NJPW PPV Review: Wrestle Kingdom VII - Evolution

Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi clash in the main event of the biggest NJPW show of the year!  Find out who walked out the IWGP Champion after the jump!

 

The sold out Tokyo Dome

First off I have to stress the fact that New Japan is the only other wrestling promotion in the world that has their marquee "Wrestlemania" style event actually rival the spectacle and importance of the WWE's hottest ticket.  The Tokyo Dome was sold out and with 30,000+ in attendance, it's safe to say that the event was a roaring success from a sales perspective.  Still, for the show to truly rival the Grandaddy of them all, it would need to be booked tremendously and have the big matches deliver the goods.  With that said, let us reviewify this thing shall we?

Match 1:: Takashi Iizuka, Toru Yano, Yujiro Takahashi & Bob Sapp vs. MVP, Manabu Nakanishi, Strongman & Akebono

This match was was more of an attempt to create a few memorable moments and they succeeded on that front.  On the wrestling front, not so much.  Still, Bob Sapp is a charisma machine and it's a shame he never really honed his craft because he could have been something truly special if he had the passion to go with his sizzle.  Iizuka's shtick of assaulting the announcer had a fun twist, with the announcer having had enough and joining up the opposing squad and hitting one of the most awkward looking clotheslines I've ever seen on Iizuka.  Strange, but a hell of a lot of fun to watch. 

Team MVP earns the victory after 7:53 via. submission following a Torture Rack from Nakanishi to Izuka

Match Rating: **

 

Inferiority personified

Match 2:: NEVER Openweight Championship match: Masato Tanaka(c) vs. Shelton Benjamin

NEVER (which stands for "New Blood", "Evolution", "Valiantly", "Eternal", and "Radical") is basically a sub-promotion project within NJPW that pairs young up and comers with freelance wrestlers who may or may not have a great amount of experience.  The Openweight Championship is the sixth active title in New Japan and obviously, it's the least prestigious being that it's only been active a couple of months.  Masato Tanaka won a tournament to earn the gold and being a champion in a company for which he is an outsider, it offers up a very unique matchup with freelancer Benjamin.  Tanaka never fails to bring it, but it's Benjamin who surprised everyone with one of his most inspired performances in recent memory.  He really put in the kind of effort that only he can, using his unique blend of technical acumen and unmatched athleticism to turn in a solid performance.  These two had solid chemistry and the match worked perfectly in the spot it was in.  Great spot near the end with Benjamin performing his signature turnbuckle leap on an interfering Yujiro Takahashi, only to end up on the receiving end of Tanaka's Sliding D.

Masato Tanaka def. Shelton Benjamin via. pinfall after 6:43 following the Sliding D (short arm lariat)

Match Rating: ***

 

The former ECW standout strikes an iconic pose

Match 3:: IWGP Tag Team Championship match: Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith & Lance Archer)(c) w/Taka Michinoku vs. Sword & Guns (Karl Anderson & Hirooki Goto)

This is the breakout performance for Archer & Smith for me.  I'm not saying they're the best tandem in the world or anything, but they carried themselves like a top level team and it made the match infinitely more interesting than any they've had thus far.  Not to mention that Lance Archer's entrance/ring gear was the most badass of the night.

 

Kick-Ass

The action started off a bit slow, but it was very good once it got going.  Some solid back-n-forth until the K.E.S. hit Goto with the Killer Bomb.  Anderson was in for the save and then ended up on the recieveing end of the Bomb himself.  Archer & Smith hit Goto with a second Killer Bomb for the win.  Solid match with a great finish.

Killer Elite Squad def. Sword & Guns via. pinfall after 10:54 following the Killer Bomb (double powerbomb)

Match Rating: ***1/4

 

Talk about a career turnaround

Match 4:: Yuji Nagata vs. Minoru Suzuki

Suzuki's theme was performed live by the artist and it really gave his entrance that epic feel since his theme is one of the most popular and recognizable among NJPW faithful.  Another cool moment was the fact that Suzuki made an effort to go over and fist bump the singer even though it's an act that was a bit out-of-character for the company's resident douche machine.  It was a great setup even though the special vibe of his intro was a stark contrast to the ruthless aggression that would follow.  As you probably guessed, this was as intense as they come and what more would you expect given the names involved.  As a huge fan of both these veterans (and having witnessed their last two Dome battles), I had high hopes and boy did they ever deliver.  All young aspiring talent should watch these two work because they don't waste a minute of the time they're given and always are aware of their surroundings, what to do & when to do it.  Ring generalship at it's finest from Nagata to match the masterful heel work Suzuki never fails to put in.  Every "mark out" spot you want from both is thrown in here with plenty more to love and a finish that leaves you wondering if this war is really over.  Just two of my favorites that just happen to love beating the ever loving piss out of each other.  What more can I ask for?

Yuji Nagata def. Minoru Suzuki via. pinfall after 17:05 following the Backdrop Driver (bridging back suplex)

Match Rating: ****

 

Very few things make Suzuki smile this way

Match 5:: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Prince Devitt(c) vs. Kota Ibushi vs. Agent 47 Low-Ki

If like me, you're a fan of the Hitman series of video games, then you'll love Low-Ki's attire tonight.  The guy wrestled the ENTIRE match dressed up like Agent 47 and it was fakkin' amazing!

