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Post by This Player Hating Mothman on Feb 4, 2019 5:07:20 GMT -5
Taichi has a fun heel character, but damn he loves to stall a lot. Once he takes off the pants he goes into wrestler-mode and then his matches pick up a notch. It was a good match though. It makes Taichi a dude who works best in a stable-heavy environment. I love him as a piece of Suzuki-Gun because he has this overt and really fun character with the whole gloomy visual kei dirtbag thing, but because he can most of the time be a goon and fall into this larger structure of a group with stronger lead guys, he's able to play that supporting role and most of the time exist in more of a tag team/goon capacity, and peek out for solo stuff sparingly. And I'm fine with sparing singles heel Taichi; I liked the match, but it's something that I wouldn't really want to see year-round because of that whole stalling issue.
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Post by HMARK Center on Feb 4, 2019 9:26:46 GMT -5
It also helped that they were in Taichi's hometown; the way they booked the opening of the match ensured that the already popular Naito would be even more over, and not risk any possibility of a split crowd given they were in Sapporo. Crowd was hot as hell for the ending, and combined with the tag title matches it made for a really nice second half of the card.
More than anything, though, I'm thrilled that the more tweener-style Naito has come back over the past few months. Dude's at his best when he's willing to get down and dirty to win and being a disrespectful jerk, and that took a back seat for a little while as he leaned more babyface. Clearly he's still more of a face than he was when LIJ first formed, but things like the mic stand spot and going back to using low blows? Hell yes, that's our ungovernable boi.
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Post by corndog on Feb 4, 2019 10:19:33 GMT -5
It also helped that they were in Taichi's hometown; the way they booked the opening of the match ensured that the already popular Naito would be even more over, and not risk any possibility of a split crowd given they were in Sapporo. Crowd was hot as hell for the ending, and combined with the tag title matches it made for a really nice second half of the card. More than anything, though, I'm thrilled that the more tweener-style Naito has come back over the past few months. Dude's at his best when he's willing to get down and dirty to win and being a disrespectful jerk, and that took a back seat for a little while as he leaned more babyface. Clearly he's still more of a face than he was when LIJ first formed, but things like the mic stand spot and going back to using low blows? Hell yes, that's our ungovernable boi. It is interesting, because Naito has never been booked more like a face than now, but he went back to using more dirty methods and back to being disrespectful, which got him to the IWGP world championship in the first place. The change was really obvious during the Jericho match, when he spit on Red Shoes and used the belt for the win. The table spot was brutal and using the mic stand was much more like the old Naito, at the same time it was cheered because Taichi deserved it. Also, it seems like Naito has embraced the IC title and formed a different relationship with the belt. Instead of being bitter and feeling burdened by the belt, he sees the belt as something that can help him get to the world championship and has finally accepted that the IC title is part of his "destino" on his path to the promised land.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Feb 4, 2019 17:58:31 GMT -5
NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo February 3rd, 2019 | Hokkaido Sports Center in Hokkaido, Sapporo | Attendance: 6,089
After a decent show on night one, NJPW was back for another edition of The New Beginning in Sapporo. With three title matches, all involving Los Ingobernables, the card is stronger than the first night on paper. The attendance jump from night one certainly seems to indicate that most people felt that way.
Toa Henare vs. Yota Tsuji Tsuji tripped doing the Young Lion run to the ring. Henare still baffles me with how quickly he seemed to graduate from Young Lion. This was a HOSS fight between two beefy boys. They wailed on each other and threw out several slam variations. Tsuji got a chance to show off his quickness. It doesn’t often look that great because he works with quicker Young Lions, but against Henare it stood out. Obviously, Henare put him down with a Uranage in 7:07. Your standard NJPW opener for the most part. I dug the big boy battle aspects. [**¾]
Ayato Yoshida and Shota Umino vs. Manabu Nakanishi and Tiger Mask IV I’ve praised the Yoshida/Umino tandem. They’re a lot of fun. In terms of Nakanishi, it can be hit or miss with him. Sometimes you get motivated and mobile Nakanishi. This wasn’t one of those cases. He was plodding and slow. It happens when you’re his age. Tiger Mask IV did alright to cover it up but not quite enough. He beat Yoshida with an avalanche Butterfly Suplex in 9:31. That move always looks good. A fine enough tag. [**¼]
Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Ren Narita vs. TAKA Michinoku and Takashi Iizuka Tenzan continued to plead with Iizuka to “wake up.” I’m assuming Iizuka finally does in his retirement match. Anyway, Tenzan has called Narita his favorite Young Lion, so he enjoys teaming with him. They wrestled basically the same match on night one, but swapped Tiger Mask for Narita. It didn’t make much of a difference, though I guess I slightly preferred this one. Iizuka got disqualified for using the iron glove gimmick again in 9:47. [*½]
