Allie Kitsune
Crow T. Robot
Always Feelin' Foxy.
Celestial Princess in Exile.
Posts: 46,142
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Post by Allie Kitsune on Nov 15, 2020 8:50:16 GMT -5
I’m digging Robbie’s theme. Anyone know what it is?? In Hearts Awake - "Afterglow". I'm kind of disappointed that he already dumped Setmeonfire's "Creatures". That was so good.
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clifford
King Koopa
Shingo Takagi stan
Posts: 10,683
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Post by clifford on Nov 15, 2020 10:28:26 GMT -5
Clean shaven, short hair Tama is a mind f***.
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Convoy
El Dandy
Rusev admits to being a sex addict to large applause.
Posts: 7,526
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Post by Convoy on Nov 15, 2020 11:49:49 GMT -5
I knew going it that Cobb was GOK's partner, and that it was going to be a squash, and that was still a fun bit. Honestly hope those two go far as a throwback bruiser tag team, something the division has lacked for a minute.
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Nov 15, 2020 12:22:17 GMT -5
I knew going it that Cobb was GOK's partner, and that it was going to be a squash, and that was still a fun bit. Honestly hope those two go far as a throwback bruiser tag team, something the division has lacked for a minute. Archer and Davey Boy had fit that mold for a min Since they left and Vikings left too they haven't had a replacement
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
Posts: 84,866
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Post by chrom on Nov 15, 2020 13:09:49 GMT -5
Sho looked real good
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Nov 15, 2020 13:11:13 GMT -5
NJPW World Tag League X Best of the Super Juniors November 15th, 2020 | Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Nagoya, Aichi
Usually, I would totally ignore the World Tag League but since we got less NJPW than usual this year and it is happening concurrently with the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, I decided to cover it as well in 2020. Each tournament has condensed blocks this year.
Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens [0] vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano [0] It feels like forever since I’ve seen Bad Luck Fale. Not that I’ve missed him, though I did chuckle at him chasing the ring announcer. Ishii is a third of the NEVR Openweight Tag Champions, while Yano remains the KOPW. One thing about this card being ten matches in this era of NJPW is that some matches will be short. This was one of them and that was for the best. Fale and Yano are best in short bursts and that allowed this to have little to no filler. Fale played the dominant role but miscommunication led him to squash Owens in the corner. Yano landed on top of Fale in the end and when Owens went to break it up, Yano moved, causing him to splash Fale. Then Yano got back on top to get the three in 5:35. Acceptable little opener that was kept short. [**]
Master Wato [0] vs. Yuya Uemura [0] Do not expect Uemura to get any wins in this tournament. Young Lions don’t win and he’s a late replacement for Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Wato is still new but does have a top-tier match on the final night so expect him to do well. There wasn’t much to this. Uemura came out firing and even got on the Boston Crab in the opening minute. Wato showed he was above Young Lion status by weathering that storm. Other than a release German Suplex, Uemura didn’t get that much else in. Wato put him down with the Tenzan Tombstone Driver in 4:14 to honor his mentor. Fine stuff. [**¼]
The Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb [0] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toa Henare [0] The big news here was that O-Khan’s partner would be the new member of The Empire, joining him and the gross Will Ospreay/Bea Priestley duo. That turned out to be Jeff Cobb, which is a good move since he desperately needed something to help him stand out from just being generic hoss #7. Speaking of not standing out, there’s Toa Henare. Despite a spirited burst by the babyface duo, Tanahashi was taken out by the Eliminator and then Henare fell to Tour of the Islands in a mere 2:28. Big squash for the new heel duo. [NR]
