All Japan - The House Baba built

[Leo C]

A great big spectacle. I probably won't watch the first half of the show on a repeat bar the NexTream/Iwamoto vs Indie six man tag, just the top half. But as a stand alone viewing the entire show was a lot of fun. Lots of variety and a good crowd to boot. The latter half of the show delivered as a whole, the crowd was dead for the junior match but it was just badly placed. Looking forward to seeing what they'll do for their return to Sumo Hall in August.

Here's the lineup picture for the Real World Tag League that was just released

Kashin and Nishimura could not partake, but the rest are there.

Hearing a lot of rumblings about All Japan getting a talent influx in 2017. Doering is coming back, Iwamoto's home promotion Sportiva has announced that he'll be moving on to All Japan, and I expect Abe to follow him. There's also rumblings of Taishi Takizawa getting a roster spot.

Which tag league shows are making tape?

 

[Stopspot]

Which tag league shows are making tape?

I know that there are two shows from the RWTL airing back to back (one on Samurai, on one Gaora) on the 11th.

Then the final is suppossed to air as well but I cannot see the date on the stream schedule. Will look into that.

In the meantime, highlights from the RWTL show on the 6th

 

[Leo C]

I know that there are two shows from the RWTL airing back to back (one on Samurai, on one Gaora) on the 11th.

Then the final is suppossed to air as well but I cannot see the date on the stream schedule. Will look into that.

In the meantime, highlights from the RWTL show on the 6th

Alright, cool.

 

[Stopspot]

Dory and Onita having a shouting match over if the Asia tag belts can be defended under hardcore rules or not


Fantastic

 

[Leo C]

Dory and Onita having a shouting match over if the Asia tag belts can be defended under hardcore rules or not


Fantastic

If any one was every in doubt about whether AJPW is the greatest wrestling company in the world or not... there you go.

 

[Stopspot]

Seems like the AJ Phoenix project is ending with the next show.

AJ Phoenix, for those uninformed. Is All Japan's rookie shows, smaller shows run once every other month in co-operation with Big Japan, with focusing being on the younger talent. All Japan announced today that they will stop producing the shows with the next one, as they are looking to elevate their three rookies (Nomura, Aoyagi and Lee) out of the rookie position in 2017. They will still work with Big Japan and other companies going forward tho.

 

[Stopspot]

As speculated earlier in this thread. Akiyama and Koji Iwamoto announced at the last show of the year on Christmas eve, that Iwamoto will officially join the roster on January 1.

Also announced is that All Japan's latest rookie, Yusuke Okada will make his debut on January 9 against Aoyagi.

 

[Stopspot]

Lots of interesting tidbits coming from All Japan as they kick of 2017 and their 45th anniversary year with two shows in Korakuen back to back. The first show doing 1301 people and the second one doing 1061 people in attendance.

KAI, the long forgotten son of All Japan who left with Mutoh to form Wrestle-1 and recently went freelance from them showed up before the start of the first show and announced that he will return to competing in All Japan starting in February. KAI was one of All Japan's top prospects back before the W1 split and had a career making run in the 2013 champion carnival tournament. KAI will start working as a freelancer and he looks to rehab his career after 3 bad years in W1. And a good run with AJPW in 2017 (particularly in the carnival if he works it) could go along way towards rehabbing him and maybe even earning himself a contract.

Another return from W1 is Minoru Tanaka, one of All Japan's old junior standouts who went freelance from W1 earlier this summer. He made his return on the first show and promptly yelled out that he was "home" to the fans in attendance. Tanaka will work the entire January tour and is part of the February Junior Battle of Glory tournament. So it seems like Tanaka will be a mainstay of All Japan even if it just is as a freelancer going forward. Which is brilliant news.

Shuji Ishikawa, Japanese indy wrestling's MVP of 2016 also announced that he will put more focus on All Japan this year. Aka we will see more of him.

Koji Iwamoto worked his first matches as a contracted AJPW talent as well on these shows.

Masanobu Fuchi and Atsushi Onita defended the Asia tag belts against Akiyama and Inoue on the first show in a streetfight. Impressive since Onita suffered a broken leg and injured pelvis in late December but he is so badass/insane he refuses to miss a show if he is needed.

