- Joined
- Apr 16, 2016
- Messages
- 44,086
- Reaction score
- 19,646
- Points
- 128
- Location
- New Brunswick, Canada
- Favorite Wrestler
-
- Favorite Wrestler
-
- Favorite Wrestler
-
- Favorite Wrestler
-
- Favorite Wrestler
-
- Favorite Wrestler
-
- Favorite Sports Team
-
- Favorite Sports Team
-
- Favorite Sports Team
-
- Favorite Sports Team
-
Sometimes there's a wrestler you appreciate the work of but you feel their position on the card isn't reflected of what they can be. 2024 we've seen several wrestlers get placed in a higher spotlight from LA Knight to Chad Gable in WWE getting singles opportunities which raised their profile despite losing, to AEW/ROH having Eddie Kingston win the ROH and NJPW Strong titles at the same show. Now this push doesn't necessarily need to result in a world title, unbeaten streak, or becoming the ultimate slayer getting the money, fame, and the girl, but ideally, the person will need some wins, or spotlight.
I think keep it to companies you pay attention to and maybe for WWE you can list one per a brand. The rules don't need to be strict.
Here's mine:
WWE:
Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke's main roster WWE career on paper seems alright with multiple mid-card title reigns, a tag reign, and a Royal Rumble win, but most title reigns he rarely if ever defended on PPV and didn't have many breakthrough feuds, with the dream AJ Styles feud rarely building off of their Japanese history and instead being about dick punching. Since Triple H took over he's slowly worked to rehab Shinsuke and right now he is in a better place. Had a world title feud with Seth and has a nice layer to his character with him primarily cutting Japanese promos backstage, showing a darker side and letting him show some more of his raw charisma. I think he's positioned now in the upper card, but in the new year I want to see him do more than just put people over. I want to see him win a program with a meaningful win. The arrival of Punk and the inevitable rise of GUNTHER has seemingly locked him out of two of the current titles on Raw, but I hope they can find something for the King of Strong style to sink his teeth into in 2024.
AEW:
Keith Lee:
Don't you forget about Keith. I think Keith got off to a great start in AEW with his tag partnering with Swerve really working and an insane angle to break it up. But since I feel he's been a bit lost with some flashes of brilliance. Some people say it is likely due to health related issues with the long-term effects of his rough battle with COVID which likely can explain some times he's been inactive, though is just speculation. But he also was in a tag team with Dustin which didn't go far, his feud with Swerve was abandoned, he tried some things to mix up his look, like embracing the grey hair and wearing a robe, but didn't work. But when he's allowed to go, he can still go well. Him hinting at reigniting his feud with Swerve is a long-time coming and Swerve has been killing it, but I hope he can build some momentum this coming year beyond it.
New Japan:
Taichi:
Hon mention to his former Dangerous Tekkers partner, ZSJ who can fill a Gaijin void when Ospreay becomes All Elite, but Taichi has steadily improved over the past several years and in the past year, him and Shingo alone have made the KOPW division seem important. I think him being rewarded with some more success outside of that division in the new year can be a great reward for our Emperor
TNA:
Joe Hendry
Say his name, he appears. After a short-lived run several years ago, Joe hit the ground running in his return. He was a gem in the UK independent scene during its height, whether it was his entrance videos, to being able to share the ring with the likes of Kurt Angle, Cody Rhodes, even having a heel run in some promotions like ICW and WCPW, he's got charisma to spare. His character works in the modern age which loves satire and even if your girl loves in-ring work, you need mic skills, charisma, and he has it. I hope our Global Hero can rise the ranks as Impact becomes TNA this year.
Stardom:
STARLIGHT KID
This is a little bit of me living my gimmick, but I think I got a reason to be a little frustrated. This will be a rant so I'll place it in a spoiler, but if you need a secondary answer from my, it'd be either AZM or Saya Kamitani.
I think keep it to companies you pay attention to and maybe for WWE you can list one per a brand. The rules don't need to be strict.