DOUKI [0] vs. Robbie Eagles [0] It remains hilarious to me his name is literally “dookie.” Meanwhile, Robbie Eagles is a hidden gem of this division. This was the first match to be given true time to develop something. Eagles took to the mat to wear down DOUKI and set up for a submission. Of course, being a member of Suzuki-Gun meant DOUKI was quick to come up with a way to cheat, using his pipe gimmick for an assisted neckbreaker on the outside. That became the story of the match as Eagles used babyface wrestling to combat DOUKI’s nefarious ways. You have to wonder how Eagles as a character feels about Willy going heel considering he brought him over from the Bullet Club. Eagles got going in a closing stretch that included a 450 splash onto the leg (a nice tough I’ve always enjoyed) and the Ron Miller Special. DOUKI tapped after 10:35. A good match for our first proper one of the evening. Eagles probably won’t go far but he’ll be as consistent as they come in the tournament. [***]
IWGP Tag Team Champions The Dangerous Tekkers [0] vs. Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI [0] Surprised to see this on the middle of the card considering it’s the IWGP Tag Champs against two-thirds of the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions. It’s also a rematch from a recent show in Korakuen Hall, which went an absurd 34:50 (***¼). This was a rare case where I actually preferred the really long version. There was something about this one that lacked. Maybe it was that I had already seen so much of these guys together in a recent setting. It just seemed to not be as focused as the previous one and didn’t gel as well. The finish saw Goto lock up Taichi in the corner, accidentally not seeing when Sabre Jr. trapped HASHI in a pinning combination to win in 10:29. It was fine but nothing more. [**¾]
BUSHI [0] vs. SHO [0] A match I have high hopes for. BUSHI is as solid as they come but always starts these things 0-3 or something like that. Meanwhile, SHO is the best wrestler in the tournament not named Hiromu or Taiji. Unfortunately, BUSHI kept his shirt on, which usually means a lesser effort and more underhanded tactics. It was a bit odd to see him go that route since LIJ has mostly been portrayed as faces in recent months. Still, it made sense to give SHO something to rally behind from and he’s very good in that role. Despite BUSHI’s best efforts, SHO seemed to be a step ahead of him at every turn. That seemed to be the idea of the match, establishing SHO as a true threat in this tournament. He scored the win with Shock Arrow in 10:20. Quality pro wrestling here but a bit disappointing. [***]
EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi [0] vs. SANADA and Shingo Takagi [0] An actual story here as LIJ still has issues with EVIL for turning on them. Also, EVIL and SANADA are now on opposite sides after winning two of these tournaments in the past. There was a fair bit of brawling to start, hammering home the issues between the teams. Poor Yujiro was way out of his element, totally outmatched by the other three guys. An interesting thing to note is that we didn’t get much EVIL vs. SANADA here. Either they don’t have much beef after what EVIL did or the company is saving that for Wrestle Kingdom or something along those lines. That would’ve made for a fine IC Title match had they not been hellbent on this double title gimmick. Still, even when EVIL did battle SANADA, it wasn’t heated and Shingo had to take out the former top champion with a lariat. Even though SANADA was in the G1 Finals, he added to his geek status by eating the pin after taking a low blow from EVIL in 12:20. A decent match that felt like what I’m used to from the World Tag League. [**½]
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champion El Desperado [0] vs. Ryusuke Taguchi [0] These guys met in the BOSJ in 2017 and 2018 (both ***¼). They’re safe bets for good wrestling. Surprisingly, Desperado put the focus on Taguchi’s leg, wrapping it around the ring post. I like it but it’s not what I’m used to from a guy who doesn’t have a submission finisher or anything like that. Taguchi did a good job selling it early, backing away from Desperado and trying to take breathers outside. That set the stage for Taguchi’s knee giving out at key points like when he attempted Dodon. The veteran would still not go down, forcing Desperado to resort to things like trying a low blow behind the referee’s back. Taguchi continued to weather the storm until scoring a flash pin for two points in 12:35. That was the best match on the show so far thanks to quality selling and some good back and forth. [***¼]
David Finlay and Juice Robinson [0] vs. The Guerrillas of Destiny [0] Whatever issues I had with the World Tag League, my main reason to not watch was that I’d see too much of the Guerrillas of Destiny, who I have not missed in the slightest. It’s also a Wrestle Kingdom 14 rematch (***). That felt like it could be a new era for the titles, only for Guerrillas to win them back a few weeks later to return to the status quo. TAMA TONGA SHAVED AND CUT HIS HAIR! WHY? David Finlay should do the Blues Brothers look with Juice. Finlay added some interesting tattoos. Anyway, the match itself was solid here. These guys have worked each other and it made for relatively seamless chemistry. Technically, it was fine but the Guerrillas are just so dull on offense that I couldn’t get into it the way I would with a more interesting team against Finlay and Juice. They avoided Prima Nocta and beat Tama with a Doomsday Device in 16:42. Good stuff at points but that’s about it. Par for the course for the division. [***]
