New Japan Pro Wrestling presented Wrestling Dontaku on Friday. As the event began at 4am EDT, here’s a spoiler-free match listing for the non-nite-owl New Japan fans. Each match is given a Need To Watch Rating of 0.0-10.0. New Japan Wrestling Dontaku is available at NJPWWorld.com.
FIRST MATCH: Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask & Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. Yuya Uemura, Ren Narita & Shota Umino
Young Lions start to really show off in this match. Vaguely heel, and all fire, it’s fun to watch the elder wrestlers try to adapt. Definitely worth the time for fans of the Young Lions.
Need To Watch Rating: (6.1)
SECOND MATCH: Tomoyuki Oka & Yuji Nagata vs. Bullet Club (Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi)
Another solid outing from Nagata and Oka. Owens and Takahashi continue to be the most harmonious members of Bullet Club yet. Not quite to the level of the opener but still a fun match.
Need To Watch Rating: (4.9)
THIRD MATCH: Roppongi 3K (Sho, Yoh & Rocky Romero) vs. Suzuki-gun (Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Takashi Iizuka)
A good match, that can’t escape the toxic cloud that the other matches between these six men have left. Nothing essential here.
Need To Watch Rating: (2.0)
FOURTH MATCH: Toa Henare & Togi Makabe vs. CHAOS (Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii)
Toa Henare continues to be a star, but his obsession with Ishii might be hurting his momentum. A fun match, but barely essential.
Need To Watch Rating: (3.5)
FIFTH MATCH: Michael Elgin, David Finlay & Juice Robinson vs. CHAOS (YOSHI-HASHI, Jay White & Hirooki Goto)
These teams haven’t been clicking with me. The trios are solid, but have no chemistry has opponents. Jay White’s priggishness continues to be a highlight of an otherwise dull tag rivalry.
Need To Watch Rating: (3.0)
SIXTH MATCH: Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, BUSHI, SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi) vs. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, Davey Boy Smith Jr., El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
While not as lengthy as some of the other wars waged by these two factions, this is a great match, with must see post-match shenanigans.
Need To Watch Rating: (7.9)*
*post-match 10.0
SEVENTH MATCH: Team Kenny (Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) vs. Team Cody (Cody, Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson, Hangman Page, & Marty Scurll)
Bullet Club’s Civil War continues. A funnier match than expected. Not as essentially as it was hyped as being, though definitely has plenty of storyline ramifications.
Need To Watch Rating: (6.9)
EIGHTH MATCH: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match: Will Ospreay (c) vs. KUSHIDA
A co-main event that could’ve headlined any show. Ospreay is getting much smarter about the kind of bumps he takes, and it makes the match all the more better. KUSHIDA continues to prove that he might be the greatest all around wrestler that NJPW has right now. Seek. Out. This. Match.
Need To Watch Rating: (10.0)
MAIN EVENT: IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Quite possibly the last Okada/Tanahashi match for some time. A historic rivalry comes to an end in a match that brought the Tokyo Dome to Fukuoka. While not quite on the level of some of their previous matches, this match is an emotional, brutal marathon of a match. Everything that one could expect and more from the two men that have cast a long shadow over the modern era of NJPW. Seek. Out. This. Match.
Need To Watch Rating: (10.15)*
*Tied for Highest Need To Watch with Golden Lovers vs. The Young Bucks from 3/25
