7 Things WWE Could Learn From NJPW Dominion 6.9

6. How To Deliver Dream Matches

Chris Jericho
NJPW 1972

Even the most optimistic of supporters going into Dominion couldn't have predicted the level of fan service afforded in the main event matches pitting Kenny Omega against Kazuchika Okada and Chris Jericho against Tetsuya Naito, but NJPW and the talent involved giving so much to the cause wasn't out of the realms of the regular for the organisation.

Very little motion is wasted by the wrestlers during matches - things really really mater. AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura will wrestle at Backlash for the fourth time in WWE, and yet will potentially learn few lessons from the clunky efforts they've assembled so far. It's simply not within the DNA of the matchmaking process the company relies upon like it used to be. If Styles doesn't protect his testicles in the contest, he's a f*cking idiot and deserves to lose to the villain that's been targeting them with such veracity this last month. This is not the way one should feel about a babyface and a man that could still (on technicalities alone) make a case for being the best wrestler in the entire world.

Their WrestleMania clash was literally billed as a 'Dream' match despite the company being unable to produce such a thing in the era of the multi-show feud. The fire behind Daniel Bryan's comeback was extinguished by the time he saved Shane McMahon on the 'Show Of Shows'. Such combinations are lucky not to descend into nightmarish parodies of themselves now, regardless of how tantalising the match graphic looks upon release to the world.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett