The AXS show is bringing the high-quality video packages lately, all in English so my American soul can consume them most efficiently. Cool clips of Young Lion Jay White treating Big Star Kenny Omega, Okada introducing White as a member of CHAOS and White looking at the camera like “sup.” Good stuff.
And then: “As we saw in the video package, there’s been uh… a lot of build-up.” Thanks, Josh Barnett.
1. IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Title: Kenny Omega [c] vs. Jay White
I think I might have hated this match, though that hatred stems from just how much it made me not feel anything despite the occasional neat thing on my television screen. I guess how you feel about it will depend on how much you are into 30-minute Kenny Omega matches.
It had some fast-paced, cool, hurty-looking stuff for like 20 minutes that didn’t really move me, and then a hot last 10 minutes, as New Japan will do.
There was a lot of OH THAT WAS COOL for 30 seconds and then UGHHHH DON’T CARE for 5 minutes – rinse, repeat. The Jay White back work lost me. The attempts at epic moments (Kenny not able to lift for the One-Winged Angel, Jay collapsing so Kenny couldn’t do the V-Trigger) lost me.
But Kenny remains spectacular – that tope con hilo and those V-Triggers are from another planet. And they set up some real heat on White where he appeared all messed up after a couple V-Triggers. And Jay’s Flatliner into the deadlift German was pretty sweet. And Jay just catching Kenny one last time was very cool. The stuff around all that though just didn’t pad it out well, and felt more like time-killing versus something that made it a complete match. Shave off 10 minutes and it gets another star. **3/4
The post-match is where the money is at though. Hangman Page confronts new champ Jay White and holds up the U.S. Title, but Omega shows White respect and hands him the championship. Cody runs out and scolds Omega for taking Page’s moment, while Marty Scurll and The Young Bucks try to ease the tensions. Omega SHOVES Matt Jackson, causing The Young Bucks to walk off. Tensions seem eased… until Cody DROPS KENNY ON HIS HEAD WITH A CROSSROADS.
Cody prepares to use a chair on Kenny… but Kenny’s golden lover KOTA IBUSHI RUNS OUT!!! The REACTION!!!! The SHRIEKS as Ibushi offers his hand!!! THE HUG!!!!!! The JOYOUS SCREAMS for the HUG!!!! The Golden Lovers are REUNITED and the professional wrestling fan is in tears.
The Bullet Club stuff might be a bit over-the-top fake wrestling stuff, but I love the layers to it – Cody vs. Kenny, Cody corrupting the Bucks, Scurll and Page conflicted.
And the Golden Lovers embrace is a legitimate top moment in this sport.
Love is real. Professional wrestling is #1.
