Wrestle Kingdom 20 was an emotional event for many fans as a number of matches at Wrestle Kingdom 20 included both legacy matches and surprise debuts that established new storylines for New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
By having both legacy and innovation combined at Wrestle Kingdom 20, this event will stay with fans who were able to see it as an event that celebrated the history of NJPW as well as looked forward to the future of NJPW.
WRESTLE KINGDOM: WHAT IT STARTED AS AND WHERE IT IS TODAY
Wrestling is changing and growing every day; however, this year’s Wrestle Kingdom has allowed people to return to the NJPW and their past along with their passion and excitement.
Wrestle Kingdom originally was NJPW’s attempt to create an annual premier wrestling event that would compete with the large, global events like WrestleMania.
Over time, Wrestle Kingdom has evolved to become the “epicenter” (focal point) of Japanese wrestling and has produced far more high-quality wrestling matches than any other annual event, and produced longer-term creative storylines.
Evolution of Talent and Global Expansion
In the early days, most of the wrestlers were Japanese domestic wrestlers that had very long-standing rivalries.
The legends that help create Wrestle Kingdom have created prestige around Wrestle Kingdom and their respective events within Wrestle Kingdom.
For many wrestlers, Wrestle Kingdom has solidified their careers and legacies.
The Tokyo Dome and Cultural Significance
The Tokyo Dome has become an integral part of Wrestle Kingdom and is now part of the wrestling culture.
Wrestle Kingdom is becoming a highlight in the world of sports.
The level of growth that has occurred for NJPW as a brand, and the level of trust that has been developed with the fans, are monumental.
The event has become a clear measurement of success and creative viability for NJPW by maintaining an approximately two-decade-long history of successful creative integrity.
Business Growth and Global Media Presence
From a business standpoint, NJPW has made a commitment to develop Wrestle Kingdom 20 into a globally recognized event for sports marketing and promotion.
By developing relationships with international media outlets such as DirecTV, Sky Sports and Sportsnet, as well as continuing their year-round touring schedule, NJPW has successfully elevated their brand beyond its traditional domestic market.
NJPW has become part of the global professional wrestling community.
Wrestlers’ Perspective and Professional Achievement
Every wrestler who has wrestled at the Tokyo Dome considers it one of their greatest professional accomplishments.
Young and experienced wrestlers both recognize that their match has to measure up to the levels of other great NJPW matches.
Expectations and Stakes of Main Event Championship Matches
While many of the other major wrestling promotions treat their championship matches as just another title defense, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has always treated championship matches during Wrestle Kingdom, as career-defining matches.
Athletes enter the Tokyo Dome with the knowledge that a victory will propel them to the top of the NJPW ranks and that the loser of the match will potentially lose all of their future rivalries and may also hinder their development as a character.
Realism in sports has always been one of NJPW’s goals as an organization, which has been reflected in NJPW’s build-up to every match, based on a wrestler’s individual rankings, the results from all major tournaments that occur within NJPW, and the rivalry between two individual wrestlers.
This is one of the reasons NJPW’s championship matches are viewed by NJPW fans differently than the other wrestling promotions; instead of being viewed as simply a spectacle, championship matches in NJPW are viewed by NJPW fans as an achievement based on the skill and talent of the athletes competing in them.
Thanks to NJPW World, we’re seeing more and more international fans having an impact on their research and the breakdown of matches before the event occurs as well as how they want to bet on the outcome of the match before it even happens.
The match itself has a higher “stakes” than winning the belt, because there are things like legacy, pride, and the authority of a promotion attached to these matches.
NJPW Philosophy Reflected at Wrestle Kingdom 20
NJPW’s philosophy about Pro Wrestling was reflected through the Main Event of Wrestle Kingdom 20.
Championship Wrestling was an elite competition showcasing what it truly means to be an NJPW Performer at the highest level, thus, earning worldwide respect for the history that it represented at NJPW.
