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Post by ________ has left the building on Jul 4, 2017 13:32:51 GMT -5
He was visiting friends but last time he hang around a WWE show namely Wrestlemania, Bushiroad gave him a huge pay raise to keep Okada in NJPW and did a special multi year contract to insure that. Yea Okada is not going anywhere, anytime soon as NJPW made sure of that. Besides that Okada is the true ace of the company and he has no real reason to leave until the next young one is coming up to surpass him (which won't be for a good while) and as seen with Nak it's never too late to make that jump Closest person to Okada is Naito, whom New Japan likes but not enough to make ace. Tanahashi's body is betraying him. I still think Omega is leaving by this time next year for WWE. So New Japan is going to do everything in their power to keep him.
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Jul 4, 2017 13:38:07 GMT -5
Yea Okada is not going anywhere, anytime soon as NJPW made sure of that. Besides that Okada is the true ace of the company and he has no real reason to leave until the next young one is coming up to surpass him (which won't be for a good while) and as seen with Nak it's never too late to make that jump Closest person to Okada is Naito, whom New Japan likes but not enough to make ace. Tanahashi's body is betraying him. I still think Omega is leaving by this time next year for WWE. So New Japan is going to do everything in their power to keep him. I think that's one of the reasons they are seeing what Cody can do as well as a just in case Omega leaves. Okada and Naito can carry the brand as the big 2 but they will need someone to step up in that 3rd spot as Tanahashi is starting to slow down. I wonder if they can Ibushi to commit and stop with the freelance
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Jul 4, 2017 13:40:40 GMT -5
Yea Okada is not going anywhere, anytime soon as NJPW made sure of that. Besides that Okada is the true ace of the company and he has no real reason to leave until the next young one is coming up to surpass him (which won't be for a good while) and as seen with Nak it's never too late to make that jump Yeah. Okada has no reason to leave at all. Nakamura was third on the pecking order and getting older. He was right to bounce. Nakamura and Tanahashi would have def been a combined force for the 3rd spot which would have been good with those two performers. I still think people forget how much of a leap Nak took to go to WWE
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Post by ________ has left the building on Jul 4, 2017 13:48:26 GMT -5
Closest person to Okada is Naito, whom New Japan likes but not enough to make ace. Tanahashi's body is betraying him. I still think Omega is leaving by this time next year for WWE. So New Japan is going to do everything in their power to keep him. I think that's one of the reasons they are seeing what Cody can do as well as a just in case Omega leaves. Okada and Naito can carry the brand as the big 2 but they will need someone to step up in that 3rd spot as Tanahashi is starting to slow down. I wonder if they can Ibushi to commit and stop with the freelance Ibushi is a real life manic pixie dream boy. He rather get weird in matches and travel the world doing that than get tied down to a wrestling promotion. New Japan has to start elevating folks up like Sanada, KUSHIDA, or YOSHI HASHI not just out fear of poaching but for eventual injuries to main eventers that they won't be able to tape up and keep going. It seemed like Shibata was heading that way before his injuries finally caught up with him.
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Jul 4, 2017 13:56:45 GMT -5
I think that's one of the reasons they are seeing what Cody can do as well as a just in case Omega leaves. Okada and Naito can carry the brand as the big 2 but they will need someone to step up in that 3rd spot as Tanahashi is starting to slow down. I wonder if they can Ibushi to commit and stop with the freelance Ibushi is a real life manic pixie dream boy. He rather get weird in matches and travel the world doing that than get tied down to a wrestling promotion. New Japan has to start elevating folks up like Sanada, KUSHIDA, or YOSHI HASHI not just out fear of poaching but for eventual injuries to main eventers that they won't be able to tape up and keep going. It seemed like Shibata was heading that way before his injuries finally caught up with him. Agreed. I think they are slightly missing the boat on KUSHIDA because I expected him to move up after he dropped the title to Hiromu. Sanada has shown he's ready for a bigger role but they haven't put him in a position to take advantage. Shibata would have been the one to take the next step but sadly his career is done. I think they could pull Ishii into the role Shibata had to leave behind in regards to elevating to the "big title"
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Post by Raskovnik on Jul 4, 2017 14:06:15 GMT -5
Is Sanada not the coolest looking wrestler of all time?
