4 Ups & 5 Downs From NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 (Night 1)

3. YOH vs. SHO

YOH SHO
NJPW

Not a terrible bout by any stretch, this, but unacceptably bland given the backstory.

YOH and SHO have been feuding steadily since the latter turned on his long-time tag team partner in 2021, joining Bullet Club (via the maligned House of Torture) in the process. They have wrestled two singles matches since then and despite neither coming close to hitting the expected level of quality, one would think that at Wrestle Kingdom, with the whole world watching, the former Roppongi 3K teammates would at least try to blow the roof off.

They didn't. Instead, they barely exerted any level of intensity at all, and completely failed at imparting hatred and aggression into their work in what should have been one of the more heated matches on the card.

A couple of spots aside (YOH diving on SHO early, for one), this was worked more like an exhibition than the product of a months-long feud triggered by crushing betrayal. And, in a move that may as well have been penned by Vince McMahon, it effectively ended on The Feud Must Continue!, as YOH rolled SHO into a pin for what was framed as a fortunate victory.

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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.