Mootinie Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 Holy crap Rob Conway is still alive??? Honestly the amount of talent that guy had it was a shame that WWE didn't know how to use him. Yeah, he works primarily for the NWA now. He's a multiple time NWA World and NWA Tag Team champion. Anybody wanna explain this NEVER open weight belt? In 2010, New Japan set about starting a developmental territory as sorts and NEVER was born. In 2012, it got its own Championship, but they stopped running the events soon after and just had the belt defended on the main shows. Unlike the other championships that have weight classes, anybody can challenge for the NEVER Openweight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashasheen Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 In 2010, New Japan set about starting a developmental territory as sorts and NEVER was born. In 2012, it got its own Championship, but they stopped running the events soon after and just had the belt defended on the main shows. Unlike the other championships that have weight classes, anybody can challenge for the NEVER Openweight. Half the story though, in a sense. After Tomohiro Ishii got his hands on it, the championship's built up the reputation of being the "brawler's belt", featuring a lot of hard-hitting fights for it between Ishii and whoever they put up against him. Makabe looks to continue that reputation, and I'm personally hopeful they put it on Shibata next in IRL. Edit: Also, I don't think the Intercontinental title has a weight limit on it. Didn't Kota Ibushi first challenge for it when he was a junior heavyweight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mootinie Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 Half the story though, in a sense. After Tomohiro Ishii got his hands on it, the championship's built up the reputation of being the "brawler's belt", featuring a lot of hard-hitting fights for it between Ishii and whoever they put up against him. Makabe looks to continue that reputation, and I'm personally hopeful they put it on Shibata next in IRL. Edit: Also, I don't think the Intercontinental title has a weight limit on it. Didn't Kota Ibushi first challenge for it when he was a junior heavyweight? All Ishii matches are hard-hitting though, NEVER title or without. But certainly, it's the belt to win if you don't quite have the tools to be the World Champion or what have you, hence why it's perfect for the Yujiro's or the Honma's. In response to your second point: I think they've abolished the weight limits altogether to be honest. Now it's just a case of the fans being able to believe that you can hang with the bigger guys. Ibushi can, Naito can, and neither are really "heavyweights". Shibata is like, what, 210lbs? Heck, Matt Taven won the tag titles and he's certainly not a heavyweight. I think it's just how believable you are now, which is something I will fall in line with here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitarzu Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Considering how "heavyweights" like Marufuji and KENTA won the GHC World Heavyweight Title, now weight limits in Japan are more loose. Mootinie, I'm not prediticing in this diary but I will watch the show from the Tokyo Dome rafters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashasheen Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 As a sidenote, I hope one day Ishii & Nakamura team up full time as a tag team. CHAOS really needs a regular duo, and Nakamura's broken-down body would be better off in the tag-team division sooner or later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smurphy1014 Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Wrestle Kingdom 9 Predictions IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship Four Corners Tag Team Match reDRagon © vs. Forever Hooligan vs. Time Splitters vs. The Young Bucks Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomoaki Honma vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi and Tama Tonga) Comments: Eight Man Tag Team Match Toru Yano, Naomichi Marufuji, Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste vs. Suzuki-gun (Shelton X Benjamin, Takashi Iizuka, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) Comments: UWFI Rules Match (Submissions, Knockouts, Stoppages Only) Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Minoru Suzuki Comments: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship 'Funky Weapon' Ryusuke Taguchi © vs. 'The Cleaner' Kenny Omega Comments: NEVER Openweight Championship 'Stone Pitbull' Tomohiro Ishii © vs. 'Unchained King Kong' Togi Makabe Comments: IWGP Tag Team Championship Guns & Gallows (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) © vs. Meiyu Tag (Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata) Comments: Special Singles Match 'Stardust Genius' Tetsuya Naito vs. 'The Phenomenal One' A.J. Styles Comments: IWGP Intercontinental Championship 'King Of Strong Style' Shinsuke Nakamura © vs. 'The Golden Star' Kota Ibushi Comments: IWGP World Heavyweight Championship 'Once In A Century Talent' Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs. 