My name is Sonal and I love to talk, blog and watch a whole lot of wrestling so a wrestling blog was the only obvious thing to do! Obsessed with wrestling from across the world with a soft spot for Puroresu, cruiserweights and heels. I can probably be found watching more wrestling than actually sleeping and blogging about pretty much every week.
Twitter: @Wrestling_chat
Hi guys, How crazy has 2020 has been? With everything going on in the world, it seems as if 2021 couldn't come any sooner. However, even with all of this negativity, I think it's vital to try and find some positives. Despite conditions making it hard for the wrestling industry, many companies have thrived during the pandemic. In particular, some wrestlers have managed to make the best out of a bad situation and continue trying to put on shows for fans whether in person or through streaming sites. To mark the end of another year, I'm back with my annual wrestling MVP list of the wrestlers who have stood out this year. Just a quick note, most of the stuff I've watched this year is Japanese wrestling (NJPW, DDT and TJPW)! Yuka Sakazaki 2020 has been a great year for in the sense that I've had the time to fully get into Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling. For me, it's something I regret not doing earlier because it is full of some amazing wrestlers from Miu, Miyu Yamashita
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Top 5 Matches of Wrestle Kingdom 14
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Hi guys,
This weekend has been huge because it was the biggest weekend in the New Japan calendar: Wrestle Kingdom 14! This year was even bigger and better because it spanned over 2 amazing nights meaning even more amazing matches and chances for the wrestlers to shine, not to mention Jyushin Thunder Liger's retirement matches. So, after watching a cumulative 14 hours of wrestling over three days and not sleeping, here are my top 5 matches from the weekend.
With even more matches to choose from, it seemed near impossible to pick so here's a round of applause for me for actually doing it!
Tetsuya Naito v Kazuchika Okada - Night 2
With all that was on the line with this match, is it any surprise that it was so amazing and quite possibly the match of the entire weekend! It was THE match everyone had been waiting for and it was the match that was going to make history by crowning the first ever IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental champion.
In traditional Red Shoes Unno style, the match started by testing the crowd to see who they were supporting. Unsurprisingly, the audience were firmly behind their beloved Tetsuya Naito (but then who wasn't? I mean I was sat at home). Yet, from the second the two made contact, it just seemed to be perfect and the match exceeded any expectations I had once we knew the match! For me, it combined everything perfect about professional wrestling. The whole thing was a mixture of fast paced action and a whole lot of pure fighting, especially towards the end where it was less of a match and more of a fight. This meant that the whole match had moments of light and shade, times where you couldn't blink because you might miss something and times where you could breathe and enjoy some technical wrestling. It meant that we could embrace and appreciate the wrestling but also not get bored or see any sort of repetition! There were points where I was hiding behind my pillow because, after wars the night before, neither man was at 100% but it looked like they didn't care and just wanted to kill each other - seriously!
It was also match that crowds got to see different sides of the Rainmaker and the Ungovernable one. We saw Okada flit between over confidence but also having this crazy, unchained look in his eye and then Naito was either his normal chilled out self and then could swap to pure intensity. This was especially prominent towards the end of the match! We saw both men push their boundaries to either try and get the win or just to avoid being pinned. Naito kicked out of the Rainmaker (which is basically unheard of), Okada kicked out of like 3 Destino's and Gloria's. I mean it got so serious that we saw Naito pull out the Stardust press which is honestly a pure masterpiece, but even that couldn't keep Okada down!
However, as the clock hit 35 minutes, Naito managed to pull out one more Destino to pin the Rainmaker and fulfil his destino. He made the declaration nearly a year ago that he wanted to be the first double champion and he did it. He always said he wanted retribution after losing to Okada in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 12 and he did it. After eveything, Naito finally got what he deserved and that was his Wrestle Kingdom moment and he shared that with over 30,000 fans in the Tokyo Dome and millions at home.
