NJPW Resurgence - May 9, 2025

[Chris]

This is dojo stuff mostly

 

[Ricky Smarks]

I like hearing a woman on commentary in 2025.

 

[Chris]

Veda is good and I think Walker is one of the best

 

[Chris]

I say basically as the third man at their booth at a show here once with these two and it was cool bc I could peep at all their notes and hear them call

 

[Chris]

I was watching Walker text people during the show too lol

 

[Ricky Smarks]

The only thing they have left is the dojo, the titles are so meaningless even when they have bangers for them

You’re having separate belts don’t really feel necessary when they’re only doing like what one show every two months or so. I’d either retire them and then just have more New Japan standard championships on these shows or just bring back a couple US championships instead. Cause at least the US championships would still have meaning when they’re defended in Japan.

 

[Chris]

At this point big NJPW belts are defended at the US shows and there's no TV so yeah the strong titles are more props for grudge matches

 

[Ricky Smarks]

I remember liking Veda back in the OG ring of honor 10 years ago. Didn’t think she was still doing anything in the business so that’s pretty cool.

 

[Chris]

I remember liking Veda back in the OG ring of honor 10 years ago. Didn’t think she was still doing anything in the business so that’s pretty cool.

she's been doing commentary for NJPW America and a lot of indies for awhile now, not sure why she hasn't got a real contract yet

 

[Ricky Smarks]

I normally disagree when people say WWE or AEW have too many belts cause it’s usually a reason for why they have the belts that they do but I think New Japan legitimately probably does have too many because they have the global championship and then they added the television championship and then they have the never branded championships and then the strong brand of championships. It just doesn’t feel necessary. If anything just rebrand the strong ones never because at least then you’d have a full line of the never open weight belts instead of having never and strong.

 

[Ricky Smarks]

This darkened crowd and simple set up feels like the aesthetic that NWA wants to be and thinks that it is but isn’t.

 

[Ricky Smarks]

We bout to get us a surprise on the preshow.

 

[Ricky Smarks]

Oh shit it’s Priestley. I didn’t think she was gonna be available already. This is awesome.

 

[Chris]

I never even thought he strong belts were too much until the TV show was killed

 

[Chris]

Oh shit