7. Yuji Nagata, Satoshi Kojima & Togi Makabe vs. Tatsumi Fujinami, Minoru Suzuki & Tiger Mask
NJPW
More than just a murderer’s row of past, present and future Jon Moxley opponents, the New Japan Da six-man headlining their Wrestle Kingdom pre-show was designed as one of several tributes to the legendary Antonio Inoki.
By the end, it had served its purpose in a way almost impossible not to love.
The NJPW founder was honoured in a hard-hitting brawl that suited the six just fine. Togi Makabe was in rare form ahead of him picking up a jarring and surprising win for his team, while Minoru Suzuki’s babyface energy was a joy following the heart-warming Suzuki-Gun split and his impending exit for some All Japan dates later this year.
Regardless of how the bell-to-bell was supposed to end, Suzuki, Tatsumi Fujinami and Tiger Mask got the last word anyway - they led the crowd for a rousing rendition of Inoki’s theme. Though tinged with sadness, there was something moving about the live audience finally getting to engage with the passing of the industry icon.
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
