New Japan Pro Wrestling
Korakuen Hall (Tokyo, Japan)
This match was part of the first leg of NJPW’s Road to The New Beginnings tour and only one on iPPV before the actual The New Beginnings shows next week. As such, it is less of a standalone PPV and more of hype-show for the big events. The goal it would seem then is to influence the viewer to purchase the big shows or at least (if their purchase is already guaranteed) to build excitement for the matches on the 2/9 and 2/11 cards.
To that end, this six-man was a rousing success to me personally. I had little interest in the Anderson/Gallows vs. Archer/Smith Jr. IWGP Heavyweight Tag Title match before watching this, but based on the work here I am now looking forward to it.
I thought DBS Jr. and Gallows looked the best amongst the six wrestlers, although everyone was fine. Archer plays fired up better than I would have expected. It also helped that the Korakuen crowd was into the match. They were on the Bullet Club’s case and firmly behind Suzuki and team, providing good heat to a solid match. Devitt and the other Bullet Club members stayed in the back with their match up next, which helped keep the match uncluttered by the usual Bullet Club interference and shenanigans. At 10 minutes long, it was also the perfect length and a good start to the second half of the show.
Trios | Worthwhile | Quality