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Jul 4, 2017 14:16:08 GMT -5
Ibushi is a real life manic pixie dream boy. He rather get weird in matches and travel the world doing that than get tied down to a wrestling promotion. New Japan has to start elevating folks up like Sanada, KUSHIDA, or YOSHI HASHI not just out fear of poaching but for eventual injuries to main eventers that they won't be able to tape up and keep going. It seemed like Shibata was heading that way before his injuries finally caught up with him. Agreed. I think they are slightly missing the boat on KUSHIDA because I expected him to move up after he dropped the title to Hiromu. Sanada has shown he's ready for a bigger role but they haven't put him in a position to take advantage. Shibata would have been the one to take the next step but sadly his career is done. I think they could pull Ishii into the role Shibata had to leave behind in regards to elevating to the "big title" Sanada thrived last year so he should do well this year. Watanabe could also be ready once he's done as Evil.
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Post by corndog on Jul 5, 2017 11:19:34 GMT -5
Closest person to Okada is Naito, whom New Japan likes but not enough to make ace. Tanahashi's body is betraying him. I still think Omega is leaving by this time next year for WWE. So New Japan is going to do everything in their power to keep him. I think that's one of the reasons they are seeing what Cody can do as well as a just in case Omega leaves. Okada and Naito can carry the brand as the big 2 but they will need someone to step up in that 3rd spot as Tanahashi is starting to slow down. I wonder if they can Ibushi to commit and stop with the freelance As much as many of us believe the Bullet Club is played out, it's still one of the most marketable things in not only NJPW, but all of wrestling. So I definitely think they want to test the water with Cody and besides his lack of understanding/possible caring about working the New Japan style, he pretty much fits the role perfectly. Unfortunately he is massively lacking in the in ring part, so unless he makes a major strides forward I think either they don't go with Cody or Cody actually starts holding back the Bullet Club, putting it more in a SUZUKI-GUN type role with Los Ingobernables being the top faction. I will say when Kenny resigned I thought this would be his last year before jumping to WWE, now I actually think there is a 50/50 chance he stays. I also think New Japan is more willing to throw a bunch of money at him considering how important he is to the US audience.
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Jul 5, 2017 11:27:24 GMT -5
I think that's one of the reasons they are seeing what Cody can do as well as a just in case Omega leaves. Okada and Naito can carry the brand as the big 2 but they will need someone to step up in that 3rd spot as Tanahashi is starting to slow down. I wonder if they can Ibushi to commit and stop with the freelance As much as many of us believe the Bullet Club is played out, it's still one of the most marketable things in not only NJPW, but all of wrestling. So I definitely think they want to test the water with Cody and besides his lack of understanding/possible caring about working the New Japan style, he pretty much fits the role perfectly. Unfortunately he is massively lacking in the in ring part, so unless he makes a major strides forward I think either they don't go with Cody or Cody actually starts holding back the Bullet Club. I will say when Kenny resigned I thought this would be his last year before jumping to WWE, now I actually think there is a 50/50 chance he stays. I also think New Japan is more willing to throw a bunch of money at him considering how important he is to the US audience. They def still sell which is why I believe they figured they could put "anyone" in the leadership mantle and allow Kenny to take off and do other things so they can keep him. I still think CODY will end up settling into the Adam Cole/Jay Lethal spot of not being able to fit in but i'm sure Gedo has all this in his mind to keep Bullet Club going and selling merchandise. There's no doubt Cody needs to humble himself and try to adapt his style in Japan because Okada outshined in America and will do the same in Japan. In regards to Kenny, it's a tricky situation. I think he is intrigued with WWE now after how much he's complained about his miserable time there before. He also said he wanted to leave a legacy in Japan and that includes winning the IWGP heavyweight title but if you go by time frame I can't see that happening. He holds the U.S. belt so we all assume this is Naito year to win as they have kept him and Okada apart for over a year. Is Kenny willing to wait for his time to come around again or will he be satisfied just being the head of the U.S. expansion. With AJ, Nak, Gallows, Anderson etc being there i'm pretty sure those guys keep in contact and are probably saying you should make the jump if the situation is right for you.
