Rewind-A-Wai #152 will be released this Thursday with a review of NJPW Dominion 2018 featuring the Two-of-Three Falls match between Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
The show was selected by Espresso Executive Producer @Words_Greenwood
Watch NJPW Dominion 2019 (NJPW World account required):
https://watch.njpwworld.com/player/40783
Please leave your feedback and questions below.
NJPW Dominion
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Osaka-jo Hall
*IWGP Heavyweight Championship - Two-of-Three Falls: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Kenny Omega
*IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Chris Jericho
*IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi
*Hiroshi Tanahashi, Rey Mysterio Jr. & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Cody, Hangman Page & Marty Scurll
*IWGP Tag Team Titles: EVIL & SANADA (c) vs. The Young Bucks
*NEVER Openweight Championship: Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Taichi vs.Michael Elgin
*Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano
*Jay White & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Juice Robinson & David Finlay
*IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles: El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (c) vs. Roppongi 3K
Dominion 2018 might be one of the best NJPW event that I have seen, other than the Wrestle Kingdom shows. While this show was packed with Foreigners, it delivered very well and showed how strong New Japan was during this era. Jericho coming in added a new feel to the product, but I wonder how the local Japaniese viewers felt with so many title changes going to the Foreigners (expect for Hiromu Takahashi who beat WIll Ospreay). Every match was great in its own merit but the Main Event was spectacular. For 65 mins, we were taking in a rollercoaster of events,emotions and thrill. Might be one of the best matches I have ever seen.
Jake from the Windy City
One of the all-time greatest wrestling shows I’ve ever seen. After it was over. the air was different. A huge blessing to stay up and watch this live overnight.
Mysterio in NJPW, Bucks winning the heavyweight tag belts, two of the finest wrestlers in our lifetime culminating their feud, Okada with an unforgettable 2-year reign ending, Kenny finally making it to top. I go back to watching this match every year as its that unforgettable. In history, we look to which two guys can pull out an incredible trilogy of matches, many people point out to Flair and Steamboat in 1989, you can argue Okada and Omega are neck and neck with them in the annals of all-time wrestling classics.
I’ll also say that outfit Jericho was wearing is proof positive he was having the time of his life outside of the WWE system doing whatever he wants and evolving his career even further.
I don’t think New Japan can overtake this type of feeling again anytime soon. I think the only question we could speculate is that if AEW was never formed six months after this, would NJPW still ride that big momentum today, expand further and keep their biggest talent.
10 One-Winged Angels out of 10. An event forever ingrained in wrestling history.
Jesse from the 6
I watched this show the day it happened. The next day, I re-watched the main event. That was the only time I’ve ever done this. At that point, I concluded that Omega-Okada IV is the best match I’ve ever seen.
This event feels like the apotheosis of everything I had been watching in New Japan since I started following it during John’s inaugural G1 recaps in 2013. Everything about it feels peak New Japan. The work rate, the storytelling, Omega in good health, Okada as the 700+ day unbeatable champion, Callis and Kelly on commentary. Everything is perfect. . .except for the long bois, which I had always remembered as a Balloon Okada reaction to the loss, but my memory has clearly betrayed me.
I watched it back again and yesterday and I asked myself, “What might one criticize about this match?” The spamming of moves, the V-Trigger and dropkick specifically? I actually like that. Would you say a boxer is spamming the jab? It’s realistic for me.
Might one criticize the length? After this match, I feel like long-ass matches became a crutch for Okada and New Japan as a whole, and I’ve really turned against them. Give me a nine-minute sprint and I’m happy! But for this match, I think the length is entirely justified.
In summation, this match is perfect. 17 stars.
Take Care