The Puroresu (Japanese Wrestling) thread

leggo

Half of his commentary was him just moaning and throwing digs. They're doing the end of show angle, which is really effective and absolutely throwing everything up in the air, and he just complains that it's running long because he wants to get paid and go home. I don't see the purpose of him being there when they have Kevin Kelly and Don Callis, two ex-WWE guys who have their own name value and recognisability, and clearly absolutely love the product! Guessing Mark Cuban and the other AXS bigwigs are just marks for hanging out with JR and getting old WWF road stories, it's the only thing that makes sense tbh.

CastorTroy

Think I saw somewhere that Callis mightn't be able to do it due to his Impact contract

leggo

That’s a good shout actually, I do forget it’s an AXS show because I watch everything through World. Even using Rocky on colour or even Barnett with KK would be better though.

den87

G1 time of year is the best time of year

den87

G1 time of year is the best time of year

Neil3030

im still catching up - only on day 3. really enjoying it.

Neil3030

Just finished night 3 and so much happening:

Jay White is really getting over as the top heel in the company. Hard to fathom how much he has developed since losing to Tanahashi in January - and that he's still only 25! And the feud with Okada for the leadersihp of Caos is the ideal angle for the latter following his loss of the title.

ZSJ is another guy really shining in this G1, I have always enjoyed his matches but he is slowing working his way into the top tier.

The Bullet Club OGs angle is also being pushed properly, with Tama looking more and more legit, with the backing of Loa and Fale. Nice feud brewing with the Golden Elite.

Hangman Page is also developing nicely. I don't think he'll ever make it to the very top, but he is having good matches and no longer looks out of place against the top main event guys.

Ali Bomaye

The Ibushi Ishii match from last Saturday is my match of the year so far. Ishii is so damn good, without doubt the MVP of the tournament, and I'd have Ibushi in second.

The last two matches from today's show are must see. I'm sure the Omega Ishii match will be considered match of the year by many, my favourite of their matches together. Then Ibushi vs Naito in the main event was top class too, some crazy looking head drops in that one.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing how wild Omega and Ibushi get in their match at Budokan next Saturday.

ERG89

Really enjoyed what I've seen so far(hard to find time).
So far Fale is having his worst G1 I've seen but somehow Tama Tonga has been even worse.

Clegg

Tbh I'm beginning to fall out of love with Puro. It's still the best wrestling on the planet but the amount of dangerous neck bumps are becoming too frequent to ignore. Ibushi v Naito from the other night was an incredible match but features two bumps that were absolutely unsafe to take. I worry this is going to lead to tragedy.

Tanahashi has been very vocal about this sort of thing. He's a big critic of the ever increasing risks guys like Omega, Ibushi and Naito are taking. Which is a bit ironic coming from a guy who loves frogsplashing from the top rope to the floor, but at least it isn't a bump where you land on your head.

antrim14

Clegg wrote: »

Tbh I'm beginning to fall out of love with Puro. It's still the best wrestling on the planet but the amount of dangerous neck bumps are becoming too frequent to ignore. Ibushi v Naito from the other night was an incredible match but features two bumps that were absolutely unsafe to take. I worry this is going to lead to tragedy.

Tanahashi has been very vocal about this sort of thing. He's a big critic of the ever increasing risks guys like Omega, Ibushi and Naito are taking. Which is a bit ironic coming from a guy who loves frogsplashing from the top rope to the floor, but at least it isn't a bump where you land on your head.

Yes, there are a lot of neck and head bumps in the bigger singles matches, especially anything involving Naito, Ibushi, Kenny and even Okada (he took a really bad one in the first Omega match at WK last year). The same thing happened in AJPW / NOAH in the 90s and early to mid 2000s. The four pillars of AJPW (Misawa, Kawade, Kobashi and Taue) destroyed themselves in the ring for nearly 20 years and Misawa actually died in the ring due to a bad dump which was so heart breaking. The NJPW guys need to be careful - I understand that they want to put on the most entertaining matches possible but it shouldn't be at the risk of their long term health.

