8 Ups & 6 Downs From NJPW King Of Pro-Wrestling 2019

1. 50/50

King of Pro Wrestling
NJPW

NJPW use surprising G1 Climax victories to set-up future losses. This is nothing new. They've been doing it since the tournament's inception, so it shouldn't have come as a shock to see EVIL and SANADA losing to Kota Ibushi and Kazuchika Okada respectively.

But the predictability is so, so boring. Knowing that Ibushi and Okada were dead locks sucked the life out of their matches. Their midcard opponents were never going to win. The habit is beyond tired at this stage and like the constant rematches, it's time to switch things up.

Again, the problem isn't exclusive to King of Pro-Wrestling, and Ibushi and Okada absolutely should've won, but who was getting excited about these outcomes prior to the event? Where's the intrigue? Where's the fun?

Why book these bloody things in the first place?

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

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.