If there's one thing that has helped New Japan Pro Wrestling gain popularity over the past few years, it has been their main event scene. Their shows consistently see high praise for the epic clashes that close things out. Fans seem to appreciate that these matches are presented as big deals.

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However, there are times when it's clear they're trying too hard for the "epic." It has led to a handful of disappointing or lackluster main events. 2019 was something of a down year for the company and the up and down quality of big matches on the major shows showcased that.

10 Worst: Chris Jericho vs. Kazuchika Okada - Dominion

On paper, this is an all-time great in Chris Jericho against one of the greats of the current era, Kazuchika Okada. Unfortunately, it didn't come during Jericho's prime. While he's still pretty fantastic, he's no longer built to compete in 25-minute bouts.

Okada matches usually go at least 25, so Jericho was in trouble. Combine that with the fact that the two wrestlers never gelled together and it was a problem. The finish, where Okada rolled up Jericho to retain, was also pretty weak.

9 Best: Dragon Lee vs. Taiji Ishimori - Wrestling Dontaku Night 1

The Jr. Heavyweight division in NJPW doesn't always get the opportunity to shine. Outside of the Best of the Super Junior tournament, the talents are usually kept out of the main event scene. That wasn't the case for night one of Wrestling Dontaku last year.

Dragon Lee won the Jr. Heavyweight Title from Taiji Ishimori at Madison Square Garden by pinning Bandido in a three-way. This was Ishimori's singles rematch and they showed they deserved top billing. It was fast-paced, intense, and exciting. Lee retained the gold in a match that easily overshadowed the night two main event (Okada vs. SANADA).

8 Worst: Hirooki Goto vs. Jay White - Power Struggle

A lot of fans soured on Jay White because he's not the prototypical NJPW top star. He focuses more on character work than trying to earn sparkling reviews for his performance. Meanwhile, Hirooki Goto was a big deal in the past but has lost every shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Title and comes across as a choke artist loser.

That meant this already had a lot going against it. Things became worse when they had to follow up the long-awaited return of Hiromu Takahashi. The crowd couldn't care less about this and they didn't do anything to change that. This plodded on for nearly 30 minutes before White retained.

7 Best: Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay - Best of the Super Juniors Finals

Shingo Takagi has been around for a long time but since coming to NJPW, he's been unstoppable. He ran roughshod through his block of the BOSJ, going undefeated. Opposing him in the finals was the division's golden boy, Will Ospreay.

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What made this special was that Shingo is much stronger than your average Jr. Heavyweight, while Ospreay bulked up for battles against the likes of Kota Ibushi. They went out and put on a ridiculous match filled with mind-blowing moments. Ospreay won what many considered to be the Match of the Year.

6 Worst: Taichi vs. Tetsuya Naito - The New Beginning in Sapporo Night Two

Taichi is the kind of guy who makes fans groan when they see him. He's known to work a methodical pace that bores people and it gets compounded when he throws in underhanded tactics and shenanigans.

He jumped Tetsuya Naito before the match and they proceeded to milk that concept. Naito was laid out for a long time, went to the back to heal, and then finally came back out. Nothing happened during that time so fans just sat around waiting. All to get greeted by a bland match.

5 Best: Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki - Royal Quest

NJPW took a rare trip to the United Kingdom in 2019. Their Royal Quest event was an underrated gem with some really good matches. The whole thing was capped by a pretty tremendous main event.

Minoru Suzuki, a former British Heavyweight Champion, was right at home in the UK. He took the fight right to Kazuchika Okada, re-igniting a longtime rivalry between the two. Ultimately, Okada came out on top in what was the best title defense of his most recent ring as IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

4 Worst: KENTA vs. Kota Ibushi - Destruction in Kagoshima

When KENTA had his first post-WWE match during the G1 Climax, it was a fantastic sprint against Kota Ibushi. They shined in a hard-hitting affair. KENTA won, earning him a shot at eventual G1 winner Kota Ibushi's Wrestle Kingdom briefcase.

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That happened here but lacked whatever worked the first time around. It was overly long (a recurring theme on the 'worst' side) and KENTA was coming off of a concussion. He wasn't ready to be back in the ring, especially for that long.

3 Best: Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. - Sengoku Lord

Zack Sabre Jr. wrestling Kota Ibushi

Whenever Kota Ibushi and Zack Sabre Jr. get into the ring together, it's going to be great. They have some of the best and most unique chemistry in wrestling. Sabre's penchant for mat wrestling against Ibushi's vicious striking ability makes for something great.

That was the crux of this IWGP Intercontinental TItle match. Sabre would twist at Ibushi in sick ways and Ibushi would send him back with brutal slaps and kicks. There was a lot of late drama before Ibushi retained after hitting the Kamigoye knee strike.

2 Worst: Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA - King of Pro Wrestling

NJPW so badly wants this to be an iconic feud but it never is. SANADA lost his first six matches to Okada before beating him in the G1 Climax. That earned him one more shot at Okada and the IWGP Heavyweight Title.

Nobody bought SANADA as a threat here, yet this match dragged on for over 36 minutes. While this had a few good ideas sprinkled in, it had been played out to that point. Unnecessary would be the best word to describe this contest.

1 Best: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kenny Omega - Wrestle Kingdom 13

Kenny Omega became a huge star because of his performances in NJPW. It's only fitting that his final match there was a classic. He entered the biggest show of the year as IWGP Heavyweight Champion and in his way stood the "Ace," Hiroshi Tanahashi.

This was a case where 40 minutes flew by. It was the kind of epic that NJPW hopes for each time out. They told a story regarding the ideologies each man has when it comes to their in-ring style. Tanahashi won, giving the "Ace" one final ride at the top of the mountain.

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