FEELING IT:
NJPW RINGS WITH EMOTION
By Jasmine Olan
In all forms of storytelling, the reader’s ability to connect with the material and characters is essential. This is especially true in the world of professional wrestling, and few promotions have been a better example of this than New Japan Pro Wrestling. So much of NJPW’s success stems from the powerful emotional connection its fans feel to the stories told through each match and the performers involved. Some of the company’s biggest moments have even moved many fans to tears from major reunions to surprise returns. Those moments play a vital role in why fans love New Japan’s product so much. They create lasting memories for fans and set the industry standard for overall quality. Throughout the promotion’s nearly five decade history, there have been many of these special moments, and here are some of them.
At NEW BEGINNING IN SAPPORO in the winter of 2018, one reunion moved fans to happy tears when two of the international wrestling scene’s most influential stars found themselves together after a nearly four year separation. The reunion of the Golden Lovers is widely regarded as one of NJPW’s most memorable moments. That night fans witnessed the healing of a decade long bond once thought broken. Their story embodies somany important themes. Chief among those themes are love and the power of forgiveness. This groundbreaking storyline broke barriers as of one the industry’s first and best handled same sex love stories. When Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega hugged in the center of the ring that night there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
2018 saw another beautiful moment when a beloved young lion made history as the first to compete in the New Japan Cup. That night, Shota Umino truly took his place as head of his class when he faced the Ace Of The Universe, Hiroshi Tanahashi in the first round of the New Japan Cup. He didn’t win the match, but he managed to put the wrestling world on notice with an incredible performance. Another element that made the match so special was that it was refereed by Shota’s dad, NJPW Senior referee “Red Shoes” Unno. When it was all said and done, fans beamed with pride as the gifted young lion took one of his biggest mentors to the limit, making his senpai and his father so proud along the way. This was a perfect glimpse into what will no doubt be a very bright future for Shota who is now on excursion in the UK.
At WRESTLE KINGDOM 9 in 2015 the Rainmaker, Kazuchika Okada and the Ace Of The Universe, Hiroshi Tanahashi we’re in the midst of a heated feud. That night the two went to war in the Tokyo Dome for the prestigious IWGP Heavyweight Championship. As challenger, Okada gave it everything he had as he sought to dethrone the Ace who was champion at the time. The match ended in a loss for Okada who left the ring in tears. While Tanahashi remained as beloved as ever, fans were truly able to connect with Okada that night as they could see the heartbreak and devastation in his eyes when he lost the match. The next year Okada would find redemption in that same venue when he won the rematch at WRESTLE KINGDOM 10. The storytelling in this rivalry was simply amazing.
What helped make each of these moments so compelling was how emotionally invested the audience was in them and the stories they told. The ability to connect, empathize, and relate are so important to telling a successful story and putting on an unforgettable match. It is at the heart of wrestling fandom. The bond between wrestlers and their fans is part of what makes wrestling so unique. It stems from the ability of the fans to identify with a particular performer and their story.
In a way it helps remind us of our humanity and why we love who and what we love. In a society where humanity and empathy sometimes feel like they are fading away this is a very good thing. Casual or non fans may not understand that, but that’s okay. The best way to understand emotion in wrestling is to watch a show and truly feel it.
