16 Ups & 9 Downs For NJPW In 2018

1. The Ace

Wrestle Kindom 10 was supposed to be it for Hiroshi Tanahashi. Felled by Kazuchika Okada inside the Tokyo Dome for the first time, he was seemingly displaced as NJPW's ace and shunted down the card in favour of the younger, hungrier model. His years advancing and wear-and-tear piling up, it seemed time had finally got the better of Tanahashi, and while he'd remain among NJPW's top stars, his Dome-headlining days were over.

They weren't.

Further proving his position among the best to ever lace up a pair of boots, Tanahashi has just enjoyed one of the best years of his career, with a stunning G1 Climax run yielding the most enticing Wrestle Kingdom main event in years. His clash with Kenny Omega is a battle of ideologies, of old versus new. Expertly surmised by our own Michael Sidgwick earlier this year, it's outcome will, without a word of hyperbole, shape NJPW's future, with an entire generation of dependent on what happens on 4 January.

Tanahashi was a vital figure in NJPW's transition from Inokiism to what it is today, and, if he defeats Omega, he'll return to that position again. His recent performances have been impeccable. Old and beaten-up he may be, but Tana remains an in-ring storyteller par excellence, and while his skill and mind have never been in doubt, 2018 shows he's more than ready to retake the throne.

The Ace is back, long live the Ace.