Keisuke Ishii also defended the junior belt against Yuma on the second show and heads into the junior tournament as champion.

Big Guns (Zeus and Bodyguard) defended the tag belts on the second show as well. Beating Get Wild (Omori and Soya).

Omori won the new years battle royal on the first show and is also challenging Miyahara for the triple crown on the 15th. Big month for the veteran.

Joe Doering made his return to All Japan and wrestling as a whole as well on these shows. After being out for two years with a knee injury and brain cancer. Joe won his six man tag on the first show but lost to Miyahara in another six man on the second one. A future program between the two seems to be a lock.

As a final info bit, here's the blocks for the upcoming junior tournament in February

A BLOCK

Atsushi Aoki
Koji Iwamoto
Keisuke Ishii (DDT)
Masashi Takeda (U-FILE)
Minoru Tanaka (FREE)

B BLOCK

Hikaru Sato
Yohei Nakajima
Yuma Aoyagi
Atsushi Maruyama (FREE)
Kazuhiro Tamura (HEAT-UP)

This year league is set to begin on February 17 at Korakuen and will run, a total of 6 events from start to finish, until February 26 in Osaka. The final airs live on GAORA Sports as well.

 

[Leo C]

Lots of interesting tidbits coming from All Japan as they kick of 2017 and their 45th anniversary year with two shows in Korakuen back to back. The first show doing 1301 people and the second one doing 1061 people in attendance.

KAI, the long forgotten son of All Japan who left with Mutoh to form Wrestle-1 and recently went freelance from them showed up before the start of the first show and announced that he will return to competing in All Japan starting in February. KAI was one of All Japan's top prospects back before the W1 split and had a career making run in the 2013 champion carnival tournament. KAI will start working as a freelancer and he looks to rehab his career after 3 bad years in W1. And a good run with AJPW in 2017 (particularly in the carnival if he works it) could go along way towards rehabbing him and maybe even earning himself a contract.

Another return from W1 is Minoru Tanaka, one of All Japan's old junior standouts who went freelance from W1 earlier this summer. He made his return on the first show and promptly yelled out that he was "home" to the fans in attendance. Tanaka will work the entire January tour and is part of the February Junior Battle of Glory tournament. So it seems like Tanaka will be a mainstay of All Japan even if it just is as a freelancer going forward. Which is brilliant news.

Shuji Ishikawa, Japanese indy wrestling's MVP of 2016 also announced that he will put more focus on All Japan this year. Aka we will see more of him.

Koji Iwamoto worked his first matches as a contracted AJPW talent as well on these shows.

Masanobu Fuchi and Atsushi Onita defended the Asia tag belts against Akiyama and Inoue on the first show in a streetfight. Impressive since Onita suffered a broken leg and injured pelvis in late December but he is so badass/insane he refuses to miss a show if he is needed.

Keisuke Ishii also defended the junior belt against Yuma on the second show and heads into the junior tournament as champion.

Big Guns (Zeus and Bodyguard) defended the tag belts on the second show as well. Beating Get Wild (Omori and Soya).

Omori won the new years battle royal on the first show and is also challenging Miyahara for the triple crown on the 15th. Big month for the veteran.

Joe Doering made his return to All Japan and wrestling as a whole as well on these shows. After being out for two years with a knee injury and brain cancer. Joe won his six man tag on the first show but lost to Miyahara in another six man on the second one. A future program between the two seems to be a lock.

As a final info bit, here's the blocks for the upcoming junior tournament in February

A BLOCK

Atsushi Aoki
Koji Iwamoto
Keisuke Ishii (DDT)
Masashi Takeda (U-FILE)
Minoru Tanaka (FREE)

B BLOCK

Hikaru Sato
Yohei Nakajima
Yuma Aoyagi
Atsushi Maruyama (FREE)
Kazuhiro Tamura (HEAT-UP)

This year league is set to begin on February 17 at Korakuen and will run, a total of 6 events from start to finish, until February 26 in Osaka. The final airs live on GAORA Sports as well.

I'm looking forward to watching this Onita match so much.

Also, I heard Kyohei got hurt on one of these shows, what's the deal?

 

[Stopspot]

I'm looking forward to watching this Onita match so much.

