Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]
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Post by Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] on Jan 18, 2024 21:42:05 GMT -5
I don't really see an opening for him in WWE right now either. He's not gonna win the Rumble, he's not gonna win either world title right now, I don't really see them throwing anything to the side even for Okada right now AEW's World Title scene is more wide open then it's ever been and has a lot more avenues. Like Joe vs Okada would be a really good must see match they could realistically do, among other things like All In, where mania wise I don't know if Okada would find a mainstay match right now without some drastic re-writing. Money will talk if that's where he wants to go, I just see the trajectory as higher for him, especially right now. Even take a 3 or so year deal with AEW and see how it goes. Top of my head you could put him up against Owens, AJ, or Orton. All of them are major stars who don't really seem to have much going on for Mania. Also we kind of all have to see a Rainmaker countered into an RKO at some point. Potentially as one of those matches where they establish a guy but it'd all be about the follow up after the fact too if they in fact went those routes He has some options but he has those same options potentially in AEW so I think ultimately it's up to him
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Post by Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story on Jan 18, 2024 21:42:59 GMT -5
Fairly shocking, but when it was announced his deal was coming up, I wasn't super surprised cause it sounded like the idea of doing something new was appealing to Okada. THere's nothing really left for him to do with New Japan. My first bet would be Okada goes freelance. Do some tours with NOAH, DDT, All Japan just for fresh match ups. If he goes to an American company I'd still say AEW would be the favorite as Okada has been fairly open about not wanting to relocate. Not saying WWE is a no especially with Nakamura there (who Okada does look up to), but I just think family and creative freedom would be his choice This is a good point, too. We’re all thinking America but he could just go independent.
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Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]
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Post by Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] on Jan 18, 2024 21:44:08 GMT -5
Fairly shocking, but when it was announced his deal was coming up, I wasn't super surprised cause it sounded like the idea of doing something new was appealing to Okada. THere's nothing really left for him to do with New Japan. My first bet would be Okada goes freelance. Do some tours with NOAH, DDT, All Japan just for fresh match ups. If he goes to an American company I'd still say AEW would be the favorite as Okada has been fairly open about not wanting to relocate. Not saying WWE is a no especially with Nakamura there (who Okada does look up to), but I just think family and creative freedom would be his choice Relocation might be a big deal for Okada yeah, his wife and child are in Japan. AEW's pretty lax about this and allows stars to travel freely, as said Impact also tapes in bulk if he were to do programs there I imagine he's gonna go where he will both feel flexible with his schedule, and get paid like Ospreay did, and I imagine AEW will pay him what they paid Ospreay if he wanted it too.
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Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]
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Post by Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] on Jan 18, 2024 21:45:32 GMT -5
Fairly shocking, but when it was announced his deal was coming up, I wasn't super surprised cause it sounded like the idea of doing something new was appealing to Okada. THere's nothing really left for him to do with New Japan. My first bet would be Okada goes freelance. Do some tours with NOAH, DDT, All Japan just for fresh match ups. If he goes to an American company I'd still say AEW would be the favorite as Okada has been fairly open about not wanting to relocate. Not saying WWE is a no especially with Nakamura there (who Okada does look up to), but I just think family and creative freedom would be his choice This is a good point, too. We’re all thinking America but he could just go independent. Hard not to think of the dream scenarios first I guess lol
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khali
Dennis Stamp
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Post by khali on Jan 18, 2024 21:45:52 GMT -5
Well, I guess Naito make get his top star run now. I just don’t know if his body can handle it now.
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Post by Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story on Jan 18, 2024 21:46:34 GMT -5
This is a good point, too. We’re all thinking America but he could just go independent. Hard not to think of the dream scenarios first I guess lol Wherever he winds up, I think he’s going to be treated like a big deal. I know WWE has had a shit track record, but they’d be getting Japan’s Cena. I trust they’d know the stakes are high. I still think we get the “All Elite” graphic though.
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spagett
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Post by spagett on Jan 18, 2024 21:46:35 GMT -5
For selfish reasons I hope he goes AEW because that's the company I watch.
I still don't think he'd be used great in WWE but it's definitely not the guaranteed failure that he would have been if Vince were still running things. It makes more sense for it to be AEW, and Ospreay did a recent promo where he did hint at this, but who knows.