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Post by corndog on Jul 5, 2017 11:36:43 GMT -5
As much as many of us believe the Bullet Club is played out, it's still one of the most marketable things in not only NJPW, but all of wrestling. So I definitely think they want to test the water with Cody and besides his lack of understanding/possible caring about working the New Japan style, he pretty much fits the role perfectly. Unfortunately he is massively lacking in the in ring part, so unless he makes a major strides forward I think either they don't go with Cody or Cody actually starts holding back the Bullet Club. I will say when Kenny resigned I thought this would be his last year before jumping to WWE, now I actually think there is a 50/50 chance he stays. I also think New Japan is more willing to throw a bunch of money at him considering how important he is to the US audience. They def still sell which is why I believe they figured they could put "anyone" in the leadership mantle and allow Kenny to take off and do other things so they can keep him. I still think CODY will end up settling into the Adam Cole/Jay Lethal spot of not being able to fit in but i'm sure Gedo has all this in his mind to keep Bullet Club going and selling merchandise. There's no doubt Cody needs to humble himself and try to adapt his style in Japan because Okada outshined in America and will do the same in Japan. In regards to Kenny, it's a tricky situation. I think he is intrigued with WWE now after how much he's complained about his miserable time there before. He also said he wanted to leave a legacy in Japan and that includes winning the IWGP heavyweight title but if you go by time frame I can't see that happening. He holds the U.S. belt so we all assume this is Naito year to win as they have kept him and Okada apart for over a year. Is Kenny willing to wait for his time to come around again or will he be satisfied just being the head of the U.S. expansion. With AJ, Nak, Gallows, Anderson etc being there i'm pretty sure those guys keep in contact and are probably saying you should make the jump if the situation is right for you. I think Gedo has been very intelligent in how he is booking Kenny right now. He realizes if he would have given Kenny the title at Dominion, he would probably be even more likely to leave after Wrestle Kingdom. At the same time, I think he gave him enough by being the US champion and having the draw at Dominion to motivate him. Plus, I have a feeling Kenny gets his match with Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom or King of Pro Wrestling/Destruction. If Kenny resigns, I think it almost a forgone conclusion(but we all know they like to throw curveballs at us) that Kenny gets and wins the title match in the states at much bigger arena. Everyone is wondering if they could sell out the Staples Center, I bet they could with Okada/Omega for the IWGP championship.
