7 Ups & 3 Downs From NJPW Royal Quest

1. Subpar Presentation

Kazuchika Okada
NJPW

This was technically NJPW's first solo, non-collaborative show in the United Kingdom. Previous events have been branded in partnership with Revolution Pro Wrestling. Thus, there was an expectation that this would look, sound, and feel like a typical Japanese pay-per-view.

It did not.

Royal Quest's aesthetics were those of an NJPW show shot through RevPro's lens. Via the FITE.tv stream, it resembled an indie. The commentary team's audio quality was poor and broke up whenever Kevin Kelly and Gino Gambino got loud, the ring was too dark, the video quality lacked sharpness, there were none of New Japan's trademark excellent camera cuts, and everything was undersaturated. "Low-rent" would be extreme, but this wasn't the NJPW presentation fans expect.

It's hard to criticise NJPW for cutting costs with Royal Quest's presentation. Regardless, it had a detrimental impact on the all-round viewing experience, particular as the show it was running opposite (NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff) looked immaculate.

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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.