Here's mine:
WWE:
Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke's main roster WWE career on paper seems alright with multiple mid-card title reigns, a tag reign, and a Royal Rumble win, but most title reigns he rarely if ever defended on PPV and didn't have many breakthrough feuds, with the dream AJ Styles feud rarely building off of their Japanese history and instead being about dick punching. Since Triple H took over he's slowly worked to rehab Shinsuke and right now he is in a better place. Had a world title feud with Seth and has a nice layer to his character with him primarily cutting Japanese promos backstage, showing a darker side and letting him show some more of his raw charisma. I think he's positioned now in the upper card, but in the new year I want to see him do more than just put people over. I want to see him win a program with a meaningful win. The arrival of Punk and the inevitable rise of GUNTHER has seemingly locked him out of two of the current titles on Raw, but I hope they can find something for the King of Strong style to sink his teeth into in 2024.
AEW:
Keith Lee:
Don't you forget about Keith. I think Keith got off to a great start in AEW with his tag partnering with Swerve really working and an insane angle to break it up. But since I feel he's been a bit lost with some flashes of brilliance. Some people say it is likely due to health related issues with the long-term effects of his rough battle with COVID which likely can explain some times he's been inactive, though is just speculation. But he also was in a tag team with Dustin which didn't go far, his feud with Swerve was abandoned, he tried some things to mix up his look, like embracing the grey hair and wearing a robe, but didn't work. But when he's allowed to go, he can still go well. Him hinting at reigniting his feud with Swerve is a long-time coming and Swerve has been killing it, but I hope he can build some momentum this coming year beyond it.
New Japan:
Taichi:
Hon mention to his former Dangerous Tekkers partner, ZSJ who can fill a Gaijin void when Ospreay becomes All Elite, but Taichi has steadily improved over the past several years and in the past year, him and Shingo alone have made the KOPW division seem important. I think him being rewarded with some more success outside of that division in the new year can be a great reward for our Emperor
TNA:
Joe Hendry
Say his name, he appears. After a short-lived run several years ago, Joe hit the ground running in his return. He was a gem in the UK independent scene during its height, whether it was his entrance videos, to being able to share the ring with the likes of Kurt Angle, Cody Rhodes, even having a heel run in some promotions like ICW and WCPW, he's got charisma to spare. His character works in the modern age which loves satire and even if your girl loves in-ring work, you need mic skills, charisma, and he has it. I hope our Global Hero can rise the ranks as Impact becomes TNA this year.
Stardom:
STARLIGHT KID
This is a little bit of me living my gimmick, but I think I got a reason to be a little frustrated. This will be a rant so I'll place it in a spoiler, but if you need a secondary answer from my, it'd be either AZM or Saya Kamitani.
To put it in context, her last two years have been amazing. Her being forced to join Oedo Tai and slow heel turn was one of Stardom's better angles in 2021 and she became Stardom's High Speed Champion where she had a very solid reign and great character work. Even a little quirk of wearing masks inspired by her opponents and putting them on their heads in a mock execution post-match. The High Speed belt is sort of like their X-Division/Cruiserweight title belt in that it is meant to celebrate fast-paced wrestling. It's a tertiary title, but was her first time holding it.
Also the leader of Oedo Tai, Natsuko Tora, was injured with a major knee injury and was out for upwards of a year. Also another member who was the next likely person to fill a leadership role, Konami, announced she was taking a hiatus from wrestling not too long after and was in another unit when she eventually returned. So Starlight Kid, who was a new recruit to the group, sort of became the unofficial "head" of the group and she did well. She recruited Momo Watanabe, taking the faction leader from another unit. After losing the High Speed belt to her rival AZM in a great match, she kept the momentum by winning the Goddess of Stardom Belts with Momo, their tag titles, and also being KAIRI's first singles match back in Stardom. Then she ended the year losing the Artist of Stardom title (Trios title, held with Saki and Momo) to Prominence.
