chrom
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Post by chrom on Mar 23, 2019 3:46:50 GMT -5
Suzuki and Sabre are the current British Tag Champs and they along with Evil and Sanada who they've been feuding with are booked for MSG.
Wonder if they'll defend them there
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Mar 23, 2019 3:54:11 GMT -5
Taichi and Ospreay have resumed their feud from December over the NEVER Title
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2019 4:58:34 GMT -5
Switching to Japanese commentary for this. Kelly, Romero and Excalibur have been great, but seems right for this match,
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2019 5:17:56 GMT -5
That was really good, though not great. That superplex was insane though and Ishii’s comeback was fantastic.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2019 5:49:06 GMT -5
HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Mar 23, 2019 6:10:15 GMT -5
So the finals are set: Okada vs Sanada
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Mar 23, 2019 6:21:09 GMT -5
This was not the finals I expected
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Mar 23, 2019 7:15:13 GMT -5
Since March Madness has begun, Sanada is the equivalent of a 9th seed reaching the championship round
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Mar 23, 2019 8:16:34 GMT -5
NJPW New Japan Cup Semifinals March 23rd, 2019 | Aore Nagaoka Arena in Nagaoka, Niigata | Attendance: 2,832
I’ve been watching the New Japan Cup, but haven’t had time to review it. That time has been dedicated to the World Wrestling Federation. However, with a free Saturday morning, I decided to check out the semifinals. Here are my ratings for the tournament, even from the few reviews I did. I've underlined the recommended ones.
Nakanishi/HASHI - **¼ Taichi/Honma - *¾ Owens/Robinson - ***¼ Ishii/Nagata - **** Archer/Henare - ** HIKULEO/Nicholls - *½ Fale/Ospreay - *¾ Elgin/Okada - *** Taguchi/Tenzan - **½ Tanahashi/Umino - ***½ EVIL/Sabre - ***¾ Ibushi/Naito - ****½ DBS/Yano - *¼ Cabana/Makabe - * Kojima/Suzuki - ***¼ Goto/SANADA - ***¼
HASHI/Owens - **½ Ishii/Taichi - ***¼ Archer/Ospreay - *** Okada/Nicholls - ***¼ Taguchi/Tanahashi - ***½ Ibushi/Sabre - ***¾ Cabana/Yano - **¼ SANADA/Suzuki - ***¼
Ishii/HASHI - ***½ Okada/Ospreay - ***¼ Cabana/SANADA - **¾ Tanahashi/Sabre - ****¼
New Japan Cup Semifinals: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii My hope for the finals is either Ishii/Tanahashi or Ishii/SANADA. I just never feel like Okada makes SANADA feel like a star and I don’t want Tana/Okada again. Tee last time Okada wrestled Ishii was in a G1 26 banger (****½) where Ishii won. “I defend against all challengers” Okada didn’t give his CHAOS buddy a title defense after that. I liked how Okada changed up his game early. His usual clean break was instead one with a cheap forearm. He used his height for a slight power advantage. He disrespectfully kicked at Ishii’s head. That pissed Ishii off, so he started kicking Okada’s ass. Watching him no sell Okada forearms and walk into shots was pretty great. It happens often in Ishii matches, but worked here as a way to get back at Okada. When Okada did it back to him, it meant more. They played off the G1 26 match where Ishii popped up during the Rainmaker pose. Okada was ready this time and clocked him. This got a little formulaic late, with all the Rainmaker counters, but I think that’s almost unavoidable now. I loved Ishii using the armbar that made Okada tap back in 2014, as it’s the only move he’s ever tapped to. Okada finally hit the Rainmaker to win and advance in 21:10. A great match as expected. For most of it, Okada went against what he normally does. I’ll keep saying it. When Okada is out of his comfort zone and not doing his typical formula, he’s outstanding. Ishii brings out the best in everyone, doesn’t he? [****¼]
New Japan Cup Semifinals: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA Their two matches in 2016 both got ****¼ from me and made SANADA look like a star. In the years since, nobody has made sure he looked like a star the way Tanahashi has. Not Omega, Suzuki, Naito, Okada, or anyone else. This was in SANADA”s hometown and they were WAY behind him. Tana is a brilliant man who played right into it. I appreciated the way they continued to play off their mentors. Tanahashi’s story has kind of involved Tatsumi Fujinami and how he wants compete at Madison Square Garden because he saw Fujinami do that. They both learned under Keiji Mutoh and that came into play on several occasions. Due to that, they had each other scouted. I liked the near fall where Tanahashi got his knees up on a moonsault because SANADA went to the well too often. Considering how Tana beat Sabre in this tournament, it was a believable finish. He survived the spinning Skull End and just wouldn’t stay down. Speaking of how Tana beat Sabre, he went for that pin in this one, only for SANADA to counter into the Skull End. It was awesome. Tanahashi had nowhere to go and had to give up in 24:11. I loved how different this was from the previous match. It told a totally different story and once again showed that Tana is SANADA’s best opponent. They work so well together. Tana went just heel enough in SANADA’s hometown, they paid homage to the past, and gave us a really cool finish. [****¼]
Not too excited about Okada/SANADA as the finals. Their matches have never wowed me, capping at ***½, but let’s see how it goes.