It was a match worthy of the main event combining athleticism, strength and amazing storytelling whether it was the long history or something as small as Naito not being able to do a top rope DDT because of the injury sustained on night one and worsened by Okada. What was also great was the mutual respect from both men as the match ended. The post-match comments were the perfect showing of not only how amazing athletes the two men are, but also what amazing people they are. It is possible to say that Naito is one of the best in the world and, despite losing, it might be right to say that Kazuchika is the best in the world!
Tetsuya Naito v Jay White - Night One
If none of you realised by now, Tetsuya Naito had one hell of a Wrestle Kingdom weekend and so did his opponent in this match, Jay White. This match on the first night of the Tokyo Dome might have been my favourite match of the night, not just because they're my favourite wrestlers and the stakes of the match, but everything else in between. This battle for the Intercontinental title was the stepping ground for the next night. As usual, the Ungovernable One and the Switchblade stole the show,
From the second the bell rung, it looked like both men each wanted to kill each other. Unlike the other matches, this wasn't just for the title, it was for pride, it was to prove that they were the better man and it was to either confirm or deny the history the two have had in the past few months dating back to the G1. As expected, Jay tried everything to avoid Naito in the opening minutes of the match. But, what people don't appreciate is that, once Jay get's going, he is amazing in the ring. We saw such an amazing range of offence from the Switchblade with help from Gedo outside. There was a classic Kiwi Crusher, a DVDDT, a Blade Buster and of course the strikes and chops White is known for. Of course, it's not a Jay match without Gedo trying to get involved and it worked, to varying degrees.
Once Jay got Naito hooked in the TTO (or I guess it was NTO on that day), it seemed like all was lost for Naito and you could feel the crowd start to worry. However, what does everyone always say about Naito and what did I say in the match he had against Okada, never count Tetsuya out! After finally being able to break out of the hold with a rope break, it seemed as if Naito got a new surge of adrenaline! Even with his leg injury, which seemed to cause trouble for a lot of his offence like the top rope assisted DDT, Naito managed to do unthinkable things. We saw him carry on going to the highest of heights and the riskiest of moves.
So, when Jay White went for a Blade Runner, it seemed as if the crowds were going home sad again. That was until Naito countered with almost a tomb stone, falcon arrow and then hit one more Destino to get the pin and the 1, 2, 3! To say that the crowd went crazy would be an understatement. After everything that has happened to their beloved Naito from losing the IC title multiple times, getting injured and almost contemplating retirement, it made all the blood, sweat and tears worth it. It also meant that Naito was going through to the second night of Wrestle Kingdom to get his shot at becoming the first double champion!
Even though it was Naito who came through with the win, you can;t underestimate how amazing Jay White was in the match. Together, Jay White and Tetsuya Naito create magic in the ring and it takes two to tango, or in this case to make an amazing match! It was the perfect mixture of wrestling, psychology and madness that I love and I know crowds loved. This match gave the crowds what they wanted, but also let Jay White shine for the world and for the Jay White fans. It was an amazing match and I have nothing bad to say about it!
Roppongi 3k v El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori - Night Two
Going into the second night, this match was probably not on the top of people's lists for ones to watch - well except me. It'd been built well, all four guys are amazing athletes and it just seemed to be the right place and the right time.
It started in a very predictable way in the sense that Bullet Club seemed to come in with the advantage and a very cocky arrogance about them. El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori (who had a nice new mask and ring gear) came out with their usual book of tricks from the back scratching, knocking Rocky Romero off the ring side and attempting to mock Roppongi 3k by using their patented 3k! Both men really put on an amazing show mixing their heel tendencies with the fact that they are amazing athletes. However, it was Sho and Yoh for me that shone throughout. These guys always fight adversity and find a way to beat the odds. All they needed was some time and an opportunity to get back and top. The tide turned after ELP tried to block a suplex from Sho by grabbing onto Ishimori. Unfortunately, ELP underappreciated just how strong Sho was because all that meant was the Gold Standard of Roppongi 3k used his strength to deadlift suplex both men.
