NJPW 2016

[shoe]

I think the company really did a good with the 1st 2 shows. I think WK10 had a show with some great matches. New Year Dash had really good wrestling too, but had some killer angles to boot. So I can see people liking either show better.

 

2016 has a lot of change going on. One thing for sure is when Ibushi gets healthy he will have a feud with Omega. They planted that seed in 2015. I assume we'll see some different talent in the promotion. Maybe elevate the jr singles title. Blow up the jr tag belt. The jr teams are good enough to work the heavyweight belts. Bottom line I have to wait and see.

[SomethingSavage]

I'd agree with a lot of that.

 

One that that struck me while watching Kingdom this year was that there are too many belts at the moment. With the addition of the Never Open Weight Six-Man belts and the continued usage of two sets of tag belts, it's just too much. When everyone's a champion, then who REALLY feels like a champion - ya know?

 

Ibushi's ascension is definitely something that has me excited for this year. I'm actually anticipating the fallout from the talent exodus in general though. I'm eager to see who they elevate and what they do to create new stars. I don't think it's going to be a big dip in quality like some others have talked about, but it really does come down to their selection and presentation of the guys moving forward.

 

Ugh. Omega as a top guy... I don't know. Where do you stand with him now, Pete? I remember your comments and thoughts on him last year around this time being more in line with my own - so I'm just wondering if you've turned a corner on him since then or what.

 

It seems a bit strange that they're stripping the IC Title off Nak and *not* having him put over Omega on the way out. That seemed to be the direction at first, but I guess they've opted to keep Nak strong and take a detour to get the belt onto Omega eventually. It's a weird situation though.

[shoe]

With Omega I think he can't overcome his bad instincts. I think he has the tools. He has shown that he can work body parts, is good at selling, has a good move set. It's his instincts where he shoots himself in the foot. I'm hoping he puts it together like Roddy Strong finally put it together.

 

With them vacating the IC title I'd retire the belt and make the Never title the #2.

[pol]

NJPW "THE NEW BEGINNING IN OSAKA", 11.02.2016
Edion Arena Osaka

1. NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Title: Toru Yano, Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe © vs. Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Tama Tonga
2. NEVER Openweight Title: Katsuyori Shibata © vs. Tomohiro Ishii
3. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title, 3 Way Match: Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson © vs. Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly vs. Matt Sydal & Ricochet
4. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada © vs. Hirooki Goto

 

NJPW "THE NEW BEGINNING IN NIIGATA", 14.02.2016
Aora Nagaoka

1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: KUSHIDA © vs. BUSHI
2. IWGP Tag Team Title: Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows
3. IWGP Intercontinental Title, Decision Match: Kenny Omega vs. X

 

 

Night 1 does nothing for me. I'm interested in KUSHIDA/BUSHI and GBH/BC, and mildly curious to see how Kenny Omega adapts to being a heavyweight, but I currently can't stand the guy so I'm not holding out much hope that he's going to suddenly become someone I enjoy watching.

[pol]

On the other hand the Fantasticamania cards look incredible.

 

2016/01/17 (Sun), 2AM EST Kochi Kochi Sunpia Cerise:

1.KUSHIDA & Stuka Jr. vs. Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu

2. The Panther & Guerrero Maya Jr. vs. Boby Zavala & Okumura

3. Fuego & Titan vs. YOSHI-HASHI & Barbaro Cavernario

4. Jay White & Dragon Lee vs. Virus & Hechicero

5. BUSHI, EVIL & Tetsuya Naito vs. Juice Robinson, Mascara Dorada & Atlantis

6. Ryusuke Taguchi & Volador Jr. vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Mephisto

7. Jushin Liger, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Mistico vs. Gedo, Kazuchika Okada & Ultimo Guerrero

 

2016/01/19 (Tue) 4:30 AM EST Kyoto Kyoto KBS Hall:

1. Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu vs. Fuego & Ryusuke Taguchi

2. The Panther vs. Okumura

3. Boby Zavala vs. Guerrero Maya

4. David Finlay, Jushin Liger, Dragon Lee & Titan vs. YOSHI-HASHI, Virus, Hechicero & Barbaro Cavernario

5. Stuka Jr., Mascara Dorada & Atlantis vs. BUSHI, EVIL & Tetsuya Naito

6. KUSHIDA & Mistico vs. Gedo & Ultimo Guerrero

7. Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada & Mephisto vs. Juice Robinson, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Volador Jr.

 

2016/01/20 (Wed) 4:30 AM EST Osaka Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, second stadium (EDION arena Osaka):

1. Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu vs. Jushin Liger & Stuka Jr.

