chrom
Backup Wench
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Post by chrom on Jan 23, 2024 7:08:12 GMT -5
Additional Windy City Riot tickets go on sale today at 12
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
Posts: 87,016
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Post by chrom on Jan 23, 2024 7:15:39 GMT -5
Desperado retains
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
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Post by chrom on Jan 23, 2024 7:31:18 GMT -5
Tomorrow is Okada's final match in Korakuen
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chrom
Backup Wench
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Post by chrom on Jan 23, 2024 9:19:34 GMT -5
Wato's injury is an ACL Tear so he'll likely be out for a long time
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
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Post by chrom on Jan 23, 2024 13:02:31 GMT -5
Additional tickets are now available
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Convoy
El Dandy
Rusev admits to being a sex addict to large applause.
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Post by Convoy on Jan 23, 2024 13:13:34 GMT -5
Updated the OP to reflect the shift in Okada matches. People are starting to come out of the woodwork saying they want a match with Okada in Sapporo before he leaves (O-Khan, HENARE, Honma), but I think they're all not on the short list. My guess is a pair of tag matches similar to what Nakamura received and/or what guys who retired (Liger, Nakanishi) saw at the end. One of those is probably a sayonara to CHAOS, with the way their merch has joined Okada's on the shop as discounted and poised to move.
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Jan 23, 2024 13:22:28 GMT -5
If it's a farewell to Chaos, I see it being Okada, Ishii and Yoh vs Bishamon and Yano
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chrom
Backup Wench
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Post by chrom on Jan 23, 2024 14:26:54 GMT -5
Murashima got his first win today in the opener
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Convoy
El Dandy
Rusev admits to being a sex addict to large applause.
Posts: 7,612
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Post by Convoy on Jan 23, 2024 15:34:03 GMT -5
Weekly Pro Wrestling (aka ShuPro) Awards went live for 2023. This is a big image so I'll spoiler tag it. Obviously there is a lot more than New Japan accounted for here, but keeping the initial conversation to just NJPW, a few things stand out: - Hiromu had a hell of a year, and while he's always a fan favorite, the Jr. title run from last year gave him a nice jump in both that category as well as a massive leap to MVP. He was a traveling champion, making appearances in various promotions and being a major part of the popular All-Star Jr. Festivals. - SANADA's reign gave him a first-time push into MVP voting, but when fans had to vote for their favorites, he was beaten by stablemate Taichi and part-timer Suzuki. Just 5 Guys did have a #7 placement for faction on their debut year, where others were no-shows. - Tanahashi had arguably the worst year of his career in 2023 (voting would not take into account his TV title victory on 1/4), but he remains a major favorite. He actually received over 1,000 less votes in that category than last year (when he was #1), but he still got more than Okada yet again. - Oleg as the #2 rookie is a good sign. I remain concerned about his high-floor/low-ceiling potential, but he'll always stand out in a New Japan ring and I've watched Fale for over a decade, so sometimes you need to pick your battles. - House of Torture are a rocket. Whereas voting overall was down year-to-year, their faction more than doubled their votes from 2022's awards. United Empire fell a lot in that category, while LIJ bounced back to reclaim a top spot. Bullet Club (which was noted as a different faction than House of Torture) is not on the list at all for the first time in years. That could change in a year with this renewed crop of War Dogs, but as of now the perception of them is not great - unless I'm mistaken, no member made the list aside from EVIL (and ELP among foreigners, but he was only Bullet Club between Jan-Apr of '23). - Of all the returns and push for young Reiwa cornerstones, Tsuji was the only one that made the fan favorite list. His appearance on the list stands out both as a representative of the new guard, but also as (at #30 overall) #10 for NJPW talents (#8 if we go by ShuPro's markers and don't count Ospreay & Suzuki). Umino does get a nod for his match with Ospreay at Power Struggle.
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
Posts: 87,016
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Post by chrom on Jan 23, 2024 21:07:30 GMT -5
Yoh will be taking Wato's place tomorrow is who out indefinitely
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Post by ace on Jan 23, 2024 22:20:31 GMT -5
Super J Cast had a lot on Okada again today. They acknowledge that not all things can be trusted because when there is a divorce and you hear from one side that side is going to tell you a biased story. But a lot of it lines up with what’s happened the last year. Basically Okada told them he was staying repeatedly (which explains the report they were blindsided…and they flat out say the obvious…it’s on the office to get it in writing). More importantly he didn’t want to work with the young guys and be used to get them over (which explains both the dropping of that story out of nowhere and the obvious G1 block mess where he clearly should have been in that kid block to set up a lot of big programs…and wasn’t. He wasn’t feeling it, brother). Basically he used his impending free agency to protect himself, told them he was staying….and then left anyway.
Like I said…they repeatedly said to take it with a grain of salt since the side they get it from is very wounded right now. But they were also the only place warning you Okada was gonna bolt for months
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Convoy
El Dandy
Rusev admits to being a sex addict to large applause.
Posts: 7,612
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Post by Convoy on Jan 23, 2024 23:47:49 GMT -5
On the Baba to Inoki scale (aka the Tsurata to Mutoh scale), sounds like Okada appropriately leaned more on the New Japan legend side.
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Post by ace on Jan 24, 2024 0:59:37 GMT -5
And I’m just going to say it. The Naito character was perfect when he bombed as a babyface and needed a change. Got him over to top top guy status. But the last thing this company needs right now as its best guys are walking is a champion whose gimmick is that he doesn’t give a f***. Naito feuding with the value of his belt is not what they need. They need a passionate star whose purpose is that they care. Because your biggest star didn’t. And someone should flip him off and say it. Not pretend to nap and drag the belt across the ground.
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Post by ANuclearError on Jan 24, 2024 5:38:47 GMT -5
The intensity in the War Dogs v United Empire feud has really worked for me, think its been particularly good for Finlay and Akira.
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chrom
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Posts: 87,016
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Post by chrom on Jan 24, 2024 6:18:14 GMT -5
Okada's last Korakuen match is next
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
Posts: 87,016
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Post by chrom on Jan 24, 2024 6:21:27 GMT -5
Hard to believe it's the end of an era
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Post by ANuclearError on Jan 24, 2024 6:43:41 GMT -5
Okada gets the pin on Fujita.
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
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Post by chrom on Jan 24, 2024 6:52:50 GMT -5
They are vacating them. That's stupid, why not let TMDK win it just now?
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chrom
Backup Wench
Master of the rare undecuple post
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Post by chrom on Jan 24, 2024 6:54:10 GMT -5
I don't like that decision
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Post by ANuclearError on Jan 24, 2024 6:55:34 GMT -5
They are vacating them. That's stupid, why not let TMDK win it just now? I suspect its a combo of 3 things:
1) The next champions are already decided upon 2) They're already busy with another programme, so Gedo doesn't wanna change this tour 3) He's just gonna bludgeon his way into giving whoever is getting the belts when he originally planned
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