Ace Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Nakamura,Goto, and Shibata. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultimoDANK Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Ibushi, Sekimoto, and maybe Okabayashi as a low seed. I'm more than a year behind with Dragon Gate but I gotta believe at least one guy there that deserves mention. Also whats the deal with the Sekimoto injury? How long is he gonna be out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikkySan Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 KENTA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Finish Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I'd throw Kana in there (if we're including joshi), though she probably couldn't get past.... eh, Santino Marella? Sharkboy? That Cheeseburger dude from RoH? But, yeah, she had a better year than most people who will be in the tourney. I'm not showing up for March Madness, btw, so don't expect me to vote for her. The tourney's reputation precedes it. I'll pass. Arguing with people on the internet over whether Harry Smith has better punches than CM Punk doesn't appeal to me much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaedmc Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 It's not nearly as serious as that. Not any more anyway. Besides all you have to do is pop in, tick a box, click submit, and that's it. You don't have to read anything or participate beyond that. And any outrage is all tongue in cheek anyway. Except for me when Ziggler loses. That's for real. Kana, was pretty boss from what I've seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTNW Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 KENTA and Shibata had a great year. Surprised no one's mentioned Ishii already when he's the best New Japan contracted wrestler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Yuji Nagata won the GHC Heavyweight Title earlier today, so there is that. Morishima failed to even get one defense. I think KENTA already challenged him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultimoDANK Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Ashamed I didn't mention Ishii. KENTA seemed like a nobrainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Z Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Yuji Nagata won the GHC Heavyweight Title earlier today, so there is that. Morishima failed to even get one defense. I think KENTA already challenged him. You think they only hotshotted the title onto Morishima, because they found out KENTA would have a WWE tryout? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaedmc Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I would have rathered it go Kenta > Yuji > Morishima brings it home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Wilson Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I just realized that Naofumi Yamamoto has been signed with WWE for over six years. Six! And I don't think he has won a single meaningful match on National TV. I guess he is never going back to New Japan? It is odd that WWE would keep him signed for so long (he is 36) but clearly has no plans to use him for anything. Somewhat surprised he stayed so long since he can't be making more than the minimum contract, did New Japan never try to get him back? The whole situation is unusual, I think he has had the longest run of any Japanese wrestler in WWE History but most fans have no idea who he is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAHU Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Funaki was there over a decade. I don't think New Japan can try and get him back while he's under WWE contract especially when he left there to begin with because he always wanted to be in WWE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 It is kind of odd they keep him. They don't use him for anything at this point. I think he's just down in NXT doing nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rzombie1988 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 It is kind of odd they keep him. They don't use him for anything at this point. I think he's just down in NXT doing nothing. That's what he is doing. However, he has learned to play the game and is staying under that nice six figure contract. He can always write his ticket back in Japan as well. He will be worth triple what he was before and can play his own hand to get what he wants when he returns. I guarantee that AJPW, NOAH and probably NJPW would love to have him, along with every other promotion there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Wilson Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Well I doubt he is making six figures, the downside a few years ago was 75K and its not like he is getting PPV or merchandise bonuses. And I am not sure if NXT wrestlers even get that. Plus that doesn't include cost for hotels and what not (not that he travels much anyway). And I am assuming he didn't sign a six year contract, so New Japan has had time to be like "Hey! When your contract expires! Come back! We miss you!" I do agree he'd be in demand at least upon return to Japan which makes it seem stranger to me. I can understand the WWE dream but you'd think after six years of going nowhere that would satisfy the dream Someone should do an interview with him and ask... Ditch? Alan? Use some puroresu interview connections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Maybe he prefers living in the US now? Maybe he's with someone from here. Who knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Wilson Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Yea that was my main thought. I mean last I heard Funaki still lives in the US. At the time it looked like he was just doing an excursion, who knew it was a permanent residency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I'm asking for a handful of names for the guys who had the best 2013. March Madness is expanding to include Puro and Lucha this year, so I need some reps from the Land of the Rising Sun. Yes, I know it'll be an uphill climb against the US guys, but I'm trying to broaden people's horizons. So give me some names. Tanahashi and Okada are locks. Nakamura, Goto, Akiyama, Shibata and Ishii. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Z Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Didn't he leave New Japan under pretty bad terms? I think I read or heard some interviews at which he said some pretty nasty things about NJPW, basically saying he would never go back there. I think they keep him around, because they always want one token Japanese guy around, probably to promote their live events, when they tour in Japan. Why they haven't replaced him, yet, I don't know. They never really gave KAZMA and Takizawa a fair chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan4L Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Yoshi wanted to move to Texas a few months back because he had become aware of a really nice Japanese community there, which would be handy for his daughter who's starting school soon. Anyway, the office wouldn't let him because they demanded that he still attends all of the basic training in developmental. So basically he just does hip toss drills all day. Feel bad for the guy. He was fantastic back on ECW. Had some awesome matches with Ryder and Regal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tromatagon Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Does anyone have the Onita action figure where he's flipping you off? I want one and can't find one. Loose is fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rzombie1988 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Does anyone have the Onita action figure where he's flipping you off? I want one and can't find one. Loose is fine. Toudoukan probably has one, otherwise check ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Wilson Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 They clearly didn't make enough of those figures. There are none on Ebay, but one did sell last month loose for $20 so I guess they appear on there occasionally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edwin Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Yoshi wanted to move to Texas a few months back because he had become aware of a really nice Japanese community there, which would be handy for his daughter who's starting school soon. Anyway, the office wouldn't let him because they demanded that he still attends all of the basic training in developmental. So basically he just does hip toss drills all day. Feel bad for the guy. He was fantastic back on ECW. Had some awesome matches with Ryder and Regal. I guess you feel bad for him cause he's not getting to do what he likes, but I personally don't. He's making more money doing nothing tied to a WWE contract than he would breaking his back and neck not even earning as much in New Japan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rzombie1988 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Yoshi wanted to move to Texas a few months back because he had become aware of a really nice Japanese community there, which would be handy for his daughter who's starting school soon. Anyway, the office wouldn't let him because they demanded that he still attends all of the basic training in developmental. So basically he just does hip toss drills all day. Feel bad for the guy. He was fantastic back on ECW. Had some awesome matches with Ryder and Regal. I guess you feel bad for him cause he's not getting to do what he likes, but I personally don't. He's making more money doing nothing tied to a WWE contract than he would breaking his back and neck not even earning as much in New Japan. Yeah, I can't say I wouldn't trade with him. I'll take some hip toss drills for six figures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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