One Four

The January 4th Tokyo Dome Show is the arguably the most important date on the New Japan Pro Wrestling calendar.  It’s an annual event that dates back to 1989 and is considered the NJPW equivalent of WrestleMania.  NJPW even invites competitors from other promotions to participate.  Some of these promotions include Pro Wrestling NOAH, Ring of Honor, and All Japan Pro Wrestling.

Some Sort of Kingdom of Wrestling

Another 1/4 Dome show is in the books as New Japan Pro Wrestling held their 12th Wrestle Kingdom event.  Wrestle Kingdom has kind of become synonomous as the name of the 1/4 Dome Show.  Another aspect of the event that likens it to WrestleMania is that the winner of the previous summer’s G1 Climax round robin tournament challenges the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion in one of the biggest matches in not just New Japan, but all of professional wrestling.  This year, G1 Climax winner Tetsuya Naito faced longtime rival Kazuchika Okada in the main event (a rematch of Wrestle Kingdom 8).  The co-main event featured a highly anticipated match dubbed “Alpha vs. Omega” as IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega battled the legendary Chris Jericho in a No-DQ match.

I was lucky enough to avoid all spoilers and watch the event with Kaz, longtime friend Phil AKA Pigpen, and a few new voices to the podcast.  Be sure to listen closely because you’ll see NJPW and Japanese pro wrestling culture with new eyes.