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

2. SANADA vs. Great-O-Khan

SANADA Karen
NJPW

This was a total plodder - and hard to endure after the sleepy Pro Wrestling NOAH angle and House of Torture's tedious guff.

Rarely is SANADA the most engaging wrestler. His stoic 'Cold Skull' persona is designed to be taken as cool and aloof, but instead comes off robotic and unengaging, thanks, primarily, to the deliberate lack of emotion imparted into his work. O-Khan, meanwhile, is a divisive figure for his slower pace and different style of wrestling compared to the rest of the roster. With a complimentary opponent, this works for him and the United Empire man stands out as a one-of-a-kind, threatening force. Without that complimentary opponent, he struggles.

Lacking in intensity, the two wrestlers laboured through a match that scarcely felt like a fight, concluding on SANADA pinning O-Khan with an O'Conner roll, leaving the defeated man incredulous. It was NJPW's second banana skin in as many nights following SHO's win over YOH.

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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.