4 Ups & 4 Downs From NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 (Night 1)

1. A Spluttering Opener

El Phantasmo Hiromu Takahashi
NJPW

Your fondness for Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Phantasmo will likely depend on your tolerance of ELP's heel act, which exemplifies NJPW's current obsession with western-style cheap heat. He's a disrespectful little scumbag designed to get under your skin. Sometimes, it works, and ELP has the audience begging to see him get kicked in the face. In a quiet arena populated by fans banned from opening their mouths to jeer, it doesn't.

Takahashi and Phantasmo dropped huge bombs early on before the heel settled into a familiar rhythm. His "heat" segment (throughout which he worked Hiromu's hand and fingers) was tough to endure without the baying masses, and while the bout gets extra points for ELP's creativity and commitment to the bombs, it losses them for its frequent sloppiness and ponderousness outside the obvious high spots.

Phantasmo's attempts at outdoing Takahashi with classic Bullet Club offense (including a Style Clash for two) failed when Hiromu rolled out of an attempted CR2 and scored the pin. His hand was iced almost as soon as the bell rang, establishing the story for tomorrow's clash with IWGP Junior Heavyweight kingpin Taiji Ishimori.

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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.