Will Ospreay vs Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 17.

Was it the greatest match in wrestle kingdom history? Was it the greatest match in WRESTLING history?

What makes this 35 minutes of pro wrestling so special to so many people?

There are some obvious answers. It was deeply emotional, it was painfully physical, it was technically spectacular, it was a mile-a-minute yet never felt rushed – perfectly paced.

But that isn’t all of it.

The secret ingredient was the storytelling. The story before, during and after the match. It’s the story of a man who sacrificed everything – who faced every challenge to be The Man in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He transformed his mind and his body, he faced down a life-threatening illness, he had to grind night after night through an era where fans couldn’t even speak out loud. He gave everything he had, and he made it. After an untold amount of blood sweat and tears… he made it.

But all of it could be taken away by the return of a prodigal son who casts a very long shadow over New Japan.

Terry Funk is quoted as saying “I can't make them believe pro wrestling is real but I can make them believe that I'm real.”

#njpw #wwe #kennyomega

свернуть