Puroresu Love & Resources V3

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Today’s NJPW Road To show was pretty damn solid overall, but go out of your way to watch the NEVEROpen 6 Man title match. It was tremendous. YOSHI-HASHI and DOUKI got a majority of the time, and both guys looked simply fantastic. Easily the best DOUKI has looked since joining NJPW, and YOSHI-HASHI appears to have finally turned the corner. He was Most Improved in the G1, and heos still nailing it here. Great match.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Something about YOSHI-HASHI making the NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Titles feel somewhat relevant seems so right.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING

www.njpw1972.com

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

Ryusuke Taguchi
Master Wato
SHO
Robbie Eagles
Hiromu Takahashi
BUSHI
El Desperado
Yoshinobu Kanemaru
DOUKI
Taiji Ishimori

obviously a downgrade from last year but considering the limits they're working with still this is better than a lot of other years.

They're also doing a one night tournament in the US.

NJPW holding one-night Super J-Cup in US, participants set

The Super J-Cup 2020 tournament will make its return next month. During the announcement of this year’s Best of the Super Juniors 27 participants, the company

www.f4wonline.com

• TJP
• ACH
• Lio Rush
• Chris Bey (Impact)
• Rey Horus (ROH)
• Blake Christian (Game Changer Wrestling)
• Clark Connors (LA Dojo)
• El Phantasmo (Bullet Club)

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I am just glad they didn’t put Jado and Gedo or Yujiro in it. Part of me was hoping that Dick Togo would get one of the grizzled vet spots though.

 

[Slayer]

A Tuesday night in Japan sees not one but two major shows with DDT's Ultimate Party and Dragon Gate's Gate of Destiny (including links to respective cards). DDT starts earlier at 10PM PT/1AM ET with DG at 1AM/4AM, but given how long DDT big shows are there will likely be big overlap between their later show and the DG early card

Not gonna do a huge write-up for the shows, but the matches I'm most looking forward to
DDT: Weapon Rumble (always fun) and the top three matches, especially the main which is both the big title match and should resolve the Damnation fallout and feud between Endo and Sasaki.
DG: Brave Gate (the Ishida/Okuda feud has easily been FeudOTY in DG and maybe for all puro as well), Yamato/KAI (though I am expecting a non-finish leading to a more hardcore match at Kobe), Twin Gate and the Dream Gate (unfortunately first key Kzy strikes again).

For DDT this is their last major show of the year, as the rest of the year will be dedicated to the D-Oh Grand Prix, DDT's annual round-robin a la the G1, so most of their major stories should wrap up for a bit.

DG on the other hand has a two week turnaround to their rebooked Kobe World on 11/15 (Dragon Gate's WM/WK, normally held in late July but there was some stuff going on) so while I'm expecting a good show in its own right, as GoD is most years, a lot of it will likely be setting up for the real big show at Kobe.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Another Kamala is new to New Japan question...what the hell is NEVER and why are their titles less prestigious than IWGP titles? Is it just cause they've been around less time (and they're booked as way less important)?

Watched the 11-2 show this morning and I guess I didn't get storyline of "YOSHI-HASHI may be NEVER Six Man Champ but going for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Titles is WAY more important" cause it seems like they're about same level of importance IMO.

 

[tekcop]

Another Kamala is new to New Japan question...what the hell is NEVER and why are their titles less prestigious than IWGP titles?

"NEVER was a series of professional wrestling events held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) between August 2010 and November 2012. On July 12, 2010, NJPW officially announced the NEVER project, which was to highlight younger up-and-coming talent and outside wrestlers not signed to the promotion."

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

...I think my confusion remains since 52 year old Minoru Suzuki holds the NEVER Openweight Title rn.

(Oh I guess he falls under the outside wrestlers category)

 

[tekcop]

It's just the WWF European title now.

 

[tekcop]

Ishii is really the D'lo Brown of NJPW if you think about it.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

...I think my confusion remains since 52 year old Minoru Suzuki holds the NEVER Openweight Title rn.

(Oh I guess he falls under the outside wrestlers category)

From Wikipedia:

The title was originally scheduled to be defended exclusively at NEVER events, but this plan was quickly changed and since its foundation, the title has been defended on the undercards of NJPW events.[2][10] The original concept of having younger workers wrestle for the title has also not been realized with the first seven holders of the title having been in their thirties or forties.[11][12] Instead, through the likes of Katsuyori Shibata, Togi Makabe, and Tomohiro Ishii, the NEVER Openweight Championship became known for its "gritty" title matches and "hard hitting" style

 

[Slayer]

The whole "new blood" concept sorta went right out the window when the first champ was then almost-40 y/o Masato Tanaka. Legend, obv, but still counter to the initial idea. Beyond that it was Ishii, Shibata and to a lesser extent Makabe who turned it from whatever the original idea was into the workhorse belt.

