New NWA World Champion, Satoshi Kojima.

[mcmahonfan85]

You know, I know its All New Japan. Kojima. Lariat. Lariat. Lariat.

[Steveweiser]

Kojima has a booking in England in late March. Not sure if the promotion he's appearing for is an NWA affiliated promotion though.

[________ has left the building]

Says a lot when a guy in the twilight of his career is the best choice for business. Guess it's time Kojimania part 2.

[TK The Friendly Robot]

Kojima is a step up but there was nothing wrong with Conway. The guy could still go and he carried the title with pride, at least he had some name recognition and talent unlike Kahgahs(?). Still, I hope this is new leaf being turned over for the NWA and the belt never ends up around the waist of a nobody money mark again.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Jan 5, 2014 8:27:27 GMT -5 ________ has left the building said:

Says a lot when a guy in the twilight of his career is the best choice for business. Guess it's time Kojimania part 2.

I wouldn't say Satoshi is really at the twilight of his career. Despite some notable injuries he hasn't destroyed his body like a lot of the older puro workers (Misawa, Kobashi, etc.) and can still deliver quality matches. I'd say he has at least another five years in him and this reign will almost definitely be under one.

[________ has left the building]

Jan 5, 2014 11:20:25 GMT -5 KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! said:

Jan 5, 2014 8:27:27 GMT -5 ________ has left the building said:

Says a lot when a guy in the twilight of his career is the best choice for business. Guess it's time Kojimania part 2.

I wouldn't say Satoshi is really at the twilight of his career. Despite some notable injuries he hasn't destroyed his body like a lot of the older puro workers (Misawa, Kobashi, etc.) and can still deliver quality matches. I'd say he has at least another five years in him and this reign will almost definitely be under one.

Just because he haven't suffered many major injuries doesn't mean he not past his prime. I feel the same way about Yuji Nagata. They can deliver every now and then in big matches but the years in the ring slowed them down.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Jan 5, 2014 11:44:17 GMT -5 ________ has left the building said:

Jan 5, 2014 11:20:25 GMT -5 KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! said:

I wouldn't say Satoshi is really at the twilight of his career. Despite some notable injuries he hasn't destroyed his body like a lot of the older puro workers (Misawa, Kobashi, etc.) and can still deliver quality matches. I'd say he has at least another five years in him and this reign will almost definitely be under one.

Just because he haven't suffered many major injuries doesn't mean he not past his prime. I feel the same way about Yuji Nagata. They can deliver every now and then in big matches but the years in the ring slowed them down.

When I think of someone in the twilight of career I think along the lines of Ric Flair in 2008. I can't argue Kojima isn't past his prime because just about any 43 year old wrestler is by definition past their prime. Still as you said he can still deliver which is the most important thing.

[mcmahonfan85]

Kojima isn't the only new NWA champ. The new World Junior Heavyweight Champion is that rising young whipppersnapper Ricky Morton

[SOR]

43 is a bit old for a World Heavyweight Champion but lets be honest, It's the NWA. Outside of Japan it's an independent wrestling title belt that last meant something in 2007 but most people remember from the 80's.

Kojima is a good choice for them. This is one of the first real champions they have had since TNA. It doesn't do a lot for NWA back home in the United States but Bruce loves Japan and will continue to give them what they need so he can get booked.

[N E O G E O B O Y S]

Which is the perception of Tharpe? Is he helping the NWA or not?

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

Jan 5, 2014 12:05:34 GMT -5 SOR said:

43 is a bit old for a World Heavyweight Champion but lets be honest, It's the NWA. Outside of Japan it's an independent wrestling title belt that last meant something in 2007 but most people remember from the 80's.

Kojima is a good choice for them. This is one of the first real champions they have had since TNA. It doesn't do a lot for NWA back home in the United States but Bruce loves Japan and will continue to give them what they need so he can get booked.

Never stopped WWE, WCW, TNA, or anybody else to make a 43 year old champion if not older.

[________ has left the building]

Jan 5, 2014 11:56:32 GMT -5 mcmahonfan85 said:

Kojima isn't the only new NWA champ. The new World Junior Heavyweight Champion is that rising young whipppersnapper Ricky Morton

To be fair, Morton was doing hurricanranas before it was cool. I do wonder if Mike Jackson will get a Junior title match.

[An Old Villain]

Kojima is a well respected worker, and arguably got the biggest pop of all at Wrestle Kingdom 8, the title is a hell of a lot better off now than it has been in a decade.