2. Boby Zavala vs. The Panther

3. Guerrero Maya vs. Okumura

4. Gedo, YOSHI-HASHI, Hechicero & Barbaro Cavernario vs. Jay White, KUSHIDA Ryusuke Taguchi & Titan

5. Fuego, Mascara Dorada & Atlantis vs. BUSHI, EVIL & Tetsuya Naito

6. Juice Robinson, Volador Jr. & Mistico vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Mephisto & Ultimo Guerrero

7. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Dragon Lee vs. Kazuchika Okada & Virus

 

2016/01/22 (Fri) 4:30 AM EST Tokyo Korakuen Hall:

1. Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu vs. Stuka Jr. & Fuego

2. David Finlay, Jushin Liger, KUSHIDA, The Panther & Guerrero Maya Jr. vs. Gedo, YOSHI-HASHI, Boby Zavala, Hechicero & Okumura

3. Juice Robinson & Atlantis vs. EVIL & Tetsuya Naito

4. Mexican National Welterweight Championship: Barbaro Cavernario © vs. Titan

5. CMLL World Welterweight Championship: BUSHI © vs. Mascara Dorada

6. Ryusuke Taguchi, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Dragon Lee vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura & Virus

7. Volador Jr. & Mistico vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Mephisto

 

2016/01/23 (Sat) 4:30 AM EST Tokyo Korakuen Hall:

1. Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu vs. Titan & Mascara Dorada

2. KUSHIA, Juice Robinson & Fuego vs. Hechicero, Gedo & YOSHI-HASHI

3. CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship: The Panther & Guerrero Maya Jr. © vs. Boby Zavala & Okumura

4. Ryusuke Taguchi & Stuka Jr. vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Barbaro Cavernario

5. Tiger Mask IV, Atlantis & Jushin Liger vs. BUSHI, EVIL & Tetsuya Naito

6. CMLL World Lightweight Championship: Dragon Lee © vs. Virus

7. Black Cat Memorial Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Volador Jr. & Mistico vs. Kazuchika Okada, Mephisto & Ultimo Guerrero

 

2016/01/24 (Sun) 4:30 AM EST Tokyo Korakuen Hall:

1. Sho & Yohei Final Sendoff: Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu vs. The Panther & Guerrero Maya

2. Tiger Mask IV, KUSHIDA, Fuego, Stuka Jr. & Titan vs. Gedo, YOSHI-HASHI, Boby Zavala, Okumura & Hechicero

3. Lucha de Maestros: Jushin Liger vs. Virus

4. Mascara Dorada’s Final NJPW Match: Ryusuke Taguchi, Mascara Dorada & Atlantis vs. BUSHI, EVIL & Tetsuya Naito

5. Juice Robinson, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Dragon Lee vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura & Barbaro Cavernario

6. Mistico vs. Ultimo Guerrero

7. NWA World Historic Welterwight Championship: Volador Jr. © vs. Mephisto

[SomethingSavage]

Omega is an odd bird. I almost feel like he's regressed as a worker since coming into the Bullet Club. You call it bad instincts, and I think that's a fair way of assessing it. The guy falls back onto bad habits A LOT - especially the goofball comedy, and it's almost like he has no sense or gauge on when or how to do that stuff appropriately.

 

I've seen good Omega performances, but it's almost strictly when he's surrounded by superior workers. I won't say that a few exceptions don't exist, but they'd be few & far between. What sucks is that the Cleaner gimmick has/had potential to be something unique for him, but the act has just been really standard stuff.

 

The best thing I can say about his title reign is that it gave way to KUSHIDA's moment feeling like a big deal. And honestly, that feels like the only way to justify it being so damn long.

 

I want to be optimistic about his transition to heavyweight. But there's a lot of things working against him. This recent run has been very blah, and retreading over a retread by becoming the replacement for AJ (who replaced Devitt) as the leader of the Bullet Club isn't exactly going to feel like a fresh start for ANYBODY in that role. But I'm willing to give it a chance & see what they do with it.

 

I will say that the initial angle with the big post-match turn was executed very well. Felt like a big deal and sparked some interest around Omega - at least for me - for the first time in a long time.

[WingedEagle]

I haven't been a fan of anything Omega's done since coming to New Japan other than teasing his loyalties during the AJ-Ibushi match. For a few minutes I'll really enjoy what he's doing and then its bad comedy time. Hoping that with this move to heavyweight and push comes a new approach.

[shoe]

The bad comedy has hurt his matches in NJPW for me. His use of weapons like the garbage can and the medical spray take me out of his matches.

 

Something Savage the term falling back into a lot of his bad habits is a great term. I feel working on top with other top guys will help him. I guarantee Tanahashi or Goto will have no problem telling him we're not going to be doing that goofy fucking spot .

[Bierschwale]

Since the BC is going to be down three guys no matter who's elevated to the group's #1, who should be their replacements/what's the speculation? Cabana/Hero and War Machine have challenged K.E.S. for the GHC titles. The former make more sense in the context of the RoH relationship. I don't feel like Colt Cabana is so PRINCIPLED that he wouldn't come back on NJ's dime. And if Romero's gone, turn Barreta and make him BC's new junior singles contender, I guess?

