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Post by ace on Feb 25, 2024 1:06:25 GMT -5
The western fan backlash to Okada is so deeply weird to me. Wrestling fans are a special fan of entitled but I don't think we've seen this since ECW I think you are ignoring a lot of problems coming from the other side of your equation. We are all happy for him to go and get paid. He left like a f***ing bitch from refusing to work with the young guys in the G1 block built around his ongoing storylines to his final match which was second from the bottom for a reason. Because New Japan isnāt any happier that āWestern fansā with how he exited a company that picked him, rocketed him, and fed him everyone for over a decade.
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Post by TOK Is the Target Demo on Feb 25, 2024 1:08:20 GMT -5
The western fan backlash to Okada is so deeply weird to me. Wrestling fans are a special fan of entitled but I don't think we've seen this since ECW I think you are ignoring a lot of problems coming from the other side of your equation. Such as?
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Post by ace on Feb 25, 2024 1:11:49 GMT -5
I think you are ignoring a lot of problems coming from the other side of your equation. Such as? Do you know why he was working the second match of the show in his last match with the company yesterday? Do you know why the block of G1 built around Okada vs the next generation didnāt happen? Do you know why those six man titles were handed back? Do you know why he hasnāt dropped a match in six months?
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Post by ace on Feb 25, 2024 1:14:25 GMT -5
There are good ways to leave a company
There are bad ways to leave a company
Then there is 50 feet of shit
Then thereās how Okada left a company
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Post by Mozenrath on Feb 25, 2024 1:38:00 GMT -5
I can't bring myself to get that upset with Okada for how he's leaving. It could be better, absolutely, but it isn't like he was a charity case. They made a metric ton of money with him in a mutually beneficial relationship, so I don't feel like he owes them something, necessarily.
I guess for me, I am just remembering some of the completely dysfunctional exits of some past stars who outright got fired like Shinya Hashimoto. It isn't like Okada's going to go make his own Zero-1, so, ehhh.
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Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]
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Post by Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] on Feb 25, 2024 1:49:35 GMT -5
Suzuki has noted that he will be quietly stepping away from New Japan. He is technically a freelancer, and has been for years, but was on a middle-ground contract that floated between full-time and pay-per-appearance. Obviously heās up there in age, and hasnāt bumped well in a while, but has a lot of gas in the tank and popularity that rivals the best in the company. Suzuki stated that he will return the term āStrong Styleā to New Japan, which at this point was just him and Desperado anyway, effectively ending that subset of Hontai. Not a huge news item, as he was not utilized in New Japan tournaments anymore and was already spending most of his time in US indies and All Japan, but still notable. Iām sure heāll be back at some point, and this change would not stop his ability to appear in something like Forbidden Door. Itās just more of a parting from his end, and weāll see if New Japan makes an official release at all. Won't be shocked if we see him more consistently in AEW like Shibata seems to be wanting to do
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Post by Rave on Feb 25, 2024 1:52:20 GMT -5
SHO vs. YOH for the umpteenth time annoys me.
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Post by TOK Is the Target Demo on Feb 25, 2024 1:54:11 GMT -5
Do you know why he was working the second match of the show in his last match with the company yesterday? Do you know why the block of G1 built around Okada vs the next generation didnāt happen? Do you know why those six man titles were handed back? Do you know why he hasnāt dropped a match in six months? Because there's zero reason to have the biggest star in the company lose to a bunch of new guys who don't have the same juice that he did in 2012. Having the R3M go over Okada without any sort of path forward isn't good booking, it kills Okada and doesn't set up the other 3 for success long-term because just beating Okada out of nowhere isn't a story. The Rainmaker Shock worked because Okada was beyond can't miss and had a decade of experience already. The story was that he lulled in Tanahashi with a snoozer at WK and used his connections with the booker to get a title match & prominent role. He got over because of his charisma and ability, the only one I'd say is close right now is Shota and even then he was better off losing and gaining an edge other than showing off that he's friends with the cool badasses in America.
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Post by Mozenrath on Feb 25, 2024 1:55:29 GMT -5
SHO vs. YOH for the umpteenth time annoys me. Roppongi 3K were played out, but it still kind of blows my mind how aimless both guys have been since the breakup. Maybe they should have waited longer.
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Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]
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Post by Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] on Feb 25, 2024 1:57:21 GMT -5
New Japan had a lot of ongoing, lingering issues even if Okada had signed on to be there for the rest of is career
Okada leaving conflated these issues, but these issues are why you don't hitch the wagon so far up one guys ass that you have zero backup plan for if he decides "It's time to go"
He did all he could there, up and down the card. Could he have left under better circumstances, yeah maybe, but ultimately, this folly is also on New Japan. They've had guys simmering for years they simply won't pull the trigger on and now opportunities are opening up elsewhere and the inability to pivot or adjacently built up new talents is biting them in the ass pretty hard here.