Historic Matches That Will Define Wrestle Kingdom 20
There were several historic matches that will define Wrestle Kingdom 20 as benchmarks for today’s professional wrestling.
The variety of physical intensity, technical expertise, and emotional investment combined to show off NJPW’s elite level of ring performance through the means of physicality, psychological investment, and traditional storyline progression and structure through the history of a feud.
The historic matches were showcased as a culmination of months of carefully constructed and crafted stories to build to and culminate in these matches and create an emotional investment stage for both the fans and wrestlers prior to any matches actually beginning.
When the bell rang for any match, the wrestlers would be able to draw from previous encounters and past failures, as well as highlight their aspirations for future successes and victories, long before that bell ever rang.
Match Structure, Experience, and Global Recognition
Furthermore, experienced performers also assumed a more vital role in establishing the pacing of matches and match structure than ever before.
As a result of their expertise, the peak points of the drama felt like they were earned through the work of younger wrestlers who were able to perform on the same level with perfect athleticism, creating a mix of matches that balanced with excitement on all sides.
The international wrestling community praised how well each match was performed and reported that consistency was demonstrated over the entire event, rather than just relying on one match to be the highlight for the show.
Comparisons were made by analysts to Wrestle Kingdom 20 along with other major international sporting events regarding production quality and level of performance in both areas.
By the end of Wrestle Kingdom 20, multiple matches had already been categorized as “Classic Matches” and will continue to help NJPW build its historical legacy and will help maintain the reputation of why Wrestle Kingdom has been regarded as one of the top two events in the history of professional wrestling.
Surprise Debuts and Future Direction of NJPW
Wrestle Kingdom 20 will be remembered historically for the surprise appointments of multiple young, new performers who changed the expectations for the future of NJPW.
Fans immediately responded globally when these surprise appearances took place inside the Tokyo Dome, which contributed significantly to the establishment of Wrestle Kingdom as a true shock value event.
Crowds at NJPW events respond with a mix of excitement and intrigue to NJPW’s rare type of surprising debut, which shows how NJPW is able to build anticipation and create excitement for moments like this.
Wrestling media worldwide and pro wrestling analysts praised NJPW for protecting the integrity of these surprises by not making them a standard part of Wrestle Kingdom.
NJPW’s strategy of using these surprise debuts is very intentional, NJPW wants to make sure that a new face is presented only in the context of pre-established storylines and NJPW’s long-term booking plan when it debuts at Wrestle Kingdom 20.
Wrestling fans worldwide will watch these debut moments on NJPW World and will talk about these debut moments on social media.
Therefore, these debut moments will create trending topics in the global pro wrestling community.
At Wrestle Kingdom 20, surprise debuts served both as a way to celebrate NJPW’s historical accomplishments and as an opportunity to launch into NJPW’s future.
International Talent and Global Expansion
In addition to attracting audiences outside of Japan, the presence of international talent provides NJPW with more variety on its overall match cards, due to the wrestlers’ various styles and diverse cultural backgrounds.
Streaming and offering English commentary will continue to support NJPW in its global expansion efforts.
International fans will have access to the complete depth of NJPW’s storylines, as will the Japanese fans, helping to create a longer-term relationship between NJPW and its international fans.
Legendary Stars Providing Career Defining Performance
A significant portion of Wrestle Kingdom 20 was created by the involvement of many veteran stars.
These veteran wrestlers used their experience and ring intelligence to create matches that were of the highest quality.
The matches created by veteran stars exemplified that longevity and discipline will continue to be the two major factors that define pro-wrestling in NJPW.
Hiroshi Tanahashi is an example in how he has created a match by using a refined storytelling method instead of relying purely upon his explosive athletic ability.
The ability to create emotional responses to the audience through pacing and timing created avenues for the audience to engage in the high drama of each match.
Additionally, the veteran stars provided security for many of the younger talent by acting as a guide during many important periods of the matches.
The presence of the veteran stars ensured that the matches at the Tokyo Dome contained structure, credibility, and narrative clarity throughout the entire match duration.
