Mozenrath
FANatic
Foppery and Whim
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Post by Mozenrath on Mar 21, 2019 21:52:50 GMT -5
I don't know if this is accurate, but I remember reading/hearing that Ishii is actually more popular overseas than in Japan, where he's liked but he isn't given quite as much reverence and love as the west gives him. Is he just not much of a promo? Something that probably wouldn't have a ton of relevance to the fans who couldn't understand that he was saying, anyway, naturally. Yeah, I'm pretty sure Ishii is a bigger deal in the US/UK scene than he actually is in Japan, really. Which is nice, if so. Not like he's chopped liver there, given how he's booked like he's literally made of stone, and he's had Omega or other top guy's number before. Does feel like sometimes he's a bigger deal than Goto nowadays, but given how stop and start Goto is, it's kinda hard to tell.
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
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Post by chrom on Mar 21, 2019 22:07:42 GMT -5
Limeup for Saturday
Tencozy and Blue Justice vs Michael Elgin, Colt Cabana, Yuya Uemura and Yota Tsuji
Shota Umino and Ren Narita vs Bushi and Shingo Takagi
Togi Makabe, Toru Yano and Toa Henare vs Minoru Suzuki and Killer Elite Squad
Will Ospreay and Ryusuke Taguchi vs Zack Sabre Jr and Taichi
Kota Ibushi and Tomoaki Honma vs Tetsuya Naito and Evil
Juice Robinson, Hirooki Goto, Yoshi Hashi and Mikey Nicholls vs Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens and Hikuleo
NJC Semi Final: Kazuchika Okada vs Tomohiro Ishii
NJC Semi Final: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Sanada
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Post by Yamashita Enforcement Division on Mar 21, 2019 22:17:22 GMT -5
I just remembered that Yoshida is working K-Dojo and is out of the young boy pool for a period, and am very sad. Congrats to Chuck Taylor's son Ren Narita for joining the cool young lion team.
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Post by This Player Hating Mothman on Mar 21, 2019 22:38:38 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm pretty sure Ishii is a bigger deal in the US/UK scene than he actually is in Japan, really. Which is nice, if so. Not like he's chopped liver there, given how he's booked like he's literally made of stone, and he's had Omega or other top guy's number before. Does feel like sometimes he's a bigger deal than Goto nowadays, but given how stop and start Goto is, it's kinda hard to tell. Ishii is booked as an upper crust utility kind of guy; he was very much Chaos #2, the guy anyone with the G1 contract would have to fight to get to Okada in the build-up to WK. A midcard mainstay who will give main eventers a big challenge when needed. And it's a good place for him, but he actually did rise up to that level thanks to a bit of a cult following from fans. He impressed them over time and got to the place he is now, there's just a bit of a ceiling on that. For western fans there's that same popularity, but it's to an even greater degree partially because everything about him is just so easily translatable, partially because he fits the ideal of the hard-hitting Japanese style a lot of people hear about before ever checking anything out, and partly because hes' not so important to New Japan that they won't loan him off to partner promotions. ROH can't get Okada, but both they and RevPro have put gold on Ishii before, so it definitely comes off like his western appeal is greater, but it's hard to tell in practice.
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
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Post by chrom on Mar 21, 2019 22:40:55 GMT -5
Taichi has issued a challenge to Ospreay
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Convoy
El Dandy
Rusev admits to being a sex addict to large applause.
Posts: 7,530
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Post by Convoy on Mar 21, 2019 23:12:36 GMT -5
Watching the backstage comments now.
Ibushi is uncharacteristically forward in not only demanding a title shot, but saying that Naito doesn't deserve the belt and it already belongs to him. Naito says he's willing to defend it against Ibushi as soon as the NJC Finals.
Cabana mentioned tagging with Yano this Fall for the World Tag League.
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Mar 22, 2019 11:54:48 GMT -5
I mean, Tana still that dude but you couldn't give Naito his clout here? If you are projecting forward Naito gets a title shot at Dominion but they need to get the IC title off him first which is why they had Ibushi beat him
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Post by HMARK Center on Mar 22, 2019 11:59:26 GMT -5
I mean, Tana still that dude but you couldn't give Naito his clout here? If you are projecting forward Naito gets a title shot at Dominion but they need to get the IC title off him first which is why they had Ibushi beat him And even if that doesn't end up happening (who knows, maybe Naito gets to at least get closer to that "first HW/IC double champ" accolade?), I think a big goal was also to continue keeping Naito and White far away from one another, in general. Ibushi winning the match allows for a marquee IC title match, like you said allows for Naito to drop the belt if they feel that's what they want, and continues to keep the possibility of White/Naito remote in people's minds until they feel like springing it at some point in the future. Whether White/Naito happens any time soon is another question, but it's nice that things are kind of unpredictable at the moment with regards to the title.