'The Rainmaker' Kazuchika Okada Comments: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beejus Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Not going to jump into predictions yet, but I am going to be following. I tried to last time, but found myself unable to keep up very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Roguey Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship Four Corners Tag Team Match reDRagon © vs. Forever Hooligan vs. Time Splitters vs. The Young Bucks Comments: Going with the team I like the best here. Six Man Tag Team Match Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomoaki Honma vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi and Tama Tonga) Comments: Honmamania runs wild on the Bullet Club B-Team. Eight Man Tag Team Match Toru Yano, Naomichi Marufuji, Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste vs. Suzuki-gun (Shelton X Benjamin, Takashi Iizuka, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) Comments: YANO TO RU! UWFI Rules Match (Submissions, Knockouts, Stoppages Only) Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Minoru Suzuki Comments: Bonus points if you go white warlock style from WK9 this year. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship 'Funky Weapon' Ryusuke Taguchi © vs. 'The Cleaner' Kenny Omega Comments: Bullet Club start bringing home wins, especially against Captain Boring. NEVER Openweight Championship 'Stone Pitbull' Tomohiro Ishii © vs. 'Unchained King Kong' Togi Makabe Comments: I prefer Ishii over Makabe personally. IWGP Tag Team Championship Guns & Gallows (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) © vs. Meiyu Tag (Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata) Comments: Meiyu Tag is best tag. Special Singles Match 'Stardust Genius' Tetsuya Naito vs. 'The Phenomenal One' A.J. Styles Comments: Naito has more upside than Styles in terms of longevity so he gets my vote. IWGP Intercontinental Championship 'King Of Strong Style' Shinsuke Nakamura © vs. 'The Golden Star' Kota Ibushi Comments: Shinsuke retains, Kota's time will come. IWGP World Heavyweight Championship 'Once In A Century Talent' Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs. 'The Rainmaker' Kazuchika Okada Comments: Tanahashi IS NJPW. He's running at the top for a while brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R0x4ry Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship Four Corners Tag Team Match reDRagon © vs. Forever Hooligan vs. Time Splitters vs. The Young Bucks Comments: Going with the team I like the best here. Six Man Tag Team Match Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomoaki Honma vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi and Tama Tonga) Comments: Honmamania runs wild on the Bullet Club B-Team. Eight Man Tag Team Match Toru Yano, Naomichi Marufuji, Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste vs. Suzuki-gun (Shelton X Benjamin, Takashi Iizuka, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) Comments: YANO TO RU! UWFI Rules Match (Submissions, Knockouts, Stoppages Only) Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Minoru Suzuki Comments: Bonus points if you go white warlock style from WK9 this year. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship 'Funky Weapon' Ryusuke Taguchi © vs. 'The Cleaner' Kenny Omega Comments: Bullet Club start bringing home wins, especially against Captain Boring. NEVER Openweight Championship 'Stone Pitbull' Tomohiro Ishii © vs. 'Unchained King Kong' Togi Makabe Comments: I prefer Ishii over Makabe personally. IWGP Tag Team Championship Guns & Gallows (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) © vs. Meiyu Tag (Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata) Comments: Meiyu Tag is best tag. Special Singles Match 'Stardust Genius' Tetsuya Naito vs. 'The Phenomenal One' A.J. Styles Comments: Naito has more upside than Styles in terms of longevity so he gets my vote. IWGP Intercontinental Championship 'King Of Strong Style' Shinsuke Nakamura © vs. 'The Golden Star' Kota Ibushi Comments: Shinsuke retains, Kota's time will come. IWGP World Heavyweight Championship 'Once In A Century Talent' Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs. 'The Rainmaker' Kazuchika Okada Comments: Tanahashi IS NJPW. He's running at the top for a while brother. Im R0x4ry and lazy. so i just gonna copy these from hero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Whole Shebang Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Wrestle Kingdom 9 Predictions IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship Four Corners Tag Team Match reDRagon © vs. Forever Hooligan vs. Time Splitters vs. The Young Bucks Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomoaki Honma vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi and Tama Tonga) Comments: Eight Man Tag Team Match Toru Yano, Naomichi Marufuji, Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste vs. Suzuki-gun (Shelton X Benjamin, Takashi Iizuka, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) Comments: UWFI Rules Match (Submissions, Knockouts, Stoppages Only) Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Minoru Suzuki Comments: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship 'Funky Weapon' Ryusuke Taguchi © vs. 'The Cleaner' Kenny Omega Comments: NEVER Openweight Championship 'Stone Pitbull' Tomohiro Ishii © vs. 