Aside from that I'm really loving the G1 this year. This is the third G1 since I became a fan of NJPW two and a half years ago and I think this one is shaping to be the best I've seen so far. Ishii/Ibushi and Ishii/Kenny were so brutal and entertaining. My friend, who had never watched an NJPW match in his life and hasn't watched wrestling in years, watched the Ishii/Ibushi match with me and he though it was amazing.
In A Block I think Evil beats Jay White and Okada beats Tanahashi which means Okada goes to the final. The only thing that Okada hasn't done in his rivalry with Tanahasi is beat him within the 30 minute time limit at the G1 which I think he does this year. I don't think it makes any sense for Tanahashi to win at this stage. Yes him and Omega is a fresh match but it's a match that they can have at another time. I really think that Tanahashi is at the stage of his career where the best thing for him is to be the main eventer who is still a threat and can still win himself a title shot here and there but not actually be the champion. Ultimately he is there to put over the next generation of stars and it appears that he is more than happy to do so.

 In B Block I think Ibushi beats Omega and goes to the final against Okada where Okada wins. It still means that Ibushi gets his title shot against Omega down the line - possibly at King of Pro Wrestling in the Autumn. Okada can spend the time between the G1 and Wrestle Kingdom feuding with Jay White over the Chaos leadership (if they don't swerve us and have him join Tama's Bullet Club). White pinned Okada during the G1 which sets up a match between them over Okada's briefcase should he win the G1. Fale will also get a shot at the briefcase too which might lead to more Bullet Club shenanigans.

If Okada does win the G1 this will set up the 5th and final Okada Omega match at Wrestle Kingdom 13. My prediction is that they put on another all time classic and that Okada finally kicks out of the One Winged Angel and then proceeds to take Kenny's head off with a (wrist clutch) Rainmaker and gets his belt and the status of company ace back.

This probably won't happen at all but it's always fun to make predictions

Lithium93_

So the G1 is over for another year, and the first match & main event for WrestleKingdom 13 is set for January 4th 2019.

IWGP Heavyweight Champion
Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanashashi

,

antrim14

Lithium93_ wrote: »

So the G1 is over for another year, and the first match & main event for WrestleKingdom 13 is set for January 4th 2019.

IWGP Heavyweight Champion
Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanashashi

,

Unless G1 winner loses his briefcase before WK 13, which has never happened. Always a first time!

sky88

antrim14 wrote: »

Unless G1 winner loses his briefcase before WK 13, which has never happened. Always a first time!

i really think this is whats going to happen

Clegg

Feck it.

We're air guitaring all the way to Wrestle Kingdom boys.

antrim14

Who knows what Gedo has planned. Tanahashi vs Omega is a fresh match up I suppose, definitely the freshest match up out of the four top guys. They've only ever had one singles match, a couple of years ago just after Omega had transitioned from the Junior to Heavyweight division. It was an OK match, Tana was beat up as hell and recovering from a couple of pretty big injuries. I think this one, should it go ahead, could be an epic.

One thing is for certain, the crowd still LOVES Tanahashi. They were fully behind him when he faced Okada and against Ibushi. He can still go and, despite what I said previously, he really does deserve another chance to headline the biggest show of the year.

ERG89

IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title Brackets
https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1031432008323350533?s=19


Destruction show cards.
Sep 15th Night 1: Ishii vs Omega IWGP heavyweight title.
Sep 15th Night 2: Naito vs Suzuki
Sep 23rd Night 3: Tanahashi vs Okada WK 13 rights on the line


https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1031464658417270790?s=19

Neil3030

Finally finished the G1 - the first one I've watched in full, including the opening tags. Outstanding, incredible, perfectly executed, just fantastic entertainment that I could just sit back and enjoy. I'll sorely miss it. Seriously, if you've never given NJPW a chance, just pay the 10eur or whatever it is for this month, and treat yourself to nearly a month's worth of well booked, no bull**** pro wrestling, featuring the best in the game today.

Clegg

Hideo Itami v Marufuji is on youtube for anyone who wants to watch it.

It's a tremendous match and you just highlights the fct that Itami is being utterly wasted by WWE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ1gYnNHqt0

ERG89

https://twitter.com/njpwworld/status/1059326416456638464?s=19

Ali Bomaye

Looking forward to actually getting to the Tanahashi Omega match because the build is insufferable. I'm kind of at the stage now where I'd rather if Omega just went to WWE. Him cutting promos talking about average star ratings and now this feud with Tanahashi based around who has the better style and better matches is crap.

3 way for the Junior Tag Title is lazy booking, kind of defeats the purpose of the tournament they just had.

The build for for Okada vs White has been very good. Naito going for the Intercontinental Title again is a bit meh. Kushida vs Ishimori should be very good.

sky88

Omega has been doing my head in the last year just doesnt have the same appeal for me. Still looking forward to the match cause he still puts on amazing matches and most of all tana is my favourite Japanese wrestler.

