Optimisn
Moderator
The Voice of Reason
Posts: 33,710 
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Post by Optimisn on Jan 20, 2024 19:21:48 GMT -6
I'll give them credit for trying new stuff. Even if it sucks. Keep throwing out ideas until something hits.
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Post by Positivity Peeps on Jan 22, 2024 11:28:05 GMT -6
Haha I loved this.
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Post by randomone on Jan 22, 2024 15:11:44 GMT -6
I wish this led to a much bigger angle. This lit a fire under Okada and gave him a more aggressive attitude.
But Kiyomia has been just a dude ever since this happened. Definitely not treated as a star from a different promotion coming over to New Japan
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Post by randomone on Jan 24, 2024 11:24:27 GMT -6
Umino beat Narita in the main event of this mornings show. It went 30 minutes before House of Torture interfered. Lights went out and Tama Tonga showed up with Despy to run them off. Umino got the win off a Death Rider in 35ish minutes. Post match, Tama thanked the crowd, put over Umino and said to take the NEVER Title from EVIL. So there’s the final run from Tama before he left, as he gave the ring to Umino. Hell maybe he’ll be in the Rumble Saturday? Who knows.
Okada, Tana & Ishii retained the 6 man titles and relinquished them post match. Okada’s last win in Korakuen Hall
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Optimisn
Moderator
The Voice of Reason
Posts: 33,710
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Post by Optimisn on Jan 24, 2024 11:27:19 GMT -6
Big mistake IMO to put him in the Rumble. No reaction. If you're putting him in The Bloodline, he enters working with The Bloodline. Or have him come out in a box.
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Post by randomone on Feb 5, 2024 11:19:14 GMT -6
I'm caught up on the big matches before next week's Ospreay & Okada farewells.
Connors & Drilla regained the Jr Titles over TJP & Akira. Call back to Dash when War Dogs stabbed Akira with a fork and busted him open, when Akira & TJP were going for the win, Drilla brought out a fork and Akira was traumatized. It'll be called back in the 10 man cage match next Sunday for sure. United Empire need a new leader for sure once Ospreay leaves.
Also the show last night's main event was a 10 man 5 on 5 Gauntlet between Just 5 Guys and LIJ. It went nearly an hour, but focused on building interest in all the feuds all the guys have, which I liked. It was 10 minute time limit increments.
Naito & SANADA started and went to a Draw Shingo beat Taka Shingo & Taichi went to a Draw DOUKI beat BUSHI Hiromu & DOUKI went to a Draw Tsuji beat Uemura which went I believe over 20 minutes
Very clever, simple concept for a main event.
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Post by randomone on Feb 5, 2024 22:38:10 GMT -6
Sunday’s cage match will now be essentially War Games. Times intervals. Heels get the advantage.
Ospreay, Henare, Cobb, TJP & Akira vs Finlay, Connors, Drilla, Coughlin & Kidd
Quite the farewell for Ospreay
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Post by randomone on Feb 6, 2024 22:49:31 GMT -6
Sunday mornings New Beginning Card is pretty stacked
War Games - United Empire vs Bullet Club War Dogs (Ospreay’s farewell)
Bryan Danielson vs Zack Sabre Jr
ELP & Hikuleo vs KENTA & Chase Owens - Tag Titles
Okada vs Tanahashi for the final time
LIJ vs Just 5 Guys in a 10 Man Tag
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Post by randomone on Feb 10, 2024 22:47:45 GMT -6
One more chapter in arguably the best rivalry in New Japan history. Can’t wait to watch in the morning!
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Post by Positivity Peeps on Feb 11, 2024 6:32:29 GMT -6
That cage match was insane.
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Post by randomone on Feb 11, 2024 9:36:50 GMT -6
Still have the cage to go
Okada & Tanahashi was a Greatest Hits, as it should’ve been. Okada breaking down kneeling to the NJPW logo was very emotional.
Kenta & Owens winning the tag titles was fucking stupid. Basic belt shot, low blow, pin. Just lazy.