'Unchained King Kong' Togi Makabe Comments: IWGP Tag Team Championship Guns & Gallows (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) © vs. Meiyu Tag (Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata) Comments: Special Singles Match 'Stardust Genius' Tetsuya Naito vs. 'The Phenomenal One' A.J. Styles Comments: IWGP Intercontinental Championship 'King Of Strong Style' Shinsuke Nakamura © vs. 'The Golden Star' Kota Ibushi Comments: IWGP World Heavyweight Championship 'Once In A Century Talent' Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs. 'The Rainmaker' Kazuchika Okada Comments: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship Four Corners Tag Team Match reDRagon © vs. Forever Hooligan vs. Time Splitters vs. The Young Bucks Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomoaki Honma Comments: Eight Man Tag Team Match Suzuki-gun (Shelton X Benjamin, Takashi Iizuka, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) Comments: UWFI Rules Match (Submissions, Knockouts, Stoppages Only). Minoru Suzuki Comments: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship 'The Cleaner' Kenny Omega Comments: NEVER Openweight Championship Stone Pitbull' Tomohiro Ishii (c IWGP Tag Team Championship Meiyu Tag (Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata Comments: Special Singles Match 'Stardust Genius' Tetsuya Naito IWGP Intercontinental Championship 'The Golden Star' Kota Ibushi Comments: IWGP World Heavyweight Championship 'The Rainmaker' Kazuchika Okada Comments: Did this on my phone so apologies for any mistakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packerman120 Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship Four Corners Tag Team Match reDRagon © vs. Forever Hooligan vs. Time Splitters vs. The Young Bucks Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomoaki Honma vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi and Tama Tonga) Comments: Eight Man Tag Team Match Toru Yano, Naomichi Marufuji, Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste vs. Suzuki-gun (Shelton X Benjamin, Takashi Iizuka, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) Comments: UWFI Rules Match (Submissions, Knockouts, Stoppages Only) Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Minoru Suzuki Comments: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship 'Funky Weapon' Ryusuke Taguchi © vs. 'The Cleaner' Kenny Omega Comments: NEVER Openweight Championship 'Stone Pitbull' Tomohiro Ishii © vs. 'Unchained King Kong' Togi Makabe Comments: IWGP Tag Team Championship Guns & Gallows (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) © vs. Meiyu Tag (Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata) Comments: Special Singles Match 'Stardust Genius' Tetsuya Naito vs. 'The Phenomenal One' A.J. Styles Comments: IWGP Intercontinental Championship 'King Of Strong Style' Shinsuke Nakamura © vs. 'The Golden Star' Kota Ibushi Comments: IWGP World Heavyweight Championship 'Once In A Century Talent' Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs. 'The Rainmaker' Kazuchika Okada Comments: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mootinie Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 January 4th, 2015 - Wrestle Kingdom 9 http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/wk9.jpg "The WrestleMania Of Japan... Where The Ultimate Protagonist... Meets His Greatest Nemesis... Welcome To History In The Making..." Wrestle Kingdom 9 January 4th, 2015 Live On Pay-Per-View Sunday, Week 1, January 2015 Held at the Tokyo Dome in front of 43,942 fans! Show Rating: B+ PPV Buy-Rate: 2.26 This show increased our popularity in 29 regions. Commentary Team: Mauro Ranallo and Josh Barnett http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/ranallo.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/barnett.jpg http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/50pxnjpw.png IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship Four Corners Tag Team Match reDRagon © vs. Forever Hooligan vs. Time Splitters vs. The Young Bucks http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewTitles/iwgpjrtagteam.jpg http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/fish.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/oreilly.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/wk9vs.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/romero.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/koslov.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/wk9vs.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/kushidatag.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/shelley.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/wk9vs.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/mattjackson.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/nickjackson.jpg The perfect way to kick off any wrestling event, little guys moving very quickly with no regard for their own safety. Like last year's, there's a sense that a lot of what you are seeing is carefully cheorographed, but that doesn't detract from the excitement. The Superkick Party arrives just on time and the More Bang For Your Buck leaves Alex Shelley down staring at the lights. Match Time: 11:33 Rating: B- http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/50pxnjpw.png Six Man Tag Team Match Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomoaki Honma vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi and Tama Tonga) http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/tenzan.