Then came 2023. One of the main feuds of the past year was her stable feuding with Queen's Quest, in which the heels were driving a wedge between that group. It ended in a Steel Cage match where the last person left would be forced to leave their unit. Saki was last left, so she was forced out of Oedo Tai, though apart from her revisiting her feud with AZM, having what felt like SLK's 'graduation' from the High Speed division, I don't really recall any major singles feuds.
She won the inaugural New Blood Tag Team titles with Karama, aka Haruka Umesaki's alter ego. New Blood is sort of like their NXT in a way and Karma as a new character fit, but SLK being there was a bit strange. In stardom, the New Blood tag belts and the Future of Stardom belts are kind of their developmental titles, the Future belt SLK was the inaugural champion of. So after her being already High Speed Champion, tag, trios champion, it felt like a step backwards in a way, but maybe it'll give new belts legitimacy?
All of this seems fine, but despite that, it's been a rough year because I feel as though they started to treat her like someone who is still in the Future of Stardom scene. A lower card wrestler rather than someone who, at the very least, should be someone in the mid-card, in the scene of the before mentioned titles and maybe a 'legitimate' challenger for the Wonder of Stardom title, their secondary title. But she ate a lot of pinfalls this year. The most frustrating portion of the year came in the Five Star GP which is Stardom's version of the G1.
Starlight Kid's tournament record was, ignoring two matches which involved forfeits, 1-6. Apart from Saya who was injured in the tournament, she got the lowest point total in the tournament, period. To put it in perspective, Starlight Kid had 14 points the previous year. This year, she only got 4 and her last match against Mayu Iwatani was cancelled due to SLK breaking her ankle. And sometimes you can tell a story with someone having an off year. And maybe if Saya and she was not hurt, maybe she would have got 6 points? Maybe she would have ended the tournament beating her former best friend? But upon her return, it doesn't seem like there's any follow up, and she's still eating pins. A post on Stardom's reddit had a new fan ask genuinely, if SLK is a jobber. That is kind of frustrating.
In 2023, it was a mixed back for Stardom with the latter half being derailed by injuries with an overworked roster and Stardom seemingly having "New Toy syndrome" with putting a lot of newer people to the main event scene even when people are well. For me, I'm not asking Starlight Kid to win the World of Stardom title or the IWGP Women's title. I think what I want is just to see her return to form. It genuinely felt like she was a rising star, with TV Asashi having a "Pro Wrestling General Election" in 2022, rating her the 11th most popular wrestler in Japan, highest ranked female. She moves merch well. And even taking SLK out of the equation, there's some wrestlers in Stardom who have been there longer who have been there longer and have a connection to the fans be put on the back-burner to new projects, leaving money on the table of people you have yet to even tap into the full potential of.
It'd be like the year after the Smackdown Six sort of broke out with those special matches. In real life Kurt was already a main eventer, but Benoit, Edge, Eddie, Chavo, Rey, were not main event yet. Over the years later, they kept building those guys and while Chavo was never a main eventer, you got 4/5 of them becoming world champions. Some were quicker than others with Benoit and Eddie taking a year and a half, Edge taking a bit longer due to a neck injury, and Rey shortly after.
But what if instead they decided, "You know what? I don't need to invest in these guys. I just signed this free agent and I'm going to only push this new guy" and instead they'd keep them at the level they were at or a little lower, and Kurt would be pushed back down to the midcard. That is sort of what 2023 felt like for Stardom where several wrestlers that I was sort of expecting to build momentum, found themselves stuck. SLK being probably the most frustrating of them. Rossy, you have money on the table with multiple members of the roster, SLK especially, I hope in 2024 you can highlight some of these girls and put them on the way to becoming stars.
Also the leader of Oedo Tai, Natsuko Tora, was injured with a major knee injury and was out for upwards of a year. Also another member who was the next likely person to fill a leadership role, Konami, announced she was taking a hiatus from wrestling not too long after and was in another unit when she eventually returned. So Starlight Kid, who was a new recruit to the group, sort of became the unofficial "head" of the group and she did well. She recruited Momo Watanabe, taking the faction leader from another unit. After losing the High Speed belt to her rival AZM in a great match, she kept the momentum by winning the Goddess of Stardom Belts with Momo, their tag titles, and also being KAIRI's first singles match back in Stardom. Then she ended the year losing the Artist of Stardom title (Trios title, held with Saki and Momo) to Prominence.
