Puroresu Love & Resources V3

[cobainwasmurdered]

https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/pro-wrestling-noah-sold-lidet-entertainment

STRIGGA
@STRIGGA
LIDET has a division that has been producing pro-wrestling events in the past. That. includes DDT's DNA brand, AAA's shows in Japan, the reivial of the Differ Cup and Riki Choshu's POWER HALL. Interestingly enough Choshu also is the chairman of the board of directors at LIDET.


interesting stuff.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

more notes on NOAH from an article from Weekly Pro Wrestling posted to reddit:
`new logo/ring mat/general branding from March 10th (Yokohama show); green will no longer be used as a motif (except for the annual Misawa memorial shows)
`while some relationships may continue temporarily, the general order is to cease cooperation with other organisations. they aim to create a sense of exclusivity to their shows
`contract renewal of talent will occur this month
`touring schedule is to be reduced - only 2 big shows and 10 korakuens of a year
`they are aiming for 'second place' in Japan
`the stated plan is not to sell NOAH again, even to talent within the company - it will either succeed now under LIDET or fold ('I don't think Misawa would want it to continue in that state.')
----

Losing the green mat is lame because it really distinguished NOAH and was a cool look. Changing it is a silly attempt to put their own stamp on the company. Cutting back shows is probably for the best but a really bad sign. Claiming that Misawa wouldn't want them to continue in "that state" is pretty stupid. We're talking about a guy who literally worked himself to death.

Not working with other companies only works if you have a roster that can draw on its own. NOAH has been trying that ever since they stopped working with NJPW and it hasnt been working very well. I wouldn't be surprised to see some talent leave with all of this. I hope this doesn't lead to yet another deal where we get half a dozen splinter companies, because that isn't good for anyone.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

We have a main event for the Baba Memorial Show and it's a good one! https://www.f4wonline.com/news/tanahashi-facing-miyahara-tag-match-baba-memorial-show-275886

Here is the full, likely final card for the memorial show which will take place on February 19 at Sumo Hall. Broadcasting information is currently unknown:

Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yoshitatsu vs. Kento Miyahara and Daisuke Sekimoto
Mil Mascaras and Dos Caras vs. NOSAWA Rongai and Kaz Hayashi
Naomichi Marufuji and Jinsei Shinzaki vs. Masaaki Mochizuki and Shun Skywalker
Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata and Omasu Nishimura vs. Jun Akiyama, Takao Omori and Taiyo Kea
Atsushi Onita, Kendo Kashin, Hideki Suzuki and Hideki Hosaka vs. Great Kojika, Mitsuya Nagai, Shuji Ishikawa and Hikaru Sato in a street fight tornado bunkhouse deathmatch
SANADA and BUSHI vs. Jake Lee & Koji Iwamoto vs. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino in a three way match
Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Taka Michinoku vs. Masanobu Fuchi, Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Yuma Aoyagi
Kazushi Miyamoto, Tomohiko Hashimoto, Daichi Hashimoto and Takuya Nomura vs. Tomoaki Honma, Yuji Okabayashi, Naoya Nomura and Ren Narita
Giant Baba Memorial battle royal featuring Mitsuo Momota, Kim Duk, Joel Deaton, MEN’s Teioh, TARU, Ryuji Hijikata, Yuto Aijima, Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, Masahito Kakihara, Masao Inoue, Tamon Honda and Yasu Urano

There's a bunch of guys on this show who are over 70 lol. It's a huge clusterfuck of a card but there's a few things on here that look good.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Is that going to be streamed anywhere?

 

[cheex incarnate]

So I assume the American cards are not going to be streamed on NJ WORLD?

 

[Baby Shoes]

https://twitter.com/metal0515/status/1091302877308477440

 

[vivisectvi]

https://twitter.com/MrLARIATO/status/1091400404745756677

 

[Brocklock]

We have a main event for the Baba Memorial Show and it's a good one! https://www.f4wonline.com/news/tanahashi-facing-miyahara-tag-match-baba-memorial-show-275886

Here is the full, likely final card for the memorial show which will take place on February 19 at Sumo Hall. Broadcasting information is currently unknown:

Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yoshitatsu vs. Kento Miyahara and Daisuke Sekimoto
Mil Mascaras and Dos Caras vs. NOSAWA Rongai and Kaz Hayashi
Naomichi Marufuji and Jinsei Shinzaki vs. Masaaki Mochizuki and Shun Skywalker
Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata and Omasu Nishimura vs. Jun Akiyama, Takao Omori and Taiyo Kea
Atsushi Onita, Kendo Kashin, Hideki Suzuki and Hideki Hosaka vs. Great Kojika, Mitsuya Nagai, Shuji Ishikawa and Hikaru Sato in a street fight tornado bunkhouse deathmatch
SANADA and BUSHI vs. Jake Lee & Koji Iwamoto vs. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino in a three way match
Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Taka Michinoku vs. Masanobu Fuchi, Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Yuma Aoyagi
Kazushi Miyamoto, Tomohiko Hashimoto, Daichi Hashimoto and Takuya Nomura vs. Tomoaki Honma, Yuji Okabayashi, Naoya Nomura and Ren Narita
Giant Baba Memorial battle royal featuring Mitsuo Momota, Kim Duk, Joel Deaton, MEN’s Teioh, TARU, Ryuji Hijikata, Yuto Aijima, Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, Masahito Kakihara, Masao Inoue, Tamon Honda and Yasu Urano

There's a bunch of guys on this show who are over 70 lol. It's a huge clusterfuck of a card but there's a few things on here that look good.