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/kojima.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/honma.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/wk9vs.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/fale.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/yujiro.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/tamatonga.jpg Originally the match for Jeff Jarrett and Yoshitatsu, but unforeseen circumstances have seen that one cancelled. The Bullet Club Hunter was taken out by A.J. Styles, and Jeff Jarrett is waiting for him to get healthy before he steps in an NJPW ring. Making the best of a disappointing situation, these six put on a relatively entertaining contest. It all comes screeching to a halt though, Honmamania runs wild and the underdog himself actually hits a Diving Kokeshi from the top rope! Much to the adulation of TenCozy and our capacity crowd, Honma pins Tama Tonga in the middle of the ring and actually wins a match for once! Match Time: 12:57 Rating: B- http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/50pxnjpw.png Eight Man Tag Team Match Toru Yano, Naomichi Marufuji, Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste vs. Suzuki-gun (Shelton X Benjamin, Takashi Iizuka, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/yano.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/marufuji.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/nicholls.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/haste.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/wk9vs.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/shelton.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/iizuka.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/dbsmithjr.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/lancearcher.jpg Yano welcomes his NOAH compratiots, let us forget he's probably feuded with them before. One might expect this to be a Marufuji & TMDK exhibition, but K.E.S. and Benjamin do their best to keep this one competitive. If only they didn't have to carry dead weight Takashi Iizuka, who is pinned after a Shiranui from Marufuji. K.E.S. scowl at TMDK, this chapter is far from closed. Match Time: 12:04 Rating: C+ http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/50pxnjpw.png UWFI Rules Match Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Minoru Suzuki http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/sakuraba.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/wk9vs.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/blondemisu.jpg Suzuki comes out fully decked in white gear with his hair dyed blonde, an intimidating sight to say the least but the 'Gracie Hunter' is not phased in the slighest. This match is being fought under UWFI rules, which means it can only end by submission, knockout or referee stoppage. Marty Asami is the official and he has to be vigilant as these two rivals battle in an old school mat classic. Sakuraba nearly finds a Triangle Choke but Suzuki gets to the ropes with his legs, leading Barnett to remark that he has "great ring awareness", whatever that's supposed to mean. Sakuraba nearly locks on a Kimura but Suzuki finds the ropes again. It's Sakuraba's turn to force a break when he shifts his body weight, leaving Suzuki to lock on a Rear Naked Choke too close to the ropes. Finally, the finish comes with the Saka Otoshi from Suzuki, a judo-flip-like inverted takeover into a sleeper, and Sakuraba promptly submits. That was a battle and both Suzuki and Sakuraba can feel it. They both require some medical attention. Amidst a sea of medical personnel, young lions and New Japan officials, the two rivals are still staring at one another. They both stand, and in the middle of the ring, Suzuki extends a hand. Sakuraba thinks about it, and shakes his hand as the two embrace! Mauro Ranallo compliments both of these 'legends' as they head back up the ramp talking to each other. Chapter closed. Match Time: 13:04 Rating: B- (match), C+ (handshake) http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/50pxnjpw.png IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Ryusuke Taguchi © vs. Kenny Omega http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewTitles/iwgpjrheavyweight.jpg http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/champtaguchi.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/wk9vs.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/kennyomega.jpg A rather flat match given the occasion. The action here was nothing too offensive, although one would argue that Taguchi's bum-based offence and Omega's chainsaw have no place in a wrestling ring. These two still have a fun match, culminating with 'The Cleaner' sweeping Taguchi away after a One Winged Angel to become the 70th IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion! Match Time: 12:45 Rating: C http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/50pxnjpw.png NEVER Openweight Championship Tomohiro Ishii © vs. Togi Makabe http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewTitles/neveropenweight.jpg http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/ishii.