Then came 2023. One of the main feuds of the past year was her stable feuding with Queen's Quest, in which the heels were driving a wedge between that group. It ended in a Steel Cage match where the last person left would be forced to leave their unit. Saki was last left, so she was forced out of Oedo Tai, though apart from her revisiting her feud with AZM, having what felt like SLK's 'graduation' from the High Speed division, I don't really recall any major singles feuds.
She won the inaugural New Blood Tag Team titles with Karama, aka Haruka Umesaki's alter ego. New Blood is sort of like their NXT in a way and Karma as a new character fit, but SLK being there was a bit strange. In stardom, the New Blood tag belts and the Future of Stardom belts are kind of their developmental titles, the Future belt SLK was the inaugural champion of. So after her being already High Speed Champion, tag, trios champion, it felt like a step backwards in a way, but maybe it'll give new belts legitimacy?
All of this seems fine, but despite that, it's been a rough year because I feel as though they started to treat her like someone who is still in the Future of Stardom scene. A lower card wrestler rather than someone who, at the very least, should be someone in the mid-card, in the scene of the before mentioned titles and maybe a 'legitimate' challenger for the Wonder of Stardom title, their secondary title. But she ate a lot of pinfalls this year. The most frustrating portion of the year came in the Five Star GP which is Stardom's version of the G1.
Starlight Kid's tournament record was, ignoring two matches which involved forfeits, 1-6. Apart from Saya who was injured in the tournament, she got the lowest point total in the tournament, period. To put it in perspective, Starlight Kid had 14 points the previous year. This year, she only got 4 and her last match against Mayu Iwatani was cancelled due to SLK breaking her ankle. And sometimes you can tell a story with someone having an off year. And maybe if Saya and she was not hurt, maybe she would have got 6 points? Maybe she would have ended the tournament beating her former best friend? But upon her return, it doesn't seem like there's any follow up, and she's still eating pins. A post on Stardom's reddit had a new fan ask genuinely, if SLK is a jobber. That is kind of frustrating.
In 2023, it was a mixed back for Stardom with the latter half being derailed by injuries with an overworked roster and Stardom seemingly having "New Toy syndrome" with putting a lot of newer people to the main event scene even when people are well. For me, I'm not asking Starlight Kid to win the World of Stardom title or the IWGP Women's title. I think what I want is just to see her return to form. It genuinely felt like she was a rising star, with TV Asashi having a "Pro Wrestling General Election" in 2022, rating her the 11th most popular wrestler in Japan, highest ranked female. She moves merch well. And even taking SLK out of the equation, there's some wrestlers in Stardom who have been there longer who have been there longer and have a connection to the fans be put on the back-burner to new projects, leaving money on the table of people you have yet to even tap into the full potential of.
It'd be like the year after the Smackdown Six sort of broke out with those special matches. In real life Kurt was already a main eventer, but Benoit, Edge, Eddie, Chavo, Rey, were not main event yet. Over the years later, they kept building those guys and while Chavo was never a main eventer, you got 4/5 of them becoming world champions. Some were quicker than others with Benoit and Eddie taking a year and a half, Edge taking a bit longer due to a neck injury, and Rey shortly after.
But what if instead they decided, "You know what? I don't need to invest in these guys. I just signed this free agent and I'm going to only push this new guy" and instead they'd keep them at the level they were at or a little lower, and Kurt would be pushed back down to the midcard. That is sort of what 2023 felt like for Stardom where several wrestlers that I was sort of expecting to build momentum, found themselves stuck. SLK being probably the most frustrating of them. Rossy, you have money on the table with multiple members of the roster, SLK especially, I hope in 2024 you can highlight some of these girls and put them on the way to becoming stars.