[SOR]

Jan 5, 2014 12:59:30 GMT -5 N E O G E O B O Y S said:

Which is the perception of Tharpe? Is he helping the NWA or not?

Here is the deal with Tharpe as short as possible.

- He works alongside a guy named Chris Ronquillo. The general consensus on Ronquillo is that he is a bully and a lot of promotions have been bullied out of their geographical territory because Ronquillo wanted to make more money from membership costs.

- Tharpe himself is seen as the nicer guy out of the two but he is really just a big fan who got a stake in the NWA because he sued Bob Trobich for it. Tharpes day job is as an attorney and he was vital in the case against Bob Trobich in 2012 which lead to the NWA ownership changing hands

- Tharpes first order of business was to ask all NWA promotions to pony up more money to remain a member of the Alliance. This happened whilst Adam Pearce and Colt Cabana were set to wrestle match 7 of their best of 7 series match. A heavily hyped cage match in front of a few hundred fans in Australia. They pulled the NWA World Heavyweight Title from the show screwing the fans over who were excited to see the first NWA World Title match in years. Of course then Adam Pearce vacated it and Kahagas (A Great Muta rip off) won it and became Tharpes first champion

- After that, there were a number of embarrassing moments to come out of Tharpe booked programs. The Damien Wayne/Kahagas feud lasted a week or two (The two top NWA guys at the time), Bruce Santee and Kahagas had a shoot fight for the World Heavyweight Title and generally Kahagas managed no big title defenses and was rarely booked outside of Florida.

- Rob Conway then won the title belt at his home NWA promotion and obviously got the NWA more exposure and that's when Bruce Tharpe really began to mark out for himself. At the first supershow the NWA held Bruce Tharpe and Chris Ronquillo made EIGHT appearances in 2-3 hour show. Tharpe would jaw jack with wrestlers, he'd bestow honors upon people, he'd celebrate with the wrestlers. It was very very marky.

- NJPW happened and the marking continued. Bruce is a huge fan of NJPW and Japanese Wrestling so he got himself booked on these NWA tours even though he can't perform or cut a promo or anything like that. NJPW smells a mark and lets him do what they want because they get to continue using the NWA World Title for free as long as they book Bruce. They now have about 90% control of the title because Tharpe is coming home to the States soon and most likely leaving his top title with Kojima in New Japan.

- Bruce Tharpe to this day will attend local NWA Territories and put himself into their major angles. If it's an NWA member with a TV Show he will make at least 2-3 appearances in a 1 hour period.

- Financially Tharpe will use the money the NWA members pay out to fund trips to Japan, Buy new belts and other things he personally marks for. The NWA could not afford a NWA Hall Of Fame ceremony this year. Their Hall Of Fame induction ceremony consisted of a Facebook post at the last minute (December 31)

So the tl:dr version is yes, he's pretty terrible for the NWA.

[Digital Witness]

As far as Kojima is concerned, injuries aside, he's got a lot left in the tank much like Yuji Nagata. In fact, there's a pretty big divide between guys like Kojima, Nagata, Sakuraba, Suzuki and Funaki, and guys like Mutoh, Tenzan, Nakanishi. You can tell who's broken down and who can still really go.

Where as you could get an intriguing match out of Keiji Mutoh, Satoshi Kojima can still work a great match with top New Japan guys without being carried through it. I'd still consider Kojima and Nagata as well threats to Okada and the IWGP championship at the moment despite their age.

[skulldouggory]

That is awesome, I know the belt doesn't mean much, but it's a cool footnote for Kojima to have. And the title is still a legit gain in Japan so it's great to see Kojima win it.

[W?Y]

Bruce Tharpe sounds hilarious. I love how New Japan was smart enough to tell how much of a mark he was, which gave them another mid-card title to work with.

[Steveweiser]

So this Big Daddy Yum Yum guy, who apparently used to be in WWE developmental, is the first to challenge Kojima for the title. This'll be on February 9th in Hiroshima.

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

Jan 4, 2014 21:18:07 GMT -5 crowwreak was WRONG said:

So, it's back on the rise? I honestly thought that Shane Douglas throwing the belt down would utterly be the final nail.

fixed for my opinion. I loved how TNA switched it out for their own belt and nobody seemed to notice the difference.

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

Jan 5, 2014 11:56:32 GMT -5 mcmahonfan85 said:

Kojima isn't the only new NWA champ. The new World Junior Heavyweight Champion is that rising young whipppersnapper Ricky Morton

he looks like he hasn't seen the inside of a gym since he joined the York Foundation.