I finally got around to finishing the cage match from The New Beginning in Osaka and I just have to say that this was one of the best matches New Japan has ever produced.
I have been watching consistently since Wrestle Kingdom 9. One thing I’ve always loved about this company is that they’ve taken the genre of Pro Wrestling and blended it with other forms of media/storytelling. For example: The Okada vs Omega series was a masterful re-imagining of Rocky, Naito’s arc is a classic telling of underdog’s journey, and this match is no different.
In the west, we’ve seen the resurgence of the War Games match. Both WWE and AEW have done great jobs bringing the match back to life. But when I watched this Dog Pound Cage match, this felt more like a War than anything AEW/WWE have produced. If Okada/Omega is Rocky, then this match was Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. This was All Quiet on the Western Front. This was 1917. You name it. This was the wrestling genre turned into a War Movie.
The United Empire and The War Dogs both operated as brotherhoods. You had Ospreay’s fallen pupils (Kidd and Maloney) going after him with more aggression than they did others. You had Ospreay’s eventual successor, Callum Newman sharing a moment with him as a pseudo torch pass. You had The War Dogs pushing their bodies to the limit and showing that they aren’t just spineless heels. Alex Coughlin welcomed Kendo Stick shots! You had Henare getting injured in War, only to return and try to save his team from early defeat. You had the Aswang being used as a secret weapon. Akira overcame his fear of violence and embraced it. Clark Connors took all of his anger for being left out of Japan and aimed it at the Gaijin who were on the Island. And it all led up to Ospreay holding his fallen soldier in his arms, bloodied and defeated…accepting the inevitable…David Finlay and his War Dogs. What a time. What a match. What a story.
Kudos to Finlay for earning his stripes this past year. I think New Japan is safe in the hands of the War Dogs and what is left of the United Empire. Also, what a way to end Ospreay’s journey. When the United Empire debuted, it was he and his Girlfriend at the time alongside O’Khan. In the end, he leaves the company with a wife and a United Empire behind him.
On all levels, this match showcased what makes New Japan special. Masterful, drawn out and detailed storytelling. Well done NJPW. Best of luck to Ospreay in AEW.
by GranddaddySandwich
