[2024-10-14-NJPW King of Pro Wrestling] Zack Sabre Jr vs Tetsuya Naito

[Carlosa]

Honestly, I was expecting a lot worse considering that it's 2024 Naito. It is such a shame that he is now, he should probably work tags for the rest of his career. AJ Styles is the guy who got me into New Japan, but Naito made me stay. I was the biggest Naito fan 6-7 years ago. I understand that he isn't at the level anymore, but this match isn't bad at all. It starts off with some usual mat-work which was interesting enough, then it slows down towards the middle, I am not sure what they were going for here. The match picks up towards the end when the do the usual bomb spots at the end, which isn't as overindulgent as it normally is. I assume that Naito isn't going to win the belt ever again or be anywhere near the title picture, perhaps a one-off challenge spot that Tanahashi is/was. I think Naito gave a good enough performance for Zack's new championship win. It's not as good as it would've been seven years ago, but it's still a satisfying match. I'm okay with this. ***1/4