kas Posted January 6, 2022 Report Share Posted January 6, 2022 He has not been drawing well in the UK iirc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted January 6, 2022 Report Share Posted January 6, 2022 It looks like the conversation was started by someone blaming Ospreay for the dropoff in attendance between nights 1 and 2, which is silly because that happens every year. I can't speak to his drawing power on the UK indies, but he appears to have been responsible for a significant increase in NJPW World subscriptions in the UK a few years ago. He does seem to have cooled off quite a bit since turning heel, though. Between that and Becky Lynch's current run, it's pretty clear that wrestlers doing bad Conor McGregor impressions is not what fans want to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzalez Posted January 6, 2022 Report Share Posted January 6, 2022 27 minutes ago, NintendoLogic said: it's pretty clear that wrestlers doing bad Conor McGregor impressions is not what fans want to see. It’s funny cuz now apparently wrestlers now think doing bad Logan Paul impersonations is the way to go(I’ve seen a little bit of that guy AJ Styles is feuding with). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Migs Posted January 6, 2022 Report Share Posted January 6, 2022 I don't know if I'd draw any final conclusions on Ospreay's drawing power after this weird-ass year, with New Japan being in the weird-ass place it's in. But I certainly don't think he's proved much yet. When New Japan added him to the Strong shows in the US... they did the same terrible numbers they'd been doing. But also maybe no one was saving those shows (Jay White was on those shows too, and Suzuki). Same can probably be said of where the British indies are at right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo Slice Posted January 6, 2022 Report Share Posted January 6, 2022 Ospreay’s bigger issue is gassing up and cutting the worst promos imaginable to the point where he’s basically irredeemable at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted January 6, 2022 Report Share Posted January 6, 2022 Night 1 was a solid show with a great main event that still felt underwhelming by WK standards. Shingo and Okada have had a few great outings before this year but this match didn't feel at all on the level of Okada's WK outings with Tanahashi, Omega, Naito II or even Ospreay last year or this year. The undercard was also underwhelming although generally inoffensive. Generally, because Ishii/Evil was a colossal and insulting waste of a talent. I don't need Ishii booked in a featured role but he's one of the best wrestlers in the world over the last decade. If you're going to give him a singles title match on a big show, don't ruin it with the booking that's plagued the company over the last year and a half. Perhaps that's asking too much but it seemed like a kick in the nuts on this show. Night 2 was a lot better as I thought Okada/Ospreay was better than the night 1 main event and enjoyed Naito/Cobb more than anything else on either undercard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted January 6, 2022 Report Share Posted January 6, 2022 Meltzer is reporting that Shibata legitimately went off-script when he changed the rules of his match and everyone backstage was freaking out when it happened. So there you go. I suppose it could be an elaborate WCW-esque attempt to work the boys, but I doubt it. By the way, for you all you GWE voters, Dick Togo being the driving force behind the House of Torture surely has to be a black mark on his candidacy if not an outright disqualifier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzalez Posted January 6, 2022 Report Share Posted January 6, 2022 I have this fear Kidani will give Shibata the book, and we’ll all celebrate… Then all of a sudden random MMA matches, and realize we celebrated too soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strobogo Posted January 6, 2022 Report Share Posted January 6, 2022 Shibataism will save New Japan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzalez Posted January 6, 2022 Report Share Posted January 6, 2022 I could not understand him, But he was totally channeling Inoki with his cadence. If it was a shoot, then I feel like he’s taking his shot to get control of the book. To be honest that actually wouldn’t be a horrible thing at this point. This company really needs a very public way of saying “We are going to fix this”. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted January 7, 2022 Report Share Posted January 7, 2022 3 hours ago, NintendoLogic said: Meltzer is reporting that Shibata legitimately went off-script when he changed the rules of his match and everyone backstage was freaking out when it happened. So there you go. I suppose it could be an elaborate WCW-esque attempt to work the boys, but I doubt it. By the way, for you all you GWE voters, Dick Togo being the driving force behind the House of Torture surely has to be a black mark on his candidacy if not an outright disqualifier. Remember when Low Ki dressed up as Agent 47 without clearing it with the people backstage in what ended up being his last NJPW match? Fun times. Of course Shibata ain't going the same path but it's always fun to reminisce about wrestlers going into business for themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted January 7, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2022 I mean, Narita at least had to know right? I know Shibata is an excellent trainer but it seems odd that this is a shoot but somehow they were able to work an extended match with every spot going off without a hitch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzalez Posted January 7, 2022 Report Share Posted January 7, 2022 They are wrestlers. They can call it in the ring, but I have a feeling he told him the plan. He is basically his main trainer now, and Narita respects him. I’m sure the greater office also really likes Shibata a lot. Remember Kidani is the one that brought him back against the wishes of the roster at one time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted January 7, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2022 Also the announcers making multiple references to Shibata going in to business for himself seemed like a red flag because that's the cardinal rule that you don't call attention to it if that's really whats happening. I could see the initial "wtf" type reaction but no one was in their headsets telling them to chill? Seems like Kidani and Shibata probably agreed to give him a test run in a real match to see what would happen and agreed to pretend somehow he was able to pull a shoot. Kidani's reaction being all "Shibata, amirite?" seems like the complete opposite to how management in a Japanese company would react to that as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted January 7, 2022 Report Share Posted January 7, 2022 Just from the way it was shot and presented, I very much doubt it was a shoot, at least a complete shoot. Especially given this is New Japan. This promotion was built on this shit. Hell it nearly died due to this shit. I am very surprised Dave seems to have bought the "Shibata went into the business for himself" line without any skepticism. He has been in and around the business for so long, surely his bullshit detector should go off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strobogo Posted January 7, 2022 Report Share Posted January 7, 2022 Meltzer believes anything and everything told to him at face value when it comes to puro companies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kas Posted January 7, 2022 Report Share Posted January 7, 2022 He also thought that the injury was originally a work right? When it comes to Japan I take his news with a grain of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted January 7, 2022 Report Share Posted January 7, 2022 30 minutes ago, strobogo said: Meltzer believes anything and everything told to him at face value when it comes to puro companies That's really stupid of him then, I mean he covered Inokiism in real time, as well as all the 80s NJPW scandals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted January 7, 2022 Report Share Posted January 7, 2022 Speaking of Dave and Shibata, I know this is just Dave being a poor writer and needing editing, and he doesn't actually mean it literally, but good lord that image made me laugh so hard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzalez Posted January 7, 2022 Report Share Posted January 7, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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