New Japan Pro-Wrestling General Discussion Thread

[Jacob Fox]

NJPW needed to put the belt on Naito. Because the loss of AJ and Nakamura has reshuffled the deck for them and pushes that were planned for down the road have had to happen now instead

That doesn't change the fact that it felt anticlimactic to me. If they wanted the belt on Naito, that's fine and he'll probably be a decent champion. It can be justified in numerous ways but it's not going to change the fact that this is the feeling it gave me.

 

[Prince Bálor]

Invasion Attack was a good show.

- Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro vs Taguchi & Juice was a decent show opener.

- Kojima, Nagata & Liger vs YTR, Sakuraba & YOSHI-HASHI was solid.

- Ishii & Goto vs EVIL & BUSHI was good.

- RPG Vice vs Ricochet & Matt Sydal was real good and really well done. But, then RPG Vice won the hot potato titles (shocker) and I just didn't care.

- KUSHIDA vs Will Ospreay was awesome, enjoyed the hell out of it. Post-match, Liger came to the ring and challenged KUSHIDA. I’m all for it.

- Tanahashi, Elgin & Yoshitatsu vs The Elite for the hot potato belts was good. CODY HALL. :
Other than that, fun match. Yoshi getting his big, emotional return was nice. We're getting Omega vs Elgin for the IC title... And then Fale attacked Tanahashi. Thank you, Gedo. That's very creative.

- Shibata vs Tenzan was pretty good. I am so looking forward to Shibata vs Nagata, it'll be a match full of hate!

- Guerrillas of Destiny vs GBH was meh and boring. The wrong team won. I mean, I like Tonga, but Camacho does nothing for me. I wish Haku and Tonga were the champs.

- Naito vs Okada was a great ME. Marked for Naito winning and Sanada joining the group. And now we're getting Naito vs Ishii. I'm all for it, baby!

 

[Black Iron PJ]

So Shibata once asked (and still wants) to wrestle as Spiderman, I fucking love this guy.
柴田勝頼が語るアメコミヒーローの魅力 - エンタメステーション ｜ entertainment station

 

[Stopspot]

NJPW's next PPV, Wrestling Hinokuni is officially canceled. Hinokuni was supposed to take place in the Kumamoto region, the one which was hit the hardest by the massive earthquake last week, and is still experiencing mudslides, afterquakes and all that. So New Japan decided to prioritce the safety of their workers and fans and canceled it.

 

[Snowman1]

Again, outsider perspective here: With the NJPW belts, is it safe to assume they're more about the "style of match you'd expect" than the booking of them? Like it doesn't matter who the Jr. Tag Champs are, but whenever you see a match for them you expect this 100 mph chaotic spotfest?

Also can I have dibs on the "G1 Climax Standings: Updated Nightly" thread? lease:

 

[Stopspot]

Again, outsider perspective here: With the NJPW belts, is it safe to assume they're more about the "style of match you'd expect" than the booking of them? Like it doesn't matter who the Jr. Tag Champs are, but whenever you see a match for them you expect this 100 mph chaotic spotfest?

Also can I have dibs on the "G1 Climax Standings: Updated Nightly" thread? lease:

It differs from belt to belt. NJPW usually puts as little effort into their junior division as possible. Kushida is the ace right now and incredibly over so he'll always have shine and something to do. But most other juniors are just there and without direction. And therefore just there to provide bathroom break sprints.

The Never belt was supposed to be openweight and allow juniors to fight heavies, as well as being for younger talents. So far not a single champion has been under 30. And right now it has direction as Shibata murders his dads.

In short: If someone the company cares about holds a belt, the company cares about the belts direction

 

[Jacob Fox]

Also can I have dibs on the "G1 Climax Standings: Updated Nightly" thread? lease:

I'm assuming you won't have too many people fighting you over that one.

So are you planning on taking the crazy route and watching the entire Climax(I joke about the crazy part... I always watch the entire thing and love it)? This is your first one right? It's a bit of an endurance test. Last year I watched the entire thing live on NJPW World. I sat through the filler tag matches and all the events. I think afterwards I couldn't move

I'm just being silly though. It's quite the undertaking if you actually do it but this year I'll probably watch it all live but sit out the tag matches.

 

[Leo C]

NJPW's next PPV, Wrestling Hinokuni is officially canceled. Hinokuni was supposed to take place in the Kumamoto region, the one which was hit the hardest by the massive earthquake last week, and is still experiencing mudslides, afterquakes and all that. So New Japan decided to prioritce the safety of their workers and fans and canceled it.

Well, that sucks. Really curious about what they're going to do about the matches they had set up. Probably gonna put one or two of the main ones on random Road Tos and get the rest on Dontaku, I'd assume. Probably not viable to try to set up another arena for Hinokuni on such short notice.

Again, outsider perspective here: With the NJPW belts, is it safe to assume they're more about the "style of match you'd expect" than the booking of them? Like it doesn't matter who the Jr. Tag Champs are, but whenever you see a match for them you expect this 100 mph chaotic spotfest?

Also can I have dibs on the "G1 Climax Standings: Updated Nightly" thread? lease:

Yes, Jr Tag guys will be pretty much flipzz geeks always. G1 is so much hype, so awesome. I wish they'd go back to the G1 24 format with all killer no filler, but what can you do.

