13 Ups & 4 Downs From NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13

2. Tanahshi Vs. Omega Delivers... And Then Some

Phrases like 'instant classic' get thrown around a lot in this era, and understandably so. Never before has so much world-class wrestling been at our fingertips, and with athletic standards at an all-time high and guys like Kenny Omega and Hiroshi Tanahashi continually pushing in-ring storytelling forward, it's no wonder the community is awash with praise when bouts of this calibre go down.

Still, while there's an argument to be made that certain sections of the internet should dial back on such elaborate praise before it becomes devalued, the Wrestle Kingdom 13 main event almost makes this impossible.

Tanahashi vs. Omega was incredible professional wrestling. Incredible. It was, in your writer's eyes, the artform's peak, and the perfect intersection of athleticism, storytelling, emotion, atmosphere, psychology, and everything else that makes this wild pantomime so intoxicating.

More than a more showdown between two foes, it was the battle for New Japan's future. Tanahashi, the old guard, sought to save his artform from Omega's dangerously detrimental style. As such, each strike was thrown with bile and venom. Tana hit Dragon Screws not only to take Kenny down, but to snap sinews and pop knee ligaments, and though the situation saw him forced to work from Omega's high-risk playbook on more than one occasion, he was triumphant. Traditionalism won. Strong Style conquered 'The Cleaner.'

To break this match down into mere exchanges of moves can't do it justice. Every speck of minutiae meant something here, from Tanahashi's focused knee-work, to the way Omega sought to cut down the veteran 'stealing his spot.' Go out of your way to see it - to experience it. You won't find a more compelling piece of evidence for either man's genius.