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

Ups...

4. Strong Arm vs. Loose Morals

KENTA Satoshi Kojima
NJPW

Preceded by a fine Jon Moxley promo in which the recently-absent IWGP United States Champion called himself the "boogeyman" ready to strike at whoever left the Tokyo Dome with the right-to-challenge briefcase, Satoshi Kojima vs. KENTA set Wrestle Kindom 15 on a better course after a poor start to the show.

Replacing the injured Juice Robinson, Kojima was wrestling his first Tokyo Dome singles bout in seven years, having last competed against Rob Conway (!) at WK8. KENTA, meanwhile, has been chasing Moxley's ghost for months, having won a briefcase guaranteeing him a shot at a man who hasn't been able to defend his belt since February. It remains to be seen when Moxley vs. KENTA will go down.

Regardless, KENTA did his part by besting Kojima with a Got To Sleep following a Busaiku Knee Kick. Echoes of the wrestlers these men used to be came in the form of stiff kicks, lariats, and other ripples of violence, and while the clash had the expected lulls, it was clean, crisp, and well laid-out. Not the bout they'd have had seven or eight years ago, but that was to be expected.

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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.