8 NJPW Titles That Changed Hands At Wrestle Kingdom 13

Turn and face the strange.

by Michael Sidgwick
JUICE US II
njpw.co.jp

The dust has settled on New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 13 super-show.

And what a show it was: at a trim four hours, rather than the expected five, booker Gedo learned from last year's decision to overload the card, one that somewhat undermined the heat of its divisive headline attraction. Not every match reached its potential, but this decision made for an incredible card, not a mere collection of excellent if exhausting matches. As a show, this felt big-time, too: with entrances ranging from the grandiose to the utterly surreal - that KUSHIDA kid was pure nightmare fuel - NJPW rewarded a Golden Age record attendance with a genuine spectacle - and more stakes than the Ribera. Beyond the deluge of title switches, Jay White defeated Kazuchika Okada. The RAINMAKER, trunks-wearing Kazuchika Okada. This was a show on which lots of sh*t happened. Literally, in the case of the US Title bout.

New Japan on January 4, 2019 switched every single Championship.

An astute macro decision to reset and reshape the company in the wake of the Elite's imminent departures, here, we delve into the micro ramifications of each decision, and touch upon the match quality that preceded them...

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!