Ospreay leaving also hurts them pretty bad, but Okada was them finally not being able to have their cake and eat it too, their failsafe no longer their failsafe, and their most known talents and stars now on the back end of their careers otherwise, marred down by injuries
However Okada is leaving NJPW feels almost secondary to how they almost set this up to be a disaster in the first place on the offchance Okada decided he should leave... and that's no longer a what if, it's just reality.
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Post by TOK Is the Target Demo on Feb 25, 2024 1:59:12 GMT -5
SHO vs. YOH for the umpteenth time annoys me. Roppongi 3K were played out, but it still kind of blows my mind how aimless both guys have been since the breakup. Maybe they should have waited longer. This ties into my post above, they haven't had any sort of long-term development for anyone since COVID/EVIL's heel turn. Hopefully Tanahashi does some sort of shakeup to the booking because, even as someone who likes Gedo's overbooked messes more than most Western fans, they've been staring down not knowing what the future was for years.
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Post by lockedontarget on Feb 25, 2024 2:33:55 GMT -5
The western fan backlash to Okada is so deeply weird to me. Wrestling fans are a special fan of entitled but I don't think we've seen this since ECW I think you are ignoring a lot of problems coming from the other side of your equation. We are all happy for him to go and get paid. He left like a f***ing bitch from refusing to work with the young guys in the G1 block built around his ongoing storylines to his final match which was second from the bottom for a reason. Because New Japan isnāt any happier that āWestern fansā with how he exited a company that picked him, rocketed him, and fed him everyone for over a decade. Do you have any evidence that any of this was Okadaās choice and not the actual booking team? Why are we suddenly assuming he is this big political menace when heās never had a history of doing stuff like that? Like have you considered it might just be poor booking choices?
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Post by TOK Is the Target Demo on Feb 25, 2024 3:10:34 GMT -5
I think you are ignoring a lot of problems coming from the other side of your equation. We are all happy for him to go and get paid. He left like a f***ing bitch from refusing to work with the young guys in the G1 block built around his ongoing storylines to his final match which was second from the bottom for a reason. Because New Japan isnāt any happier that āWestern fansā with how he exited a company that picked him, rocketed him, and fed him everyone for over a decade. Do you have any evidence that any of this was Okadaās choice and not the actual booking team? Why are we suddenly assuming he is this big political menace when heās never had a history of doing stuff like that? Like have you considered it might just be poor booking choices? "Okada didn't want to put over the new guys so we had to have Hikuleo pin them all in the G1" is the theory here.
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Post by chrom on Feb 25, 2024 7:53:37 GMT -5
The worst case scenario has happened for New Japan
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Post by chrom on Feb 25, 2024 7:54:23 GMT -5
Ishimori will be on this week's ROH
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Post by Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] on Feb 25, 2024 8:41:38 GMT -5
The worst case scenario has happened for New Japan Ishimori will be on this week's ROH Seeing these posts back to back was funnier than it should've been
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Post by chrom on Feb 25, 2024 18:39:51 GMT -5
Nemeth will defend The Global Title at TNA Sacrifice
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Post by Alice Syndrome on Feb 25, 2024 19:29:50 GMT -5
SHO vs. YOH for the umpteenth time annoys me. The problem with how relatively slowly roster pools move in Japan, is we just spend a lot of time going "good lord, we're back here again?"
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Post by Fundertaker on Feb 25, 2024 20:12:15 GMT -5
SHO vs. YOH for the umpteenth time annoys me. The problem with how relatively slowly roster pools move in Japan, is we just spend a lot of time going "good lord, we're back here again?" In the case of those two it's more "yeah, we're kind of obligated to run this feud at least once a year for no reason".
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Post by ace on Feb 26, 2024 3:27:16 GMT -5
Good lord is the left side of the bracket ugly. Especially when Jungle Boy beats Shota in round 1. And then you see that they can (and will) do both Bishamon guys vs the tag champsā¦but you have to watch Chase Owens beat Ishii for it to happen.
there is way too high a chance Shota, Yuya, Tsuji and Narita are all out in round 1. Tsuji might beat Cobb. The others? Yikes. Kidd will win and have a banger with Shingo though. That is the highlight of the tournament. Hikuleo is definitely beating Evil to set up that title match Gedo will whack off to.
Sabre should win this without breaking a sweatā¦but, since the title match is before the Chicago show and he has no chance of winning the beltā¦I really hope he doesnāt. Finding that second option thoughā¦yuck. Shingo coming off a loss to Taichi for an inter stable title match? Yay?
alsoā¦they advertised Nemeth vs Tanahashi for the Global title at Sakura Genesis. So theyāre just ignoring that heās defending it in two weeks lol. You know he didnāt make the challenge to Maclin in TNA without them saying to do itā¦so itās funny they were likeā¦wellā¦it isnāt our show and we want to announce the match nowā¦so screw it.
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