13 Ups & 1 Down From NJPW's 47th Anniversary Show

10. A Rivalry Reprised?

Dragon Lee El Desperado
NJPW

Last year's Best Of The Super Juniors delivered a heated singles bout between CMLL standout Dragon Lee and the underrated El Desperado. It was one of the tournament's finest, and led to Lee calling Despy out for a Mask vs. Mask bout that never happened in the aftermath.

The 47th Anniversary brought hopes of a revival, as Kevin Kelly called back to that incident on commentary, and the duo kicked things off between the ropes after Suzuki-gun's obligatory brawl. They'd meet again later int he match, with Lee drilling his foe with a particularly stiff German Suplex then squishing him beneath a tope on the outside, though neither was directly involved in the finish.

That NJPW referenced last year's interactions suggests the feud may be revived. If so, this is very, very exciting. They're two of the most spectacular Junior Heavyweights on the roster, they'll bring the heat, and Despy always shines when promoted up to singles competition. Let's hope it comes together.

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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.