13 Ups & 4 Downs From NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13

7. The Rainmaker

A stroke of simple booking genius saw Kazuchiuka Okada finally emerge from the broken universe he'd existed in since losing the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, as the best wrestler in the world walked out in true 'Rainmaker' form for the first time in six minutes, ditching the balloon, red hair, weirdo techno entrance music, and yes, the long boys. The diety that reigned over New Japan for 720 days was back... or so it seemed.

Imbued with his old confidence, swagger, and showmanship once more, 'The Rainmaker's' rebirth should've guaranteed his victory. New Japan told you he was definitely winning from the moment his music hit.

And then he lost.

That's brilliant.

Wrestling is often at it's best when it surprised you, and this simple piece of character work created the biggest surprise of all at WK13, as Jay White pinned his mortal enemy in a stellar bout we'll cover in more detail later on. For now, let's just appreciate the booking, and ask the question or where the hell Okada goes from here, having failed to beat 'Switchblade' even in his strongest form.

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Channel Manager

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.