If I had my way and could scale back on the NJ belt inflation, I would actually keep that since I feel it is unique enough in its own right to stay around, vs the IC and US titles which I would just as soon chuck into the Pacific (and yes I've heard the arguments as to why they should exist, I don't care)

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

im beyond done arguing with drew about the titles in NJPW (he's wrong!) but the IWGP titles are more valuable because of their lineage and longevity yes. Also the 6 man titles have been traded like hotcakes and rarely defended on any important shows etc.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

The IC Title was almost as important as IWGP World before Naito unified them but if he's not going to defend them individually then NJPW might as well merge them.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

having two belts looks cooler though man. Just like the Triple Crown. It's about the visual.

 

[tekcop]

God, I miss the old Triple Crown.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

So main events for both nights are going to be for both titles? Yeah, we're never getting Intercontinental Title defenses against on their own cause if there was a better opportunity to split the titles up again, I don't really see it.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

good! double belts forever!

 

[One Epic Winter (OEW)]

NJPW has too many titles as it is. If they keep the IC and World title together in some sort of "mega" championship then I'm ok with it.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Yeah. I'm fine with it. It seems like they're trying to make their other midcard titles more important and that's harder to do with two different World Titles.

 

[Baby Shoes]

Again, I haven’t been in the loop with New Japan but to me it seems rougher having two belts tied up together with the United States Championship basically inactive.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

you've still got the NEVER title, jr title, the tag belts, jr tag belts (barely), 6 man belts (not on big shows but still), and KENTA is carrying around a US Title Contender briefcase to remind everyone the US title is around. Right now there's also the WK briefcase which for the first time ever changed hands. There's a lot of stuff for guys to go after.

I don't think it is too much for the simple reason all of the belts are over. Even the 6man belt is over lately which is impressive. As long as the fans care about the titles thats what is important. The only thing I'd personally change is merging the tag belts because those divisions are corpses. The heavy tag has at least had some fun matches lately though.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

World Tag League 2020 Entrants Set! | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING

Ten teams to do league battle starting Sunday in AichiRunning aslongside Best of the Super Jr. 27, World Tag League will see ten teams face off in league competition in the coming weeks, starting Sunday November 15 in Aichi and running through t...

www.njpw1972.com

World Tag League looks fine. I was hoping Yota Tsuji would team with Tanahashi.

NJPW’s lame duck tournament seems like a weird way to debut a guy so I can’t guess who Great O Khan’s mystery partner is. Maybe another former young boy coming back from excursion? Shooter?

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

World Tag League 2020 Entrants Set! | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING

Ten teams to do league battle starting Sunday in AichiRunning aslongside Best of the Super Jr. 27, World Tag League will see ten teams face off in league competition in the coming weeks, starting Sunday November 15 in Aichi and running through t...

www.njpw1972.com

World Tag League looks fine. I was hoping Yota Tsuji would team with Tanahashi.

NJPW’s lame duck tournament seems like a weird way to debut a guy so I can’t guess who Great O Khan’s mystery partner is. Maybe another former young boy coming back from excursion? Shooter?

Cousin Dave mentioned that Jeff Cobb was originally supposed to be in the O-Khan spot, but they decided to bring him back from excursion at the time being. X could be Cobb in that spot then.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Yeah...Cobb would make sense in a foreign heel stable. I've only seen a few bits and pieces of him playing heel but I prefer Cobb as a babyface. For someone as big as he is, he seems like he lacks the killer instinct to be a great monster heel but I could very easily be proven wrong here. And Will Ospreay is such an annoying ass that Cobb probably would just need to stand next to him to get over as a heel.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Cobb as the muscle for the group could be good. I know it was under a mask, but his work as Matanza was really good. Come in, kick ass, leave. It's better than happy babyface that he tends to play.

I was wondering if Robbie Eagles could be part of the group since he's tight with Will, and they did the story of him joining Chaos because of Will. But that will have to wait until the end of BOSJ since he's in that.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Mask (or face paint) would be good again for Cobb if he has to be a heel. He has such a naturally friendly face that it's hard for me to buy him as a villain.

For everyone who (wrongly) complained about being tired of the C Bracket matchups, get ready for Toa Henare, Yuji Nagata, and Satoshi Kojima Vs the C Bracket Participants a solid half dozen times.

(no one who complains the Young Lions match ups is watching these BOSJ/World Tag League shows).

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

I can't remember a good NJPW tag league in forever but BOSJ is usually good.

Jeff Cobb doesn't really do much for me tbh. His G1 performances see-sawed from pretty good to below-average (compared to most of the others) and compared to so many "big foreign power wrestlers" he hasn't really stacked up well.

Ospreay's attempt to be Ric Flair at Power Struggle was laughable btw. Add to that the awful OKhan gimmick and I'm really not feeling the heel turn after an initial good start.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

He looked goofy as hell in the suit and wire rim glasses.

I'm glad you said that RE: Cobb cause I think he's starting to shift from promising up & comer who hasn't quite delivered yet to mild to moderate disappointment IMO. Like I said, to me, he just really lacks a killer instinct. Yeah, he's an athletic as hell big man but then what?