Had a big catch up of events since WrestleKingdom and New Years Dash over the weekend. First off, just ban headshots/headbutts/piledrivers. I get that it's strong style and the warrior spirit and all that, but you've got both Honma and Shibata likely retired within a space of a few weeks with spinal and head related issues. It's dangerous to people's lives and with what we know about concussions and brain injuries/disorders now, let alone spinal traumas, this stuff just needs to go away. We're ten years on from the Benoit tragedy and still we're being deliberately ignorant to the fact that this shit kills people. Just, I don't get it.
Anyway, rant over.
I've enjoyed the sheer variety of Okada's big time matches. The wrestling clinic with Omega, the cerebral dissection by Suzuki, the fun exhibition versus Tiger Mask W, the war with Shibata (sans that headbutt) and the battle for survival against Fale. Okada's machine like and is probably the best wrestler, from an in-ring perspective, this year thus far. That machine like nature is maybe a negative, certainly abroad as New Japan tries to expand. He doesn't have the larger than life personality or the infectious energy that Naito and Tanahashi have respectively. He's a bit like Randy Orton - excellent on a mechanical level but when it comes to the personality aspect he's maybe lacking, especially as a babyface. Jury is still out on Okada as the undisputed king.
Pleased to see Minoru Suzuki finally win a singles title in New Japan and the Openweight belt is perfect for someone like him. If he gets to tangle with the likes of Ishii or even a Fale or KUSHIDA, we could be in for a fun time. Give him a nice long reign with that title and I'll be happy. Takahashi's been excellent so far as the new guy to beat in the Junior Heavyweight division. His squash of KUSHIDA was both shocking and highly effective. He looks like a monster now and whoever knocks him off in Best of the Super Juniors (assuming someone does) is going to have a major feather in their cap.
Looking forward, with the two WK rematches coming up; Naito either needs to drop that IC title and move back up into the Heavyweight title picture, or score a decisive and definitive victory over Tanahashi. Another, back-and-forth win isn't really going to do him that many favours. Naito vs. Okada is obviously the big money match and they've got to get there while making Naito looking like he can measure up to the thus far, unstoppable face of the company.
Okada vs. Omega is intriguing as I can see both guys picking up the win. As others have noted, I think this could very well be indicative of where Omega's future lies, though I certainly wouldn't be shocked to see them throw the title on Omega to set up the rubber match for the fall or even the 4th of January. If Omega does lose though, I think we might just see the Bullet Club split in twain and go the nWo Wolfpac/Hollywood route. Lots of possibilities in this one and that's what makes it so very intriguing.
