C.S. Posted July 26, 2021 Report Share Posted July 26, 2021 13 hours ago, MoS said: I swear to God EVIL must have like compromising pictures of Gedo somewhere If EVIL isn't reprimanded after this, you might be right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Man in Blak Posted August 3, 2021 Report Share Posted August 3, 2021 EVIL sucks and the execution of the angle after the main event was awful, but I can see the idea that Takagi needs a tomato can to buy some time for Ibushi to come back and/or get some space between the Okada/Takagi rematch. As it ended up for this card, I think New Japan actually stumbled their way into a great main event story and match with the substitution. Tanahashi's homage to Ibushi late in the match, in particular, was a nice little note that got a rise out of the crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strobogo Posted August 6, 2021 Report Share Posted August 6, 2021 Jay White and Juice declined to work the G1 and will instead stay in the US to work NJ US and Impact shows. G1 is going to be fucking rough this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kas Posted August 6, 2021 Report Share Posted August 6, 2021 Wishful thinking but I'd like to see guys from other promotions come in. My dream G1 participant is Mochizuki, but even getting in 1 or 2 NOAH and AJPW guys would be cool to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Rock Posted August 6, 2021 Report Share Posted August 6, 2021 Finlay isn't doing it either, which is a shame considering the singles run he'd been having. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo Slice Posted August 16, 2021 Report Share Posted August 16, 2021 It sounds like the Ibushi rematch isn’t in the cards right away, but now the build to another match with Ospreay, as he showed up as a surprise at last night’s LA show. And had a face off with TJP. This company, man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted August 16, 2021 Report Share Posted August 16, 2021 I found that promo cringe, but then I find most of Ospereay's shtick cringe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted September 3, 2021 Report Share Posted September 3, 2021 Pretty big week-end for NJPW. Cobb vs Okada, Tanahashi vs Ibushi and Eagles vs Takahashi should be great matches (you really don't have to go 40 minutes though.... really you don't... like, really). Could be some cool stuff on the undercards too like the two matches for the tag championships. And then there's that Yano match and Evil in a main event... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordi Posted September 4, 2021 Report Share Posted September 4, 2021 12 hours ago, El-P said: Pretty big week-end for NJPW. Cobb vs Okada, Tanahashi vs Ibushi and Eagles vs Takahashi should be great matches (you really don't have to go 40 minutes though.... really you don't... like, really). Could be some cool stuff on the undercards too like the two matches for the tag championships. And then there's that Yano match and Evil in a main event... I was saying to a friend just the other day: I would honestly be angry if I had tickets for the 5th and ended up stuck with an EVIL main event match. Maybe Shingo can drag a good title defence out of it...??? I hope Tana and Ibshi don't kill themselves/each other. I am stoked for Cobb v Okada. Just hope Okada doesn't win with the Money Clip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted September 4, 2021 Report Share Posted September 4, 2021 4 hours ago, gordi said: I was saying to a friend just the other day: I would honestly be angry if I had tickets for the 5th and ended up stuck with an EVIL main event match. Maybe Shingo can drag a good title defence out of it...??? Yeah, what a huge bummer that would be. The issue with EVIL is double, not only he isn't a guy good enough for a main event spot but his heel style made him worse than he was before and the Dick Togo shit makes the whole thing totally useless anyway since you know exactly what's gonna happen after 30 minutes (because they always go too long, so that's another issue but not limited to EVIL matches). He's like the worst Jeff Jarrett ever at this point. In the LIJ days Shingo would probably have got an excellent match with him, but these days with Togo doing his stupid bit (and really now, *always the same shit over and over and over again*, please !) it's just go-away heat for me. I honestly dread the G1 this year with this stuff + Chase Owens (he's gonna do job but really now, he's like the less interesting guy imaginable to put in this position) + Great (not) O'Khan (who I'm sure is getting wins a plenty to boot)... yikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordi Posted September 4, 2021 Report Share Posted September 4, 2021 2 hours ago, El-P said: I honestly dread the G1 this year... Yeah, sadly. Last year was the fist time ever that I watched every match of a G1 tournament, and I had an absolute blast. The chance of me watching every match this year is pretty much zero. EDIT: Just so I'm not being totally negative: Any tournament with Ishii and Shingo in it (and hopefully MiSu and Cobb) is gonna have some stuff well worth watching. And maybe next year there will be full-on AEW involvement, which could be amazing (Just imagining Kingston or Brian Danielson, for example, in the G1 gives me hope). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted September 4, 2021 Report Share Posted September 4, 2021 1 hour ago, gordi said: Yeah, sadly. Last year was the fist time ever that I watched every match of a G1 tournament, and I had an absolute blast. The chance of me watching every match this year is pretty much zero. The same. I believe I watched pretty much everything these last three years (2017 I only watched the final I remember and 2016 I watched most of it), and 2019 G1 Climax is the best month of pro-wrestling I've ever seen (2018 not far behind). But this year ? There's already way too much fun stuff I'm actually following now, I'm definitely gonna cherry pick. 1 hour ago, gordi said: EDIT: Just so I'm not being totally negative: Any tournament with Ishii and Shingo in it (and hopefully MiSu and Cobb) is gonna have some stuff well worth watching. And maybe next year there will be full-on AEW involvement, which could be amazing (Just imagining Kingston or Brian Danielson, for example, in the G1 gives me hope). There's so much potential with a more open door policy. Even guys from IMPACT like Josh Alexander, Eddie Edwards (who was a top NOAH guy for a long time) or Moose (that match with Ishii was awesome) or NJ Strong. G1 needs some japanese outsiders too, like Akiyama, Tanaka or Marufuji did in the past and it always was a blast. I really have to pace myself in the upcoming days, because I don't want to watch All Out already burned out. Probably gonna spread the watching over a few days and avoid spoilers like the plague. Still probably gonna watch that NJ show tonight though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kas Posted September 4, 2021 Report Share Posted September 4, 2021 My biggest takeaway from today is that Okada looks like he's in great shape and seems to be moving a lot better. Every match was solid except for the Yano vs Owens match which Is skipped because that sounds like torture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted September 4, 2021 Report Share Posted September 4, 2021 They announced during intermission at Wrestle Grand Slam that Wrestle Kingdom will be three nights in 2022. They'll run the Tokyo Dome on January 4 and 5 and Yokohama Arena on January 8. I'm not sure they could put on a compelling one-night WK with how depleted their roster is, let alone stretched over three. You just know EVIL's going to be in the main event of one of those shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Elliott Posted September 4, 2021 Report Share Posted September 4, 2021 3 hours ago, NintendoLogic said: They announced during intermission at Wrestle Grand Slam that Wrestle Kingdom will be three nights in 2022. They'll run the Tokyo Dome on January 4 and 5 and Yokohama Arena on January 8. I'm not sure they could put on a compelling one-night WK with how depleted their roster is, let alone stretched over three. You just know EVIL's going to be in the main event of one of those shows. I couldn't be less interested in New Japan right now, and I can't say the pandemic has that much to do with it. It flew the flag high for pro wrestling until 2017 or so, and then started declining fast. I cannot believe I am saying this about Okada, who by the age of 30 had had more classics than any wrestler I'd ever had the pleasure of seeing contemporaneously. New Japan dropping off so badly has had a devastating effect on my fandom as a whole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted September 4, 2021 Report Share Posted September 4, 2021 6 hours ago, kas said: My biggest takeaway from today is that Okada looks like he's in great shape and seems to be moving a lot better. He sure looks in awesome shape, the best I've seen in years. His matches with Jeff Cobb have been a true highlight of the year, and that was another. One guy who isn't in the best shape and doesn't move better is Tanahashi. And yet, watching his 44 years old broken down ass having a terrific yet restrained (and so, exactly the right kind) match with Ibushi coming back from Covid, I'm just thinking, he might just be the greatest pro-wrestler ever all things considered (been watching a lot of his peaks in the past few months). He truly still is the Ace. The opening match was very good and really did the job in teasing some incoming greatness for Takahashi vs Eeagles. I too skipped Yano vs Owens, because are you fucking kidding me a piss poor garbage "I quit" match ? No. And then there was SHO vs YOH, which I guess you can rename YAWN now that he's yet another guy cursed by the Gedo US fetish of boring-ass heels and beyond tired tropes. That guy, as great a booker he's been for the big picture in the 10', has definitely spent way to much time with Kodo Fuyuki in the past. It's not like I think either really have the potential to go past the Yoshi-Hashi level anyways, but still. Match got good eventually, really good even, before falling into the trap of suck of ref bump, chairs, ballshot and whatnot. And of course YOH is now joining the Bullet Club B-Team of EVIL, Dick Togo & Yujiro, who apparently go by the name House of Torture, which is fitting. Sounds exciting right ? Don't be shy about it... You know whats coming tomorrow : a brand new run-in. For all the great training NJPW is doing with the young lions, the immediate future still looks very dire, as all the great guys in the main event are pushing 40 (Takagi, Ibushi, Naito, Cobb) except Okada, but I have no idea what's next for him, at 33 it's like he already has done everything. And it's not like the great batch of Young Lions from the past few years are gonna be main eventers in two years. Then there are Ospreay & White, who are awesome, but I wonder if them staying away from the G1 is not them seeing the writing on the wall and thinking about maybe going into another direction