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/wk9vs.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/makabe.jpg We make a welcome return to form with the stiffest match on the card. A true hoss-fight, once we're through the preliminaries, the Tokyo Dome crowd are ooh'ing and ahh'ing with each loud impact. The forearm smashes and chops never stop, these two truly leave it all in the ring. Makabe looks to be coasting to victory after he hits a beautiful Spider German Suplex, but he misses the King Kong Knee Drop! It proves to be a fatal mistake, he favours the right knee as he tries to stand and Ishii smells blood. Despite still showing some resilience in the face of agony, Makabe succumbs to Ishii's signature Vertical Drop Brainbuster. Match Time: 15:24 Rating: B http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/50pxnjpw.png Ranallo's Insight: "Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows have held the IWGP Tag Team Championships for exactly one year today. After winning the 2013 World Tag League, they would go on to defeat the Killer Elite Squad at Wrestle Kingdom 8. Since then, they have completed six successful defences but this might just be their biggest challenge yet." IWGP Tag Team Championship Guns & Gallows © vs. Meiyu Tag http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewTitles/iwgptagteam.jpg http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/anderson.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/gallows.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/wk9vs.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/goto.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/shibata.jpg After some early dueling, it's the gaijin team of Guns & Gallows that seize the early initiative. They bend every rule in the book, diverting referee Red Shoes Unno's attention constantly to Katsuyori Shibata on the outside as they choke away at Hirooki Goto. The Tokyo Dome crowd grow restless watching this one-sided onslaught but once the hot tag is made, Shibata brings them to their feet as he tears through his two opponents with stiff kicks, hard lariats and brutal big boots. It's not long before this contest descends into chaos and the two teams just begin slugging it out in the ring. Ranallo, paying homage to Pacquiao/Marquez IV remarks that, "a fight has broken out in Tokyo!" We go back and forth as the champions get desperate, that is, until the challengers isolate Doc Gallows. A Go To Sleep from Shibata is followed by a Penalty Kick from Goto, who makes the cover for the victory. As Gallows and Anderson depart up the ramp, Goto and Shibata are handed their title belts as they celebrate in the ring. They strap them around their waist and sit cross-legged in the ring, soaking up this champagne moment. http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/newtagchampz.jpg This is very new for Shibata, who normally departs from the arena as soon as his match has finished, but this is his first ever Championship victory! He leaves the ring probably the happiest man in Japan right now. Match Time: 15:13 Rating: B (match), C+ (celebration) http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/50pxnjpw.png Special Singles Match Tetsuya Naito vs. A.J. Styles http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/naito2.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/wk9vs.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/styles.jpg As expected, this is a classy match, these are two incredibly gifted athletes and this contest quickly becomes a game of one-upmanship. There's very little to seperate these two, they're just as strong, fast and smart as each other but Naito feeds off the crowd and looks to be closing in on a massive victory. He climbs the top rope anticipating the fitting finale, a Stardust Press... http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/fale.jpg But Bad Luck Fale has other ideas, hopping up on the apron and sweeping Naito's left boot from under him. The 'Stardust Genius' takes a nasty tumble, crotching himself on the ropes. As he's bending forward trying to relieve the pain, Styles simply locks his hands around his waist, helping him down from that precarious position into an even more dangerous one... the Styles Clash connects and Bullet Club's main man covers to get back on track. Match Time: 15:59 Rating: B- http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/50pxnjpw.png Ranallo's Insight: "This is a long-awaited rematch from the 2013 G1 Climax. On that storied night, Nakamura bested the junior Ibushi in a Match Of The Year contender right after Tomohiro Ishii had defeated Katsuyori Shibata in a five-star classic. These two were set to clash in the 2014 G1 Climax, but injury forced Ibushi out of that competition. So here we are, at long last." IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match Shinsuke Nakamura © vs. Kota Ibushi http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewTitles/iwgpintercontinental.jpg http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/icshinsuke.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/wk9vs.