Dalton Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 That's his character. He isn't even that entertaining when he doesn't complain about things. We should see the bigger picture, the long term conclusion of what happened today. I'm more excited about that than having Naito with some more filler defences until he face Okada again. So the golden question is, will the inevitable EVIL/Naito rematch be for the title(s), or will Naito cost him the title(s) to someone like Okada, before facing him? My very early prediction is that Naito causes EVIL to lose the IWGP HW title to someone EVIL lost to in the G1 (which would be the first time that has happened I believe?), leading to a Naito/EVIL match at Wrestle Kingdom, either for the IC title or no title, depending on if EVIL also loses that before WK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnforcerM Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 I was not happy with the match. I'm iffy on EVIL as champ only because I feel they keep booking Naito badly. Like NJPW doesn't appreciate Naito at all. But the bigger thing is, how can any logical fan NOT think LIJ is dead in the water now? SANADA had a reason to help Naito against EVIL and didn't show up. A fake BUSHI showed up, but the real one didn't come out. No Shingo, either. The only person who did show up was Hiromu (most entertaining man in NJPW). To me, LIJ no longer exists. If I were Hiromu I would have gone to the locker room and beat the hell out of SANADA and BUSHI and Shingo for not helping. The layout of the match was beyond bad. And yes, the turn should have happened there. Also, Dick Togo is old and useless and I can't bring myself to care one bit about him. Bullet Club is also a mere shadow of its former self and basically a C-Level stable now. EVIL is the only big name in it currently because of COVID. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makhai Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 I was not happy with the match. I'm iffy on EVIL as champ only because I feel they keep booking Naito badly. Like NJPW doesn't appreciate Naito at all. But the bigger thing is, how can any logical fan NOT think LIJ is dead in the water now? SANADA had a reason to help Naito against EVIL and didn't show up. A fake BUSHI showed up, but the real one didn't come out. No Shingo, either. The only person who did show up was Hiromu (most entertaining man in NJPW). To me, LIJ no longer exists. If I were Hiromu I would have gone to the locker room and beat the hell out of SANADA and BUSHI and Shingo for not helping. The layout of the match was beyond bad. And yes, the turn should have happened there. Also, Dick Togo is old and useless and I can't bring myself to care one bit about him. Bullet Club is also a mere shadow of its former self and basically a C-Level stable now. EVIL is the only big name in it currently because of COVID. Looks at unemployment list, I think that stable is going to be just fine soon enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 I know the six man belts are basically meaningless, but Yoshi freaking Hashi? He's so bad. At least Chase lost in the first round of the USA New Japan Cup to sort of even things out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalton Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 I know the six man belts are basically meaningless, but Yoshi freaking Hashi? He's so bad. At least Chase lost in the first round of the USA New Japan Cup to sort of even things out At first glance, I think Okada's team should've won to 1.) Give him something to do, 2.) Elevate the belts from negative prestige, and 3.) Keep Y-H away from a title. Honestly the EVIL turn was a perfect opportunity to just retire them. They're pointless. Unless they now have a plan for the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Roguey Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 I like Yoshi-Hashi and the story they built of him getting his first title in New Japan was at least pretty decent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGN91 Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 Honestly the EVIL turn was a perfect opportunity to just retire them. They're pointless. Unless they now have a plan for the future. Definetly. I like Yoshi-Hashi and the story they built of him getting his first title in New Japan was at least pretty decent. Definetly². I don't know why Y-H gets so much hate from the north american community, it's unbelievable. I'm not a Y-H fan or something like that, but he's a decent worker bee and can go a couple of times a year. They're guys on the roster who are much worse than him tbh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 They're guys on the roster who are much worse than him tbh. Other than Taichi, who is worse? Chase Owens would be on that list too. I can't think of anyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalton Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 Other than Taichi, who is worse? Chase Owens would be on that list too. I can't think of anyone else. Master Wato? I kid I resubscribed to NJPWWorld, I'm about to check out NJPW Strong and probably watch the Lion's Collision or whatever as well. I was relying on Reddit highlights for awhile so being able to watch these in their entirety is going to be awesome. I wish they'd make this website more friendly for English readers, especially with how hard they are trying to expand into the USA right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalton Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 <p>Jay White's teases for 8/29 coincides with Summer Struggle in Jingu. Soo, are they just super confident that he'll be able to make it to Japan by then?</p><p> </p><p> And I wonder what the plan is for his return. Shoot right back up to the world title scene? Maybe Okada again?