Also, I heard Kyohei got hurt on one of these shows, what's the deal?

He took part in the new year battle royal on the first show and did the Undertaker style top rope walk spot, slipped and fell out of the ring with no one to catch him. All Japan has sent him home for the rest of the month but he should be back come February so it doesn't seem to be too bad a fall. Granted Kyohei is also 50+ years old so better safe than sorry.

 

[Leo C]

He took part in the new year battle royal on the first show and did the Undertaker style top rope walk spot, slipped and fell out of the ring with no one to catch him. All Japan has sent him home for the rest of the month but he should be back come February so it doesn't seem to be too bad a fall. Granted Kyohei is also 50+ years old so better safe than sorry.

Oh damn. I had seen the pictures of him doing the rope walk, figured nothing had happened because no one said anything right away but today they said he was injured... just had to confirm it was because of that. Bad idea to do that spot I guess, lol.

 

[Stopspot]

Oh damn. I had seen the pictures of him doing the rope walk, figured nothing had happened because no one said anything right away but today they said he was injured... just had to confirm it was because of that. Bad idea to do that spot I guess, lol.

Especially with no one to catch him on the outside. So Bomber Saito, Nikkan Lee and the new ref will handle refereeing for the upcoming tour

 

[Stopspot]

850 people were in attendance for AJPW's show in Hakata Star Lanes today main evented by Kento defending the triple crown against Omori. Up by about 245 people from their last show in that venue which had a much stronger card (Kento vs Akiyama for the TC and Strong BJ vs Big Guns for the tag belts). So all in all a success.

Bodyguard stepped up as the next challenger for the triple crown. I'd expect that rather than run the match on the February Korakuen they'll save it for the junior battle of glory finals in Osaka which will be a live TV event. Makes much more sense to defend the belt on live TV than taped when the option is available. Will probably not be the greatest of defenses but it's BODYGAAAAAH.

AJPW returns to Hakata Star Lanes with the Champion Carnival finals on April 30. The Carnival will run for a total of 11 days this year, which is an improvement from last year.

Sadly, Sushi will be leaving All Japan at the end of January. Sushi is retiring from full time wrestling in order to pursue ventures outside of it, mainly children's entertainment. He has asked that his last match as a contracted AJPW talent be a singles match against Akiyama.

This does leave us with the question of who AJPW will sign to fill his slot on the roster. Don't see them leaving that space empty long now that they have the stability to hire some people again (granted they don't do massive signing waves).

 

[Leo C]

850 people were in attendance for AJPW's show in Hakata Star Lanes today main evented by Kento defending the triple crown against Omori. Up by about 245 people from their last show in that venue which had a much stronger card (Kento vs Akiyama for the TC and Strong BJ vs Big Guns for the tag belts). So all in all a success.

Bodyguard stepped up as the next challenger for the triple crown. I'd expect that rather than run the match on the February Korakuen they'll save it for the junior battle of glory finals in Osaka which will be a live TV event. Makes much more sense to defend the belt on live TV than taped when the option is available. Will probably not be the greatest of defenses but it's BODYGAAAAAH.

AJPW returns to Hakata Star Lanes with the Champion Carnival finals on April 30. The Carnival will run for a total of 11 days this year, which is an improvement from last year.

Sadly, Sushi will be leaving All Japan at the end of January. Sushi is retiring from full time wrestling in order to pursue ventures outside of it, mainly children's entertainment. He has asked that his last match as a contracted AJPW talent be a singles match against Akiyama.

This does leave us with the question of who AJPW will sign to fill his slot on the roster. Don't see them leaving that space empty long now that they have the stability to hire some people again (granted they don't do massive signing waves).

Bodyguard? Huh. Should be fun, although I'm still waiting on that Shuji Ishikawa Triple Crown Challenge.

SUSHI's role will be hard to fill.

 

[Stopspot]

Bodyguard? Huh. Should be fun, although I'm still waiting on that Shuji Ishikawa Triple Crown Challenge.

SUSHI's role will be hard to fill.

Yes and no. The role of lower card jobber in itself is fairly easy to fill. But to find one as lovable a character and who was basically a mascot for the company will be hard. Doable, but hard.