Puroresu Love & Resources V3

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Zeus has purchased the mostly dromant Osaka Pro Wrestling and will be leaving AJPW at the end of this year.

(No, @BruiserBrody, not the Zeus that starred in No Holds Barred that died of COVID-19 last year. Japanese Zeus)

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

yay another tiny company in japan and ajpw losing a heavy. sigh

 

[Slayer]

damn look at Kamala coming in here and breaking big non-NJ puro stories!

Obviously a huge fucking loss for an already anemic-as-hell All Japan roster. Even though Jake Lee has finally found himself and getting a run now, Zeus was still well established as the 1b to Kento's 1a in the company. Unfortunately he's also probably never getting another TC run and otherwise has hit his plateau with the current management so I can't blame him for leaving now, plus with Osaka Pro being his original fed attempting to revive it could be a good passion project for him

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

I don't blame him for leaving yeah. I just wish it was to another already established company. BJW, NOAH, etc.

 

[Slayer]

an already anemic-as-hell All Japan roster

in thinking about this, over the last year+ All Japan has lost (and/or "forced out" depending on your perception) Joe Doering, Yusuke Okada and now Zeus

Dunno how it's been working out for Doering since his return stateside but not-that-Okada (also not to be confused with NOAH's not-that-Okada-either) has been banging it up in DDT this year, with his challenge for Yuki Ueno's DDT Universal title from 3/14 being a low key Top Ten MOTY for me

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

damn look at Kamala coming in here and breaking big non-NJ puro stories!

Obviously a huge fucking loss for an already anemic-as-hell All Japan roster. Even though Jake Lee has finally found himself and getting a run now, Zeus was still well established as the 1b to Kento's 1a in the company. Unfortunately he's also probably never getting another TC run and otherwise has hit his plateau with the current management so I can't blame him for leaving now, plus with Osaka Pro being his original fed attempting to revive it could be a good passion project for him

HAH! Well. VOW article on this story said that everyone was all smiles at the press conference announcing this and it was implied that Osaka Pro Wrestling is going to work with (be somewhat of a feeder system for) AJPW in the future. Plus it sounds like Zeus will still make occasional appearances so it sounds like a let a guy we don't have huge plans for do his passion project and maybe let absence make the heart grow fonder deal.

 

[Broward83]

Sooooooooooooo apparently Okada is wanting to carry the old IWGP Heavyweight belt in lieu of the briefcase, effectively forgoing his challenge at Wrestle Kingdom...

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

sounds like a setup top bring back the real belt or a multipronged angle with him, shingo and ospreay.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

sounds like a setup top bring back the real belt or a multipronged angle with him, shingo and ospreay.

Yeah, it seems like it’ll be Okada and his belt vs Shingo and his at WK day 1, then maybe the winner of that (Okada) vs Ospreay for his belt on either the next night or the 8th (depending when Will comes back to Japan). Or they could do Shingo vs Ospreay if they’re still doing a real world champion angle, and the winner of that faces Okada for the right to carry whichever title they want the next day.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I think a lot of cynics (including myself) are a bit afraid that it’s just gonna be a platform for Okada to go 3-0 against Ospreay, Shingo and Ibushi so Gedo can firmly re-establish him as the god of wrestling.

(CWM: GOOD!)

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

That won't happen but yeah I wouldn't care if it did. Okada is younger than Ibushi and SHINGO. He has a lot of years left as the Ace. Shingo is having a good run right now but it's mostly because of injuries. Ibushi is cursed. Ospreay is a POS.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

NJPW Power Struggle, Saturday, November 6, 4 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World --

• IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
• Right to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 16 briefcase (SPARE TITLE?!): Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga
• IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. KENTA
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Robbie Eagles (c) vs. El Desperado
• Provisional KOPW 2021: Toru Yano (c) vs. Great-O-Khan
• NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI (c) vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & SHO
• SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Yuji Nagata, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato
• Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Tiger Mask vs. Tanga Loa, Gedo & Jado
• Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita

Okada is also going to be on the Battle in the Valley show in San Jose.