Sabre & Danielson I think was better than Wrestle Dream and that was phenomenal. That match flew by. I loved it so much, everyone go out of your way to watch. Danielson shaking ZSJ’s hand post match was great, but you know Kingston will bring that up in AEW. Also Bryan wants the rubber match with Zack on neutral ground and 2/3 falls. I could see CMLL being the place.
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Post by randomone on Feb 11, 2024 10:47:02 GMT -6
Wow. 64 minute main event. I thought it went way too long, but the story told was the United Empire fought until there was literally no fight left. Ospreay collapsing at the feet of all the War Dogs before they put him out of his misery was a great visual.
War Dogs needed this win. Now it’s what do you do with them going forward.
I hope they all stick together and re-sign. Rumors are out there Coughlin might be leaving.
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Post by Positivity Peeps on Feb 11, 2024 15:40:13 GMT -6
The end where the guys were falling through the ring was when it was becoming a too much. There were a couple of times I thought guys were gonna fall in and break an ankle or something.
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Post by randomone on Feb 11, 2024 16:36:54 GMT -6
Had it gone 45, I would’ve been fine. But agreed, the tearing apart the ring was unnecessary in the finish and also I thought the handcuffs were introduced super early, so guys were just sitting there for a ridiculous amount of time.
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Post by randomone on Feb 11, 2024 22:44:30 GMT -6
Okada’s last two matches in New Japan are 10 man tags next week. Meh…what an underwhelming farewell match wise.
Feb 23
CHAOS (YOH, YOSHI-HASHI, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Kazuchika Okada) vs United Empire (Callum Newman, Jeff Cobb, Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan & TJP)
Feb 24
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii vs Matt Riddle, Jeff Cobb, HENARE, Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman
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Post by Positivity Peeps on Feb 23, 2024 6:35:19 GMT -6
Nic Nemeth won the Global Title from David Finlay.
Good for him.
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Post by Positivity Peeps on Feb 23, 2024 7:53:20 GMT -6
Riddle won the TV title from Tanahashi as well.
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Post by randomone on Feb 23, 2024 9:59:47 GMT -6
Just watched both matches. Main event was fine, Finlay worked the leg for like half the match and Ziggler won with a superkick and Zig Zag clean in 23 minutes.
Riddle & Tana was fine for 8 minutes, but didn’t feel like a sprint like Tana & Sabre was at WK. Riddle won with a Tombstone and sorta heeled it up a bit post match telling the camera “what did you think would happen, I’d come to Japan and lose?”
Ziggler & Riddle coming in their first nights and winning titles is an interesting move.
Back to back House of Torture singles matches was fucking brutal, but I watched both. Evil retained the NEVER Title over Shota and SHO won the Junior title BY FUCKING COUNTOUT. The ref was down so long he took an excursion to the US and back. Ren Narita literally pulled Despy to the floor and had a submission locked in and the ref just kept counting him out. Mind numbingly dumb even for New Japan
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Post by randomone on Feb 23, 2024 10:32:35 GMT -6
Stardom girls crushed it and was my favorite match of the show. After everything that’s gone on in recent weeks, this was a big showing for both ladies.
Mayu Iwatani retained her title over Mina Shirakawa (who I’m officially in love with, my goodness she’s lovely)
Hopefully we get more Stardom matches on NJPW shows.
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Post by randomone on Feb 23, 2024 23:49:51 GMT -6
Okada rattled off his greatest hits checklist and put away Callum Newman with a Rainmaker to win his final New Japan match.
CHAOS stands tall one last time. Okada, YOSHI-HASHI, Goto, Ishii & Yano celebrate. Full circle that he hugged Yoshi last as they started together in the Dojo.
Okada took the mic and put over the future of NJPW and thanked the crowd saying he’d see them again. He laughed and celebrated up the ramp with CHAOS for a happy farewell.
