Urethra Franklin
King Koopa
When Toronto sports teams lose, Alison Brie is sad
Posts: 11,089
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Post by Urethra Franklin on Jan 6, 2017 18:22:00 GMT -5
With Tanahashi as beaten up as he is and nearing 40, Okada is the face of NJPW now and in the foreseeable future. I don't think he has any designs on going to WWE any time soon and, as others have pointed out, his TNA stint probably soured him on North America permanently.
Omega is different, though. While I don't think he has plans on going to the WWE tomorrow, I think we will eventually see him back in North America. I still think he wants to be the first Canadian to win the IWGP HW Title before that, though.
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Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
Hearts Bayformers
Posts: 35,163
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Post by Jiren on Jan 6, 2017 19:48:18 GMT -5
Personally I loved Omega's match with that little girl. It was a sign of his talent, rather than him embarassing wrestling. {Spoiler}I agree with you, But Cornette HATES the match
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Post by sportatorium on Jan 6, 2017 19:54:53 GMT -5
Vince- Welcome Kenny. Hope you don't mind, but we're going to introduce you as a relative of the Hart family with you being Canadian & all.
Kenny- Um Ok, I guess that could be pretty cool.
HHH- Vince, I think he can just continue his character of Kenny Omega
Vince- Umaga is dead! Show some respect!
Vince- Anyway, you're coming out heel to help your sister Natalya get over on Nikki Bella, then we reveal that you & Natalya are , y'know boyfriend-girlfriend and brother & sister. Goes into hysterical laughter.
HHH- Kenny, I'll get your Uber back to the airport.'
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Post by Big Bad Kahuna on Jan 7, 2017 9:13:27 GMT -5
Let's be reality though: like Meltzy said, if Vince offers a 3 year deal with a 750k guarantee yearly (plus bonusses and merch sales obvsl), Omega will sign. If not this year, then next year
They got Bullet Club leader Devitt, they got Bullet Club leader AJ, now they will get Bullet Club (co)leader Omega. Belee dat
Okada and Tanahashi and Shibata etc are different cases. They may indeed rather stay home and safe on their turf. However, all WWE/NXT/CWC appearances from top Japanese talent (Nakamura, Hideo, Asuka, Tozawa, Ibushi) indicate that they will get used properly...and money talks
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ronin705
Dennis Stamp
All Might
Posts: 4,277
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Post by ronin705 on Jan 7, 2017 9:47:54 GMT -5
Another one or two certinally is Tanahashi and Naito. Makes you wonder if they've been bugging them too. I personally feel Naito is way too bulletproof to want to leave Japan. Tanaka shit is getting old unfortunately, so he's doubtful outside of a lier style one off. Coulda sworn omega just shot all over the 'e, so seeing him up and leave after that kind of nuclear bomb would be weird imo.. I love Okada, but I want vince as far away from him as humanly possible. He'd kill the rain maker so fast, Okada would wish to be back in tna
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Post by corndog on Jan 7, 2017 11:14:56 GMT -5
Let's be reality though: like Meltzy said, if Vince offers a 3 year deal with a 750k guarantee yearly (plus bonusses and merch sales obvsl), Omega will sign. If not this year, then next year They got Bullet Club leader Devitt, they got Bullet Club leader AJ, now they will get Bullet Club (co)leader Omega. Belee dat Okada and Tanahashi and Shibata etc are different cases. They may indeed rather stay home and safe on their turf. However, all WWE/NXT/CWC appearances from top Japanese talent (Nakamura, Hideo, Asuka, Tozawa, Ibushi) indicate that they will get used properly...and money talks You have a really good point with the Bullet Club leaders. This might be why New Japan seems to have lost their support in the group as far as championships are concerned, the group is a revolving door. The only gaijin members they can really trust are the Young Bucks due to them resigning. As far as Okada is concerned, I can't see him leaving with the position he is in. Gedo loves him, he's the top guy and probably making a pretty nice chunk of money. While Japanese wrestlers are finally doing well in the WWE, you have to really look at the ones they signed. Hideo, top star in NOAH, but recently NOAH's popularity isn't quite what NJPW is in Japan and NOAH allowed him to tryout in WWE. No way Gedo or the NJPW front office is letting Okada have a WWE tryout, because obviously they would take him. Tozawa is from Dragon Gate, which is a niche promotion in Japan. Asuka was wrestling in indies both in Japan and the States, not a top star from a major promotion. Ibushi had a nice run in NJPW, decided not to sign with WWE, preferring to be freelance wrestler and now he is wrestling as a cartoon character in NJPW. He might be second guessing his decision now. Nakamura was a top star in NJPW, but he's getting older and it's pretty obvious he was headed the same direction as Tanahashi and his days of being the top guy were over with the rise of Okada and even Naito, who would have took over his position that he had when he left. Basically my point is you don't see a Japanese wrestler leave that is the ace of the top promotion, even though they have been able to bring top stars from the country.