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/kotaibushi.jpg After a video package introduces us to the story behind this match, the contrasting entrances of these two athletes tell a story all of their own. Ibushi, never one for much pageantry, comes down to the ring simply sporting a nice, new t-shirt. But Nakamura sports a crown and a robe with a custom-made titantron showing playing cards with all the men he has bested during many IWGP Intercontinental Championship contests. Is it false modesty? We waste little time getting to the meat and bones once this contest is underway. Nakamura takes the fight to the mat but still matches Ibushi strike for strike once both are back to a vertical base. Barnett observes that Ibushi's only advantage is his speed and athleticism and once he quickens the pace, it's clear that's where he'll find most success. Ibushi strings his offence together, working mainly in combinations - quick-fire strikes are followed by something painful, in one instance, a beautiful Corkscrew Moonsault that has the flash bulbs from photographers lighting all corners of the Dome. After disrespecting his opponent for most of the fight, Mauro Ranallo correctly observes that Nakamura has begun to wrestle a little more reservedly, going back to wrestling moves instead of letting Ibushi counter his strikes. An Inverted Powerslam is followed by a Backstabber - both draw near falls. Ibushi fights back with a insanely brutal theatric Lariat. Nakamura looks to be out cold and with the Tokyo Dome crowd rallying him on, the 'Golden Star' climbs up top. In a swift motion, Ibushi rotates into the Pheonix Splash - but finds only the canvas! As he clutches his ribs and attempts to stand, Nakamura damn near kills him with a Boma Ye to the back of the head! Barnett proclaims that Ibushi is out cold and he might be correct as Nakamura covers and Red Shoes Unno counts the two. After victory, Nakamura poses with his baby, the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. He asks for his crown and robe from ringside, and reaffirms his status as the King, the 'King Of Strong Style'. But for Ibushi, it's another heartbreaking defeat to Nakamura that leaves his transition to the Heavyweight division far from fairytale he would have dreamed about. Match Time: 21:59 Rating: B (entrances), B+ (match), B+ (celebration) http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/50pxnjpw.png Ranallo's Insight: This is the seventh meeting between these two athletes since their first match in February 2012. Okada has won three, Tanahashi has won two and during the 2013 G1 Climax, the two fought out a thirty minute time limit draw. IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs. Kazuchika Okada http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewTitles/iwgpheavyweight.jpg http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/champtanahashi.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/wk9vs.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/okada.jpg Before the bell rings, a video package covers the extensive history between these two. 'The Rainmaker' enters to money raining from the ceiling. Amid a sea of gold and white confetti, Kazuchika Okada is treated like the special talent he is. He's also holding a briefcase, letting everybody know that he won the 2014 G1 Climax and he's cashing in that contract tonight. Tanahashi enters The Dome to an extensive light show. A spotlight tracks his movement down the ramp and around the ringside area as he makes sure to high five all of his fans in the front row. The sound of the opening ring bell rings out across the Tokyo Dome as dueling chants for both of these fantastic athletes compete for a vocal majority. Soon thereafter, they jostle for position in a collar and elbow tie-up. As Okada backs Tanahashi into the corner, Ranallo observes that Okada has the leverage advantage thanks to his much larger 6ft 3in frame. As the wrestling begins, it quickly becomes clear that these two have faced each other many times before. Tanahashi zeroes in on Okada's right arm, looking to cut off the Rainmaker Lariat. On the flipside, Okada focuses his attack on the ribs and legs of his opponent, looking to not only shut down the High Fly Flow but also maximise the effectiveness of his Red Ink submission maneouver. As this battle wears on, Tanahashi's dexterity shines through. Although his offence isn't hit with the same power as Okada's, he's able to find counters to many of his opponent's signature moves: a neckbreaker out of the Heavy Rain, a sunset flip roll-up from Okada's Reverse Neckbreaker - combine these with his dodging of Rainmaker Lariats and the reversal of a Tombstone Piledriver and as Josh Barnett rightfully observes, eventually Okada will run out of ideas and that gas tank will read empty. The Challenger's class shows through though, his beautiful signature dropkick is met with adulation from the crowd as he sets up a third Rainmaker Lariat - but once again, Tanahashi counters, this time with a signature move of his own, the deadly Sling Blade! Okada's head hits the canvas with a mean, nasty thud. With his opponent downed and not even flinching, Tanahashi scales the top turnbuckle, leaping off with the High Fly Flow. He comes crashing down hard on Okada's ribs, and although the pain must be shooting through