The Guerrillas of Destiny, Taiji Ishimori & Yujiro Takahashi w/ Jado vs. NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champions The Most Violent Players and Tomoaki Honma Tama Tonga is in no way my favorite wrestler, but I will admit I prefer watching him to his brother and the perpetually awful Jado. Anyway, this is a prime example of why extending these events over multiple nights isn’t a good idea. We see the same shit over and over to build it up. It’s not fresh or original in any form. The match was indeed more of the same, from Honma as the face in peril to Tama Tonga doing his “good guy” stuff to me yawning. The highlight was again the back and forth between Taguchi and Ishimori. Their eventual singles match should be fun. Yano won with another cheap rollup in 14:15. Even with slightly different players, this was almost a carbon copy of night one. [**]
Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens and Jay White w/ Gedo vs. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada and YOSHI-HASHI Jay White is fresh off making Tanahashi tap out. I chuckled at how adding HASHI and Owens took this from a main event tag to a midcard six man tag. The best part about this was watching HASHI fail at getting his teammates to do a pose with him like in CHAOS matches. He’s so lame even Okada and Tanahashi are done with him. Remember when they kind of battled over him last year? Yikes. Other than a few other bits from HASHI and Owens, this was similar to night one’s main event. The finish was less notable, as Tanahashi didn’t tap out. Instead, it was YOSHI-HASHI who submitted to the TTO in 17:57. It was a bit tighter than the straight tag on night one, but HASHI is just a drag to watch. Owens was a solid addition, making up for Fale doing nothing of note. [***¼]
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: BUSHI and Shingo Takagi [c] vs. El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru Everyone in this match, other than Kanemaru, is enjoyable. Suzuki-Gun loves playing up their dirty tactics. It can often be grating but what has made LIJ a great foil for them is that they aren’t shy about returning the favor. LIJ aren’t a bunch of cheesy good boys. BUSHI went after Desperado’s mask just as often as Desperado went after his. I dig that dynamic. It was kind of what you expect from a Suzuki-Gun match, except that it worked in a way it usually doesn’t. Shingo was the guy who took a lot in this, selling more than we’ve ever seen from him in NJPW. He usually is powerful enough to throw his fellow juniors around. We got some great close calls late, including one where the referee was pulled out following a Pumping Bomber. BUSHI got involved for the finish, hitting Rebellion on Kanemaru to retain in 18:04. One of the better Jr. Tag Title matches in quite some time. I love the BUSHI/Shingo team. I was glad that BUSHI got the chance to shine and show everyone that he is really good. He’s been overlooked for a while now. [***¾]
IWGP Tag Team Championship: EVIL and SANADA [c] vs. Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr. Easily the most excited I’ve been for an IWGP Tag Title match in years. Four great wrestlers who all excite me with different styles. Suzuki still seemed pissed that he got put in the Paradise Lock on night one because he and Sabre jumped the champions during their entrance. Furthermore, Suzuki beat on SANADA in the crowd and choked him with his title. SANADA getting his ass kicked was kind of the theme of the match. Both Sabre and Suzuki took it to him. EVIL fared better against both opponents, playing off his win on night one. SANADA was often the face in peril and it worked as EVIL came in with the save. They hit Suzuki with the Magic Killer and SANADA beat him with the moonsault in 16:52. Interesting that Suzuki got pinned and not Sabre. I feel that’s notable. Like the Jr. tag, this was a very good match. The story told worked well and everyone involved played their part well. [***¾]
IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito [c] vs. Taichi During Naito’s entrance, he was attacked from behind by Takashi Iizuka with a ladder. That set up one of the most overly long and blown out spots I can recall. Naito was out on the ramp and they teased whether or not he’d compete. This felt like it took longer than the entire Royal Rumble. Not just the match, the event. Including the Kickoff Show. And they added a segment where Naito went backstage to heal up before coming back out for the match. Ridiculous. Once the match started, Naito did everything in his power to make Taichi look good. Bless him, the man took insane neck bumps for Taichi of all people. The closing stretch had some solid drama and close calls, where they made you believe Taichi might really take home the title. Naito still won with two Destinos in 21:31. The end was fine but getting there was rough. This wasn’t as good as their match last year and the angle around it sucked. [**½]
Overall: 6/10. About on the same level as night one. There were two standout matches in the Tag Title matches because LIJ can make even the worst divisions interesting. Neither one is a MOTYC or anything, but they’re worth watching. The rest of the show could be skipped and the main event is mediocre at best.
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Post by AwamoriRock on Feb 5, 2019 0:39:48 GMT -5
Kitamura is leaving, officially.
