NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12: 3 Biggest Winners That Lost Their Matches

Photo Source: njpw1972.com

At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12, three of the show’s biggest winners actually lost their matches. Here’s why they managed to gain positive momentum despite their respective defeats.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 is in the books and was a fantastic show from start to finish. Pro Wrestling is unique from the sense that if booked correctly, even the losers of the matches can come across like bigger stars than how they were previously perceived. These three wrestlers lost their matches at Wrestle Kingdom and now the fans are more behind them than ever.

Minoru Suzuki

Minoru Suzuki is an international treasure. His in-ring style reflects his legendary status in the worlds of both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Suzuki and Hirooki Goto had a FIGHT for Suzuki’s NEVER Openweight Championship with a hair vs. hair stipulation at Wrestle Kingdom 12.

This was a matchup that most fans weren’t clamoring for but possibly the one with the most buzz on my social media as it was happening. Suzuki and Goto took part in an absolute war that had fans on the edge of their seats. Suzuki really shined in this match by looking completely insane while incorporating his MMA-based offense.

Suzuki seemed to have the match won, implementing a series of Rear Naked Chokes and trying to transition into a Gotch Style Piledriver but Goto fought through it valiantly and hit a nasty GTR for the win. After the match, Suzuki shined even more as he shaved his head HIMSELF in the middle of the ring.

There are a lot of fans that think this was the best match of the show. Suzuki doing the honorable thing by shaving his head in defeat was the epitome of what the kids would call a “boss move”. I’m suspecting a full babyface turn for Suzuki in the near future to capitalize on the buzz coming off of this performance.