NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades
By Bryan Heaton
Photo Source: njpw1972.com
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Match – No Disqualification
Kenny Omega (c) vs. Chris Jericho
Result: Kenny Omega defeated Chris Jericho via pinfall
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Prior to the match, it was abundantly clear that Kenny came to play. Jericho – wrestling outside WWE for the first time in nearly 20 years – showed up for his “new” endeavor wearing his light up jacket from five years ago, walking down to the ring as a song he wrote and recorded with Fozzy blared through the arena.
No DQ, No limits! @KennyOmegamanX & @IAmJericho tear up the #NJWK12 Tokyo Dome! pic.twitter.com/avU9nlUzcL
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 4, 2018
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Meanwhile, Omega dressed up as a steampunk version of the Egyptian god of death – Anubis. You know, death? The end? The OMEGA. Right off the bat, point to Kenny.
Whatever your expectations were for Omega vs. Jericho, I can pretty much guarantee they were exceeded. The match was no disqualification for a reason – these two hate each other. Even before the bell, things got out of hand with a brief tussle. Then the bell rang and all hell broke loose.
The Alpha @IAmJericho showing the world what it means to be the Alpha of pro-wrestling! #AlphaVsOmega pic.twitter.com/FWHPGnFwcg
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 4, 2018
Within five minutes, poor Don Callis got taken out when Omega went for a springboard plancha and crashed through the announce table. Kenny countered with, uh, cold spray (in fairness, he’s got a history with the product).
Blood was spilled, chairs were literally broken over heads, and this one more than lived up to the hype. You can criticize Jericho’s selling and spot calling if you want. But the dude is clearly one of the all time greats and he’s out there with absolutely nothing to prove, still going full tilt. If that’s not going to win you over, nothing will.
@KennyOmegamanX takes the fight to @IAmJericho , battling back to gain the edge! pic.twitter.com/WecZpunJfg
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 4, 2018
Plus, as far as his character for the night went, Jericho killed it. His job was to get the crowd to hate him, despite his history in pro wrestling. And boy, did everyone want to hate him. Not sure how Omega is going to function as a babyface and be the leader of the Bullet Club, but it should be interesting.