Review: NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19

NJPW Global

I haven’t watched a lot of New Japan the last couple of years, kept tabs on the bigger stuff, and often even what I’ve watched I watched more casually than critically, because the company just started to bore me to death somewhere around 2021. But I want to beef up the coverage here this year, and at any rate, Wrestle Kingdom is a big show, as is the new Wrestle Dynasty.

I’m not watching the Ranbo. It’s just not going to be worth my time, those things don’t even have “Cheeseburger” in them anymore.

Intergalactic Jet Setters (c) vs Ichiban Sweet Boys vs Catch 22 vs Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Ladder Match

First-ever ladder match in the Tokyo Dome. Gotta have something to care about these outdated weight divisions, I guess. IJS are Kushida and Kevin Knight, ISB are Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita, and Catch 22 are TJP and Francesco Akira, if you’re unfamiliar with the team names.

Credit to the lads, no time wasted getting to the real action here, no farting around. Chairs and ladders involved right away. Bullet Club people are still like “fuck! damn! shit!” at every opportunity, good to know. I also like that there are lil’ ladders just meant to be weapons, and big ladders for climbing.