 

[Snowman1]

Yes, Jr Tag guys will be pretty much flipzz geeks always. G1 is so much hype, so awesome. I wish they'd go back to the G1 24 format with all killer no filler, but what can you do.

It differs from belt to belt. NJPW usually puts as little effort into their junior division as possible. Kushida is the ace right now and incredibly over so he'll always have shine and something to do. But most other juniors are just there and without direction. And therefore just there to provide bathroom break sprints.

The Never belt was supposed to be openweight and allow juniors to fight heavies, as well as being for younger talents. So far not a single champion has been under 30. And right now it has direction as Shibata murders his dads.

In short: If someone the company cares about holds a belt, the company cares about the belts direction

[/QUOTE]

For example, it seems like we can expect a spotfest for the junior tag belts, a very hard-hitting encounter for the regular tag titles (more on the guys who've held them, two guys beating the living shit out of one another for the Never belt, elite ring-work and lots of moves for the IC title, the best story/psychology for the World title. Maybe the Jr. titles used to be more of an X-division type of belt back in the day, but Omega and Kushida just don't work that style which is fine

"Direction" seems a whole lot different over here somehow with so little weekly television, but I see what you mean. Definitely means more to see Shibata beating the hell out of the Third Generation instead of just doing challenger of the month type stuff, but most COTM's over here come across much better over here anyway. Huh, maybe it's just fresh eyes.

I'm assuming you won't have too many people fighting you over that one.

So are you planning on taking the crazy route and watching the entire Climax(I joke about the crazy part... I always watch the entire thing and love it)? This is your first one right? It's a bit of an endurance test. Last year I watched the entire thing live on NJPW World. I sat through the filler tag matches and all the events. I think afterwards I couldn't move

I'm just being silly though. It's quite the undertaking if you actually do it but this year I'll probably watch it all live but sit out the tag matches.

:haha: Nah, I can't predict in advice what's coming for Snow behind the curtain. Always enjoy running threads like that, though, and can just look up the nightly results and make an easy to read chart so y'all can keep track. Would be great to watch as much of the shows as I can, but if it's not for tournament points I'm tapping out too, brother.

Thanks for the answers, and enjoy what you can, y'all!

 

[Stopspot]

For example, it seems like we can expect a spotfest for the junior tag belts, a very hard-hitting encounter for the regular tag titles (more on the guys who've held them, two guys beating the living shit out of one another for the Never belt, elite ring-work and lots of moves for the IC title, the best story/psychology for the World title. Maybe the Jr. titles used to be more of an X-division type of belt back in the day, but Omega and Kushida just don't work that style which is fine

"Direction" seems a whole lot different over here somehow with so little weekly television, but I see what you mean. Definitely means more to see Shibata beating the hell out of the Third Generation instead of just doing challenger of the month type stuff, but most COTM's over here come across much better over here anyway. Huh, maybe it's just fresh eyes.



:haha: Nah, I can't predict in advice what's coming for Snow behind the curtain. Always enjoy running threads like that, though, and can just look up the nightly results and make an easy to read chart so y'all can keep track. Would be great to watch as much of the shows as I can, but if it's not for tournament points I'm tapping out too, brother.

Thanks for the answers, and enjoy what you can, y'all![/QUOTE]
The junior belt has usually been more based around grappling. And you are basing the direction of the belt around the people currently holding them. It differs so much depending on who has the belt and who has focus in the company

 

[Black Iron PJ]

Again, outsider perspective here: With the NJPW belts, is it safe to assume they're more about the "style of match you'd expect" than the booking of them? Like it doesn't matter who the Jr. Tag Champs are, but whenever you see a match for them you expect this 100 mph chaotic spotfest?

Pretty much, World Heavyweight championship matches are 30 minute long epics, IC championship matches are wrestling clinics, and NEVER Openweight championship matches are two guys trying to out murder each other.

 

[Roadster]

Junior Tag Titles make no sense and PWG on a grand scale.

 

[Stopspot]

Pretty much, World Heavyweight championship matches are 30 minute long epics, IC championship matches are wrestling clinics, and NEVER Openweight championship matches are two guys trying to out murder each other.

Not to sound rude. But that's only the definition of those belts as long as the current guys have them. Except the heavyweight title, which being the main title has to be big matches.

 

[Black Iron PJ]

Not to sound rude. But that's only the definition of those belts as long as the current guys have them. Except the heavyweight title, which being the main title has to be big matches.

Both the NEVER and IC championship matches were given 5 star ratings by Dave Meltzer for two completely different reasons, as well as both championships having different title holders. People know what to expect out of an Intercontinental championship match because of Nakamura, same for the NEVER openweight championship matches because of Ishii. Shibata and Omega are going to continue that legacy and add their own flair to it.

 

[Stopspot]

Both the NEVER and IC championship matches were given 5 star ratings by Dave Meltzer for two completely different reasons, as well as both championships having different title holders. People know what to expect out of an Intercontinental championship match because of Nakamura, same for the NEVER openweight championship matches because of Ishii. Shibata and Omega are going to continue that legacy and add their own flair to it.

Ignore my ramblings here. Look at my post below. Much better worded