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Convoy
El Dandy
Rusev admits to being a sex addict to large applause.
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Post by Convoy on Feb 5, 2019 0:58:08 GMT -5
Such a shame. You could tell they had high hopes for him after an excursion.
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Post by BRAINFADE on Feb 5, 2019 1:24:20 GMT -5
Kitamura is leaving, officially. Really sad to hear this. He had a superstar aura that anyone with a basic grasp of wrestling could see, and it was so much fun watching his development. A big "what could have been" for New Japan.
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King Devitt
Grimlock
It gets better the longer you stare at it
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Post by King Devitt on Feb 5, 2019 6:57:05 GMT -5
Kitamura is leaving, officially.
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chrom
Backup Wench
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Post by chrom on Feb 5, 2019 9:19:14 GMT -5
Injuries ruined his career just as it was starting to begin
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Feb 5, 2019 12:12:17 GMT -5
Lot of guys gone the past month
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Feb 5, 2019 13:15:44 GMT -5
New Japan rather alarmingly has lost about 1/5 of its roster since WK13.
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lionheart21
Patti Mayonnaise
Once did a thing...
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Post by lionheart21 on Feb 5, 2019 14:34:55 GMT -5
Jay White is Kylo Ren but well written and he's incredible Glad to see I'm not the only one that's made that connection
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Convoy
El Dandy
Rusev admits to being a sex addict to large applause.
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Post by Convoy on Feb 5, 2019 16:48:30 GMT -5
"Well, I do feel a bit bad for Ishimori, that his ankle is getting so worn out. So on my trips to the red light district, I have been wearing out my nipples. When it comes to overusing your nipples, in that area I am without peer. Thank you and goodbye."
Taguchi is an international treasure.
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Feb 5, 2019 19:33:33 GMT -5
With the guys that have left and freeing up New Japan's salary, who would you like to see them sign and bring in?
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Feb 5, 2019 19:41:36 GMT -5
Sabre has said he'll give them a shot at the British Tag Belts
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Feb 6, 2019 15:15:15 GMT -5
War of The Worlds 2019 was announced today, taking place from May 8th to the 12th with tickets going on sale next week
Shows are taking place in Buffalo, Toronto, Grand Rapids and Chicago
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Feb 7, 2019 14:39:47 GMT -5
In the buildup shows to Osaka on Monday, submissions are playing a factor with Tanahashi's Cloverleaf and White's TTO which he has a shirt out of
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Feb 8, 2019 17:05:44 GMT -5
Lineup for tomorrow which is airing on New Japan World
Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Yota Tsuji vs Ayato Yoshida and Shota Umino
Yoshi Hashi vs Ren Narita
Tomoaki Honma and Toa Henare vs Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens
Evil, Sanada and Bushi vs Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado
Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi vs Taichi and Taka Michinoku
Elimination Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Togi Makabe, Toru Yano and Ryusuke Taguchi vs Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, Guerillas of Destiny and Taiji Ishimori
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Post by HMARK Center on Feb 8, 2019 20:12:57 GMT -5
With the guys that have left and freeing up New Japan's salary, who would you like to see them sign and bring in? Honestly, it's hard to say - gaijin talent is going to be a bit harder to come by, I think, with AEW being a draw now for a lot of western guys who might not want to make the regular trips to Japan, and despite getting Ishimori and Shingo this past year it's just not super common for significant puro names to bounce much between companies. Before anything else I hope they make use of the guys they currently have available and come up with some interesting new directions to take them in; next, it's probably almost time for guys like Oka to start heading back from excursion, and the current loss of names could speed that process up a bit; but after that it's certainly a tough call.
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Post by This Player Hating Mothman on Feb 8, 2019 20:18:18 GMT -5
With the guys that have left and freeing up New Japan's salary, who would you like to see them sign and bring in? Honestly, it's hard to say - gaijin talent is going to be a bit harder to come by, I think, with AEW being a draw now for a lot of western guys who might not want to make the regular trips to Japan, and despite getting Ishimori and Shingo this past year it's just not super common for significant puro names to bounce much between companies. Before anything else I hope they make use of the guys they currently have available and come up with some interesting new directions to take them in; next, it's probably almost time for guys like Oka to start heading back from excursion, and the current loss of names could speed that process up a bit; but after that it's certainly a tough call. We're always going to see freelance gaijin come in, but I wouldn't be surprised if we begin to see a greater focus again on homegrown talents. Even for gaijin; Juice Robinson and Jay White have both been successes, and there's obviously the new LA dojo that might have a success rate than the first time around. Calling in lots of indie acts has served its purpose, now they can push on and make the most of what they have, which is pretty great. They have the eyes on them now and anyone who isn't literally just a fan of The Elite is committed, now is when they can focus inward.
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