Belgian_Waffle

If NJPW is potentially losing all these guys and the fans are burned out on Okada vs Tanahashi then wouldn't it be the perfect time to run an inter promotional against AJPW and finally see what Miyahara can do against guys like, for instance, the aforementioned Okada and Tanahashi? Miyahara vs Naito. Miyahara vs Ospreay. Miyahara vs Ishii. Suwama vs Ishii. Suwama vs Evil. Suwama vs Makabe. Akiyama vs Tanahashi. Ishikawa vs everybody. Aoyagi and Nomura vs SHO and YOH. Doering vs Fale. Etc.

Fair. I'll also cite Tenzan coming back from excursion with a new look and a new finisher, winning the G1 in one of his career-best matches, gets denied the Dome main event, finally wins the title on a show no one cares about, drops the belt in his V1 against a very not-ready Nakamura. And then winning the belt back and dropping it right away to Sasaki. And then winning the G1 again, beating Sasaki, and dropping the belt V1 to Fujita. And somewhere in there the screwy 59 minute match with Kojima where he shoot lost the title because of exhaustion. Poor guy. It's sad when you have four IWGP title wins and 3 G1 wins and still you're thought of as a ball-dropper.

Maeda is definitely up there for me. I still think he has a last run in him but I doubt it will ever happen. I kind of like the idea of, like, themed GOATs. GOAT gaijin jr heavyweight, Chris Benoit. GOAT indie shoot style guy, Yuki Ishikawa. GOAT utility player who never rose above the mid-card, Tomoaki Honma.

Wow you just named my top 4. With Lyger #5?

I would just have a gaijin beat Tanahashi (probably White) and then have Ishii win the G1 and then have Ishii beat whoever the gaijin is. Guy is pushing 50 but it's what the people really want.

It's Kawada. It's actually Jumbo. But.... ...It's *actually*, actually Kawada.

Who do we all want Choshu's final opponent/s to be? I guess if he wants to go down in a big singles match against a new guy like Tenryu did he could job to Kaito.

All jokes aside Jun has to go in next year right?

He was always a favourite of mine. Didn't he have some really great BattlArts matches in like 2008-2010? I can't find match listings but I seem to remember him tearing it up with Ishikawa or Sawa or Nagai or something.

Both Miyahara vs Marufuji matches have to be up for consideration

I just came on here to ask the peanut gallery if Okada has any chance in hell of going over White at the Dome. Seeing that wonky MVP list kind of answers the question for me. Unrelated: anyone know what Scorpio's last match in Japan was? He always did pretty good work in NOAH, even when he got older, put on weight, started doing mostly comedy, inexplicably started wearing a mask in some match, etc.

I really wish they had just gone with Nagai as Hino's partner instead of Taniguchi for that upcoming tag title match.

Not really sure I see the point of Kondo's AJPW jr title reign unless it was just to bring in a different guy for Iwamoto to go over. Not that AJPW jr booking is ever really anything other than arbitrary.

Also I think Yuma Aoyagi should get a title shot against Kento and win with the Rockstar Buster and then just run with him as a New Hero push. A la Bret beating Flair for the belt on the house show.

SUSHI is Akira Raijin again!!!

I still think he could just go away again and come back 5'7 and jacked like Kensuke.

Do you mean the NEVER title or the heavyweight tag title? (Or both) Also Shingo going toe-to-toe with Hino in the Carny had me convinced he was like BJW strong style heavyweight dude.

Slightly random question about two new-is indie names I've been seeing on lots of card results but have never seen work: are Tomoya Hirata and/or Toru Sugiura any good? Any matches that are especially worth checking out?

You gotta figure they're about ready to give Naoya Nomura and Yuma Aoyagi title shots against Miyahara. Not wins, of course, but it's time to start having these guys get title matches and big Carny tournament wins.

Slight change of direction: who SHOULD leave NJPW for relatively greener pastures? I feel like Makabe has run his course as an established NJPW guy. He'd almost for sure be taking a payout but NOAH or AJPW could certainly use him on top whereas NJPW will never need him as anything beyond NEVER champion again.

Results from Kawada's show today look like everything I was hoping a Kawada-run fed would look like (young AJPW guys mixing it up with post-NOAH-split indie staples). It's been too long since Miyamoto and Aijima were on the same card as Nagai and Fujiwara. Makes me really, really, really want to see Tosh in the ring one more time, even if it's for a wonky 8 man tag or something.

Also I think Zeus can beat Kento again and go on to defend against Mashimo again as was suggested above. Or he might lose to Kento but then win the Carny. Weird how Kento and Zeus have both never won the Carny...so many outsiders winning in the past three years, it's like how Kobashi didn't win it until 2000 (or Akiyama didn't win until 2013!).

Is Kim Due the Kim Due from like the 70s or is it like Dave Finlay in NJPW where he goes by the father's name but doesn't append a "Jr." or "II" to designate himself as the successor?

There was a great section of the old shoot tape George Hines did for Highspots where he describes working with True and says something like "I would never try a spot with Taue. He wanted to go in there, give you his backdrop, give you his big boot, give you his choke slam. Maybe take one bump. Then go back to the locker room and smoke a lot of cigarettes." Sometimes I think Taue must be one of the most self aware wrestlers of all time. He knew how to stay special: take it easy for the tour, work like hell in the big title matches/tournament finals.

I've always wanted to see Kawada walk Taichi to the ring for a big match just to remind everyone that he did actually train the guy. This Goto match would be perfect for that dream to become a reality...