So I actually sat down and watched Wrestle Kingdom start to finish for the first time since 2018, and I will say right off the bat, NJPW has my favorite camera work. Now mind you, they do need work on how to properly film an entrance, and there's sometimes a random “in-crowd view of ring” shot that pops up every now and then. Having said that; They have a true knack for the low-level view. From the hard cam, the ring, the crowd, the close ups of in ring action. I really get a sense of EPIC for a show and arena. Watching WK i felt like i was watching a bigger event than WM, with a third of the crowd. The editing is certainly toned down as well. Close ups and zooms are kept to certain occasions. I f'n love the camera panning as the wrestler walks down the ramp like he's entering History in the making.
I personally find it hard to watch WWE these days with the cuts and the zooms. I'm on the side of less LED's please but I understand it's for tv.
AEW I still think is finding their feet but I do like when they bust out the camera crane for a nice moving wide shot.
Do you have a style you prefer above others these days? And also, do you have an all time fav? Me personally, I grew up to dim-lit arenas of the WWF late 80s with a lot of hard cam time and low level ring side, and not seeing the guardrails during WM3, 6 & 8 just hits me right in the feels for whatever reason.
All time I’d say either Saturday Nights Main Event and their brightly lit easy to follow style, or the PRIDE fighting shows.