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NJPW: 5 Takeaways From Sengoku Lord

By Corey Collins

TOKYO, JAPAN - OCTOBER 08: Kota Ibushi gestures prior to the 3 Way match between Kenny Omega, Cody and Kota Ibushi during the King of Pro-Wresting at Ryogoku Kokugikan on October 8, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
TOKYO, JAPAN - OCTOBER 08: Kota Ibushi gestures prior to the 3 Way match between Kenny Omega, Cody and Kota Ibushi during the King of Pro-Wresting at Ryogoku Kokugikan on October 8, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images) /
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The Switchblade is Still Sharp But Shows Signs of Dulling

Jay White is in good company. There is a sizable list of wrestlers who have had zero successful defenses as IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Aside from more recent champions like Okada and Tanahashi, that group also contains legends like Tatsumi Fujinami, Vader, and Masahiro Chono. The true test of White will be whether or not he can recover from the loss.

While he does seem to be holding his head high and striding with confidence, there is a notable addition to the makeup of Jay White – the depression goatee. Everybody knows by now that a goatee just ain’t it, chief. There is a very narrow portion of the human population who can pull off a goatee seriously and none of those people are Jay White.

The depression goatee of White is similar to the time Sting grew his natural hair out after falling into a depression caused by his WCW comrades’ growing distrust of him. If The Switchblade starts hanging out in the rafters, things in New Japan are going to get wild. I digress.

In the six matches since G1 Supercard, White has been involved in all but one victory for his various teams. In every other match, his team has come out on the losing end. The fact that White was instrumental in the only victory for his teams thus far on this tour is the only glimmer of hope in the world of White coming out of his loss to Okada in MSG.

As the leader of Bullet Club and the harbinger of the Cutthroat Era, White needs to not only propel himself to the top of the heavyweight division but he also needs to lead his Bullet Club brethren to victory up and down the card. We’ve all seen what happens when the BC loses confidence in their leaders – see AJ Styles and Kenny Omega.

There’s about a 3-month gap between now and the G1 Climax 29 kicking off this summer and White has a lot of ground to make up if he’s going to walk into the grueling tournament with momentum. He’ll have the greatest chance to prove himself when he faces Hirooki Goto on April 29 at Wrestling Hi no Kuni.

If White can pick up a big singles victory over Goto, he can pat himself on the back for a job well done. Should Goto defeat White, though? It could be a sign that the rise of the Switchblade was nothing more than a fluke as he gets cut down by CHAOS’ Fierce Warrior.

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