NJPW: Jay White Has High Hopes But Big Shoes To Fill
After a somewhat rocky start, “Switchblade” Jay White scored a clean pinfall over Kenny Omega to win the U.S. Title in a fantastic match. But he has big shoes to fill as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion in NJPW.
NJPW has high hopes for Jay White. The company made that clear with his emphatic re-introduction last fall at Power Struggle. White showed up near the end of the show and dropped IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi with his Blade Runner finisher. It seemed like the company was ready to anoint White as its next singles star.
Then his Intercontinental Championship match with Tanahashi happened. Whether the lack of chemistry or Tanahashi’s lingering injuries were to blame, the bout fell below New Japan’s recent main event standards.
White needed a standout match to justify his push, so the company booked him against a man who seems allergic to having anything less than four-star classics, Kenny Omega. “The Cleaner” has crafted outstanding matches with everyone from Kazuchika Okada to Minoru Suzuki. If White, talented as he is, couldn’t hang with Omega, his push probably would’ve ended immediately.
On night two of the New Beginning in Sapporo, “Switchblade” more than held up his end against arguably the best wrestler in the world. He withstood Omega’s usual barrage of knees, suplexes and spectacular offense and won the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. While the match wasn’t as good as some of the others that occurred this weekend, it was more than main event worthy. Will White continue to turn in great matches with wrestlers not named Kenny Omega though?
Not the focal point
Despite the quality main event, White still came across as an afterthought after the match. He wasn’t spotlighted particularly well during the match either. Look at TDE Wrestling’s timeline for example. The page features Omega highlight after Omega highlight compared to only one for “Switchblade”. Based on that alone, fans could rightfully think that the match was all about Omega. The postmatch angle didn’t help alter that perception either.
New Japan dedicated the rest of their broadcast to the ongoing issues within Bullet Club. While the angle itself was fantastic, it took away from White’s monumental victory. Bookers Jado and Gedo made the closing segment more about the possible Bullet Club schism and Omega/Ibushi. Christening White as the company’s newest singles star seemed secondary. Ultimately, that might work in White’s favor.
What’s does this mean for his push?
Even though White possesses tremendous in-ring talent, nobody expects him to duplicate Omega’s extraordinary run of 2017-18 classics. NJPW apparently feels the same way, as the company is obviously setting his bar lower out of the gate. In between all of the Bullet Club riff-raff, NJPW teased a future U.S. Title match between White and “Hangman” Page. Switchblade defending the title against lower card wrestlers in low-pressure matches should help him gain confidence as he continues to mesh the gimmick into his ring style.
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New Japan clearly sees White as a potential singles star. They wouldn’t have teased a future match with Okada nor let him go over Omega if company officials felt differently. However, they can’t hide him behind established acts forever. White must stand out on his own in order to reach the heights New Japan wants him to. The company will give him every chance to succeed. It’s up to White to repay the company’s faith in him.