NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades

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IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match

Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Jay White

Result: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Jay White via pinfall

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

After six mainly fantastic matches to start Wrestle Kingdom 12, Tanahashi vs. White was a tremendous disappointment. I honestly can’t think of a match that was this high profile that was so poorly booked and completely wrong for the platform it took place on.

I’ve seen comparisons online to John Cena beating Bray Wyatt and/or Rusev at WrestleMania. That’s close, but I think this takes the cake. When Cena beat Wyatt, it ruined the momentum of an already established character. The Rusev loss for the US Title was bad, but it wasn’t really seen as a “marquee” match that year.

But “Switchblade” is barely established! It was teased through videos beginning at the G1, and the reveal that Switchblade was Jay White came two months ago. That’s no time at all. White hasn’t even had a single match since making it known that he’s the guy from the vignettes.

Based on what a guy named “Switchblade” should be, the match was completely wrong. White should have been portrayed as a cold, ruthless, remorseless machine, whose only goal was to destroy Tanahashi. Instead, he tried to win a wrestling match. Big mistake. Tanahashi may have been the ace of NJPW, but in 2018 he’s held together by gum, kinesio tape, and ~FIGHTING SPIRIT.

And of course, Tanahashi wins, becoming the first champion to successfully defend his championship on the evening. On any other card, this match would have been more acceptable. But on the biggest show of the year, with a relatively new wrestler officially debuting a new character, this was a disaster. At least it’s proof that NJPW isn’t infallible.