The rest of the card im just not feeling ive serious go away heat with switchblade just does nothing for me. Jericho/naito 1st match was not good.

Somedaythefire

sky88 wrote: »

Omega has been doing my head in the last year just doesnt have the same appeal for me. Still looking forward to the match cause he still puts on amazing matches and most of all tana is my favourite Japanese wrestler.

The rest of the card im just not feeling ive serious go away heat with switchblade just does nothing for me. Jericho/naito 1st match was not good.

Yeah the build is terrible and Omega has done a fabulous job at making me not care about him at all. He's had a horrible reign so I'm hoping Tana takes the belt.

Lithium93_

Complaining about the build to an event still 2 months away? NJPW plan precisely, ya know let things simmer.

Coming off the back of Okada's long run with the Championship, I mean 720 days, that'd be a shadow on anyone's reign.

Ali Bomaye

Lithium93_ wrote: »

Complaining about the build to an event still 2 months away? NJPW plan precisely, ya know let things simmer.

Coming off the back of Okada's long run with the Championship, I mean 720 days, that'd be a shadow on anyone's reign.

I'm complaining extra about the Omega Tanahashi build because of the thought that it'a still two months away, meaning another two months of Omega's worked shoot nonsense. The way they're talking it seems the real drama of the match will be them arguing about match strcuture in the back.

And Omega's title reign has been a huge disappointment so far. Nonsensical having Cody get two shots at the title, including a freaking triple threat match. His title defence against Ishii was the weakest they've had together, granted the bar was set extremely high. He also hasn't conducted himself very well, insulting fans on twitter comes off so small time, and burying the rest of the roster for working the Power Struggle tour, worked shoot or not, just seemed needless.

Somedaythefire

Lithium93_ wrote: »

Complaining about the build to an event still 2 months away? NJPW plan precisely, ya know let things simmer.

Coming off the back of Okada's long run with the Championship, I mean 720 days, that'd be a shadow on anyone's reign.

I've not a problem with what New Japan are doing in ring, or in show. My problem is Omega's carry on outside of that. His crap on twitter and with Jericho is great an all for the BTE followers (I liked the show but fell off it a couple of months back) but for actual wrestling, it's been crap. Not to mention the constant will he / won't he re-sign with New Japan that's kind of stifled the whole thing.



The BC vs Elite thing has been terribly handled as well. It's just kind of fizzled out and is done now with the Elite being a separate thing.


Basically I want Kenny to stop this fake "shoot" nonsense and just be a kayfabe character again, it's taking away my enjoyment.


Re: his reign, there hasn't been a single must see match from him with the belt on the line so far. I just want him to have cracking matches and a good character without the outside nonsense.

ERG89

Kota Ibushi vs Will Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom, legit can't remember the last time I anticipated a match this much

ERG89

Wrestle Kingdom 13 Main Card:

Never Openweight Championship:

Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will Ospreay

IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship:
Kanemaru/Desperado (c) vs. Shingo/Bushi vs. Roppongi 3K

IWGP US Championship:
Cody (c) vs. Juice Robinson

Rev Pro British Heavyweight Championship:
Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.


IWGP Tag Team Championship:

Guerillas of Destiny (c) vs. Sanada/Evil vs. The Young Bucks

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship:
KUSHIDA (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori

Singles Match:
Kazuchika Okada vs Jay White

IWGP IC Championship:
Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito

IWGP Heavyweight Championship:
Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Ali Bomaye

So NJPW had a 14 team round robin tournament for World Tag League and then immediately rendered the tournament to be pretty much meaningless by having the Bucks waltz out to book themselves in the tag title match at WrestleKingdom, despite only joining the tour on the final night. This was stupid even by NJPW's own standards in setting up title challengers.

Having said that, that WrestleKingdom card is spectacular. Two Korakuen Hall shows left to build to it, coming up Friday and Saturday. Tanahashi & Ospreay vs Omega & Ibushi is the main event on Saturday which should be incredible and start getting me hyped for the Dome main event after what has been a fairly awful build to Omega Tanahashi so far.

sky88

Really feel the booking hasn't been great since wrestlekingdom this year but tag set up was just stupid even though the bucks being in it makes it better

Although as much as I think the build hasn't been great the card looks phenomnal osprey/ibushi will steal the show