1. Kazuchika Okada & Beretta vs. Jay White & Bad Luck Fale
This is mostly about Okada and White brawling on the floor while Fale and Beretta do some stuff in the ring. A distraction mis-fire from Gedo leads to Beretta actually rolling Fale up and scoring the 3. Not much here – the post-match Okada/White brawl is more effective. *
2. Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & David Finlay
Pale flabby Finlay matched up with tan ripped Ibushi is a SIGHT. This is pretty basic stuff but the glimpses of Tanahashi vs. Omega are very good, so job well done. Tanahashi diving onto the Lovers to keep Finlay from getting need in the face not once but twice was sweet. Alas, Finlay eventually went down. Finlay has the genes and training of a great wrestler but his basic ass dragged this down. **1/2
3. IWGP Intercontinental Title: Chris Jericho [c] vs. EVIL
I have a confession: I love New Japan Chris Jericho. The master of re-invention has done it again and become a flabby psychopathic face-painted douchebag. Having him wrestle only a few times a year has each match of his feeling distinct and big time too.
This match had him blowing his nose in the New Japan flag, grabbing a camera and filming the match himself, screaming at people, flipping them off, flexing, and in between it all there was a seriously good brawl going on. When it was EVIL’s time to shine he got to too.
The 2018 Jericho matches are just straight fun – this Jericho leans into his limitations and I much prefer him brawling in the crowd and doing weird shit over trying to keep up with AJ Styles. And even the finish was super hot too – The Darkness Falls kickout > Jericho cradle > Codebreaker block > double lariat was a great spot. It’s honestly a marvel Jericho is still pulling this off. ****
