5 Ups & 5 Downs From NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 (Night 2)

4. The NOAH Invasion

Pro Wrestling NOAH wrestlers
NJPW

A group of Pro Wrestling NOAH wrestlers "invaded" Wrestle Kingdom 16 prior to SANADA vs. Great-O-Khan, with Keiji Mutoh leading a force including future ace Kaito Kiyomiya, Go Shiozaki, Kenoh, Masa Kitamiya, and more out to the ring, escalating into a confrontation with Shingo Takagi and his LIJ crew.

When Kenoh ripped Shingo for dropping the IWGP World Heavyweight Title the night before, Takagi threatened violence but bailed upon observing the interlopers' superior numbers. Afterwards, Kenoh said that after night three, NOAH would be declared Japan's number one promotion.

Fun to see the NOAH wrestlers in the Tokyo Dome, but this felt like a missed opportunity. At NOAH's 'The New Year' show on 1 January, Kenoh effectively declared war on NJPW, all but promising to tear the promotion to the ground. It was a blistering, heated diatribe that was unfortunately de-escalated here, as no fights broke out and nothing was done to build animosity for a third night that desperately needs it.

This angle should have been bigger given the disappointing card. In its delivered format, it was more of a cooldown segment than a heat-up.

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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.