Chris Jericho’s Return To Japan Didn’t Disappoint

This morning, afternoon or evening (depending on where you’re located), Chris Jericho made his return to Japan to face Kenny Omega in a star-studded Wrestle Kingdom extravaganza. And it certainly did not disappoint.

The match was booked as an ‘anything goes’ type of deal, with both men showing distain for one another before their bout at Wrestle Kingdom. The match was designed with a ‘No DQ’ stipulation, which was an incredibly smart booking decision. At Chris Jericho’s age, he’s clearly no spring chicken, and adding the stipulation from the get-go meant that fans wouldn’t be expecting a match with plenty of ‘high-spots’, but rather a match that more suits Jericho’s playbook – a slower, more methodical match.

From start to end, both wrestlers (which is a term I love to hear on commentary, as opposed to “superstars”) used the stipulation well, with Jericho favouring the steel chair approach for the majority of the match. Omega was no slouch when it came to dishing out punishment, though. His main offence, in line with the match being ‘No DQ’, featured an awesome looking table spot towards the end of the match.

Whenever I watch a New Japan match, I always find myself comparing the in-ring work to WWE. Some could argue that NJPW’s in-ring work is better than WWE’s, however, I see them as being very similar, with a few exceptions. The main exception being that the wrestlers are able to show more creativity (or at least, that’s how it looks).

Credit: NJPW Global on Twitter

One drastic creative move that New Japan favour over WWE is blood. We all know WWE’s view on “blading” and, as such; it’s become something that symbolises danger. Therefore, when it’s used in a match, the bout feels so much more real (as WWE tend to stay as far from blood as possible). Chris Jericho and Omega used this to their advantage, as both were bleeding by the final bell.

All in all, the match was impressive. It showed that Jericho can ‘still go’ (in case we didn’t already know), and it elevated Omega’s star power further. Omega eventually picked up the win following a brutal-looking “One Winged Angel” on a chair.

Not only did the match prove that Kenny Omega is one of the best in the business, it also proved (once again) that Chris Jericho doesn’t mind ‘laying down’ to do the favours to yet another up-and-coming star. Sure, Jericho’s got some cruise tickets to sell, but come on, “Y2J” seriously didn’t have to go through all this trouble just to promote his own project. The two clearly respect one another, despite the mocking ‘kayfabe’ tweets, and it showed.

Next: NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 Highlights

In a few years’ time, when New Japan slowly creeps into the American wrestling market, remember this match. This is the match that started NJPW’s rise in the US.