8 Major Talking Points From NJPW Dominion In Osaka
6. Cody Is Getting The Rocket Strapped To His Back
Cody defeated Michael Elgin in just over ten minutes. The abbreviated length was designed to put him over big ahead if his important IWGP Heavyweight Championship match with Kazuchika Okada at the company’y upcoming Long Beach shows.
Cody’s victory was conclusive, but not necessarily emphatic. In truth, the match needed five more minutes to properly resonate. Suspension of disbelief was stretched; Elgin narrowly lost to Tetsuya Naito in a half-hour epic in February. His loss here felt more like a narrative convenience than a major win for Cody. It all made sense, on paper - Elgin is a credible scalp, but his commitments elsewhere render him somewhat dispensable. He was the perfect choice of opponent, and the match itself was absorbing - it was just too cynical to fully succeed.
It was a choice performance from Cody, full of character, while it lasted. His cocky mannerisms triggered the crowd and his strength spots in particular made him look a proper threat.
None of this will matter, come July 1. Okada is on a level not thought possible. He could wrestle a **** minimum match with Mojo Rawley at this point - and Cody showed in all-too brief glimpses that he is far, far superior than that.