Boss Rock Posted January 6, 2021 Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 I haven't seen the Jay promo yet (waiting to finish the Ibushi match first) but I'm guessing he's going to take time off and come back as a babyface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Migs Posted January 6, 2021 Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 It's also possible White has a contract expiring and while they expect him to resign, might be a thing where he's leaving it theoretically expiring. Struck me a little like the way Omega would talk around this time of year when he was in NJ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Rock Posted January 6, 2021 Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 Finished night 2. The first two matches were skippable, but everything else (mostly) ruled. SANADA-EVIL was solid and gave SANADA the big win he needed. Shingo-Cobb was, well..."bombfest" gets thrown around a lot but this was an absolute bombfest. Hiromu-Taiji was a bit longer than it needed to be but was still great and a bit more physical than their previous matches. As for the main event, the first 10 minutes of padding weren't needed and the amount of kick-outs certainly got excessive, but it was phenomenal. Pro wrestling storytelling at its finest. Wrestle Kingdom certainly wasn't perfect and doesn't really need to be a 2 night event anymore (I suspect they did it this year to make up for a limited capacity Dome and to ensure everyone got to be on the card). But considering how rocky 2020 NJPW was to the point where it actually made me a bit jaded, they stepped up and delivered in a big way. I'm once again optimistic regarding their creative direction and ability to put on satisfying shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted January 6, 2021 Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 So, in hindsight, what was the use of EVIL getting the world title? Did it accomplish anything? When it happened, people pointed to Jay White as Gedo elevating a heel by giving him the world title. But while White was absolutely elevated and became a main eventer, can the same really be said about EVIL? That reign seems so completely pointless. I would have kept the title on Naito but given Ospereay the big win yesterday to elevate him to the main event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeg Posted January 6, 2021 Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 Oh man so good. The best two back to back shows I've seen in a long time. Almost everything hit the mark. Every match was between decent and excellent. Everything was logical and realistic and sucked me in. Most everything was well booked, there's a few exceptions of guys who aren't in the right spot or don't have a gimmick/character that fits who they are (i.e. Evil, O-Khan, Master Wato, etc), but that's the exception to the rule rather the expectation like it is in most modern American wrestling.  There was just so much good, hard hitting, realistic, logical action packed into 7 hours. I'm at a loss for words.  Oh and Jay White is by far the best to have that top gaijin spot in NJPW since I started following puroresu 22 years ago. Bold statement, but I stand by it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kas Posted January 6, 2021 Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 Watching Jay White go from stinking up the place with Tanahashi at WK 12, to putting on a main event clinic against Ibushi has been great. His rise and improvement has been incredible and he can only get better from here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Man in Blak Posted January 6, 2021 Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 I think Hiromu/Taiji felt long because Takahashi spent what felt like fifteen minutes walking directly into forearm shots from Ishimori over and over again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Rock Posted January 6, 2021 Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 No major angles from NYD it would seem. Shame but it really hasn't done that since SZKG came back in 2017 anyway. But Shingo-Tanahashi and SHO-Hiromu should be hoots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Migs Posted January 6, 2021 Report Share Posted January 6, 2021 3 hours ago, Boss Rock said: No major angles from NYD it would seem. Shame but it really hasn't done that since SZKG came back in 2017 anyway. But Shingo-Tanahashi and SHO-Hiromu should be hoots. 2018 at least had Jericho-Naito getting set up. I mean, this year figured to be relatively calm given the inability to fly people in. Thought there might be a bit more to the Jay White thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Rock Posted January 7, 2021 Report Share Posted January 7, 2021 Oh yeah I forgot about Jericho-Naito. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted January 8, 2021 Report Share Posted January 8, 2021 So that Jay White promo might not be a work. Rumors are swirling that his contract is up at the end of the month and WWE is making a serious play for him. Anyone who signs with the E at this point surely has to be going in with eyes wide open, so I can't say I'll feel sorry for him if things go south. But if he wants to just make bank and surf for a few years a la Nakamura, who am I to knock him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted January 8, 2021 Report Share Posted January 8, 2021 16 minutes ago, NintendoLogic said: So that Jay White promo might not be a work. Rumors are swirling that his contract is up at the end of the month and WWE is making a serious play for him. Anyone who signs with the E at this point surely has to be going in with eyes wide open, so I can't say I'll feel sorry for him if things go south. But if he wants to just make bank and surf for a few years a la Nakamura, who