</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bestia Negra Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 When is the NJPW USA thing starting? So sick of WWE/NXT and AEW, can't wait to (hopefully) watch something serious again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingster Posted August 27, 2020 Share Posted August 27, 2020 When is the NJPW USA thing starting? So sick of WWE/NXT and AEW, can't wait to (hopefully) watch something serious again. To be honest, I think the NJPW USA thing is just their way of promoting their USA shows. I doubt they'll actually start with their own seperate roster for the U.S. However, there's now a weekly show from their U.S. base on NJPW World, called "NJPW Strong". It runs every Friday Night ET, so that might fit your needs. Due to the COVID situation, it's filled with quite a few indy guys, though. So, it's not your typical New Japan show. But it's an easy hour to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CQI13 Posted August 27, 2020 Share Posted August 27, 2020 When is the NJPW USA thing starting? So sick of WWE/NXT and AEW, can't wait to (hopefully) watch something serious again. You also have NJPW World if that's more your thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bestia Negra Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 Thanks guys, I'll check that out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milamber Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 They did just run a New Japan Cup 2020 USA and KENTA teased a title match with Moxley on twitter. https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2020/08/kenta-talks-wanting-to-become-first-japanese-wrestler-to-673857/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 <p>G1 starts in the morning and this is one of my favorite times to be a wrestling fan.</p><p> </p><p> First show matches I'm looking forward to:</p><p> Ishii vs Minoru Suzuki</p><p> Shingo vs Jay White</p><p> Okada vs Ibushi</p><p> </p><p> Everything else looks fine, but those three matches have MOTY potential.</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CQI13 Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 Am I correct in understanding that NJPW has faces/heels? How does G1 work, if it's a round robin (face/face, heel/heel)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogue Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 Am I correct in understanding that NJPW has faces/heels? How does G1 work, if it's a round robin (face/face, heel/heel)? Loosely, because even Tanahashi played the heel in a recent New Japan Cup match against Juice Robinson (last year I want to say?) Only genuine heel stables are Bullet Club and Suzuki-Gun to a slightly lesser extent . It's so competition-based feel-wise over there though that you won't see any Fingerpoke of Doom type antics between factions. Everyone has something to prove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnforcerM Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 Some spoilers, but it's been several days, and I am flustered, so... Am I the only one disappointed with the G1 this year? It started great, but I feel it fell apart completely on Night 17. Allow me to elaborate. First off, Ospreay and Okada had what is likely to be the Match of the Year. This made me wonder why it wasn't the main event. Ishii and White didn't come close, neither did Ibushi and Taichi. Furthermore, I can't find any instance where this lineup makes sense in any way. It struck me as baffling that they would put the climax of the show before the two matches that decide the block. Also, I can't be the only person who finds Kota Ibushi to be boring, uninspired, and lacking in star power and charisma. He's a wooden board. The only time he's fun to watch is with better wrestlers like Ospreay, and he isn't a main event level potential right now from what I see. Yet not only did they bury the most exciting thing on the midcard, they had him win the whole thing effectively in the next to last match, then ended it with a clunker between White and Ishii that had no drama whatsoever. Baffling. Then they botched Night 18 by basically either giving away the result of the final or guaranteeing a boring WrestleKingdom main event (unless someone takes the contract later). Sanada won't beat Ibushi, and even if he does, Sanada vs. Naito isn't an exciting match. I thought for sure they'd do the "smart" thing that they've seemingly set up since prior to COVID. I feel the best thing for business would have been a Naito win of the G1, followed by him calling out Hiromu Takahashi for WrestleKingdom. That would be exciting to watch. Now we get Sanada or Ibushi unless someone else takes the contract before then, and there is little time left due to the COVID delays, so I felt completely deflated and worse still bored by what happened on Nights 17 and 18. So much so I'm not sure I care about the final. Looking at tonight's card, it looks boring. Just... boring. I would have been more excited for Taichi to take on Yano in the finals, truth be told. I can't be the only one feeling this way, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 <p>Due to personal issues I wasn't able to watch any G1, but I really wish Sanada would have won. I think him and Naito would have put on a barn burner of a match.</p><p> </p><p> Kota vs Naito just scares me. They do too many risky head drops.</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogue Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 <p>SANADA's going to be a star, but I don't think he's at that point yet to headline the Dome. I still think they should put the NEVER belt on him or split up the HW and IC belts and give him an IC title run to at least prep him for a run with the big belt. I still think he'd be a more believable champion than EVIL. I couldn't get behind his brief run/current push at all.</p><p> </p><p> Naito vs. Ibushi is still a big-name matchup that is sure to put on a great match. I'm intrigued to see how they're going to pull off the two-night Wrestle Kingdom this time around with the belts still being on one guy though.</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 <p>Naito could always drop the IC at a show before WK. I honestly don't know what big shows are left before WK though.</p><p> </p><p> Are they still doing World Tag League this year?</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogue Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 <p>Yes, World Tag League's back this year. Combo tour with Best of the Super Juniors.</p><p> </p><p> Only tour besides that is the Power Struggle tour. If I had to guess, Naito will defend the title(s) against SANADA and Ibushi will defend the G1 briefcase against Jay White at the tour finale.</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnforcerM Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Dang I guess I am the only one that finds Kota Ibushi to be boring as a brick. Ah well. Maybe if I hear Ibushi loses the briefcase I'll think about subbing again, otherwise I guess I'll be without wrestling for a little bit. I still think the money match is Naito v Hiromu, but it'll never happen now I don't think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Naito is defending both belts against Evil at Power Struggle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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