HUGE blow for NJPW though. This is Hogan going to WWF in 1983 or going to WCW in 1994 levels of a blow I think. I thought Gedo should have been pushing newer younger stars for a while, but now it's critical.
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Post by Jindrak Mark on Jan 18, 2024 21:46:45 GMT -5
Well that's shocking to say the least. Great for WWE or AEW if they get him but for wrestling as a whole I'm not sure it's a good thing. I don't know if they're having financial difficulties but this doesn't speak well to NJPW's position right now. This isn't any random wrestler. He's THE guy.
This is probably the roughest spot they've been in since before the Tanahashi and then Okada eras. In under a year they'll have lost Okada, Ospreay, Jay White and Ibushi. Tanahashi is washed in-ring now. Naito has a lot of miles on his body too. If they knew there was even a slim possibility of this happening they should have had him put over one of their newer stars at WK. They need new top stars badly now.
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Zone Was Wrong
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Post by Zone Was Wrong on Jan 18, 2024 21:49:25 GMT -5
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Chuck Conry
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Post by Chuck Conry on Jan 18, 2024 21:51:22 GMT -5
He should go to TNA.
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Convoy
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Post by Convoy on Jan 18, 2024 21:52:37 GMT -5
I heard the news about 10 minutes before New Japan dropped it and spent the next 45 minutes just laughing it off.
There’s fewer NJPW homers bigger than me, but the writing was on the wall two months ago. Now they have to build the Reiwa grads. I had my issues with the “Okada formula” over the years, but he was a massive draw and a constant option to sit at the top when needed.
Not going anywhere as a fan - I survived Inokism and the lost era of the Third Generation, so I know it can be worse - but here we are.
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ayumidah
Wade Wilson
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Post by ayumidah on Jan 18, 2024 21:52:45 GMT -5
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Post by Lizuka #BLM on Jan 18, 2024 21:52:53 GMT -5
NJPW has the ace they really need and has had him for a long time. It's time for IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Slapjack.
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Zone Was Wrong
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
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Post by Zone Was Wrong on Jan 18, 2024 21:53:42 GMT -5
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Post by polarbearpete on Jan 18, 2024 21:54:08 GMT -5
I don't really see an opening for him in WWE right now either. He's not gonna win the Rumble, he's not gonna win either world title right now, I don't really see them throwing anything to the side even for Okada right now AEW's World Title scene is more wide open then it's ever been and has a lot more avenues. Like Joe vs Okada would be a really good must see match they could realistically do, among other things like All In, where mania wise I don't know if Okada would find a mainstay match right now without some drastic re-writing. Money will talk if that's where he wants to go, I just see the trajectory as higher for him, especially right now. Even take a 3 or so year deal with AEW and see how it goes. Styles-Okada at Wrestlemania seems possible, as does Gunther-Okada
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Post by Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story on Jan 18, 2024 21:54:23 GMT -5
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spagett
Hank Scorpio
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Post by spagett on Jan 18, 2024 21:55:27 GMT -5
I think Styles vs Okada at Mania would be similar to Nakamura Styles at Mania, a pale imitation of their matches in Japan. If he did go to WWE I'd much rather see him face Gunther at Mania. That is a match I would definitely go out of my way to watch.
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Jan 18, 2024 21:56:38 GMT -5
NJPW has the ace they really need and has had him for a long time. It's time for IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Slapjack. Go home. Go home, Go home, Go home! Go home! Go home!
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UN PLOMBIER NIGHTMARE #blm
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Post by UN PLOMBIER NIGHTMARE #blm on Jan 18, 2024 21:57:30 GMT -5
when okada shows up in a hot tub on NXT surrounded by a bunch of ladies and dollar bills floating on top of the water, remember you heard it here first and NXT was always the superior choice in professional wrestling.
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Zone Was Wrong
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
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Post by Zone Was Wrong on Jan 18, 2024 21:58:29 GMT -5
when okada shows up in a hot tub on NXT surrounded by a bunch of ladies and dollar bills floating on top of the water, remember you heard it here first and NXT was always the superior choice in professional wrestling. Ok but why does that suddenly sound like the best idea out of everything so far. I'd KILL to see Okada in NXT no joke.
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