 

!!!

What's even more amazing was the fact that he didn't miss a beat as he brought it to both Devitt and Ibushi in the night's first potential show stealer.  These three have traded the Junior title between themselves for the bulk of the past year and have thrilled fans with some of the most awe-inspiring action ever witnessed.  And if you've been following this three-way rivalry, then you know that expectations are at an all-time high for them to deliver here.  With that said, this wasn't the five star classic many were expecting and it's not even the best match on the show.  The good news is, it's still one hell of a match and they brought out all the awesome spots you would expect.  Not their best work, but it's still worth a watch and it brought a great amount of excitement to a show that featured very little junior action.  Fantastic match that fell just a bit short of expectations.

Prince Devitt earns the victory via. pinfall after 14:46 following a top rope Bloody Sunday DDT to Ibushi

Match Rating: ****1/2

 

Three of a kind

Match 6:: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs Keiji Muto & Shinjiro Otani

As was expected, the legendary Keiji Muto earned an amazing response and was one of the most over wrestlers on the entire show.  This match was supposed to feature the NJPW debut of Zero-One star Daichi Hashimoto, but he was out due to injury and replaced by Otani which made sense.  These four puroresu masters put on a clinic on how to properly work a tag match that was a great nostalgia trip for any fans of 90s puro.  Nothing particularly special, but a very fun "legends" match that was made better by the overall white-hot crowd heat.

Tenzan & Kojima def. Muto & Otani via. pinfall after 15:36 follwing a Moonsult from Tenzan on Otani

Match Rating: ***1/4

 

A fun throwback to Puro's golden age

Match 7:: Togi Makabe vs Katsuyori Shibata

This match has been one of the best built matches on the card and as soon as the bell rang, these two got going right away.  These two do an immaculate job establishing their roles in this one.  This match works as a companion piece with the match that followed as Shibata is the partner of Kazushi Sakuraba who has a match later on with Shinsuke Nakamura.  The story tells itself here though as Shibata was on the verge of a gigantic push until he quit New Japan years ago to pursue a career in MMA.  He's returned here to face one of NJPW's most over wrestlers, leaving Makabe to play the role of company man fighting off a cocky shooter who turned his back on the promotion.  A great story and they worked it to perfection.  My only complaint is that this match was too short to really get much out of it.  I felt myself wanting a bit more, but I still very much enjoyed it.

Togi Makabe def. Katsuyori Shibata via. pinfall after 8:37 following the King Kong Kneedrop

Match Rating: ***

 

A battle to complete exhaustion

Match 8:: IWGP Intercontinental Championship match: Shinsuke Nakamura(c) vs. Kazushi Sakuraba

This match was everything I wanted the previous match to be.  Nakamura is a godsend to that IC title and he has done a tremendous job elevating it.  Very few wrestlers can match Nakamura in terms of presence and even fewer men can pull me into a match the way that he can.  I bullshit you not, If I had to watch the matches of only one wrestler for the rest of 2013, it'd be Nakamura.  The guy plays his character to perfection and it bounces off Sakuraba's MMA intensity like nothing I have ever seen before.  The big story coming out of this match was the absolutely BRUTAL knee that Nakamura took to the face.  Fuck selling, the guy looked as if he was DOA.

 

OOF!

I swear if he wasn't legit out cold then that was the best execution/selling I have ever seen.  Ever.  They basically tease the KO finish until Sakuraba interrupts and continues to assault his wounded prey.  All of which Nakamura sells like a bawse!  The crowd is 100% with him as a result practically BEGGING for the Boma Ye!  We're in supreme heat from here on out.  Brilliant.  The ending sequences are so thrilling that I dare not spoil it for those who haven't seen it already.  If you fall into that category, then seek this match out.  Immediately.   A Match Of The Year candidate in January.  How about that.

Match Rating: ****3/4

A fantastic video package is shown hyping the title clash between company diamond Tanahashi and rising star Okada.  That big fight feel is in the air.  Brace yourselves....it is now time for our

MAIN EVENT

Match 9:: IWGP Heavyweight Championship match: Hiroshi Tanahashi(c) vs. Kazuchika Okada

Okay.  Let me establish a bit of the back story here so that those of you who are unfamiliar with NJPW can understand just how truly epic this match really is.  If you are familiar with the build, skip ahead until you see "this match" in bold and continue from there.  For those interested in learning about one of the most unique and truly mind boggling rises to stardom in wrestling history, here is....

The Rise Of Kazuchika Okada

This is the third match in a year-long rivalry that has made an absolute megastar out of Okada.  If you're a fan of TNA Wrestling, then you may recognize Okada as this guy....
 

 

Yeah....THAT guy....

Playing Samoa Joe's bitch was his only memorable appearance to most fans and he returned home to New Japan to re-establish himself.  Things would not go according to plan as a string of abysmal performances and a Cena-like fan backlash made Okada into the laughingstock of the entire promotion.  So how does this guy end up in the main event of said promotion's biggest show of the year you ask?  Read on, it's the stuff of legend. 

