[2023-01-21-NJPW-Wrestle Kingdom 17 In Yokohama Arena] Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Shingo Takagi

[Makai Club #1]

I thought this was a strong outing between the two. The added psychology with Nakajima breaking Shingo’s ribs and targeting them for the remainder of the match added some drama to the mix. Nakajima showed off some of his sadist personality that most enjoy him for, not only with his kicks but his menacing facial and body expressions. Shingo was solid when selling and working his way to a victory, gutting through the pain and surviving Nakajima’s best moves, such as the Vertical Spike and eventually winning with the Last Of The Dragon. This didn’t have that great match spark but it had some good character work and selling to hold it together. ***3/4