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Jul 5, 2017 11:43:48 GMT -5
They def still sell which is why I believe they figured they could put "anyone" in the leadership mantle and allow Kenny to take off and do other things so they can keep him. I still think CODY will end up settling into the Adam Cole/Jay Lethal spot of not being able to fit in but i'm sure Gedo has all this in his mind to keep Bullet Club going and selling merchandise. There's no doubt Cody needs to humble himself and try to adapt his style in Japan because Okada outshined in America and will do the same in Japan. In regards to Kenny, it's a tricky situation. I think he is intrigued with WWE now after how much he's complained about his miserable time there before. He also said he wanted to leave a legacy in Japan and that includes winning the IWGP heavyweight title but if you go by time frame I can't see that happening. He holds the U.S. belt so we all assume this is Naito year to win as they have kept him and Okada apart for over a year. Is Kenny willing to wait for his time to come around again or will he be satisfied just being the head of the U.S. expansion. With AJ, Nak, Gallows, Anderson etc being there i'm pretty sure those guys keep in contact and are probably saying you should make the jump if the situation is right for you. I think Gedo has been very intelligent in how he is booking Kenny right now. He realizes if he would have given Kenny the title at Dominion, he would probably be even more likely to leave after Wrestle Kingdom. At the same time, I think he gave him enough by being the US champion and having the draw at Dominion to motivate him. Plus, I have a feeling Kenny gets his match with Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom or King of Pro Wrestling/Destruction. If Kenny resigns, I think it almost a forgone conclusion(but we all know they like to throw curveballs at us) that Kenny gets and wins the title match in the states at much bigger arena. Everyone is wondering if they could sell out the Staples Center, I bet they could with Okada/Omega for the IWGP championship. Gedo is being cautious and I don't blame him. Kenny is still putting out great performances despite not being where he wants to be which is the champ even though there is no doubt Kenny is at the top. I still think we get CODY vs Kenny sometime this year or even as a match up for Wrestle Kingdom. The trend seems to be going into the direction of Kenny and The Elite turn face while CODY takes over the Bullet Club. However, as discussed before got to see how committed CODY is and how they use him unless you let someone like Fale take the charge in Codys absence when he's in America since he's the ROH champ.
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Post by HMARK Center on Jul 5, 2017 12:18:19 GMT -5
I do agree that Kenny seems more likely to stay as of late, at least going by the way he's been talking. Obviously he's going to be careful about how he speaks in public as he wants to keep his current bosses happy and not burn any bridges around the industry, so he'll focus on what he loves about NJPW and keep himself open to WWE, but he does seem to genuinely treasure the freedom NJPW gives him both character-wise and in the ring, and seems really hyped about taking a leading role in the North America expansion. Obviously the math changes if WWE says "here's a deal that's just as good as or better than the one we gave AJ", but if NJPW gives him a rock solid offer I could envision him turning down a slightly higher WWE offer for the chance to keep growing the situation he's got now.
Still, Gedo is being pretty smart about things, because after what happened with Styles and the others you obviously can't take them being around for granted.
And yes, if by January we hear Kenny's staying, I fully anticipate either another LA-area or a NYC show some time during 2018 that settles Okada/Omega, because they know full well that's the match that will sell an enormous amount of tickets stateside, the way they're likely banking on Okada/Naito to sell more Tokyo Dome tickets in the near future. Lord knows I'd be glad to fly out there again to see it happen, and if they had it in/around NYC I think they'd be able to rely on a decent number of Japanese fans making the trip over, too.
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Post by corndog on Jul 5, 2017 12:41:23 GMT -5
I do agree that Kenny seems more likely to stay as of late, at least going by the way he's been talking. Obviously he's going to be careful about how he speaks in public as he wants to keep his current bosses happy and not burn any bridges around the industry, so he'll focus on what he loves about NJPW and keep himself open to WWE, but he does seem to genuinely treasure the freedom NJPW gives him both character-wise and in the ring, and seems really hyped about taking a leading role in the North America expansion. Obviously the math changes if WWE says "here's a deal that's just as good as or better than the one we gave AJ", but if NJPW gives him a rock solid offer I could envision him turning down a slightly higher WWE offer for the chance to keep growing the situation he's got now. Still, Gedo is being pretty smart about things, because after what happened with Styles and the others you obviously can't take them being around for granted. And yes, if by January we hear Kenny's staying, I fully anticipate either another LA-area or a NYC show some time during 2018 that settles Okada/Omega, because they know full well that's the match that will sell an enormous amount of tickets stateside, the way they're likely banking on Okada/Naito to sell more Tokyo Dome tickets in the near future. Lord knows I'd be glad to fly out there again to see it happen, and if they had it in/around NYC I think they'd be able to rely on a decent number of Japanese fans making the trip over, too. If they do NYC for Okada/Omega, I am definitely trying my damndest to go. I can take a train there from where I am at. Also, I've never been to New York City and always wanted to go.