Tanahashi's muscular frame, he promptly makes the cover as legendary official Tiger Hattori counts the one, the two and the three. Match Time: 31:07 Rating: B+ (introductions), B+ (match) http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/50pxnjpw.png http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/champtanahashi.jpghttp://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/NewRoster/okada.jpg Tanahashi celebrates his victory, holding up the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the air. There's a sense of not only relief, but also arrogance to Tanahashi's body language as he celebrates, as if he's just humbled a very cocky young man. Defeat hits Okada hard... http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/okadacries.png He's an emotional wreck, covering his face to hide his tears. Not only mentally shattered, he's also physically broken. He collapses to the floor, wiping his tears on his arm as he falls to his knees. 'The Rainmaker' composes himself to leave as Tanahashi air guitars and celebrates to see us out. How will Okada bounce back? Who will challenge Tanahashi next? Find out tomorrow at New Year Dash! Rating: B http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/50pxnjpw.png Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncrewed Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Damn good show! Great to see you back to booking NJPW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecoolestjedi12 Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Ah yeah Shibata as Champ=Happy Life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Roguey Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 I forgot just how hilarious that moment was with Shibata and Goto post-match/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mootinie Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 Wrestle Kingdom 9 Prediction Results Damn good show! Great to see you back to booking NJPW Thanks man, glad you enjoyed it. Ah yeah Shibata as Champ=Happy Life It was never in doubt. Guns & Gallows are terrible, they're the worst IWGP Tag Champs I've seen since Team 3D were stinking up the joint. I forgot just how hilarious that moment was with Shibata and Goto post-match/ I was super shocked when I did my research and saw that he had never held a title before... it was a nice moment yeah, especially since Shibata has a reputation for just straight up leaving right immediately after his hand is raised. Anyway, a few things to note: Nakamura vs. Ibushi was Match Of The Night scoring 87. Tanahashi vs. Okada scored a slightly disappointing 84, I expected higher. Styles vs. Naito was all the way down at 76. A lot of penalties: momentum, gimmicks, commentary. All stuff that will be remedied over time. Onto the prediction results: MHero: 8 R0x4ry: 8 Uncrewed: 7 Blodyxe: 7 Kijar: 7 daulten6: 6 Crackerjack: 6 Wolfman84: 6 (Good to see you again ) smurphy1014: 6 The Final Countdown: 6 Packerman120: 6 The Whole Shebang: 5 thecoolestjedi12: 4 The Lloyd: 3 Thanks all for predicting. I think I'll run some kind of prediction prize following the New Japan Cup. Those of you with low scores need not worry, I have some six shows to run before the contest will end and one of those is a knockout tournament so the scores should get real interesting at that point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashasheen Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Meiyu Tag better have a long-ass run. Also, what database is this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mootinie Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 Meiyu Tag better have a long-ass run. Also, what database is this? I'm using Fleisch's January 2015, but I'll be honest and say I've made a lot of changes to stats and such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mootinie Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/nyd.jpg New Year Dash January 5th, 2015 Just 24 hours removed from Wrestle Kingdom 9, we're live from the Ryogoku Kokugikan for the annual New Year Dash. The Road To The New Beginning starts here. In our main event of the evening, Bullet Club look to topple three New Japan fan favourites in their quest for rematches. Elsewhere, a team of veterans seek to score a major upset over the CHAOS unit. Rob Conway looks to best a New Japan Pro-Wrestling Legend, and both Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito look to bounce back from defeats in Six Man Tag action. New Year Dash Predictions Eight Man Tag Team Match Time Splitters, Jushin Thunder Liger & Takaaki Watanabe vs. Tiger Mask IV, Captain New Japan, El Desperado & Sho Tanaka Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Forever Hooligan & Jado vs. The Young Bucks & Tama Tonga Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Tetsuya Naito, Tomoaki Honma & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Kenny Omega) Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Satoshi Kojima, BUSHI & Yohei Komatsu vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Gedo & YOSHI-HASHI) Comments: NWA World Heavyweight Championship Rob Conway © vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Togi Makabe vs. