TPWW Forums - View Single Post - Wrestle Kingdom 12 Thread

**hb2k** · 01-09-2018, 04:43 AM

You know what I love about New Japan? Well, many things, frankly. But here's a few that really feel like they need re-emphasizing after WK12:

- Everything matters. A big win, a big match, a subtle expression, it all adds to the story that is moving somewhere. In WWE we're used to so much chop and change, false starts and meaningless "moments". Roman Reigns being booed on Raw the night after Mania was awesome, but two weeks later it might has well have never happened. Never in New Japan.

- Because the company looks so major league and is produced so well, it's way easier to invest in emotionally because it's not hard to believe that what happens is important. Even during whatever brief time I would consider to be "peak" TNA, you could only kid yourself so much that the stakes were high in that environment. Due to the environment and quality of the matches, you have no reservations that not only is this the best wrestling in the world, but its everything about it is major league.

- It's pure pro wrestling. The booking doesn't do these 'too-clever-for-its-own-good" nudges to the insider crowd, and the weakness of the English commentary is almost always the allusion to that type of stuff because it doesn't mesh. As a result of New Japan booking like an actual wrestling company, the fans are more honest and pure in their emotional responses. Heels like Jericho and Suzuki are viewed the way they want to be. The heroes are beloved. It's organic, it's never trying to be something it isn't.

Having said that, I'm against the Naito loss personally, but that match was so fucking great. For anybody who may not have liked the match, compare the heat for that main event, after a 6 hour show, to the heat for the main events of the last few WrestleManias at a similar point in the show. Roman Vs. Taker and Roman Vs. HHH had barely any heat, maybe they got a little bit for one brief section. This crowd at WK was ready to shit themselves when the bell rang. They slowed the pace, they built and built, and the crowd was going nuts.

I love you, New Japan.

01-09-2018, 04:43 AM	#753
hb2k Do Unto Others... Posts: 2,086	You know what I love about New Japan? Well, many things, frankly. But here's a few that really feel like they need re-emphasizing after WK12: - Everything matters. A big win, a big match, a subtle expression, it all adds to the story that is moving somewhere. In WWE we're used to so much chop and change, false starts and meaningless "moments". Roman Reigns being booed on Raw the night after Mania was awesome, but two weeks later it might has well have never happened. Never in New Japan. - Because the company looks so major league and is produced so well, it's way easier to invest in emotionally because it's not hard to believe that what happens is important. Even during whatever brief time I would consider to be "peak" TNA, you could only kid yourself so much that the stakes were high in that environment. Due to the environment and quality of the matches, you have no reservations that not only is this the best wrestling in the world, but its everything about it is major league. - It's pure pro wrestling. The booking doesn't do these 'too-clever-for-its-own-good" nudges to the insider crowd, and the weakness of the English commentary is almost always the allusion to that type of stuff because it doesn't mesh. As a result of New Japan booking like an actual wrestling company, the fans are more honest and pure in their emotional responses. Heels like Jericho and Suzuki are viewed the way they want to be. The heroes are beloved. It's organic, it's never trying to be something it isn't. Having said that, I'm against the Naito loss personally, but that match was so fucking great. For anybody who may not have liked the match, compare the heat for that main event, after a 6 hour show, to the heat for the main events of the last few WrestleManias at a similar point in the show. Roman Vs. Taker and Roman Vs. HHH had barely any heat, maybe they got a little bit for one brief section. This crowd at WK was ready to shit themselves when the bell rang. They slowed the pace, they built and built, and the crowd was going nuts. I love you, New Japan. Last edited by hb2k; 01-09-2018 at 01:26 PM.