Horangi

Step one to making this a thing complete! The Taichi/Ishii part of the gauntlet and is must see. There's a good story with Taichi doing well and taking Goto's points that i hope they take advantage of. Taichi has been one of the best guys in the company this year.

I thought Goto would drop earlier than this, so a solid 5 month reign was a nice surprise. I dont think this is the case, but I wonder if Dominion drawing less than 2024 influenced the change on some level. I'm a bit surprised Zack won it back, but with UK Forbidden Door coming up it makes sense. I don't think it matters who is champ going into the Dome as Tanahashi's retirement is the draw.

Dominion had some really great stuff, and some outright terrible. Most of the wrestling was good, if not great, but it will be a show that is going to be remembered for some very spiteful booking choices. I think some of it was necessary and the unit shakeups are long overdue, but still incomplete and messy. Probably long thoughts in the spoiler box So yeah, very mixed show and I think the really good stuff (Main, Tag Title match, Tsuji/Kidd) is going to get lost in the discourse due to some of the booking choices.

2AW is the one indy I wish I could follow more (I'm sure there's ways, looks like they upload a a few matches on YouTube. Mashimo had been one of my guys since probably 2004, and nobody snapping up Yoshida feels like a huge miss. My upcoming WK trip i wasn't going to attend any non-Dome shows, but I'm making a special point to try attend theirs if try run that week.

Hiromu vs the next generation matches have been from really good to excellent too. The matches with Akira, Fujita, Connors and Dragon Dia are all worth a look, the Akira match being the best of the bunch. Agree with Evil Otto, KUSHIDA vs Fujita was great - my favourite match of the tournament so far.

I'll try keep it brief (brief for me anyway)

Naito/Hiromu vs Dangerous Pitbulls was really good and worth checking out. It was obvious how broken Naito is, but Taichi & Hiromu in particular carried that one.

Naito isn't so much of a surprise with the recent rumblings. I'm sure he'll get a good run with NOAH or AJPW (I'd say NOAH/DDT as Cyberfight I think are the only ones who could afford him) as I don't see him going to the US long term. His eye and knees are pretty much done though so I do really wonder how much time he really has left. No feelings about BUSHI.

Lol they put the tag straps on Cobb and he then announces his departure. I felt the whole "wasn't I leaving internet?" was a bit hokey and obvious. When are they going to learn that putting belts on people isn't going to make them stay when you can match the salary of the US companies? Callum Newman wants to now challenge Goto...he's won like 5 singles matches and is nowhere near ready...watch Gedo book him for the Dontaku main event! (In all honesty I'm guessing Callum gets the shot because they were booking Dontaku around Cobb vs Goto and that this is just an easy pivot. O-Khan is probably tied up with ELP still and HENARE injured so in order not to shake too much they just replace with Callum. On a positive note, Goto will hold until Dominion which is a hell of a lot longer than I thought)

Junior Genesis last night was a lot of fun, bring on tonight!

Both title matches last night were very good and are in my top 10 NJPW matches of the year. Glad Tanahashi still had one more left in him, knees be damned. Tonight's Korakuen show has been cancelled, looks like one of the ring posts broke during set up (despite Hartley Jackson claiming responsibility because he's a big boy...)

I'll give a top 10 so far a shot! 1. Zack Sabre Jr vs Hirooki Goto 2/11 (and I very much doubt anything is going to overtake this) 2. Kenny Omega vs Gabe Kidd 5/1 3. Yota Tsuji vs Gabe Kidd 2/11 4. El Desperado vs Kosei Fujita 4/2 5. Konosuke Takeshita vs Tomohiro Ishii 5/1 6. David Finlay vs Yota Tsuji 4/1 7. Konosuke Takeshita vs Boltin Oleg 11/2 8. Zack Sabre Jr vs Hechicero 11/1 9. Sumie Sakai retirement match 11/1 10. TMDK vs Chaos/Desperado 3/2 Last two were just super fun matches i enjoyed way more than I should.

Harsh when Chono/Muto vs TenKoji exists from WK1...its bottom 5 sure but i don't think worst ever is fair.

Yep, Wato had it worse than anyone. I still think there is a hugely negative view from the Western audience on him because of this. Evidently nobody is producing or monitoring the English commentary otherwise KK/CC would have been pulled up sooner on some of their things. Even the puns with Dick Togo wouldn't fly anywhere else. Maybe a positive from all of this will lead to some proper management and direction of English commentary going forward.

Criticisms aside, Chris is pretty good for bridging the gap for foreign fans with his live translation which is very helpful (for me anyway now that my Japanese has gone to shit) Some are speculating that Rocky Romero had something to do with the suspension, but who knows. I think it's pretty poor form to suspend Charlton over this considering how bad Kevin Kelly and Charlton have been to domestic partners like NOAH and yet they did nothing they (it's inconsistent is my point - they shouldnt be burying any partners unless its agreed as an angle) but I understand it didn't make NJPW look good to a partner that they are relying on for revenue.

Tsuji vs Finlay, Mayu vs AZM for sure. Depending how you feel about car crash ladder sprints possibly the opener.

I also finally watched the last Korakuen of 2024, the Zack/Roy vs Ishii/Umino match really good and well worth checking out. Onto Dash tonight, Josh Barnett teased a match with Boltin Oleg in his backstage comments.

I'll miss KOPW, I feel it was the wrong belt to retire, would have sacrificed TV, Strong and NEVER before it... Sure, it started out bad with Yano comedy in front of clap crowds, but the Taichi/Shingo/O-Khan second half produced some legit great stuff.

A few small changes to Wrestle Kingdom after the Christmas Korakuen shows: As KOPW has now been retired after the draw between O-Khan (who kept the belt) and Taichi (who kept the trophy), the Ranbo will be for a future IWGP World Heavyweight Title match which justifies somewhat why guys like SANADA will be in it (let's go Goto!) IWGP Jr Tag four way is most likely going to be a ladder match, not formally announced but expected to be El Phantasmo is back and has been added to the TV title match, so that is also now a four way.