From here, the ball was firmly in 3k's corner and this was down to their pure athleticism and some help from their Coach Rocky Romero AKA the King of Sneaky Style. We all know that Ishimori and especially ELP love going for the low blows in matches and, unsurprisingly that didn't change at the Tokyo Dome. However, was this just one low blow too many? As ELP went to hit Sho in the baby Sho, I was pretty shocked to see El Phantasmo wince in pain as his hand hit it... I was pretty confused. That was until Sho erupted into a huge smile and pulled out a golden cup from inside his pants. Roppongi 3k had taken their mentors advice and played fire with fire. That was the turning point!
The ending sequence was the perfect way to end such a diverse Jr match. Sho hit ELP with a Shock Arrow, but rather than just pinning him there, Yoh jumped in and followed up with a beautiful Dragon Suplex. After that, all it took was one more Shock Arrow and a double stomp off the top rope from Yoh and it was 1, 2, 3 and the fourth title reign for Roppongi 3k!
It was a match that had everything: athleticism, comedy and strength! Even though both Sho and Yoh really did amazingly in this match, Sho was the star and by beating ELP, if nobody grabs that Rev Pro title off him, then he's in line for a shot at that title too!
Zack Sabre Jr v Sanada - Night Two
This was one of the matches everyone was looking forward too, especially after the bloody hilarious lead up we saw during the Road to Tokyo Dome shows! Luckily for everyone who had damn high expectations for this match, they weren't disappointed! The best way to sum it up was that it was simple, clean but really effective. It might not have been long or flashy, but it shined as much as the other title matches on the entire card!
Unlike all the other matches on this list, it wasn't as a lot of people call a spot monkey match... wait, I don't actually know if it's called that but you get my vibe. It started with reversals of a basic choke hold which we've seen through the two and you could see, as usual, Zack Sabre Jr was getting more and more angry and frustrated throughout the match. This was matched by the fact that throughout, Sanada seemed to be as cool as a cucumber from the second the bell rang. Both men took their styles and adapted it not only to the occasion and fans, but to their opponent.
Sanada is now so well versed in the basic catch wrestling that he's had to adapt to when wrestling Sanada and it seems as if its become more and more of a comfortable style for him. This is huge because we know that Sanada's style is a lot more dynamic and athletic because, for me, he might just be tied with Tama Tonga as one of the best athletes in the entire company. It also seems as if, whenever ZSJ battles the LIJ secret weapon, Zack becomes more dynamic and has to push his own personal boundaries to try and get the win over Cold Skull. The whole match had amazing technical wrestling and the smooth reversals we've come to love from the two. In the end, it was this that got the Submission Master the win with a European Clutch.
This match was definitely one in a million and the most unique match of the entire weekend. Zack and Sanada continue to prove how amazing their chemistry is inside the ring and how, even though both men have very different personalities and styles, they just seem to blend perfectly together. They manage to take the simplest and most basic moves in wrestling and not only make them look beautiful, but execute them with so much precision!
Hiromu Takahashi v Will Ospreay - Night One
So many people saw this as an early contender for MOTY and I'd have to agree. Even though it wasn't my favourite match of the weekend, it's impossible not to watch it and be amazing, shocked, and literally every single adjective in between! When people thought about who they wanted Hiromu to challenge when he came back, it was Will Ospreay and this was the reason why.
If anyone thought that Hiromu's injury was going to slow him down or make him take care, then you couldn't have been more wrong. From the start to the end, there didn't seem to be a second to breathe or even blink because it was full blown action from start to end. It seemed as if neither Ospreay or Hiromu's style changed much but was just enhanced if possible with Will adding a lot more power on his side and the Time Bomb becoming even more reckless, if that was even possible. The starting sequence of the match might not have been for everyone with so many reversals and the sense that it almost looked like a beautifully choreographed dance - but I loved it. There were also standing spanish fly's, monkey wall flip kicks, powerbombs and of course, a whole lot of dives out of the ring! These were all mixed into so many counters and reversals.