From a leadership perspective, NJPW relies upon its veterans to create the standard of professionalism in the locker room and backstage.
Future Directions and Up-Rising Stars of NJPW
Wrestle Kingdom 20 was also the platform for younger upcoming talent and set a positive precedent for NJPW’s future development. The younger group of wrestlers presented themselves under the grandeur of the Tokyo Dome, putting forth performances that could indicate the possibility of becoming future main-event players.
The young wrestlers provided modern athleticism in conjunction with NJPW’s traditional approach to in-ring work. They were able to display their well-balanced ability to use speed, power, and storytelling skills as a result of NJPW’s investment in both training and creative development.
The breakout performances by these young talents impressed NJPW World international audiences, and led to discussion on various social media sites about these young wrestlers eventually becoming championship contenders in NJPW.
Storytelling and In-Ring Psychology at Wrestle Kingdom 20
NJPW incorporated storytelling throughout Wrestle Kingdom 20, with many of the wrestlers’ building their individual narratives through the use of repeated callbacks, body-part working, and momentum changes.
Fans who had little or no previous experience with NJPW learned how to watch matches as they developed, and this maintained the in-ring psychology that is present at NJPW shows.
The in-ring psychology used in longer match presentations allowed wrestlers to manipulate tempo.
Tokyo Dome Atmosphere and Audience Engagement
The entire experience at the Tokyo Dome for Wrestle Kingdom 20 was elevated by the atmosphere that surrounded this entire event.
They will react to the big moments in a match and notice all of the nuances in every move during the match, creating a layered audio experience that adds to the drama and allows participants to be rewarded for creating technically sound sequences as opposed to doing a sequence of moves to be flashy.
Fans and wrestling observers from outside Japan have also commented on how these audience responses have created higher stakes for each match.
This type of atmosphere is rare among other major wrestling events.
The engagement by the fans transformed Wrestle Kingdom 20 into a true shared emotional experience. The audience at the Tokyo Dome again proved that this venue
Global Media Attention and Streaming Coverage
The attention from international media played a major role in elevating Wrestle Kingdom 20 from a standard Japanese Event to a true Global Professional Wrestling Event.
This made it much easier for international fans to become part of the NJPW global family, and removed some of the traditional barriers.
Wrestling journalists from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and other outlets provided in-depth previews, written along with post-event analysis of each match. Their extensive coverage of Wrestle Kingdom helped create a context for global audiences regarding match quality and production significance for wrestling history.
Additionally, social media platforms contributed to making Wrestle Kingdom 20 a global trend with millions of views in each region of the world. Each region and market participated in the various forms of content interaction from Wrestle Kingdom 20, creating strong trends in every region and time zone.
Ultimately, with the combination of traditional media coverage and streaming coverage, plus an abundance of digital interaction from fans, Wrestle Kingdom 20 was able to provide an unprecedented opportunity for NJPW to reach its largest worldwide audience, further reinforcing NJPW’s status as a leader in how modern pro wrestling events are produced and presented.
Business Growth and Merchandise Sales
Not only did merchandise sales explode during Wrestle Kingdom week at the Tokyo Dome, but also, with the NJPW online store, the NJPW branded merchandise was shipped to customers from around the world.
Placing sponsorships and advertising partnerships with Wrestle Kingdom’s visibility on a global scale is a good way for brands to align themselves with a highly established sport of entertainment.
Subscriptions to streaming services increased due in part to the event. NJPW World saw a significant increase in sign-ups from subscribers who were new viewers to NJPW as a result of Wrestle Kingdom’s reputation.
Wrestle Kingdom 20 demonstrates the financial stability of NJPW’s business and provides ample affirmation of the cultures and economics of this successful event.
Revenues from ticket sales, merchandise sales, and digital media all contribute to the importance of Wrestle Kingdom as both a cultural and economic force.
