WWE live from Tokyo: The full rundown and why you should care

Early Saturday morning, WWE will present a live special from the Ryōgoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo on the WWE Network. What was previously a large house show will now be seen by the whole world and may very well be main-evented by an NXT championship match. The “minor league” promotion for the WWE will at any rate be a highlight and will likely have the largest crowd reaction. The newest and hottest heel in the company, Kevin Owens, will defend his NXT title against Finn Bálor, a man who became a superstar wrestling in Japan for nearly a decade as Prince Devitt.

The event will also feature the first Brock Lesnar match since he lost the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania in March. But enough preamble; let’s get down to business. Here’s why you should care about this live special, which begins at 5:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, only on the WWE Network.

What am I looking at here? Cesaro, fresh of a 25-minute classic match against John Cena on Monday, is somewhat adrift at the moment after his tag team partner Tyson Kidd underwent neck surgery that will keep him out for over a year. Diego, the more seasoned member of the tag team Los Matadores ... has a perfectly healthy tag team partner. No word whether Los Matadores’ mascot El Torito will be making the trip to Japan.

Why you should care: This is a strange match that makes more sense in the context of a house show, but it will be nice for Cesaro to get another chance to shine. He’s one of the best wrestlers in the world and should definitely not be languishing while Kidd recuperates.

What am I looking at here? The Lucha Dragons are a pair of flippy masked wrestlers. Kalisto is possibly the most exciting high-flyer in the WWE at the moment. The New Day are a trio of wrestlers desperately attempting to channel the power of positivity. They will probably be represented in this match by Big E and Xavier Woods.

Why you should care: The New Day can do no wrong at the moment and this is a pretty fresh matchup. Kalisto is going to wow you with his sweet dives and flips. The New Day will probably come out on top, since they’re trying to get their tag titles back at the next pay-per-view. That doesn’t mean the match won’t be a lot of fun. (That’s not a guarantee, mind you, but I would be surprised if this match wasn’t entertaining.)

What am I looking at here? You probably know who John Cena is. You probably know who Kane is as well, although he’s currently wrestling in dress slacks as “Corporate Kane.” King Barrett is probably here to take the pinfall, because it’s illegal for him to win a match unless it’s against Zack Ryder. Dolph Ziggler is really into jean vests now. It’s okay. We’ve all gone through that phase.

Why you should care: This is possibly the most glaring example that this event was initially planned as a normal house show. Four names that don’t really have an ongoing issue with each other (or a particular team allegiance) just sort of lumped into one match so the audience in Tokyo can see some more stars. And that’s totally fine. Sometimes you just want to see a good tag team match with notable names. This could be that! It’ll be interesting to see the Cena/Ziggler dynamic as well -- they haven’t really been teammates since Survivor Series last year.

What am I looking at here? Chris Jericho is basically a household name at this point, an Attitude Era stalwart who is now a metal singer and podcast and television host. Neville is “The Man That Gravity Forgot,” because him and gravity met at a party once, but it was this whole thing and long story short, gravity didn’t remember to save Neville’s number in its phone, because gravity was honestly pretty drunk at that point.

Oh wait, they call him that because he jumps really high and does crazy flips. Never mind.

Why you should care: The old guard of Internet fandom elitism vs. the new hotness? Yes, please. This is a great time to remind everyone that we complained about Chris Jericho being held down for YEARS. We complained when he became a big deal in WWE, we complained when he became the first undisputed champion, we complained when he returned to the midcard and somewhere along the line he became a first-ballot WWE Hall of Famer and an inarguable legend in pro wrestling, as far as the casual fan and the diehard are concerned.

That’s all just a longer way of saying that, as wrestling fans, it’s really, really easy to lose sight of good things happening because you’re busy complaining. Let’s just watch Chris Jericho vs. Neville. That will be fun for everyone.

What am I looking at here? Brock Lesnar is literally a monster and one of only two fighters in the world whose every match feels like an event (Ronda Rousey is the other). Kofi Kingston is the final third of The New Day and really great at jumping around and being killed. It’s not clear why THIS is Lesnar’s first match since WrestleMania, but he’s going to ruin Kingston’s entire life, so this will likely be one of two can’t-miss matches on the card.

Why you should care: BROCK LESNAR IS GONNA RUIN KOFI KINGSTON’S ENTIRE LIFE. HE’S GOING TO THROW HIM THROUGH THE ROOF OF THE SUMO HALL AND INTO THE SUN. THE NEW DAY WILL TRY TO INTERFERE AND HE’LL SUPLEX ALL THREE OF THEM AT ONCE.

This match is going to be a glorious massacre. Let’s all bask in its warming glow.

What am I looking at here? All three of these women are cast members on Total Divas and have all been feuding over the Divas title for some time now. Nikki has now held the belt for so long that Paige is attempting to rally the locker room against her. Not only has Paige not found any allies, but now Nikki and Brie, the Bella Twins, have been joined by Alicia Fox as of late.

Why you should care: This three-way match is actually a rematch from Elimination Chamber, which seemed like it would be Naomi’s match to win. That match was good and this rematch likely will be as well. Nikki will almost certainly retain, probably via nefarious interference or distraction. It’s still one of the only two title matches on the card and the Divas may get a longer match to showcase what they can do.

What am I looking at here? Kevin Owens has been the NXT champion since February. Since capturing the title, he’s put his best friend Sami Zayn out of action, defeated all comers and moved to the main WWE roster, where he’s currently embroiled in a heated rivalry with United States Champion John Cena. Finn Bálor earned the right to be the No. 1 contender to Owens’ title and the last three weeks of NXT television have featured a phenomenal documentary of Bálor’s life and career both inside and outside WWE. Track those down and watch them if you have the means. They’re phenomenal.

Why you should care: Bálor is back in the country that made him famous and he’ll likely be “bringing the demon,” which means you’ll get to see the coolest entrance in all of wrestling. NXT television has been building Bálor up as a major deal ... because he really is. It’s possible that Bálor takes the title here, allowing Owens to complete his transition to the main roster and focus on his feud with Cena (among other things).

Regardless of who walks away with the title, this is definitely the other must-see match on the card. It’s going to be amazing to see Bálor and Owens going at it in the Sumo Hall. It’s even worth waking up early for.