Current New Japan

[NintendoLogic]

Wrestlers who already have working visas can still fly in, so it won't affect anyone currently booked for WK and beyond. It's just that it's become pretty much impossible to obtain new visas, so we won't be seeing anyone new any time soon.

[kas]

Shibata has an announcement to make on December 15th...

[El-P]

Another exhibition match at the Tokyo Dome. You can quote me.

[El-P]

I really don't watch or follow NJ Strong, but I did watch Brody King vs Ishii. It was as great as it sounds. That vertical brainbuster by Ishii was just crazy. How is this guy still doing it, I have no idea. Kelly mentioned that King's dream is to make the G1. 

[El-P]

And so the final of the tag-league is... Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi. This translate into : hard pass. No wonder why the tag-league is considered as a total waste of time. I'm sure Hiromu vs YOH will be very good, but honestly this show is a total afterthought. See ya at WK.

[Dav'oh]

NJPW president Takami Ohbari gave an interview to Tokyo Sports and talked about WrestleKingdom. "I would like to have around 10 matches on both days. I want to make the content and amount suitable for the beginning of the 50th anniversary. I want to build it.”

Do they have the cattle for twenty matches?

[Timbo Slice]

It they bring them in from other farms. 

[kas]

SHIBATAAAAAA 

 

[kas]

Spoiler

If New Japan aren't cowards they'll let Hiromu vs Despy main event one of the nights.

 

[Timbo Slice]

No more headbutts, K, kthanx. 

[kas]

Wrestle Kingdom line-ups released, look pretty decent

[sek69]

Probably the best card you could hope for given the state of the world, 

 

[El-P]

Ishii getting EVIL is a big disappointment. What a waste of Ishii. STARDOM getting a legit spot is cool as hell. Otherwise, yeah, pretty solid WK card considering you don't get outsiders and no Ibushi (and no Jay White, so I guess he hasn't been back in Japan, but yet hasn't done anything in eons in the States either).

[El-P]

So the NJ vs NOAH card is a bunch of multi-men tag matches. Underwhelming. Hopefully it leads to some real singles dream matches later, as it is it's still kinda cool of course but also not that engaging.

[Jmare007]

The New Japan vs NOAH card is just plain bad. The company is too damn cold to do a card full of tag matches, they had to at least have a couple of standout single matches. Why not book some tags for WK night 1 or 2 to build up the singles in night 3? Besides, they built up the announcement as some big confrontation, not some "All Together" let's have fun type of show. Gedo continues to baffle me.

Also, why the hell are KENTA and Shibata tagging? the last great segment NJPW did was Shibata coming to the rescue to stomp his ass

[El-P]

23 minutes ago, Jmare007 said:

Also, why the hell are KENTA and Shibata tagging?

.....

?

They are not tagging. 

I have no idea how Dick Togo gained any power in the NJPW structure, but he needs to get axed. He's been a disastrous influence on the booking. And here's booking himself during that NJPW vs NOAH show, while Gedo also gets a spot. For fuck's sake.

[Jmare007]

I'm a moron, it's Sakuraba not Shibata

[El-P]

46 minutes ago, Jmare007 said:

I'm a moron, it's Sakuraba not Shibata

That's what I thought.

That you mixed it up with Sak I mean.

[Coffey]

I feel like with these cards, I'm not going to bother trying to watch the show live. I think for the first time in a long time, I'll pick & choose matches after the show to seek out. Shingo/Okada will be good. The winner against Ospreay will be good. I will watch Naito/Cobb. KENTA/Tanahashi, not sure - maybe ten years ago. Now it's a question mark. I don't care about any of the multiman matches. 

I do have some morbid curiosity for Shibata but really, I just want him to be healthy. I don't get the mentality but that's pro-wrestlers for you.

[Boss Rock]

Only watched the tag title match, Shibata's return, Hiromu-Desperado, and the main. From what I've read about the rest of the card, that's all probably anyone needs to watch.

[The Man in Blak]

For me, I would probably even narrow it down to the main and Shibata's return. I found Hiromu/Desperado to be really disappointing, though I think I'm generally lower on Hiromu in general than most folks.

The Day 2 card looks more promising, though, and I'm excited to start going through the VOD this morning.

[Boss Rock]

Only caught today's main event, but it was great and even better than last night's. Okada is the man.

[Jmare007]

Dislocated left hip sounds horrible, poor KENTA.

[KawadaSmile]

Tendon damage in the finger also sounds very much like one of those "minor" injuries that end up being the most nagging in the long term.

[NintendoLogic]

According to the VOW Patreon, Mutoh pulled a "that doesn't work for me, brother" at Wrestle Kingdom. He forced production changes by refusing to make his entrance before Kiyomiya and insisted the match be worked around getting heat on Kiyomiya to set up a Mutoh hot tag rather than the other way around. He also rejected a spot late in the match where Kiyomiya would break up a Tanahashi pin attempt. He demanded to either kick out himself or have the spot removed entirely. So if you want to know why New Japan isn't working more with other companies during the pandemic, it's because of all the political headaches that come with it.