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What was Meltzer talking about on the Saturday show when he mentioned something of a New Japan on demand stream/channel? I mean that does sound incredible

 

They showed an ad for this during the iPPV on Saturday. Given that New Japan is working with TV Asahi on it and they have referred to it as a service, the prevailing thought is it is some sort of streaming service. The fact that it is a .com address and not a .jp (along with "world" being part of the title) would seem to indicate it is a worldwide thing as well.

 

TV Asahi has a pretty extensive VOD service (available in Japan) only so they could be porting that over to the new site and making it available worldwide. Asahi also airs the traditional PPV's and streams them on their website, so I'd imagine if nothing else this will be a replacement for U-Stream. Supposed to be officially announced 12/1.

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I'm glad for Jim Ross for two reasons:

 

1. He's a great play-by-play guy.

2. It means the show is in English.

 

Nothing else really matters to me about it other than that.

 

Although maybe it should be a drinking game where you take a drink everytime he mispronounces someones name!

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I think Jim Ross was still decent at the end of his run, and was disappointed they brought Jerry Lawler back after his heart attack. JR deserves some kind of award (or at least a cuddle) for keeping modern Michael Cole focused during a broadcast and if his recent boxing commentary is a reflection of what to expect for New Japan then I'm actviely excited for him being in Tokyo. My only hope now is that we get Nigel McGuinness doing color.

 

I'm not exactly sure how a podcast relates to announcing... evidently it doesn't, actually.

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Why can't a Japanese native do color commentary? Many of the guys in NJPW speak very good English, like Gedo, Jado, Jushin Liger, and Taka Michinoku. Also, on the main roster alone there are three wrestlers I can think of who speak fluent English:

 

- Shinsuke Nakamura

- Masato Tanaka

- Yoshihatsu

 

Obviously they are regular performers, but they could easily work guest color commentary at some point.

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Personally, I want Jim Cornette.

Yeah it kind of comes down to how JR wants to work with IMO. This this a big money deal - it was negotiated by agent Barry Bloom. So Ross has to have some degree of stroke in the decision.

 

BUT in Jim's case his hatred of flying may kill the idea dead.

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MVP is the best option for those listed here.

 

If Ross is going to call this in a more sporting/informative way as I hope he does, he'll need a serious sidekick. Someone like Cornette is too obnoxious to do it, and someone like Vader too unproven. MVP is far from experienced as a colour man, but he seems like he'd be a natural fit.

 

Tenay could be pretty good too. Or he could be TNAy and be more annoying than Cornette.

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Why can't a Japanese native do color commentary? Many of the guys in NJPW speak very good English, like Gedo, Jado, Jushin Liger, and Taka Michinoku. Also, on the main roster alone there are three wrestlers I can think of who speak fluent English:

 

- Shinsuke Nakamura

- Masato Tanaka

- Yoshihatsu

 

Obviously they are regular performers, but they could easily work guest color commentary at some point.

 

Liger and JR in the booth would be pretty awesome/surreal.

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MVP calling a 4 hour show right out of the gate seems HUGELY iffy to me.

 

I'd stand by Nigel McGuinness honestly, but I may be in the minority there. With a number of ROH guys on the show I wouldn't be surprised or disappointed. Why the negativity towards Nigel's commentary anyway? He's one of the few guys out there with good psychology, isn't overbearing and doesn't take the focus off the in-ring stuff.

 

Matt Striker would be a controversial pick and typically I agree with the criticism. He's been getting good reviews for his Play-by-Play on Lucha Underground though. JR has a history of reigning in overbearing color guys but I'll give credit to Striker in saying that he seems to have toned down a lot his irritating tendencies lately. It's not like his being given much to work with in Vampiro either.

 

Those would be two picks and I'm sure most here will vehemently disagree. Both guys have knowledge of the product though I have more faith in Ross than most by the sound of things.

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I agree that Nigel would be fine doing color. He is worlds better than Corino in ROH in that position.

 

I think Tenay will be fine if he ends up being able to do it for the same reasons I think Ross will be fine (although likely unspectacular). Tenay will have something to prove and going through late 1990's WCW, it is clear he at least had a knack at one point for being able to add little insightful blurbs to a broadcast. As long as he is not asked to lead the announcing and get over ridiculous angles, I think he will definitely be serviceable. I also think there is potential for Ross & Tenay to bring out the best in each other. If Ross is in full-on NWA/WCW mode talking about Naito's baseball background and Bad Luke Fale's grade point average, Tenay chiming in by pointing out the bigger/more important moves & sequences of the match (which he excelled at in WCW), would make for a nice contrast. Ross can also do the big emotional calls (well, maybe) which is Tenay's biggest weakness.

 

I do like the idea of someone like MVP, Vader, ect. who worked New Japan serving as a commentator. I was trying to think of wrestlers (current or active) who would possibly be okay at commentary and is familiar with Japan and/or NJPW and I thought of Chris Hero as an out-of-the-box idea. He was always decent doing commentary on IWA-MS, Chikara, ect. He would probably be able to get across the style as well as anyone. Never will happen for a variety of reasons, of course.

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