Current New Japan

[Childs]

As someone who jumps in to watch the big shows and acclaimed matches but doesn't hang on the booking week to week, I've been surprised at the level of distress I've heard from NJPW superfans in recent months. I don't have a horse in it really, and from my limited perspective, they've still hit a few peaks this year. So I didn't recognize the bloom coming off to the degree it has. 

[joeg]

@strobogo We have common ground- I would agree WWE is usually unwatchable.

@Childs Exactly. I'm not tuning in for a random Korakuen show at 4 am on a Wednesday or a main event with EVIL. So my perspective isn't the sky is falling. My perspective is they are waiting out the pandemic. 

[strobogo]

I completely skipped everything except WK and G1 last year and probably will this year as well. The breaking shows into 2 or 3 things for even non WK events made me not even want to seek out individual matches anymore. Still haven't even seen Ibushi vs Ospreay and I was actually interested in it.

[WingedEagle]

3 hours ago, Childs said:

As someone who jumps in to watch the big shows and acclaimed matches but doesn't hang on the booking week to week, I've been surprised at the level of distress I've heard from NJPW superfans in recent months. I don't have a horse in it really, and from my limited perspective, they've still hit a few peaks this year. So I didn't recognize the bloom coming off to the degree it has. 

I don't think its unreasonable to call last year's WK double shot unifying the titles the peak of this past era.  Whether creative has turned south due to poor ideas, saving better ones for post-covid, a lack of foreeign talent or all of the above doesn't really matter -- the Evil reign, rampant interference making its way to the main event scene and Okada with an off switch are not good things.  There's nothing to defend there.  

Now let's leave all that aside.  Last year's G1 was outstanding in the ring.  I was higher on the final than most but I don't recall too many being sour on the booking once Ibushi went over.  The top of the card has been phenomenal this year as well.  Between Shingo/Cobb, Okada/Ospreay, Shingo/Tanahashi and Ibushi/Ospreay there's been no shortage of great matches.  Undercards and Road To shows have generally been skippable and filler.  That's a big difference from the past where big show lineups would be packed and you'd have 1 or 2 choice matches on the setup shows that would be worth checking out, whereas now they're running as many of those shows as they can to generate cash flow and as a result we're getting run of the mill multi-man matches all the time.  There's very little you have to go out of your way to see even for those who regularly follow the promotion.

Is it peak 2010s New Japan?  No.  But we've got another Ospreay/Shingo and Ospreay/Okada rematches coming up along with unannounced main events to fill at Dome shows and Dominion.  For my money Dragon Gate has been the most enjoyable promotion *top to bottom* over the past year when factoring in booking (a bit inconsistent this year but their shows are all more interesting), but this company and its roster still put on the best big show matches.  I can't complain too much about that.

[strobogo]

27 minutes ago, WingedEagle said:

I don't think its unreasonable to call last year's WK double shot unifying the titles the peak of this past era.  Whether creative has turned south due to poor ideas, saving better ones for post-covid, a lack of foreeign talent or all of the above doesn't really matter -- the Evil reign, rampant interference making its way to the main event scene and Okada with an off switch are not good things.  There's nothing to defend there.  

Now let's leave all that aside.  Last year's G1 was outstanding in the ring.  I was higher on the final than most but I don't recall too many being sour on the booking once Ibushi went over.  The top of the card has been phenomenal this year as well.  Between Shingo/Cobb, Okada/Ospreay, Shingo/Tanahashi and Ibushi/Ospreay there's been no shortage of great matches.  Undercards and Road To shows have generally been skippable and filler.  That's a big difference from the past where big show lineups would be packed and you'd have 1 or 2 choice matches on the setup shows that would be worth checking out, whereas now they're running as many of those shows as they can to generate cash flow and as a result we're getting run of the mill multi-man matches all the time.  There's very little you have to go out of your way to see even for those who regularly follow the promotion.

Is it peak 2010s New Japan?  No.  But we've got another Ospreay/Shingo and Ospreay/Okada rematches coming up along with unannounced main events to fill at Dome shows and Dominion.  For my money Dragon Gate has been the most enjoyable promotion *top to bottom* over the past year when factoring in booking (a bit inconsistent this year but their shows are all more interesting), but this company and its roster still put on the best big show matches.  I can't complain too much about that.

Are you sure you're a wrestling fan?

[WingedEagle]

13 minutes ago, strobogo said:

Are you sure you're a wrestling fan?

Life as a wrestling fan is amazing.  Unless you insist on watch everything live you can fast forward through anything, access almost anything from the last 40+ years that's made tape in a matter of minutes and immediately thereafter find people who'll tell you you're wrong for loving or hating it.  What more could I possibly ask for?

[strobogo]

For all your fantasy booking ideas to come true and all bad wrestlers banished to some promotion you never watch 

[joeg]

@WingedEagle exactly. There was discussion a few years ago here if this is the best time ever to be a fan for those very reasons. Also I keep hearing good things about what Dragon Gate has done recently. I followed them religiously back 15 years ago but haven't seen anything in at least 3 or 4 years. What are they up to now?

[WingedEagle]

28 minutes ago, joeg said:

@WingedEagle exactly. There was discussion a few years ago here if this is the best time ever to be a fan for those very reasons. Also I keep hearing good things about what Dragon Gate has done recently. I followed them religiously back 15 years ago but haven't seen anything in at least 3 or 4 years. What are they up to now?