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Post by Chainsaw on Jul 5, 2017 12:52:35 GMT -5
I do agree that Kenny seems more likely to stay as of late, at least going by the way he's been talking. Obviously he's going to be careful about how he speaks in public as he wants to keep his current bosses happy and not burn any bridges around the industry, so he'll focus on what he loves about NJPW and keep himself open to WWE, but he does seem to genuinely treasure the freedom NJPW gives him both character-wise and in the ring, and seems really hyped about taking a leading role in the North America expansion. Obviously the math changes if WWE says "here's a deal that's just as good as or better than the one we gave AJ", but if NJPW gives him a rock solid offer I could envision him turning down a slightly higher WWE offer for the chance to keep growing the situation he's got now. Still, Gedo is being pretty smart about things, because after what happened with Styles and the others you obviously can't take them being around for granted. And yes, if by January we hear Kenny's staying, I fully anticipate either another LA-area or a NYC show some time during 2018 that settles Okada/Omega, because they know full well that's the match that will sell an enormous amount of tickets stateside, the way they're likely banking on Okada/Naito to sell more Tokyo Dome tickets in the near future. Lord knows I'd be glad to fly out there again to see it happen, and if they had it in/around NYC I think they'd be able to rely on a decent number of Japanese fans making the trip over, too. If they do NYC for Okada/Omega, I am definitely trying my damndest to go. I can take a train there from where I am at. Also, I've never been to New York City and always wanted to go. If NJPW decided to run NYC, I will move heaven and earth to go to that show.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2017 13:13:46 GMT -5
I would be perfectly fine with Omega being the new greatest wrestler to never have wrestled for WWE for the long haul. It's too bad he wants that AJ Styles match so much.
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Post by HMARK Center on Jul 5, 2017 13:21:07 GMT -5
If they do NYC for Okada/Omega, I am definitely trying my damndest to go. I can take a train there from where I am at. Also, I've never been to New York City and always wanted to go. If NJPW decided to run NYC, I will move heaven and earth to go to that show. Oh Lord, yeah; I'm just across the river, and not having to drop big money on cross-country flights and hotel again would be fan-friggin'-tastic. I totally get why they'd do the LA area again; big metropolis, shorter flight from Japan, bigger local Japanese population, maybe an easier time zone to work with, and this year proved there'd be enough demand to run a successful show there again - again, they did apparently have enough demand to run the Long Beach convention center arena if they had wanted to, so having that in your back pocket is great. And hell, I had a great time out there, so I wouldn't shed a tear about doing another trip. But yeah, just having to go next door to watch would be perfect. I'd be fascinated to see which venue they'd run, too; I do think a final Okada/Omega title match done in NYC could sell enough tickets to warrant a MSG-sized arena (again, North American demand combined with an easier trip for European fans plus a destination trip for some Japanese fans), but God knows how much it'd cost just to rent some massive venue like Barclays or Prudential for the shows, let alone the damn Garden, so it's an interesting thing to mull over.
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Post by Magic knows Black Lives Matter on Jul 5, 2017 13:23:43 GMT -5
Is Sanada not the coolest looking wrestler of all time? I love that he's finding his groove with LIJ. He really should be one of the company's top guys within the next two years or so.
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Post by 01010010 01101001 01100011 on Jul 5, 2017 13:44:41 GMT -5
Is Sanada not the coolest looking wrestler of all time? I love that he's finding his groove with LIJ. He really should be one of the company's top guys within the next two years or so. Yeah, I wasn't seeing it at all with the Mutoh's protege stuff or Great Sanada stuff in TNA (but we'll, that should be expect I guess) but this run with LIJ, it is obvious. Hell, if I was Hunter I'd be all over him too.
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Post by honsou on Jul 5, 2017 18:23:12 GMT -5
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Jul 5, 2017 20:22:28 GMT -5
Replay of Night 1 airs Friday at 4
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