Hiromu Takahashi [0] vs. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori [0] A rematch from the finals in 2018 (****¾) and Summer Struggle in Jingu (****¼), where Ishimori evened the score and won the title. As expected from these two, it started with a band as Ishimori immediately charged and went for Bloody Cross early. You got the sense that he was dying to end this early, probably knowing that matches with Hiromu feature a high risk. Speaking of high risk, the insane wrestler that Hiromu is, he took a piledriver on the apron despite having a severely broken neck a while back. That’s nuts. They kept up their usual francit pace from start to finish, delivering a match in the same vein of what I’ve come to expect from them. It’s what makes these two work so well together. Ishimori is one of the few guys who can keep up with Hiromu. The former champion survived a ton down the stretch before pulling out the victory with Time Bomb at the 20:06 mark. Their worst match together but still a great one. Lots of back and forth action at a wild pace. [****]
Overall: 7/10. A quality night of wrestling. Things didn’t go too long and even though it only featured one match I’d recommend, the whole show was an easy watch with some solid wrestling throughout.
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
Posts: 84,866
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Post by chrom on Nov 15, 2020 13:34:11 GMT -5
They seem to be setting up Tanahashi vs O-Khan for The Dome
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Mochi Lone Wolf
Fry's dog Seymour
Development through Destruction.
Posts: 24,038
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Post by Mochi Lone Wolf on Nov 15, 2020 17:42:56 GMT -5
Imagine booking Taguchi to go over El Desperado in 2020.
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Mochi Lone Wolf
Fry's dog Seymour
Development through Destruction.
Posts: 24,038
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Post by Mochi Lone Wolf on Nov 15, 2020 17:44:08 GMT -5
They seem to be setting up Tanahashi vs O-Khan for The Dome That's really below Tana. I like O-Kharn but, Tanahashi should be challenging for a title at the Dome. Not wrestling in a throw away match against a returning former young lion.
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Mochi Lone Wolf
Fry's dog Seymour
Development through Destruction.
Posts: 24,038
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Post by Mochi Lone Wolf on Nov 15, 2020 17:52:18 GMT -5
Clean shaven, short hair Tama is a mind f***. He looks ridiculous. Heel beards exist for a reason.
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
Posts: 84,866
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Post by chrom on Nov 15, 2020 18:04:00 GMT -5
They seem to be setting up Tanahashi vs O-Khan for The Dome That's really below Tana. I like O-Kharn but, Tanahashi should be challenging for a title at the Dome. Not wrestling in a throw away match against a returning former young lion. He faced White when he returned from being a Young Lion
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Nov 15, 2020 18:27:12 GMT -5
That's really below Tana. I like O-Kharn but, Tanahashi should be challenging for a title at the Dome. Not wrestling in a throw away match against a returning former young lion. He faced White when he returned from being a Young Lion That's not the same White came in with the biggest prospect hype since Okada. They had a clear plan for White who lost to Tana and went over Omega the next night at NYD
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Nov 15, 2020 18:28:46 GMT -5
They seem to be setting up Tanahashi vs O-Khan for The Dome That's really below Tana. I like O-Kharn but, Tanahashi should be challenging for a title at the Dome. Not wrestling in a throw away match against a returning former young lion. He should be getting a U.S. title shot imo Let KENTA take it off Mox and Tana get his W back and take it off KENTA Been screaming since the beginning that Tana needs to hold that title to give it credibility and obviously pre COVID having him a special attraction with the title on the line would have sold
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Mochi Lone Wolf
Fry's dog Seymour
Development through Destruction.
