8 Ups & 2 Downs From NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12

2. Omega Trumps Alpha

Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho all but told us they weren’t going to have a conventionally ‘great’ match heading into WK12. Along with the No DQ stipulation, their insistence that this wouldn’t be a slab of ratings-bait, but a slugest, telegraphed the type of bout we were going to get, but it went far and beyond their pre-match predictions.

Alpha vs. Omega exceeded all expectations. It was the absolute best bout the participants could have delivered on the night, and both should be commended for their efforts.

The pacing was masterful, with the match gradually unfolding into a sea of brawling, weapons spots, and huge bumps. Kenny, as expected, took the bulk of the big shots. He withstood unprotected chairshots, multiple dives, and a particularly nasty one-legged Codebreaker on this hate-fuelled journey, but Jericho wasn’t overshadowed.

It was expected that ‘The Cleaner’ would have to carry ‘Y2J,’ but no: Chris was outstanding. He wisely steered clear of trying to match Omega athletically, focusing instead on classic heel work and WWE style smoke and mirrors to mask his deficiencies, and pull the crowd in. By the end of it, Jericho was the most hated man in the building. He did his job perfectly, even at 47 years old.

This was an unqualified success, and it ended on an incredible, must-see finish, with Kenny reversing a Lionsault into his One Winged Angel finisher onto a chair. Beautiful.