Tama Tonga says goodbye next. Tonga & Loa vs Hikuleo & ELP with Jado as guest ref
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Post by randomone on Feb 23, 2024 23:51:53 GMT -6
Scapegoat Jack Perry sent a message to Roughneck Shota Umino. They’re definitely wrestling at the Chicago Riot show
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Post by randomone on Feb 24, 2024 0:17:09 GMT -6
Hikuleo finally put his brother away with the Godsend choke slam to win it. This was pretty much Haku’s boys beating the shit out of each other and ELP was there.
Group hug for everyone post match, Tama teared up and kisses the mat before saying goodbye.
I expect Tama in WWE soon. Good for him, he deserves it. Hope he’s not just “Samoan fella who gets beat up for Roman” though.
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Post by randomone on Feb 24, 2024 0:38:36 GMT -6
Ziggler & Taguchi beat Finlay & Gedo after a Zig Zag on Gedo. Ziggler challenged Tanahashi for the Global Title post match and Tana accepted, so that’ll happen when he’s healthy.
Rest of the show is Just 5 Guys vs LIJ singles.
First up is Taka vs BUSHI
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Post by randomone on Feb 24, 2024 0:51:16 GMT -6
BUSHI gets revenge for New Years Dash and submits Taka in an actually pretty fun match for being the two low guys in their factions
DOUKI vs Hiromu is next
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Post by randomone on Feb 24, 2024 1:08:28 GMT -6
Holy shit DOUKI gets his first singles win over Hiromu clean after Suplex de La Luna!
2024 The Year of DOUKI!!
Shingo vs Taichi is next
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Post by randomone on Feb 24, 2024 1:36:22 GMT -6
Taichi wins a fucking battle.
Hair vs Hair match up next. One of New Japan’s resident hunks are getting their locks cut. Tsuji vs Uemura.
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Post by randomone on Feb 24, 2024 2:17:09 GMT -6
Nearly went 30 minute time limit but Tsuji gets revenge for his Wrestle Kingdom loss and hits a massive Spear for the win.
This will be a huge year for both guys. They need them to take a massive step into the main event picture. Both have crazy charisma and the in ring skills, it’s just whether the crowd will buy into them as potential top guys. They should.
The locks of Yuya Uemura have officially been cut.
Naito vs SANADA is your main event
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Post by randomone on Feb 24, 2024 2:21:40 GMT -6
While holding Uemura’s hair, Tsuji post match went to Okada on commentary and said “are you satisfied leaving the way that you did? I’m so disappointed in you.” and walked off.
Tsuji getting the reigns as a top guy later this year and is getting Okada vs Tsuji at Forbidden Door would be rad
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Post by randomone on Feb 24, 2024 10:20:51 GMT -6
Naito pinned SANADA off a Tornado DDT small package for the flash pin. Story was SANADA hit his finish, but wanted another and it cost him. Him taking another pin would seem to be like hell eventually turn heel, as the fans clearly aren’t behind him, despite his best efforts to get them to be.
Commentary tried to make it sound special that at the Anniversary Show, the main event is Naito vs fucking SHO in a IWGP vs Jr Title holder match like they usually do at those shows.
Problem is, it’s fucking SHO and a House of Torture match. Pass.
I’ll be around for the New Japan Cup
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Post by randomone on Feb 26, 2024 7:54:47 GMT -6
New Japan Cup brackets are up
March 6
Yano vs Yujiro
Kenta vs Yoshi-Hashi (SANADA gets winner March 11)
Jack Perry vs Shota Umino
March 7
TJP vs Finlay
Loa vs O-Khan
Ishii vs Owens (Goto gets winner March 12)
March 8
Hikuleo vs Oleg (EVIL gets winner March 13)
Shingo vs Uemura
Newman vs Kidd
March 10
Tsuji vs Cobb
ELP vs Nicholls
Taichi vs Narita (Sabre gets winner March 15)
It’ll go from there. Only surprise is Jungle Boy vs Umino happening Night 1. I assume Jack advances a bit, or they both lose and there’s a countout or some shit to lead to a rematch. Should be a fun match regardless.
No Okada, Tanahashi, Naito, Tonga is just weird to me.
I’m saying whoever comes out of the Sabre/Tsuji block is winning it all.
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