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hassanchop
Grimlock
Who are you to doubt Belldandy?
Posts: 14,789
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Post by hassanchop on Jan 7, 2017 11:58:32 GMT -5
What did they call them?
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TGM
Hank Scorpio
Posts: 6,073
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Post by TGM on Jan 7, 2017 15:17:11 GMT -5
The funny thing is that when I heard Okada was tearing up NJPW I just couldn't take him 100% seriously due to his absurd TNA run where he was doing his Kato/Green Hornet gimmick. I don't really know what WWE wants with these Japanese guys. Given how promo heavy the main shows are it's not like these guys will ever get a serious push, given the lack of English promo skills. It really does seem to be an effort to hurt NJPW, which echoes Omega's comments about WWE "signing guys just to sign them." I also think a big part of it is since Triple H took over the WWE is trying to establish that if you are a top wrestler anywhere in the world the WWE is the place to be. That's where you wanna be above all else and they won't turn you away for being to small or foreign etc etc if you are a top flight worker the WWE wants you. I think they are trying to cultivate that by taking top talent from everywhere. I actually love this mindset.
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Post by This Player Hating Mothman on Jan 7, 2017 15:31:10 GMT -5
Okada and Tanahashi and Shibata etc are different cases. They may indeed rather stay home and safe on their turf. However, all WWE/NXT/CWC appearances from top Japanese talent (Nakamura, Hideo, Asuka, Tozawa, Ibushi) indicate that they will get used properly...and money talks Maybe not quite yet, but I think in years to come, if these pushes can be sustained and are handled well even onto the main roster, it's going to do a lot for their ability to lure away Japanese talent. Maybe not Okada while he's in his prime, but WWE has both a reputation for mishandling top Japanese talent, and for not ever having a Japanese world champion. If Nakamura can translate his star into a world championship run in WWE instead of being phased down the card into retirement or becoming one of the New Japan Dads, that speaks a lot to there being potential that formerly wasn't there for guys who had their one run at the top and then the company lost interest, 1B dudes who see the writing on the wall, people in those awkward 'middle periods' who see a new wave coming in hot before they're even over the hill themsleves. I don't think we're going to see an ace jump ship any time soon, but the upper tiers of Japanese talent are going to be a lot more willing to move if the offer is right if they see that WWE isn't what it was in the past.
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
Better have my money when I come-a collect!
Posts: 27,970
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Post by chazraps on Jan 7, 2017 15:33:18 GMT -5
The funny thing is that when I heard Okada was tearing up NJPW I just couldn't take him 100% seriously due to his absurd TNA run where he was doing his Kato/Green Hornet gimmick. I don't really know what WWE wants with these Japanese guys. Given how promo heavy the main shows are it's not like these guys will ever get a serious push, given the lack of English promo skills. It really does seem to be an effort to hurt NJPW, which echoes Omega's comments about WWE "signing guys just to sign them." English is learnable. Kenta's made incredible strides in just his first year alone. Not to mention in Tokyo, the second most spoken language is English anyway, so it's not like they would have to start from the ground up with nothing like a native English speaker learning Japanese.
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
Better have my money when I come-a collect!
Posts: 27,970
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Post by chazraps on Jan 7, 2017 15:39:25 GMT -5
Side note: has anyone revisited Omega's earlier "comedy" stuff like the match with the seven-year-old or the King of Anywhere match since Sunday?
They're not just comedy stuff, but really, really well put together. Like, who else could get THAT much of a well done match out of a person in single digit age?
Omega has such a tremendous mind for the business and just gets it on such a higher level in regard to what works in front of a crowd.
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Post by 111111 on Jan 7, 2017 15:42:20 GMT -5
However, all WWE/NXT/CWC appearances from top Japanese talent (Nakamura, Hideo, Asuka, Tozawa, Ibushi) indicate that they will get used properly Does it though? the Japanese guys have only really been used on the network shows aimed at more hardcore fans. I'd wait to see what happens with Nakamura or Asuka on the main roster before deciding Japanese talent gets used properly nowadays. I mean we're not going to see blatant borderline racist stereotypes anymore but Vince is still Vince.