 

I assume that Kamaitachi is coming back as a CHAOS member.

[GOTNW]

I guarantee Tanahashi or Goto will have no problem telling him we're not going to be doing that goofy fucking spot .

Guess you've forgotten Tanahashi's matches vs. Devitt and Yano.

[shoe]

I'll grant you Devitt. With Yano his goal was to work an easy match on his back.

[Benbeeach]

 

I guarantee Tanahashi or Goto will have no problem telling him we're not going to be doing that goofy fucking spot .

Guess you've forgotten Tanahashi's matches vs. Devitt and Yano.

 

Yeah he's totally not going to stop doing that stuff. Those don't even come to mind in terms of "bad habits" That's booking, they're antics, he's going to be the top heel of sorts. It's par for the course, especially in his transition.

 

Been quite the winding road for Omega, as a guy who was overlooked by a lot of promotions for his . . . shtick (in the not given the ball, headliner sort of way) to having said shtick carry him to being potentially the top gaijin in New Japan. Not the typical narrative but I'm here for it nonetheless.

[BigBadMick]

Since the BC is going to be down three guys no matter who's elevated to the group's #1, who should be their replacements/what's the speculation? Cabana/Hero and War Machine have challenged K.E.S. for the GHC titles. The former make more sense in the context of the RoH relationship. I don't feel like Colt Cabana is so PRINCIPLED that he wouldn't come back on NJ's dime. And if Romero's gone, turn Barreta and make him BC's new junior singles contender, I guess?

 

I assume that Kamaitachi is coming back as a CHAOS member.

What's Cabana's issue with New Japan?

[stomperspc]

 

Since the BC is going to be down three guys no matter who's elevated to the group's #1, who should be their replacements/what's the speculation? Cabana/Hero and War Machine have challenged K.E.S. for the GHC titles. The former make more sense in the context of the RoH relationship. I don't feel like Colt Cabana is so PRINCIPLED that he wouldn't come back on NJ's dime. And if Romero's gone, turn Barreta and make him BC's new junior singles contender, I guess?

 

I assume that Kamaitachi is coming back as a CHAOS member.

What's Cabana's issue with New Japan?

 

 

I think he was referring to Cabana's issues with ROH. The implication being that if Cabana were booked in New Japan it would likely lead to some necessary ROH involvement (which may or may not be the case since New Japan does book some foreigners outside of ROH) and that he'd have to put his past problems with ROH aside in order to make it work.

[joeg]

Dragon Lee vs Kamaitachi was very very good.

[Edwin]

NJPW "THE NEW BEGINNING IN OSAKA", 11.02.2016

Edion Arena Osaka

2. NEVER Openweight Title: Katsuyori Shibata © vs. Tomohiro Ishii

 

Night 1 does nothing for me.

You're not interested in Shibata vs. Ishii?

 

I haven't followed New Japan regularly in years, but on paper this match seems like it can be excellent.

[bucky]

They've done Shibata vs. Ishii like half a dozen times already and it's literally always the same.

[joeg]

As for Shibata vs Ishii, I thought their Dome match was sort of a spoof of or an homage to their previous matches. It was almost as if they were self aware of what the previous matches had been. It sort of felt like they were going for the meta. If any of that makes any sense

[Bierschwale]

Gedo/Saku-reDRagon is a million dollar match.

[raul]

dontaku was last night or very very early morning for me..

 

great show; ishii/naito was wild

[pol]

I thought pretty much everything on the show underdelivered and Ishii/Naito was ridiculously bloated even without taking into account that it's the world champion taking 30 minutes to beat a midcarder.

 

A huge step down from Invasion Attack (which may be my Show of the Year) for me, the NJPW faithful seemed to love the show though.

[shoe]

NJPW faithful seem to always love the show. That said I'll be watching it tomorrow. I haven't liked Ishii at all this year, but a lot of people have the exact opposite opinion . So I'm always curious. Kushida has had the best year in ring in NJPW and ROH from what I've seen , and I've seen everything on NJPW World and ROH.

[Bierschwale]

Ishii was excellent in the Korakuen match against Roddy.

[Noah's_Savior]

I managed to fall asleep and missed the last three matches, will rewatch later. My quick thoughts of Dontaku

 

Glad the opener was short since the only wrestler I care about in that match was Fale. The 8-man tag was there and I share the same feelings about the 6-man because my personal preferences make me dislike The Elite and everyone's gimmicks in that group. I don't know how to feel about a ladder match in New Japan, I'm sure it'll be fun, but I don't like how similar aspects of New Japan are becoming to American wrestling. Watching the Jr tag and then the BoSJ announcement video I kept thinking of Bushi's recent statements about the Jr's division being void of young, native talent. Nagata vs Shibata was fun and I'm happy Nagata was able to avenge his 3rd Generation friends that fell to Shibata.

[pol]

It's a little late to start being concerned about NJPW getting too American-influenced.