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Bullet Club (A.J. Styles, Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) Comments: http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q685/RynWlsn/NJPW%202015/50pxnjpw.png Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Roguey Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 New Year Dash Predictions Eight Man Tag Team Match Time Splitters, Jushin Thunder Liger & Takaaki Watanabe vs. Tiger Mask IV, Captain New Japan, El Desperado & Sho Tanaka Comments: I bloody hate Captain New Japan. Six Man Tag Team Match Forever Hooligan & Jado vs. The Young Bucks & Tama Tonga Comments: Bucks got the win at Wrestle Kingdom and Tama is more useful than Jado. And has better face-paint. Six Man Tag Team Match Tetsuya Naito, Tomoaki Honma & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Kenny Omega) Comments: Only saving grace on the Bullet Club B squad here is Omega but the mixture of Naito and HONMAMANIA!~ overrule him. Six Man Tag Team Match Satoshi Kojima, BUSHI & Yohei Komatsu vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Gedo & YOSHI-HASHI) Comments: If Kojima had a better team, I MIGHT have swung for him given that Okada's on his losing streak but he's with BUSHI and a young lion. Only way he wins is if CHAOS no show. NWA World Heavyweight Championship Rob Conway © vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan Comments: Tenzan wins the belt, ends the whole NWA in NJPW mess quickly so Rob Conway never is seen again. Six Man Tag Team Match Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Togi Makabe vs. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) Comments: YANO TO-RU! Six Man Tag Team Match Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Bullet Club (A.J. Styles, Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) Comments: Hard choice here but I think Bullet Club take it to give AJ some leverage over Tanerhashi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Lloyd Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 New Year Dash Predictions Eight Man Tag Team Match Time Splitters, Jushin Thunder Liger & Takaaki Watanabe vs. Tiger Mask IV, Captain New Japan, El Desperado & Sho Tanaka Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Forever Hooligan & Jado vs. The Young Bucks & Tama Tonga Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Tetsuya Naito, Tomoaki Honma & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Kenny Omega) Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Satoshi Kojima, BUSHI & Yohei Komatsu vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Gedo & YOSHI-HASHI) Comments: NWA World Heavyweight Championship Rob Conway © vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Togi Makabe vs. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Bullet Club (A.J. Styles, Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) Comments: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blodyxe Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Eight Man Tag Team Match Time Splitters, Jushin Thunder Liger & Takaaki Watanabe vs. Tiger Mask IV, Captain New Japan, El Desperado & Sho Tanaka Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Forever Hooligan & Jado vs. The Young Bucks & Tama Tonga Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Tetsuya Naito, Tomoaki Honma & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Kenny Omega) Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Satoshi Kojima, BUSHI & Yohei Komatsu vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Gedo & YOSHI-HASHI) Comments: NWA World Heavyweight Championship Rob Conway © vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Togi Makabe vs. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Bullet Club (A.J. Styles, Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) Comments: Nice show too, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packerman120 Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Eight Man Tag Team Match Time Splitters, Jushin Thunder Liger & Takaaki Watanabe vs. Tiger Mask IV, Captain New Japan, El Desperado & Sho Tanaka Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Forever Hooligan & Jado vs. The Young Bucks & Tama Tonga Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Tetsuya Naito, Tomoaki Honma & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Kenny Omega) Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Satoshi Kojima, BUSHI & Yohei Komatsu vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Gedo & YOSHI-HASHI) Comments: NWA World Heavyweight Championship Rob Conway © vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan Comments: SAVE US MOOT! Six Man Tag Team Match Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Togi Makabe vs. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) Comments: Six Man Tag Team Match Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Bullet Club (A.J. Styles, Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) Comments: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashasheen Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 I'm using Fleisch's January 2015, but I'll be honest and say I've made a lot of changes to stats and such. What kind of changes? Also, any thoughts on grabbing Seiya Sanada? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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