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Mozenrath
FANatic
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Post by Mozenrath on Jan 7, 2017 15:43:22 GMT -5
Given Okada getting his look in Tekken 7, I don't imagine he is leaving anytime soon, nor do I think his match with Omega was anything less than a foregone conclusion due to that, which is a little unfortunate. Knowing before they even locked up Omega would lose dampened things slightly.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2017 15:43:51 GMT -5
The funny thing is that when I heard Okada was tearing up NJPW I just couldn't take him 100% seriously due to his absurd TNA run where he was doing his Kato/Green Hornet gimmick. I don't really know what WWE wants with these Japanese guys. Given how promo heavy the main shows are it's not like these guys will ever get a serious push, given the lack of English promo skills. It really does seem to be an effort to hurt NJPW, which echoes Omega's comments about WWE "signing guys just to sign them." This is why I'm starting to get a bad taste in my mouth for a lot of the moves WWE are making. They're sending feelers out all over the place to talent that WWE historically has no inclination to do much with just to have them.
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Post by ________ has left the building on Jan 7, 2017 17:00:22 GMT -5
Money talks. Omega would take a WWE deal if that met his demands. Even with the current tough talk, Kenny would take the money and head West. He already mentioned his interest in the past. New Japan needs Omega because they don't have another gaijin to put in that slot without going through another rebuilding process like they did with him. He is the guy they need to sell to US fans. WWE wants him because he is a very good worker and you can't have too many of them. Especially with the WWE schedule taking people out for months at a time. I mean, the Young Bucks were very close to taking a WWE deal. If they didn't sign a deal before AJ split, we probably be talking about them facing American Alpha on Smackdown.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2017 17:32:49 GMT -5
However, all WWE/NXT/CWC appearances from top Japanese talent (Nakamura, Hideo, Asuka, Tozawa, Ibushi) indicate that they will get used properly Does it though? the Japanese guys have only really been used on the network shows aimed at more hardcore fans. Yeah, even looking passed the main roster treatment part, I can't imagine someone like Okada thinking "man, I hope I get to spend a year, at least, in NXT making way less money than I could if I was on the main roster". WWE can attract guys lower on the card in NJPW or from smaller promotions and I'm sure AJ's push appeals to someone like Omega but I'm not sure WWE is making themselves look desirable for the top Japanese guys.
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Crappler El 0 M
Dalek
Never Forgets an Octagon
I'm a good R-Truth.
Posts: 58,479
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Post by Crappler El 0 M on Jan 7, 2017 17:39:22 GMT -5
If I recall, Okada was at SummerSlam two years ago fwiw. New Japan talent was working with ROH that weekend, so he was really just visiting with some others. I don't know if he signed it, but he was offered a longterm deal with NJPW. They kind of freaked out when Nakamura left and realized they needed to lock-down Okada. That's why they have tried to so hard to promote him in popular culture. He was recently in a commercial with Milla Jovavitch. New Japan very much wants him to gain more notoriety as a celebrity and star within Japan.
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Heartbreaker
King Koopa
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Post by Heartbreaker on Jan 8, 2017 5:06:30 GMT -5
Triple H: C'mon, sign with the WWE! Kenny Omega: No. Triple H: I'll be your friend! Kenny Omega: No. Triple H: Awww, you're mean!
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Post by corndog on Jan 8, 2017 6:42:32 GMT -5
The funny thing is that when I heard Okada was tearing up NJPW I just couldn't take him 100% seriously due to his absurd TNA run where he was doing his Kato/Green Hornet gimmick. I don't really know what WWE wants with these Japanese guys. Given how promo heavy the main shows are it's not like these guys will ever get a serious push, given the lack of English promo skills. It really does seem to be an effort to hurt NJPW, which echoes Omega's comments about WWE "signing guys just to sign them." This is why I'm starting to get a bad taste in my mouth for a lot of the moves WWE are making. They're sending feelers out all over the place to talent that WWE historically has no inclination to do much with just to have them. I agree, it's basically a global version of their 80's expansion.
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4TheGlory
Vegeta
The Fun One At Parties
Posts: 9,749
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Post by 4TheGlory on Jan 8, 2017 7:21:25 GMT -5
Omega says he refuses to be a cog in the WWE machine. So I don't think he's very interested at the moment.
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