The top matches sound good. I'm hoping we get some (positive) clarification soon on more US talent being able to be at the Dome shows. The obvious direction would be to do Mox/Tana.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I'm glad the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team titles are finally getting a showcase at an at least semi-major show.


Although it has to be GD EVIL and his cronies, huh?

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

in thinking about this, over the last year+ All Japan has lost (and/or "forced out" depending on your perception) Joe Doering, Yusuke Okada and now Zeus

Dunno how it's been working out for Doering since his return stateside but not-that-Okada (also not to be confused with NOAH's not-that-Okada-either) has been banging it up in DDT this year, with his challenge for Yuki Ueno's DDT Universal title from 3/14 being a low key Top Ten MOTY for me

If it was a MOTYC then why didn't you put it in the MOTYC thread?

 

[Slayer]

Because I don't post in the MOTY thread

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Looking at the Power Struggle card again.

Is Gedo trying to create the worst possible match with that Tanga Loa, Gedo, and Jado. Vs Tiger Mask, Honma, and Makabe six man? I guess he could have been a real masochist and had Dick Togo in there instead of Tanga Loa but then it'd at least have made sense as pure "nostalgia" (of guys we see at most shows).

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1456603062328561668

Drag Okada's butt, King.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

A NJPW Dad's belt sounds fucking awesome when I think about it...

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I'm amazed no one (at least no one notable) in Japan or domestically has ever tried to do a masters tournament. Now would be a great time to do it considering how many solid 40+ (or even 50+) year old workers that are out there.

(No one bring up Heroes of Wrestling)

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

the closest was probably riki choshu's LEGEND company although it wasn't a tourny https://www.cagematch.net/?id=8&nr=814&page=4 which was almost all old pro wrestlers

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Damn Tiger Mask I was still active in 2015!?

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Shingo defending Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight title is announced as the night one of WrestleKingdom (1/4) main event.

At the same press conference, Naito announced that he is medically cleared to return and will be teaming up with SANADA for the World Tag League starting this weekend.

Best of Super Juniors which will run alongside WTL had its lineups announced.

Anyone wondering whether we were going to see a more exciting lineup with Japan opening up, answer is...no but at least ElP is able to get back in the country, I guess. Maybe there'll be more imports for WK.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Shingo defending Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight title is announced as the night one of WrestleKingdom (1/4) main event.

At the same press conference, Naito announced that he is medically cleared to return and will be teaming up with SANADA for the World Tag League starting this weekend.

Best of Super Juniors which will run alongside WTL had its lineups announced.

Anyone wondering whether we were going to see a more exciting lineup with Japan opening up, answer is...no but at least ElP is able to get back in the country, I guess. Maybe there'll be more imports for WK.

The issue is that they can't get work Visas right now, as that's still being worked out. Japan eased restrictions not too long ago, so it wasn't enough time to get Visas, but there might be issues on that depending on what restrictions are still in place to get them. Having talent that doesn't already have a Visa there will take a bit longer.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

Yeah it takes time. It isn't as easy as US/Canada.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

A fool: World Tag League is most skippable of the tournaments.
A intelligent person: Tanahashi is going to team with Toru Yano and Taka Michinoku's back (I thought he was persona non gratae and teaming with Minoru Suzuki.

(There are going to be some ugly ugly OLD DAWG matches here.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Hmmm. Very interesting. Any idea what this could be about, @cobainwasmurdered or @Slayer ? Maybe some kind of collaboration for NJPW's 50th Anniversary next year? NOAH involvement in WrestleKingdom?

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

no idea but i hope it's them working together in some way. I also really hope AJPW and NJPW work together for the 50th since it's obviously also AJPW's anniversary year.

 

[Valeyard]

Mutoh can unify all the titles then.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

no idea but i hope it's them working together in some way. I also really hope AJPW and NJPW work together for the 50th since it's obviously also AJPW's anniversary year.

Wrestle Kingdom Day 3 is going to be NJPW vs NOAH

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1461937103026089986

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

Super Hyped for this. Lot of awesome possibilities. Obviously we are going to get some kind of KENTA/Marafuji interaction. I would love to see any of the younger guys in there with Okada, Tana, Ishii. Please stick Mutoh in a multiman.