AXS TV Is Airing Wrestle Kingdom 11: Our Review

A funny thing has started to happen in pro-wrestling. Wrestling fans have always loved debating match-of-the-year candidates. It’s part of appreciating the art form. But for the past two years the match to beat, if not the actual match of the year, has come on January 4th. At Wrestle Kingdom.

Held every year in the Tokyo Dome, Wrestle Kingdom is the flagship megashow of New Japan Pro Wrestling. In the last five years New Japan has ridden a wave of exceptional matches, wrestlers and stories to become the world’s number two wrestling company. If you’re a follower of WWE, the reason AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura are names worth knowing at all is thanks to NJPW.

 

Match of the decade

Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada
Image Source:
New Japan/ TV Asahi

Why’s this important now? Well, last week Wrestle Kingdom 11 held host to possibly the best match of the decade. Kenny Omega, leader of Bullet Club, challenged IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada for New Japan’s top belt. In the week since the match, it has already begun to be spoken of in hushed, hallowed tones.

There’s two places to watch this match if you live outside Japan. First, you can sign up for NJPW’s Japanese language answer to the WWE Network (there’s a google translate function but the website is notable obtuse to navigate for western fans). If you’re a New Japan beginner though, and are here because you’ve seen all the comment threads and want to see what all the fuss is about, the simpler option comes from AXS TV, NJPW’s US broadcast partner.

Jim Ross and Josh Barnett
Image Source:
AXS TV

The next four weeks sees AXS split Wrestle Kingdom into four hour long episodes. As a real life journalism place Cultured Vultures was given an advanced screening of the first episode, and the Omega Vs Okada match which is making so many grown up wrestling fans giddy.

So let’s begin, in the sage commentary hands of Jim Ross and MMA star Josh Barnett. This pairing’s been providing English commentary on AXS TV’s New Japan stuff for a while now, and it shows. Jim Ross could make a poodle feel like a wrestling superstar. He says stuff like “for the love of god!” when something dramatic happens. He’s the greatest of all time. But it’s clear Josh and JR are also familiar with both Okada and Omega and how to make newcomers see them as a big deal.

 

The Fight For New Japan

Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega
Image Source:
New Japan/Asahi TV

Speaking of Okada and Omega, these two men put on the kind of wrestling match here which will make WWE programming turn to ash in your mouths. From it’s slow build, to its jaw dropping middle and it’s on-your-feet finale it was perfectly paced. Each guy busted out terrifying rare maneuvers and crunching impacts at an improbable rhythm.

Dramatic moonsaults and piledrivers are all great of course, but Okada and Omega made sure this had all the little things too. They sold us on the agony of every sharp bump. As the match ticked on the pair looked ever more drained. The more they kicked out of each other’s maneuvers the more baffled and shocked they looked. Okada looked every bit like the matinee idol New Japan want him to be – like the Japanese version of an 80s brat pack movie star. As for Omega, the guy does everything with a kind of frenetic urgency which is impossible to pull your eyes away from.

Aside from the commentary the biggest draw here for western fans will be the visceral way it’s filmed. Ever notice in WWE how the camera will always shake when there’s some kind of big smack? For that my friends, you can thank Kevin Dunn. New Japan and AXS TV don’t have as many bells and whistles, but every knee to the face or forearm to the chest is left on screen. And it’s mesmerising.

If you’ve managed to survive a week without being spoiled on the result of this match, more power to you. We’re not going to take that away from you if surprise is your jazz. What we will say is that every time you think it’s over it gets better.

It’s probably a smart move on AXS TV’s part to make this match their first Wrestle Kingdom 11 show. It’s putting their best foot forward and pouncing on the buzz which has rightly spread for Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada since January 4. If you’re a WWE fan who’s ready to see if New Japan is worth your time, this match and this commentary is probably where you’ll find the answer.

Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada airs on AXS TV on Friday January 13 at 8PM Eastern.

Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.