.