Starting today I’ll start producing regular monthly Top 10 Power Rankings for various promotions. The calculation of these rankings will be based off:
- Wrestlers win/loss records during the previous month
- The position of the match on the card (a win in the main event is worth more points than a win in the opening match. A Loss in the main event minuses less points than losing in the opening match of the night.)
- PPV and TV Show wins are worth more points than house shows
- Title match wins and losses are also worth more points.
The companies that I’ll cover are New Japan Pro Wrestling, Dragon Gate, Ring of Honor, EVOLVE and an assortment of British companies. If there are other companies that you would like us to cover feel free to reach out to me on Twitter at @Joesuffers
Today I’ll start the series with a look at January 2018’s Top Ten Rankings for New Japan Pro Wrestling
1. Tetsuya Naito
Naito came up short in a phenomenal Wrestle Kingdom 12 main event against Kazuchika Okada… He teamed with his Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemates to defeat a CHAOS team including Okada at New Year Dash… After the match he stepped aside so that LIJ team mate SANADA could be the Rainmakers next challenger… Naito was then shockingly attacked by Chris Jericho, potentially setting up a future match between the pair… Los Ingobernables de Japon teamed with RUSH and were undefeated in all their televised matches during the Fantastica Mania tour… Teamed with Hiromu Takahashi to defeat the CHAOS team of Will Ospreay and YOSHI-HASHI on Night 1 of The New Beginning in Sapporo… Los Ingobernables again defeated a CHAOS team featuring Okada at Night 2 of The New Beginning in Sapporo… Slowly is building his way back up after what seemed like a shocking loss at Wrestle Kingdom
2. Kenny Omega
Another marquee month for the talented Canadian… Defended his IWGP United States Heavyweight Title against Chris Jericho in an excellent No Disqualification match at Wrestle Kingdom 12… Teamed with the Young Bucks to defeat Roppongi 3K and Cheeseburger at New Year Dash and was involved in an angle with Jay White later in the show… Again teamed with the Bucks to defeat Roppongi and Jay White on Night 1 of The New Beginning in Sapporo… But, lost the United States Title to Switchblade on Night 2 of The New Beginning in Sapporo and then was apparently kicked out of the Bullet Club… An exciting year ahead for Omega with a potential reunion with his former Golden Lovers partner Kota Ibushi
3. BUSHI
The masked Junior of Los Ingobernables de Japon was only in the New Japan Rumble at Wrestle Kingdom 12… Teamed with his LIJ brethren to defeat CHAOS at New Year Dash… Los Ingobernables de Japon teamed with RUSH and were undefeated in all their televised matches during the Fantastica Mania tour… Was in the losing LIJ Trio that was defeat by the CHAOS team of Gedo, Goto and Okada at Night 1 of The New Beginning… But Los Ingobernable bounced back winning a five-on-five match against CHAOS at Night 2… Only took part in one losing effort in the whole of January and could maybe benefit from a program of some sort before we head into Best of the Super Juniors in June
4. Hiromu Takahashi
The Ticking Time Bomb was unsuccessful in the Four Way Match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title match at Wrestle Kingdom 12… Was not on the end of the losing pin in that match so challenged Champion Will Ospreay after Los Ingobernables defeated CHAOS in a five-on-five at New Year Dash… LIJ teamed with RUSH and were undefeated in all their TV matches during the Fantastica Mania tour… Teamed with Naito to defeat the CHAOS team of Will Ospreay and YOSHI-HASHI on Night 1 of The New Beginning in Sapporo… Los Ingobernable again defeated CHAOS in a ten-man tag on Night 2… Faces Ospreay at The New Beginning in Osaka
5. EVIL
6. SANADA