eventually. Really, the most exciting things in the future of NJPW is basically.... AEW. And what AEW can bring to them for their big shows once the pandemic allows them to. Overall, I have a much better time watching NOAH big shows these days. Old grumpy asses Tanaka & Sugiura beating the living fuck out of each other is so refreshing. The fact they showed the Stardom match, which was very good, was very cool though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kas Posted September 4, 2021 Report Share Posted September 4, 2021 House of Torture is most likely going to split off into its own stable soon. Whether that happens tomorrow or at the G1 depends on how crazy Gedo's feeling. As for the future of their main event scene, I'm somewhat more optimistic. I imagine they'll be in a holding pattern until things open back up, but once it does there are lots of possibilities. Shota Umino feels like he could be put straight into the main event on his return, and Ren Narita would probably not be that far behind given his talent and who's training him. Cobb and Takagi may be old, but they're fresh faces in the main event scene (plus Shingo is just the best anyway). SHO's heel turn is annoying, but he's a far more talented wrestler than EVIL, so I'm sure it will click for him just like it clicked for Jay White. And of course, there's the AEW connection where you could bring in guys like Moxley and Omega to instantly slot into the main event scene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strobogo Posted September 5, 2021 Report Share Posted September 5, 2021 NJPW sounds miserable right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted September 5, 2021 Report Share Posted September 5, 2021 38 minutes ago, strobogo said: NJPW sounds miserable right now Half hour match between Owens & Yano feels like my own personal hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted September 5, 2021 Report Share Posted September 5, 2021 Since I fast forwarded it I did not realized Yano vs Owens went that long. Long enough to go longer than a long Okada match (and by that I mean the match, which was excellent don't get me wrong, would have been ever better by scratching a good 5 minutes at the beginning). Totally ridiculous. And yeah, Sho vs Yoh would have been really good at 15mn, shit finish notwithstanding. This has been a real issue with NJ especially since the pandemic, I guess because they book less match per show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohtani's jacket Posted September 5, 2021 Report Share Posted September 5, 2021 2 hours ago, strobogo said: NJPW sounds miserable right now The whole of Japan is miserable right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordi Posted September 5, 2021 Report Share Posted September 5, 2021 Couldn't agree more about Cobb vs Okada. Those guys have great ring chemistry, it's great to see Okada moving around well, and Cobb juts might be my favourite guy in pro wrestling right now... but they really could have shaved a few minutes off and the match would have been even better for it. From what I've been told, the wrestlers really feel pressure to put on longer matches to make up for there being fewer people on the show. I wish that wasn't the case. I remember feeling really bad for (and more then a little worried about) Naito during last year's G1, going well over 20 minutes time and time again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordi Posted September 5, 2021 Report Share Posted September 5, 2021 G1! Spoiler A Block Kota Ibushi (7th entry, 5th consecutive, 2019, 2020 winner) Shingo Takagi (3rd entry, 3rd consecutive, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion (as of writing)) Tetsuya Naito (12th entry, 12th consecutive, 2013, 2017 winner) Zack Sabre Jr. (5th entry, 5th consecutive) Great-O-Khan (debut entry) Toru Yano (16th entry, 15th consecutive) Tomohiro Ishii (9th entry, 9th consecutive) KENTA (3rd entry, 3rd consecutive) Tanga Loa (debut entry) Yujiro Takahashi (8th entry, 2nd consecutive) B Block Hiroshi Tanahashi (20th entry, 20th consecutive, 2007, 2015, 2018 winner, IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion) Kazuchika Okada (10th entry, 10th consecutive, 2012, 2014 winner) Hirooki Goto (14th entry, 14th consecutive, 2008 winner) YOSHI-HASHI (5th entry, 2nd consecutive) SANADA (6th entry, 6th consecutive) Taichi (3rd entry, 3rd consecutive) Jeff Cobb (3rd entry, 3rd consecutive) EVIL (6th entry, 6th consecutive) Tama Tonga (4th entry, 1st in three years) Chase Owens (debut entry) Meh. Spoiler No MiSu No surprise entrants. Yoshi-Hashi, Yujiro, Tanga, Loa, EVIL, O-Khan, and Owens... Cobb and Ishii in different blocks...But, you know, Cobb, Shingo, Ishii... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted September 5, 2021 Report Share Posted September 5, 2021 Definitely feels like something where I will wait for match recs and check them out instead of actually watching the events, which is basically where I have been with New Japan sincw the pandemic starte. A shit load of dead weight, especially in Block B. Running in small halls will help though; I cannot stomach the thought of watching matches three straight nights in a giant dome with 2000 people who clap once in a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kas Posted September 5, 2021 Report Share Posted September 5, 2021 Those G1 blocks look dire. Some of the omissions are staggering, especially when you look at who's in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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