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

Ups...

4. Dangerous Tekkers vs. YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto

YOSHI-HASHI Hirooki Goto
NJPW

A good match rather than a great one, the IWGP Tag Team Title fight nonetheless felt like a work of Shakespearean genius after the p*ss cocktail that was EVIL vs. Ishii.

It also delivered the feel-good moment of the night. YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto defeated Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi to capture the belts, giving YOSHI only his second title reign in 13 years with NJPW. A cult favourite on the undercard for a long, long time, the outcome was earnestly warming, with even Taichi offering his victorious opponent a brief embrace afterwards, coming in for half-a-hug and slapping the belt as it rested on its new owner's shoulder.

ZSJ was the standout performer, providing a slippery foil for YOSHI's heart and Goto's bullishness, wrapping his noodle limbs into lithe counters whenever the challengers looked like building momentum. This formed the bulk of the first two acts before the bombs started dropping in the third, leading to a suitably dramatic conclusion that saw Taichi to cement the CHAOS team's catharsis.

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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.