am I to knock him? Can't fault a guy for securing the bag, but man it would be sad to see him wasting prime years in the covid pit when we've seen him progress so much in NJPW. At this stage, I can't see why someone who is an established top guy that surely is getting offers from anyone would want to go to WWE unless they give him an absolutely stupid Brock level deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted January 8, 2021 Report Share Posted January 8, 2021 Hey, he had his masterpiece, but what gigantic waste of talent and time it would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kas Posted January 9, 2021 Report Share Posted January 9, 2021 Really hope he re-signs, he can only go up from here in New Japan whereas I don't see much upside in him going to WWE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Migs Posted January 9, 2021 Report Share Posted January 9, 2021 My gut is he's starting a bidding war to improve his NJ deal. But who knows what kind of contract WWE is putting in front of him? And I believe he already lives in Florida, so perhaps he does just want to hang out and get paid while too sweeting Finn Balor or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted January 9, 2021 Report Share Posted January 9, 2021 Jay White leaving New Japan would be a damn travesty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmare007 Posted January 9, 2021 Report Share Posted January 9, 2021 Yeah, kind hard picturing him leaving so soon and when he's by far their biggest regular gaijin (I guess Moxley is their biggest foreigner overall) so him doing what Omega and the Bucks did for a couple of years before actually leaving would be a sound strategy if he wants a better deal. If he goes, good for his pocket I guess. Â All this being said, I think New Japan should start signing their 1 (or 2) year contracts around the G-1 Climax and not Wrestle Kingdom. If a gaijin wants to leave, then make him do it before the G-1 so the build up towards their biggest show - and it's aftermath - doesn't go to "waste". Â Â Â RE: Wrestling Kingdom. Man, I thought Okada vs Ospray was fine. One of those Okada matches were I could've cared less about the first half and the wait for the awesome finishing stretch was not compelling at all. Naito vs Ibushi was good, not their best but still more than worth a look. Shingo vs Cobb was dope. Give me 20 minute sprints/bomb fest over 35 minutes epics all day. White vs Ibushi I'll watch eventually because it seems the run time was worth it. Still, I have such a hard watching New Japan long matches that I gotta prepare myself for them, specially after Night 1. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kas Posted January 10, 2021 Report Share Posted January 10, 2021 Meltzer said on WOR that White signed a 7 year contract with New Japan back in 2018, so it seems like the rumours could be wrong. Apparently he and Cobb are both in line for a push. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeg Posted January 10, 2021 Report Share Posted January 10, 2021 What is New Japan's pay scale like? Wasn't the rumor that WWE just signed Matt Riddle to 400k a year plus 50k for each Saudi show worked? If that's the sort of money they are throwing at upper midcard guys with 3 years in the company, why would anybody go there when its such a fucking dumpster fire? If that's WWE's pay scale right now I would think AEW and New Japan would be able to come close to matching any WWE offer at least in terms of money per appearance without having to sign away likeness rights or merch rights.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Rock Posted January 10, 2021 Report Share Posted January 10, 2021 I think Okada makes around or at least close to top WWE star money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted January 10, 2021 Report Share Posted January 10, 2021 Don't even entertain for a second the idea that New Japan could match WWE in a bidding war. They take in $50 million in a good year, and that's only a fraction of what WWE grosses in a quarter. All they can really promise is more creative fulfillment and lack of culture shock/language barrier for the natives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted January 10, 2021 Report Share Posted January 10, 2021 12 minutes ago, NintendoLogic said: All they can really promise is more creative fulfillment and lack of culture shock/language barrier for the natives. Nope. Money don't buy you happiness. If you're a pro-wrestler who really care about your craft in 2021 and you're not the WWE type, you have exactly ZERO reason to go to WWE. None. They fuck up and waste everyone they touch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dav'oh Posted January 15, 2021 Report Share Posted January 15, 2021 Just caught this and I don't know if it's par for the course, pot-stirring or a definite sign. This is the entire article: "Jay White is no longer on NJPW’s official roster page. The roster page for NJPW’s official website no longer lists White." (That redundancy was brought to you by 411wrestling.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted January 15, 2021 Report Share Posted January 15, 2021 And now time for the unavoidable "Jay White at the Royal Rumble" rumours... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted January 15, 2021 Report Share Posted January 15, 2021 According to the latest Observer, the guys who were forming AEW approached White with interest in late 2018, but he told them that he had just signed a seven-year deal with New Japan. He's also being advertised for the March Budokan show, which they wouldn't do if they thought there was a chance he wouldn't be there. So it looks like we can all breathe easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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