Overall: 8.5/10. This tournament was definitely too big. It made for a bunch of meaningless and dull matches. But, now that we’re at the end, we’re getting the good stuff. Both of these matches ruled and were way different. Variety is good, baby.
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Mar 23, 2019 9:57:23 GMT -5
Sanada has never beaten Okada so the odds are stacked in Okada's favor
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2019 10:41:04 GMT -5
SANADA beatingTanahashi and Suzuki feels like a big moment. I don’t think he’ll beat Okada, put it further moves him up the card into that ‘just below the big 4’ slot held by Ibushi, Suzuki and formerly Goto.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2019 10:43:26 GMT -5
Don't get me wrong, Sanada is over with the Japanese crowd, but there's no way Sanada vs Jay White main events the first non WWE card in Madison Square Garden, right?
Also, what does Tanahashi do at G1 Supercard now?
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Post by corndog on Mar 23, 2019 10:55:49 GMT -5
SANADA beatingTanahashi and Suzuki feels like a big moment. I don’t think he’ll beat Okada, put it further moves him up the card into that ‘just below the big 4’ slot held by Ibushi, Suzuki and formerly Goto. The New Japan Cup is often won by the "just below the big 4" group and with Jay White just winning the belt, I think if the title shot was in Japan, SANADA would have strong chance of winning. But considering this is in MSG, I think that drops SANADA's odds considerably. Although, I would love to see SANADA win and Okada be forced to wait until Dominion for his title match. As far as the matches today, I absolutely loved Okada/Ishii. Sanada/Tanahashi was great as well, but a completely different match. I agree with others that Tanahashi is one of Sanada's best opponents just because of both being so heavily influenced by Mutoh and being able to do each other's moves.
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Convoy
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Post by Convoy on Mar 23, 2019 11:56:50 GMT -5
Did not expect SANADA to win, but I always doubted Tana would win the tournament (let alone be in the Semifinals). Still believe Okada will main event MSG, as initially predicted.
They are in his hometown, but I do feel like SANADA is opening up a bit more both in and out of the ring. My biggest knock on him has always been inconsistency. I know part of his character is to be unfeeling, but when he's passionate and open, he comes across like a star. He should be battling the likes of Ibushi and ZSJ for the IC title.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2019 14:22:20 GMT -5
So according to the guy running it, the tournament I posted here that a few of us signed up for is down to two people, and the winner will be decided by who wins the final.
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Post by HMARK Center on Mar 23, 2019 14:52:02 GMT -5
Damn, I bit hard on a couple of the near falls during Okada vs. Ishii. The final third of that match was magical, made me want to see those two in a legitimately heated feud and not just a "stablemates fighting" situation.
SANADA winning is the fun choice, and he's had about as hard a road as one could have to make the final. You can tell how high they are on him, but if the rumors have always been true then the main thing keeping him from breaking through is the fear he'll look to jump to the US at some point, plus I'm relatively sure he's not on an exclusive NJPW contract.
So, looking ahead to MSG for a minute, I think a SANADA victory here sets up a really good match that White likely retains in. An Okada victory leading to White/Okada III...that's less clear. It's hard to imagine Okada jobbing out twice in a row to Jay, who can afford to lose at this point since he's still young and getting 100% established as a top guy, but at the same time I think another Okada/White match opens the possibility of some weird storyline twists that aren't there with a SANADA match.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Mar 23, 2019 14:53:28 GMT -5
I'd be down to see either Okada or Sanada face Jay, though I guess Okada makes the most sense in a "put your best foot forward" kind of way. Wonder if Jay's fresh out of miracles or not. I'm tired of Okada with the title, but I could see them having him reclaiming his throne at Madison Square Garden as the cap to his return. Either way, I want Naito to defeat him at his best, nothing that can be reasoned away as him in a slump.
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Mar 23, 2019 15:15:34 GMT -5
I don't think Okada would lose to him three times in a row
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Post by HMARK Center on Mar 23, 2019 18:29:59 GMT -5
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Mar 23, 2019 18:41:00 GMT -5
That deer's now the envy of many a fanboy/fangirl.
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