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Mar 22, 2019 12:05:13 GMT -5
If you are projecting forward Naito gets a title shot at Dominion but they need to get the IC title off him first which is why they had Ibushi beat him And even if that doesn't end up happening (who knows, maybe Naito gets to at least get closer to that "first HW/IC double champ" accolade?), I think a big goal was also to continue keeping Naito and White far away from one another, in general. Ibushi winning the match allows for a marquee IC title match, like you said allows for Naito to drop the belt if they feel that's what they want, and continues to keep the possibility of White/Naito remote in people's minds until they feel like springing it at some point in the future. Whether White/Naito happens any time soon is another question, but it's nice that things are kind of unpredictable at the moment with regards to the title. Correct. The fact that they haven't done Naito/White yet is what makes me believe that Naito could get a shot at Dominion because they have kept them away from each other
Naito losing to Ibushi was the logical move as you set up another match between those two and if you want to get the title off Naito there then you have a way out and also a story line later for potentially next year with Ibushi challenging Naito for the IWGP title
Naito is a big factor. They have been very strategic with him as far as matchups are concerned. He hasn't had another match with Okada nor has he fought White. Him and Tana has also had some distance, so this seems like a year for Naito to either get his shine at Dominion or run the G1 for the 3rd time
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Convoy
El Dandy
Rusev admits to being a sex addict to large applause.
Posts: 7,530
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Post by Convoy on Mar 22, 2019 12:21:23 GMT -5
White has also mentioned Naito several times in the past, and it makes sense for his character to want a win against all New Japan pillars. Not sure how I feel about that closing WK, but I also feel like it's too big to happen for the first time in the G1.
As an aside, Ospreay basically confirmed on IG today that he's moving to Japan. Apparently he's learning to speak fluent Japanese, so expect a rocket to be strapped to his back as a full-timer.
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Mar 22, 2019 12:47:49 GMT -5
White has also mentioned Naito several times in the past, and it makes sense for his character to want a win against all New Japan pillars. Not sure how I feel about that closing WK, but I also feel like it's too big to happen for the first time in the G1. As an aside, Ospreay basically confirmed on IG today that he's moving to Japan. Apparently he's learning to speak fluent Japanese, so expect a rocket to be strapped to his back as a full-timer. Smart man, take that Omega spot
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chrom
Backup Wench
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Post by chrom on Mar 22, 2019 15:41:24 GMT -5
White being there tomorrow has me thinking he's getting involved
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bigbadbull
Don Corleone
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Post by bigbadbull on Mar 22, 2019 17:45:44 GMT -5
I think the finals are Ishii and SANADA. Why book Okada vs White if the plan is to keep the belt on White and if they have Okada win then White kind of looks like a goober. This is why I think Ishii might win the Cup; give White the best match of his career and put him over.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2019 3:26:09 GMT -5
Ahhh, getting to watch live again with breakfast is great. Umino’s ring presence is unbelievable compared to a year ago.
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Post by Yamashita Enforcement Division on Mar 23, 2019 3:27:26 GMT -5
Shota Umino should have won the New Japan Cup.
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chrom
Backup Wench
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Post by chrom on Mar 23, 2019 3:34:45 GMT -5
Ahhh, getting to watch live again with breakfast is great. Umino’s ring presence is unbelievable compared to a year ago. Barring injuries, he's a future main eventer
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2019 3:37:10 GMT -5
I wonder where he goes for excursion. There’s options in England and Mexico, but a I wonder if they hope a bit ok Tanahashi or Nakamura rubs off on him by sending him to Mexico.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2019 3:38:45 GMT -5
Smith looks fantastic at the moment. I want to him him and Archer have more a singles run after this. Definitely would wanna see Smith in the g1.
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chrom
Backup Wench
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Post by chrom on Mar 23, 2019 3:39:53 GMT -5
CMLL would be my guess
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
Posts: 84,941
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Post by chrom on Mar 23, 2019 3:42:35 GMT -5
Smith's been busy in MLW teaming with Pillman Jr who I wouldn't be surprised to see NJPW brought in
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