2017’s World Tag League Champions captured the IWGP Tag Team Championship from Killer Elite Squad in a surprisingly good match at Wrestle Kingdom 12… Teamed with their Los Ingobernables stablemates to defeat a CHAOS team including Kazuchika Okada and Hirooki Goto… SANADA challenged Okada for an IWGP Title match at The New Beginning in Osaka and EVIL challenged Goto for a NEVER Title match at the same show… Both men were given the Fantastica Mania tour off… Teamed with BUSHI to lose to the trio of Gedo, Goto and Okada on Night 1 of The New Beginning in Sapporo… But they got the victory back the next night when they teamed with the rest of Los Ingobernables de Japon… SANADA’s match with Okada is the biggest of his career so far and will be a good indicator of his future potential
7. Kazuchika Okada
The reigning IWGP Heavyweight champion defeated rival Tetsuya Naito in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 12 in an awesome match up… Team with his CHAOS teammates to lose to Naito and his Los Ingobernables de Japon colleagues… Was challenged by LIJ member SANADA to a title match at the New Beginning in Osaka. He agreed to the match on the agreement that he receives a Tag Team title shot in the future… Teamed with Gedo and Ultimo Guerrero at Fantastica Mania Night 1 in a losing effort to the trio of Atlantis, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Mistico… Successfully teamed with CHAOS stablemates Hirooki Goto and Gedo to defeat the LIJ Trio of BUSHI, EVIL and SANADA on Night 1 of The New Beginning in Sapporo… But was on the losing team in a ten man tag again against Los Ingobernables on Night 2… A great start to the month was hampered by his all too common multi man losses… Will face LIJ’s SANADA at the New Beginning in Osaka
8. Hiroshi Tanahashi
The Ace defeated a debuting Jay White in a defence of his IWGP Intercontinental Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 12… Teamed with War Machine and Michael Elgin to lose to a Suzuki-Gun team at New Year Dash… Was challenged by Minoru Suzuki after this match… Teamed with Atlantis and Mistico to defeat Gedo, Kazuchika Okada and Ultimo Guerrero on Night 1 of Fantastica Mania… Was rested for the last three nights of the Fantastica Mania tour due to his continued injury issues… Dropped his Intercontinental Title in an early match of the year contender against Suzuki at The New Beginning in Sapporo Night 1… May now take some time off to heal up for this summer’s G1 Climax but you can never be sure with Tanahashi
9. Hirooki Goto
Defeated Minoru Suzuki in a Hair vs Hair deathmatch for the NEVER Openweight Title at Wrestle Kingdom 12… Teamed with his CHAOS stablemates to lose to Los Ingobernables de Japon at New Year Dash… Was challenged by EVIL for a match at The New Beginning in Osaka… On Night 1 of The New Beginning in Sapporo Goto teamed with Kazuchika Okada and Gedo to defeat the LIJ Trio of BUSHI, EVIL and SANADA… Again teamed with his CHAOS Brethren to lose to Los Ingobernables on Night 2 of The New Beginning in Sapporo… Will face EVIL in a potentially great match up in Osaka
10. Minoru Suzuki
Opened January with a defeat to Hirooki Goto that cost him both his NEVER Openweight Title and his hair at Wrestle Kingdom 12… Teamed with his Suzuki-Gun stablemates to defeat the team of War Machine, Michael Elgin and Hiroshi Tanahashi… Challenged Tanahashi to an Intercontinental Title match… Defeated the Ace in a Match of the Year contender at The New Beginning in Sapporo Night 1 to win his first ever IWGP Intercontinental Championship… Teamed with Takashi Iizuka to defeat Michael Elgin and Toa Henare on Night 2
Missing in Action:
- Jay White: – Switchblade had a rocky start with his defeat to Tanahashi but bounced back to win the IWGP United States Title and appears to be a big focus for the company in the future
- The Young Bucks: – Captured and Lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championships but just missed out on the top 10
- Will Ospreay: – Won the Four Way Match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title at Wrestle Kingdom but lost a New Year Dash and both nights of The New Beginning
That’s New Japan’s Rankings for January. We will be back next week with December/January’s EVOLVE rankings.