Posts: 24,038
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Post by Mochi Lone Wolf on Nov 15, 2020 18:31:54 GMT -5
That's really below Tana. I like O-Kharn but, Tanahashi should be challenging for a title at the Dome. Not wrestling in a throw away match against a returning former young lion. He should be getting a U.S. title shot imo Let KENTA take it off Mox and Tana get his W back and take it off KENTA Been screaming since the beginning that Tana needs to hold that title to give it credibility and obviously pre COVID having him a special attraction with the title on the line would have sold If not that, I would have been more than okay with him either: 1. Getting revenge on the Tekkers with Henare's help. 2. Facing Shingo for the NEVER title.
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Nov 15, 2020 18:35:56 GMT -5
He should be getting a U.S. title shot imo Let KENTA take it off Mox and Tana get his W back and take it off KENTA Been screaming since the beginning that Tana needs to hold that title to give it credibility and obviously pre COVID having him a special attraction with the title on the line would have sold If not that, I would have been more than okay with him either: 1. Getting revenge on the Tekkers with Henare's help. 2. Facing Shingo for the NEVER title. I also want pompous jackass NEVER champ ACE I love smug Tana when he is in his bag about strong style being no good. Him as champ for a short run would be great imo
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Mochi Lone Wolf
Fry's dog Seymour
Development through Destruction.
Posts: 24,038
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Post by Mochi Lone Wolf on Nov 15, 2020 18:37:53 GMT -5
If not that, I would have been more than okay with him either: 1. Getting revenge on the Tekkers with Henare's help. 2. Facing Shingo for the NEVER title. I also want pompous jackass NEVER champ ACE I love smug Tana when he is in his bag about strong style being no good. Him as champ for a short run would be great imo I think a cocky run for his persona would be a nice change of pace for him.
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Mochi Lone Wolf
Fry's dog Seymour
Development through Destruction.
Posts: 24,038
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Post by Mochi Lone Wolf on Nov 15, 2020 18:39:29 GMT -5
Putting Tanahashi with O-Kharn also books them into a corner because either:
1. Tana loses and looks like even more of a sad sack than he does already.
2. O-Kharn loses and then that's two straight losses off the bat for him after his return.
It does nobody any favors.
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Allie Kitsune
Crow T. Robot
Always Feelin' Foxy.
Celestial Princess in Exile.
Posts: 46,142
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Post by Allie Kitsune on Nov 15, 2020 19:00:25 GMT -5
If not that, I would have been more than okay with him either: 1. Getting revenge on the Tekkers with Henare's help. 2. Facing Shingo for the NEVER title. I also want pompous jackass NEVER champ ACE I love smug Tana when he is in his bag about strong style being no good. Him as champ for a short run would be great imo Tana vs. Shingo would be so good. Just thinking back to the Tana vs. Ibushi G1 Final where Tana sold DEATH MODE IBUSHI so well that you'd be legitimately concerned for his well-being...
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Mochi Lone Wolf
Fry's dog Seymour
Development through Destruction.
Posts: 24,038
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Post by Mochi Lone Wolf on Nov 16, 2020 0:03:27 GMT -5
Wato needs to lose Tenzan in backstage promos. He's not going to get anywhere talking for 20 seconds, immediately be interrupted, and then walk off.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2020 3:23:31 GMT -5
Wato needs to lose Tenzan in backstage promos. He's not going to get anywhere talking for 20 seconds, immediately be interrupted, and then walk off. More and more, I feel like it's just planting the seeds for a heel turn. I know he had a rough time down in Mexico, but there's no reason for him to be more awkward and unconfident as a returning member of the full-time roster than he was as a young lion.
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