They've been mixing in a few rookies at the top of the card and in their units, while Shun Skywalker came back from excursion, won their top belt in his return match and has looked great along the way in tags and his defenses.  Their shows are generally quick watches where little overstays its welcome and they've mixed up the programs/units enough to keep things interesting.  They've been running a few too many DQ/gimmick finishes of late building to a mask/hair stipulation match at Dead or Alive but I'm counting on that to deliver with SB Kento, one of the fresh faces, likely getting his head shaved.  Another, Hip Hop Kikuta, is challenging Skywalker on that show.  I don't buy a title change for a moment but it should be a good match as Kikuta has looked great thus far for a rookie and even losing a title match should benefit him going forward.  Even Cyber Kong is proving himself useful as a babyface on the twin gate scene with Mochizuki.  

Don't go in expecting a match that even approaches what NJPW's big matches deliver, but its enjoyable as hell.

[joeg]

@WingedEagle In the early 2000s I thought Toryumon/Dragon Gate had the best weekly TV out there. Where can I check out their current TV?

 

[Mad Dog]

Yeah. I would like to know too. I really fell off when they made it next to impossible to get their shows when DGUSA was a thing. 

[Richeyedwards]

7 hours ago, joeg said:

@WingedEagle In the early 2000s I thought Toryumon/Dragon Gate had the best weekly TV out there. Where can I check out their current TV?

 

They have a streaming service, it has plenty (but far from all) of their past library going back to 1999. I dont have it myself but I imagine Inyourcase would be able to talk you through it if you message them

https://dragongate.live/

[WingedEagle]

10 hours ago, Richeyedwards said:

They have a streaming service, it has plenty (but far from all) of their past library going back to 1999. I dont have it myself but I imagine Inyourcase would be able to talk you through it if you message them

https://dragongate.live/

This is correct.  I'm sure if people search far and wide on this vast world wide web of ours some other options may be out there, but DG's site is the easiest and direct way.

[Mad Dog]

It's probably the cheapest option. IVP finally starting selling their shows again but I think it's newer stuff and there just aren't any torrents out there because Gabe was sending C&Ds.

[kas]

Despite being overly long (surprise surprise) Tanahashi vs Jay White was a very good, well-built main event. And speaking of overly long, Taichi vs Tama Tonga went 27 minutes and there is no way I am watching that.

[Makai Club #1]

28 minutes ago, kas said:

Despite being overly long (surprise surprise) Tanahashi vs Jay White was a very good, well-built main event. And speaking of overly long, Taichi vs Tama Tonga went 27 minutes and there is no way I am watching that.

I skipped half way into the Tama Tonga /Taichi match and it still felt way too long. Ridiculous. 

[strobogo]

I have trouble watching Tana these days because he's so hobbly and broken down, but Jay White-O has been a revelation in the past year after everything finally started to click for him. However, it also feels like there's been 200 Tana/White matches in the past 2-3 years. I bet Shingo/Ospreay was a lot of fun.

[Makai Club #1]

19 minutes ago, strobogo said:

I have trouble watching Tana these days because he's so hobbly and broken down, but Jay White-O has been a revelation in the past year after everything finally started to click for him. However, it also feels like there's been 200 Tana/White matches in the past 2-3 years. I bet Shingo/Ospreay was a lot of fun.

That's on tomorrows show. 

[Migs]

The ladder match would have been much better as a tag team or 6 man ladder match, which is basically what it turned into. The early sections were really terrible; I thought the section after the run-ins moved well, and was fine. The crowd cheering a man holding tightly and crying over a silver glove that has mystical powers and makes you go crazy is so fucking pro wrestling that you have to appreciate it.

Tana-White was great and might be the best of their 300 matches.

[Boss Rock]

I will at least try to make the time to watch Tanahashi-White, but 39 minutes is a heck of a long time.

[Dav'oh]

"El Desperado (c) vs. YOH for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship was postponed due to a wrestler being shown to have a fever before the event."
Cue ominous storm clouds? You'd hope their wrestlers and officials are more diligent than NXT's; it's possible it's unrelated to Covid, too.

[NintendoLogic]

https://www.njpw1972.com/96676

It looks like Okada, Suzuki, Desperado, Kanemaru, SHO, and YOH were all pulled from the show due to COVID protocols. Hopefully it's nothing too serious and they're acting with an overabundance of caution.

[MoS]

The Indian Premier League is postponed. 

I am mentioning this cuz I have talked about the success of the legends' shows, which gave me so much of the research material I needed. If India is postponing the Indian Premier League, it means the reported statistics are 90% de-reported. This basically means 3 MILLION daily cases and 30,000 deaths every YEAR due to this. 

EDIT: Please disregard the rest of the message. I was scared shitless last night about what was going to happen in my country and as a result was talking complete nonsense, with zero logic

[GSR]

58 minutes ago, MoS said:

The Indian Premier League is postponed. I

I've been following it much more this season compared to previous ones, primarily due to Chennai paying a sizeable fee for Moeen Ali (he plays for my County here in England) meaning he's likely to be playing most games.  Nice to see that he's been doing for CSK what he does for Worcs.  Treat him right and you'll get the best out of him, treat him like England have done and you'll shatter his confidence.

[MoS]

5 hours ago, GSR said:

I've been following it much more this season compared to previous ones, primarily due to Chennai paying a sizeable fee for Moeen Ali (he plays for my County here in England) meaning he's likely to be playing most games.  Nice to see that he's been doing for CSK what he does for Worcs.  Treat him right and you'll get the best out of him, treat him like England have done and you'll shatter his confidence.

Agreed. Chennai are my favourite team cuz I am from the same area of India that MS Dhoni is. Not to stray too far from Pro Wrestling Only, but it was disgusting to see the bad faith, cruel, dishonest movement to defame him for the choice of sponsors in the IPL