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Liger in 2000


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I'm hoping someone can answer this for me.

 

Am I crazy, or have I read somewhere that there were plans to put the IWGP title on Liger in 2000?

 

Was he briefly pushed as a heavyweight? Did something happen to kill that?

 

I'd love to hear this story if anyone has more info.

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Liger was junior heavyweight superman starting on the January 4th Dome show. The big payoff was Liger jobbing to IWGP champ Sasaki in a short non-title match in the semi-main of the April 7th Dome show. At the end of the next tour Ohtani finally pinned Liger in a tag, and Takaiwa beat Liger for the junior title after he (Takaiwa) won BOSJ. Liger still got to be in the G-1. Before long he was pretty much regular Liger just in a black outfit.

 

Liger vs Kanemoto, which started it: http://theditch.us/LigerVsKanemoto1-4-00.avi

Liger & Minoru Tanaka vs Ohtani & Kanemoto, the tag I referenced: http://theditch.us/LigerTanakaVsOhtaniKanemoto4-30-00.avi

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Liger was junior heavyweight superman starting on the January 4th Dome show. The big payoff was Liger jobbing to IWGP champ Sasaki in a short non-title match in the semi-main of the April 7th Dome show. At the end of the next tour Ohtani finally pinned Liger in a tag, and Takaiwa beat Liger for the junior title after he (Takaiwa) won BOSJ. Liger still got to be in the G-1. Before long he was pretty much regular Liger just in a black outfit.

 

Liger vs Kanemoto, which started it: http://theditch.us/LigerVsKanemoto1-4-00.avi

Liger & Minoru Tanaka vs Ohtani & Kanemoto, the tag I referenced: http://theditch.us/LigerTanakaVsOhtaniKanemoto4-30-00.avi

New Japan had transitioned plenty of juniors into heavyweights over the years. Is there a reason you think they never gave this a serious go with Liger? Did Liger have potential to draw on top?

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Liger was never seriously considered as a heavyweight headliner that I know of. I mean, Sasaki is as short as it gets for Japanese heavyweight champs and he has 10CM on Liger, plus a thicker frame/build. They transitioned bigger/taller dudes to heavyweight status. Who knows what would have happened if Liger was 10-15CM taller and could pack on proportionately more muscle, but it is what it is.

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