NJPW Dominion 6.9: Star Ratings For All 9 Matches
8. Jay White & YOSHI-HASHI Vs. David Finlay & Juice Robinson
The reaction to Jay White's 'Switchblade' character has been mixed, and the former Young Lion has struggled to convince the New Japan faithful of his top star potential, but his role as CHAOS' agent provocateur gives him chemistry with stable loyalist YOSHI-HASHI, who looked ill at ease partnering the New Zealander at Dominion.
Elsewhere, Juice Robinson is one of the most improved wrestlers in the world, and a hyped-up fire factory capable of energising any match he's in. David Finlay, meanwhile, is White's best opponent, a promising prospect himself, and someone whose history with 'Switchblade' is vast, stretching all the way back to their dojo days.
These factors all but guaranteed a good match on Saturday. Unsurprisingly, the tag match delivered. It was short, but the action was fast and fluid, and White's next IWGP United States Title challenger emerged, as the ascendant Robinson scored a pin on his foe with his Pulp Friction finisher.
A match that could've been disposable set two young starlets off on an exciting new course, making it far weightier than the average New Japan undercard tagger.
Star Rating: ***