This is not a judgment on quality etc, but merely a question if the ends justified the means. Was it a necessary Evil to get SANADA positioned for Naito?
This is something we, at We Work Stiff, discussed in our comprehensive Destruction in Ryogoku review, available everywhere you find good and bad podcasts.
https://spotify.link/LRP8grIySDb
8 comments
I’m not an EVIL hater, but would’ve preferred Shingo in this spot when all was said and done.
I thought the EVIL feud served its purpose. It got the domestic fans thinking, “Oh god! Can you imagine if EVIL main evented Tokyo Dome?” to “Thank goodness SANADA retained!”
SANADA vs. Shingo Takagi would’ve been an excellent match, but it’s a match that should have happened earlier in SANADA’s reign in my opinion. Destruction in Ryogoku is the last title defense before Wrestle Kingdom, so it probably would not have been the best idea to blue ball fans a Takagi vs. Naito WK match.
Something tells me this is going to be a controversial take but, this reign for SANADA has been quite good.
We’re seeing a changing in the guard actively happen within NJPW, Naito and Tanahashi are on the last grasps of main eventer status. Okada has openly said he doesn’t have much longer left and the company was absolutely not growing under him as the top guy any longer.
The main criticism I see of SANADA’s reign is the fact it didn’t ‘feel like a champions’ reign’. But I see this as re-establishing SANADA after that absolutely putrid last year. They gave him heavy LIJ Stories, they gave him an undefeated streak in his block, and most of all he was wrestling young, newcomers to help fully establish them as main event threats all the same. This is absolutely what they needed to do for the NJPW as a whole.
They CAN’T keep relying on the Naitos, Okadas, and Tanahashis, they’ve already leaned away from Tana and Naito and Okada are both on the way out, having both referenced they ‘don’t have long left, multiple times in Naito’s case.
SANADA VS Evil’s story is an amazing one because of their history and it was the perfect way to show some adversity amongst SANADA’s reign. If he just had a good match against Shingo, we wouldn’t have seen him have a true ‘struggle’.
That was the whole principle, being degraded, insulted, spit on, his belt stolen a massive betrayal, I think it painted SANADA is a very good light within the story, to overcome those things, to win his belt back and bring in fresh young face to replace his betrayer.
As much as people seem to think it’s destined for a Naito win at WK, I genuinely foresee them holding off on SANADA dropping the title like this. It would make his reign a moot point for his first real, major threat of the old-guard instantly taking the title off him. For SANADA to not only main event the Tokyo Dome, but WIN it. Establishes him as the new top face moving forward, someone they can rely on to help get all those young guys over as their old-guard slowly fades out.
You can have him drop the title after the NJ Cup or if you really want to push his reign, Dominion, though I don’t foresee it lasting that long. I’d like to see him retain against Naito and then against someone like Ospreay at New Beginning though, winning against those two names solidify him.
I think it was fine for what it was and it made sense to do it. Didnt exactly help our percepption of SANADA thought, and I think 95% of people are sure that Naito is beating him. I dont know if thats a good thing to have for your biggest show or if people will care about the match. Reminds me of Triple H vs Roman Reigns. Japanese fans probably have a different perception.
As far as SANADA’s reign it’s different from what we’re used to but I’ve liked it. It’s been one big story and Naito vs SANADA has made sense for the Dome main event since the beggining.
Also I’ve added your podcast to my library recently and I’ve been enjoying it. Congrats.
Honestly reminds me of whenever WWE knew they had a bit of an underwhelming Royal Rumble winner they’d usually put Roman in there second to last to make us go “oh thank God, it’s at least not him”
Yes, in the sense Evil was really the only real challenger an injured Sanada could face right now who wouldn’t potentially injure him more and put the Tokyo Dome main event at risk, plus the fact Evil is a former World Champ who won it in a huge surprise that makes people consider that Evil could do it again and the two have tons of history you can draw from for a Story.
So overall, yes, Sanada got he needed at least at that point in time, which was a safe opponent who is considered a threat and has a chance at winning also who wouldn’t injure him any worse.
It was the worst possible option. Not SANADA facing EVIL, but facing EVIL while consistently being made to look weak. I can’t take the character seriously now. He should lose at WK and go away for at least a few months.
Nope. He didn’t get a thing from this program. If anything, he lost momentum and credibility struggling against a mediocre opponent in Evil and the same bag of tricks he’s seen over and over and over again.