For me, that linked into best thing about the match which was the unpredictability of the outcome from the near falls to the attempts of finishers by both guys. We saw Hiromu kick out of an Oscutter and Ospreay kick out of the Time Bomb. Neither men seemed to be able to go down. We even saw Hiromu managing to avoid several attempts at the Hidden Blade and then the normal transition into Storm Breaker. Every time something like this happened, we just saw both guys even more determined to beat the other. It got more fast pace, more violent and more tense. However, in the end, in a match that went just under 25 minutes, Hiromu hit Ospreay with his Ticking Timb Bomb II to pick up the win and the crowd went crazy!
This was the perfect fairytale ending for Hiromu's return and it proved that, despite everything that went down during Road to Tokyo Dome, Takahashi didn't miss a step. It really put everyone in the crowd in an amazing mood and it made you just feel warm inside. What was nice is that you could see that even though Ospreay was probably so upset, he didn't groan or complain but accepted that the better man won on the day!
So, that was that! I also want to do a quick shout out for the Heavyweight tag match where David Finlay and Juice Robinson beat G.o.D to become the new champions. Not only was it huge because it was Finlay's first ever main card WK show, but the two really put up an amazing fight against who I think is the best tag team in the world and they won!
Hopefully you enjoyed Wrestle Kingdom 14 as much as I did and that you liked reading this post! As always, let me know what you think and talk to me on my social media:
Also, keep an eye out for my fortnightly podcast where I talk a lot about all thing wrestling: https://www.mixcloud.com/WrestlingChatter/ because there might just be a Wrestle Kingdom one coming up soon!
Hi guys, How crazy has 2020 has been? With everything going on in the world, it seems as if 2021 couldn't come any sooner. However, even with all of this negativity, I think it's vital to try and find some positives. Despite conditions making it hard for the wrestling industry, many companies have thrived during the pandemic. In particular, some wrestlers have managed to make the best out of a bad situation and continue trying to put on shows for fans whether in person or through streaming sites. To mark the end of another year, I'm back with my annual wrestling MVP list of the wrestlers who have stood out this year. Just a quick note, most of the stuff I've watched this year is Japanese wrestling (NJPW, DDT and TJPW)! Yuka Sakazaki 2020 has been a great year for in the sense that I've had the time to fully get into Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling. For me, it's something I regret not doing earlier because it is full of some amazing wrestlers from Miu, Miyu Yamashita
Hi guys, For me, New Japan Pro Wrestling has to be one, if not, the best company in the world for giving us amazing wrestling content. With the introduction of their streaming site NJPW World, more worldwide shows and English commentary (from the AMAZING Kevin Kelly) on most of their shows, it’s becoming a massive rival for other massive companies. But, when I started watching it a while back, the whole format was really confusing because it was so different from what I was used too. So, in the lead up to Wrestle Kingdom (which is the biggest show/s of the NJ calendar year), here’s a beginner’s guide to New Japan Pro Wrestling (Shin Nihon Puroresu) for anyone who wants to watch NJPW but has no idea where to start. History New Japan Pro Wrestling was founded in 1972 by wrestling legend Antonio Inoki after he left the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance promotion. Inoki put himself as the star of the company and drew on the experiences of foreign wrestlers (Gaijin’s) like the Bri
Hi guys, I think I've already made it clear how excited I am for this year's Best of Super Jr tournament. However, in the midst of my excitement, I forgot all about the fact that it was a combined tour with World Tag League, probably because we didn't hear any announcements about the line-up - until now! Just like the BoSJ, this tournament is going to in a single block format and is full of some of your favourite tag teams in Japan. Without further ado, here is my preview of the 2020 World Tag League! FinJuice (Juice Robinson and David Finlay) Will New Japan fans be treated to another round of Happy Beers from last year's World Tag League winners? Well, I'm just happy to see them both teaming together again in Japan. David Finlay and Juice Robinson are the epitome of what a babyface is and just radiate this positive energy despite all the obstacles in front of them. Since they started teaming together, they've both had a career rejuvenation with their best frien
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