Historical Comparisons to Prior Wrestle Kingdom Events
Fans and analysts naturally compared Wrestle Kingdom 20 to previous Wrestle Kingdom editions (i.e. WWF, WWE, WCW, ECW) based on expectations regarding match quality, emotional impact (Eddie Guerrero) and the number of surprises that they would find equal to or greater than those found in the original Wrestle Kingdoms.
Fans of NJPW since the beginning of the company were able to gauge Wrestle Kingdom 20’s place within NJPW’s history compared to its original counterparts.
Most earlier editions of Wrestle Kingdom had single matches that were considered the match that defined Wrestle Kingdom.
The camera work, overall lighting, and pacing were much better than prior editions, continuing NJPW’s investment in its presentation as well as continuing to put a strong emphasis on its traditional sport-based identity.
The combination of the performances of NJPW Legends and new talent from this year’s Wrestle Kingdom created a more balanced match card that had previously been lacking in earlier editions.
The combination of legends and rising stars gave
Critical Reception and Industry Endorsements
The event represents an example of how to maintain strong content at a wrestling event without resorting to overly elaborate production, gimmicks or cheap thrills…
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter and veteran wrestlers alike have expressed their opinion of Wrestle Kingdom 20 and have commented about whether or not it is a well-balanced wrestling event.
Wrestlers and training experts commented on the storytelling abilities of NJPW talents during this event, praising the wrestlers for their ability to effectively utilize time and emotion in creating drama in their matches.
Many international wrestling analysts have also drawn positive comparisons to Wrestle Kingdom 20 to other top wrestling events around the world.
The Tokyo Dome, combined with NJPW’s methodical method of building up to these events has helped to make Wrestle Kingdom 20 one of the most prestigious wrestling events in existence.
The positive critical reception and endorsements of Wrestle Kingdom 20 will help to solidify its place in the legacy of NJPW, and there are those that believe that NJPW continues to prove that they can deliver quality matches and performances on their biggest shows.
NJPW’s Future Direction and Global Strategy
As a result of the events that occurred during Wrestle Kingdom 20, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) will be making changes to its plans for the future as they relate to championships, rivalries, and surprise debuts, etc., all of which will create multiple storylines and take advantage of the continuing momentum from Wrestle Kingdom 20 into upcoming tours and major events throughout 2020.
NJPW’s International Strategy focuses on the growth of NJPW’s Global Identity.
Growing NJPW’s Global Presence Via Streaming Growth (NJPW World and cooperative working relationships with other promotions outside of NJPW) Will continue to Enhance NJPW’s Global Visibility as we continue to grow our International Audiences.
Summary: Wrestle Kingdom 20 Highlights and NJPW’s Defining Moment
Given all that has transpired during Wrestle Kingdom 20, it is not difficult to see why this event will go down in the annals of Professional Wrestling History as one of the most important moments in modern time; both from a celebration standpoint and a progressive standpoint.
Furthermore, given the Historical Significance of Wrestle Kingdom 20 (as NJPW’s Twentieth Annual Tokyo Dome Event), it carries all the emotional weight associated with an anniversary celebration, while also providing a framework from which NJPW can build upon and deliver to fans in the form of an annual event.
The event demonstrated NJPW’s level of Creative Developmental Maturity by its combination of Historic Matches, Surprise Debuts and Continued Emphasis on Storytelling.
NJPW continued to rely on fundamentals of wrestling rather than an overabundance of Spectacle to provide Impact and Lasting Memories.
As part of this success, NJPW’s Global Fan Base and International Reach will play a Major Role in NJPW’s Continued Success, as NJPW’s International Fan Base will continue to be Engaged Live via Digital Platforms.
This continued engagement of NJPW will be Enhanced and Amplified through the Coverage of Wrestle Kingdom 20 by Respected Media Outlets: Pro Wrestling Websites and Publications.
The Balance of Veteran Leadership, Rising Stars and International Talent to NJPW demonstrates the Balance of NJPW’s Rest of 2020 Player Roster, as the overall mix reflects NJPW’s Sustainable Developmental Model.
