Control

What I’ve seen has all been enjoyable. It goes down smooth, but it also rarely reaches great heights. They really seem to save themselves for TC or Tag Title matches. For example, I don’t think any of the outsiders had any off-the-charts matches. Good matches, for sure. But thinking back to the pre-COVID CCs, you have guys like Shingo Takagi, Yuji Hino, and Okabayashi really going all out—maybe not in every match, but in a bunch of them. I haven’t watched some of the recent big singles and tag matches, and they are reasonably well hyped by those who still watch. But, yeah, the CC has been very solid but mostly unremarkable. In the ranking list I’ve been keeping, I’d probably say, up to about day 6, that the top five matches or so are probably worth seeking out, but nothing is going to blow you away.

Spoilering a post-deathmatch image

I have been bogged down by personal stuff and do not know when/if I’ll get back to the CC reports. Maybe soon? Maybe skip to the finals and backtrack?

It’d be cool to see Nomura mixing it up with the DDT guys. I’d still prefer to see him as Triple Crown champ, though.

Naoya Nomura in Ganbare, which I guess means he’s officially a CyberAgent guy now?

Hitamaru Sasaki & Kodai Nozaki (Kyushu Pro) vs Minoru Tanaka & Soma Watanabe (GLEAT) in a UWF-style match. Found this because I was looking for new matches with ultimate beefy boy Nozaki.

Lol, Satoshi Kojima. NJPW can’t even send second-stringers to take a fall.

Can’t believe L.A. AIDS JABBER is a real film.

I'M ALL CAUGHT UP! I watched Day 5 of the Champion Carnival. Thoughts: Complete and Objective Match Rankings

I think each of the UHD offerings is available as a bluray too.

Criterion is also going all-in on UHD (though at least still offering Bluray and in some cases DVD): RAGING BULL, OKJA, VIRGIN SUICIDES, and DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS are all available in UHD format. Only DRIVE MY CAR and SUMMERTIME aren't getting the treatment. Should come out in time for the B&N 50% sale. I recently rewatched DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS, which I liked, and made me wish that they'd done an Easy Rawlins series with Denzel.

Is NJPW, uh, short on tall wrestlers? (actually: who is the tallest New Japan guy?)

It’s like Rob Liefeld has never seen a human body.

More of this, please.

Well he’s old as hell, so NOAH, right?

I watched Day 4 of the Champion Carnival! It was also good! Thoughts! Complete and Objective Match Rankings (up to Day 4)

I watched Day 3 of the Champion Carnival! It was a good show! Thoughts! Complete and Objective Match Rankings (Day 3)

I watched Day 2 of the Champion Carnival! Well just the tournament matches, really. Thoughts! Nothing must-see, here. Complete and Objective Match Rankings (as of Day 2)

So is the suit 100% CGI? It doesn’t even look like there’s any real person peaking through.

I watched the first show! How are there four shows already! Holy shit I'm tardy! THOUGHTS ON DAY !: COMPLETE AND OBJECTIVE MATCH RANKINGS (DAY 1)

Brute Issei~! Bringing in the big guns to replace Zeus and Nomura, I see.

Yikes. Not surprising. Hope the surgery goes well.

People seems very excited about this:

Y’all are lame, hoping to hang out with regular dudes. I wanna hang out on the starship Enterprise with the TNG crew. Talk cats with Data, get some counselling from an actual empath, maybe fuck an alien.