Things began to turn in Okada's favor when he enlisted the uber confident Gedo as his mouthpiece and began to soak in some of Gedo's superstar charisma.  Enter Hiroshi Tanahashi.  Tanahashi is New Japan's premier performer and was in the midst of a history making 404 day reign in his fifth stint as IWGP Champion.  Okada earned a shot at the seemingly unbeatable champ who won the title just over one year prior.  Okada would shock the world when he won perhaps the greatest upset victory wrestling has ever seen.  In ONE MATCH the guy went from "Kazuchika who?" to "OKADA! OKADA! OKADA!".  That's some motion picture shit.  You can't write a script better than that. 

Eventually after 125 days as champion (including an unbelievable title defense against Tetsuya Naito), he dropped the title back to Tanahashi in June of last year and Tanahashi would then go on to have one of the single greatest title runs wrestling has ever seen.  Okada now left to earn his way back to title contention, decides he is going to do so in the most badass way possible by winning the G1 Climax.  A tournament that is the most prolific in NJPW's history and must-see material for King Of The Ring fans.  Except here, the winner is given a #1 contenders contract and potential superstardom in the process.

In the finals Okada faced Karl Anderson who was having a tremendous streak of matches and was buzzing as the first foreigner to make it to the finals since Rick Rude in 1992.  Both men tore the house down in one of the best matches of 2012.  Okada would walk away the victor and make history as the youngest ever winner at age 24. 

Okada was now guaranteed a world title shot on Jan. 4th of the next year, but the road to Wrestle Kingdom would not be a light journey.   Soon, it was announced that Okada must now defend the contract for the match against all comers as if it were a championship in itself.  He would successfully defend the title in a classic rematch with Anderson and in another match against Anderson's Sword & Guns teammate Hirooki Goto.  On the flipside, Tanahashi also endured some of his toughest opponents to date (including Yuji Nagata & Minoru Suzuki in last year's MOTY).  He would eventually wind up again face-to-face with Okada realizing that his next opponent was a monster he helped create.  A much younger man who is set to replace him as the Ace of New Japan.  It's the Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels of the 2010s.  Two men with everything to lose.  And now it all comes down to...

This Match

With the impeccable buildup, this is easily one of the biggest matches of the year.  The crowd is on fire and they just get hotter and hotter as the match progresses.  They know that they are witnessing greatness.  I get chills just writing about it.  This match is everything you want in a main event this big and the structure of the match is just incredible.  Unbelievable work.   Tanahashi has Okada very well scouted as he almost completely avoids getting hit with the Rainmaker.  If you're unfamiliar with that maneuver, it's similar to the Souvenir maneuver the WWE's Wade Barrett currently uses as his finish except with a lariat instead of an elbow smash.  A lariat that just happens to look like absolute MURDER every time!  Okada was then forced to rely on some of his other famous offense, like his dropkick (that still is the best in the game today) and a tope rope DDT that would make Randy Orton flinch.

Picture perfect execution

Other big spots like Okada kicking out of the High Fly Flow at what must have been a 2.99 count make this match grow even bigger as it progresses.  Not as good as their last match from a in-ring standpoint, but it had a lot of hype, far better buildup, great storytelling and much more spectacle so it's a fitting end to the trilogy and one of the best Jan 4th main events of all time!  My only complaint is the outcome.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Tanahashi fan, but I was really pulling for Okada to nab the win and reach his destiny as the new #1 in New Japan.  At only age 25, it's no doubt he'll get there, but this was a missed opportunity.  Or...they could just be building for an even better story down the line.  We'll just have to wait and see.

Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Kazuchika Okada via. pinfall after 33:34 following the High Fly Flow (frog splash)

Match Rating: ****3/4

 

Still the king.....for now....

Final Thoughts

After last October's King Of Pro Wrestling event, I thought that there was no way NJPW could top that show.  I was wrong.  From a booking standpoint, New Japan Pro Wrestling is the best wrestling promotion in the world right now.  They are in the midst of what I believe will go down as their greatest era and their roster is unmatched.  If you're not on board, then get out of the way because they are on absolute fire right now.  Wrestle Kingdom has also become a show that has come to rival Wrestlemania in every way in a matter of just a few years and this event may be the landmark of them all.  There were four 4+ star matches and only ONE match that was below 3 stars in a nine match show.  Unbelievable.  From a buildup and execution standpoint, this is the best "big match" wrestling show since Wrestlemania XVII over a decade ago.  This show had it all, the Suzuki/Nagata grudge war, a highly entertaining Juniors match, a stockpile of legends and two MOTY candidates in the main events.   Amazing variety.  Amazing show.  What a hell of a way to start off the year!

Overall PPV Score: 10/10

PPV Awards

Match of the Night: TIE: Okada/Tanahashi & Nakamura/Sakuraba
Performer of the Night: Shinsuke Nakamura
Moment of the Night: Okada kicks out of the High Fly Flow at 2.99