That looks like a pretty fun show. There's some guys on here I'm shocked they dug up like Joel Deaton.

 

[Valeyard]

That's my kinda card. I love seeing people I didn't know were still alive beating each other up. I can't believe Kim Duk is still alive.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

awful news as koab's and my favourite young lion Katsuya Kitamura has left njpw. He'd been out for a long time with injuries so it's not a big shock. Really loved this guy as he was going to be the new Nakanishi/Goldberg and showed a ton of potential and charisma.

https://twitter.com/reasonjp/status/1092661517479104512

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

I watched Kai/Miyahara, Violent Giants Vs Sekimoto/Okabayashi, and Dragon Gate up through 1/16 (the end of the rookie tourny).

AJPW/BJPW is really great so far this year. Enjoying them the last few months more than I have NJPW. Just a lot of great clubbering going on. Miyahara has great charisma and they've got a lot of big dudes that love to beat the crap out of each other in both companies. What's not to love?

Dragon Gate is starting to click for me again after a long dry spell. I enjoyed the rookie tournament a lot. Most of the guys were impressive and I think Shun Skywalker has the potential to be a big star for them. The crowd seemed to be really into the idea of him and vs Ben-K. KAI (and Hiroshi Yamato) working for Dragon Gate has been fun and I'm happy to see he's joining a unit and sticking around.

I doubt he will but I hope KZY beats PAC for the Dream Gate. I still think he should have beaten Mochizuki and gotten a run when they first turned him face, just gone all in on a promising young guy. Speaking of Mochizuki, i love that he always loses his anniversary match and seeing Shuji Kondo back was crazy. I have the match with Owashi back but haven't watched it yet.

For the old school TORYUMON fans:

https://rutube.ru/video/person/1324972/
Don Fujii, Genki Horiguchi, Susumu Yokosuka & Ryo Saito vs. YOSSINO, YASSINI, Machine #2 & Owashi

Toryumon Vs T2P, it's the 20th anniversary of the company's founding so we're getting NOSTALGIA! Yagi is even reffing!

 

[Slayer]

So thanks to a rare bout of insomnia I actually caught the Dream Gate match this morning

Going into this match, my opinion was that this Kzy title shot was mistimed and either result would be a disappointment: Either the PAC reign gets cut short after one defense at a time when DG needs a strong heel champion (as DG is generally its best when the heel faction is good), or Kzy loses another DG title shot and all the momentum he's picked up since starting Natural Vibes.

That being said, the match was very exciting and a must watch

Spoiler

After a vicious AF looking 2nd-rope tombstone and the Black Arrow, PAC added the first key to his belt

Speaking of disappointments, I did not know that this was the final DG show ever at Hakata Star Lanes because the facility is closing down next month, WTF

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

SMH, that's why you read the show notes to see what they're talking about in all that banter! They talked about it when they made the match last month.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

Never seen a NJPW crowd deader for a title change, and it's not because he's a heel because they reacted big to all the other heel wins. I liked the match although the selling was really spotty. Tanahashi did everything he could to make White look good but the crowd really wasn't getting into the near falls the way they should have been. I think Okada, Tanahashi, Naito and Ibushi are so hot with the fans they'll keep moving a ton of tickets (and that's basically what I credit NJPW's success to right now) but if they keep were to keep White on top it wouldn't be a great idea.

Ibushi announcing he's staying with NJPW and is going to be in the NJ Cup is the best news I've seen for the company this year easily.

 

[Baby Shoes]

I’ve been aonout of the NJPW loop that I didn’t realize this was happening until I saw the result this morning. Wonder if this is going to be a brief reign to take them through MSG as word came out yesterday that if Kenny stayed the plan was to retain at the Dome and drop the belt back to Olaf’s at MSG.

I’d have to assume the plans get back on track with this, though it would seem odd for White to drop the belt that quickly now.

 

[Epic Springs]

I figured they were going to put the belt on White before the end of the year but I didn't think it was going to be this soon. I can see them giving it back to Okada and him getting his win back.

Ibushi staying with the company might build him enough good will to give them an extended push throughout the year.

 

[King Kamala]

I'm assuming Jay White will drop it to Okada at MSG before getting a longer run before the end of the year.

