8 WWE Secrets You Can Spot Early (If You Really Pay Attention)
7. NJPW Referees Forget How To Count
AEW might be the shiny new kid on the block, but for many fans New Japan Pro-Wrestling still trumps it as the number one wrestling promotion on the planet. The roster is stacked from top to bottom, and New Japan’s best matches still blow everyone else out of the water. There are few things as guaranteed or as consistent as a major NJPW show.
This is still true when you take into account the frustrating tendency of their referees to telegraph every single near-finish. You can’t miss it really, the rhythmic cadence for the first two counts before the hand gets stuck in the air, suspended in animation for what feels like an eternity, before coming down at a speed that makes Akeem look sprightly.
Once you notice it for the first time, you can never stop noticing it, sort of like Matt Bellamy’s excessive breathing in every single Muse song. Red Shoes is the main culprit; now there’s a referee who coasts on perception and little else. Come on Uno, cut it out already.