16 Ups & 9 Downs For NJPW In 2018
7. The Junior Tag Division
There's plenty of talent in New Japan's Junior Heavyweight tag division.
Champions Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado are delightful scumbags, with the latter among the most underrated wrestlers in the company. Roppongi 3K are one of the most compelling duos on the planet, with incredible chemistry from their days feuding against each other as Young Lions, and now teaming as former champions. Newcomer Shingo Takagi's arrival has breathed new life into partner BUSHI's tired act. Tiger Mask and Jushin Liger are a solid nostalgia act when thrown together. The list goes on.
Unfortunately, Gedo doesn't do the best job promoting this group, to the point where the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles often feel like an afterthought. The booker's lofty reputation is earned, but the way he handles tag wrestling has long been a bone of contention, and 2018 has done nothing to dispell the complaint.
The heavyweight scene has similar problems. Still, the abundance of great wrestlers among the juniors makes their situation more galling. The Young Bucks leaving the division has left it devoid of star power. Now, it's a bunch of under-pushed, under-utilised grapplers competing in stopgap lower-card matches, with little hope for advancement.