Although it'd be weird to have that many IWGP Title changes in a short period.

 

[909]

Right guy won. Okada winning the title at MSG will feel extremely important and show the US fans that they aren't just getting good shows that don't mean anything.

 

[KOAB]

NJPW isn't about having back to back short title reigns in a while. He'll defend against EVIL at MSG and probably won't drop it until Wrestle Kingdom.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Okada and Tanahashi have both wanted a one on one match in the US. Naito keeps talking about being the first IC/World Title holder. Those 2 matches will probably be what happens at MSG (White vs Naito)

 

[RedJed]

Okada and Tanahashi have both wanted a one on one match in the US. Naito keeps talking about being the first IC/World Title holder. Those 2 matches will probably be what happens at MSG (White vs Naito)

I could see that for sure....another Okada and Tanahashi classic would be perfect for MSG.

The way they put Ibushi out there at the last show too as entering the NJ Cup makes me think, though, that they may have Ibushi and White instead at MSG. And I would not be totally shocked to see Ibushi go over since he just signed what is basically an exclusive New Japan contract (preventing him from going to AEW at all). There is probably a title run in there as a caveat that he signed.

The White run to me seems very premature but I get they really need and want to fill holes with Omega, etc, gone. It just seems so pretentious and frankly, the match itself with White/Tanahashi didn't really blow me away in terms of a starmaking situation. That is what I think doesn't grab me with White. He is a solid worker no doubt but he doesn't have that extra added fire or uniqueness to really blow people away on a big stage. He's getting there as the Okada match at WK was decent, but its going to take time.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

It was announced that the winner of the NJ Cup will get the title shot at the MSG show. Meltzer believes it will be Okada, Naito, or Ibushi winning. Kenny said in his interview that he was supposed to win the title back at the MSG show, so they might have the winner of the Cup take the title, which could be Okada getting his win back.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

several of the Baba Anniversary matches are on NJPW World now (they're also on rutube if you're nasty) for those who were interested in them.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/badtakejustin/status/1098409916421726209
Muhammad Hussain Inoki is still savage at 76

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

There's no way he was going to win, but Shota Umino took it to ZSJ on ROH/NJPW Honor Rising. Holy shit is Umino fantastic. That kid is going to be a star. He started the match by knocking Taka out before the bell and went hold for hold with ZSJ for the first 5 minutes. He went nearly 15 minutes with one of the best technical wrestlers in the world, and didn't look out of place at all. The fans popped for him like they were watching Okada. Hell of a match.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

All Japan announced the blocks for this year’s Champion Carnival, which starts on April 4 and runs through April 29.
Block A has Kento Miyahara, Kengo Mashimo, Yuma Aoyagi, Zeus, Gianni Valletta, Ryouji Sai, Dylan James, Shuji Ishikawa,Yuji Okabayashi
Block B has Joe Doering, Jake Lee, Naoya Nomura, Yoshitatsu, Daichi Hashimoto, Sam Adonis, Suwama, Takashi Yoshida, Joel Redman

This is a step down from last years I think since they lost SHINGO, but still interesting. Yoshida for those who don't know is the unmasked CYBER KONG of Dragon Gate.

 

[muzzington]

Mikey Nicholls (Nick Miller in WWE) is in the NJ Cup this year which is probably only good news to me here.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Naito vs Ibushi in the first round? That's something that should be a Final.
Tana vs Umino is going to awesome. Umino is so good already. Good for him for making the Cup.

 

[Epic Springs]

https://twitter.com/azucarRoc/status/1099918608736481281

Looks like Nicholls is going to be a NJ regular going forward.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

At the risk of triggering a wave of angry pms from a certain someone, the NJ Cup is a snapshot of a lot of what I complain about with NJPW.

They jammed basically everyone on the roster into this even guys who retired from the G1 (Nagata, Nakanishi, Tenzan) and guys who should probably not be physically wrestling (Honma). The tournament didn't need to be bigger than it was and if you're going to be bigger than just adding a lot of old and below average workers isn't doing anything to make it attractive.

Some of the matchup choices are questionable given the format too. Nagata/Ishii, Okada/Elgin, Naito/Ibushi (I have a rant incoming), Goto/SANADA, are all fairly big matches and while i understand you need some draws on the opening days it also eliminated a lot of the best workers right off the bat.

Doing Naito/Ibushi day one is fucking stupid. Yes it will be a great match. But neither of these guys should be losing in the first match. Naito spent all of last year doing nothing but treading water and loses way too much (he just dropped a clean pinfall to Taichi in a multiman! Taichi!). Ibushi just signed a contract something he has never done and is clearly in line for a huge push.

If they were going to do a big single elimination tournament then drop all the NJPW dads and lesser Bullet Club/Suzuki club members and get some more outsiders from Japan or give more guys like Umino a shot even if you're going to job them, at least its a big platform for them to show off.