madsplash Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Someone mentioned Funaki a few pages back...I met him at the San Antonio airport some years back. I went to say hi and get an autograph, and I was kinda surprised when he talked because he spoke perfect English with a Texas drawl. He was actually a champion in HBK's indy fed in 99, so the dude has been living over here for a long ass time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultimoDANK Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Spoilers for the recent All Japan Jr league so scroll down in you're insane. I was really hoping they were going to do Ultimo Dragon vs Mochizuki in the final. That would have been an interesting match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 NOAH announced that Ryu Nakata passed away due to a coronary EDIT - Meltzer's update Former NOAH exec Nakata passes away Ryu Nakata, who handled business affairs and worked on dealings with Americans for years with Pro Wrestling NOAH, passed away on 2/15 from a heart attack. After the death of Mitsuharu Misawa, Nakata was the man running the company as General Manager, through 2012. He had started as Shohei Baba's personal driver, and was also a ring announcer for All Japan Pro Wrestling, who in 2000 left the promotion with the formation of Pro Wresting NOAH. Nakata was 51. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobainwasmurdered Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I'm not sure what the policy on plugging things is but our site did a QnA with Prince Devitt http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/qa-with-prince-devitt so I thought I would share the link here. We're also going to be doing one with Tama Tonga in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan4L Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I'm not sure what the policy on plugging things is but our site did a QnA with Prince Devitt http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/qa-with-prince-devitt so I thought I would share the link here. We're also going to be doing one with Tama Tonga in the future. maybe the best interview that Ferg's done. Really great job mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgian_Waffle Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 SPILERS BELOW for the big AJPW show from this morning: So I don't think anybody really expectred it but Akebono retains. Miyahara beat Omori in the undercard (via referee stop with a crossarmbreaker) and is now challenging Bono for the belt. I smell a "New Hero" booking swerve. Akebono now looks invincible having gone over Suwama, Doering, Omori and now Go. The only other guy is Akiyama, who Bono already beat in the openweight tournament he won late last year. Miyahara debuts what I'm guessing will be his new finisher and surprise it's a move perfectly designed to take down a big guy (it's not like he's going to pin Akebono in that German suplex he uses). Sasaki just retired suddenly and Miyahara is one of his boys---could add some sentimentality to his win. Soya aka the Traitor just debuted for Mutoh's stupid promotion so it's not like he's ever coming back; that makes Miyahara the lone new guy for AJPW to push for the time being.Anybody else think he's gonna win? and more importantly will anyone care (except me and the other diehard AJPW marks who refuse to stop caring)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Yeah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Wilson Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Do I even want to ask? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 They faced the Brahman Twins, that pretty much answers it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultimoDANK Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Yeah I'm confused with what AJPW is doing. I'm also confused with what NOAH is upto. Hey let's put the belt on like the 7th or 8th best guy from NJPW and then put him over our other top guy. It's crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTNW Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 NOAH is just desperate for attention hence whoring out their credibility. Sugiura murdering Nagata would make me a happy panda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raziel Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 You rate current Nagata *that* high in NJ right now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Wilson Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I'd rank him higher than anyone currently in NOAH in terms of appeal. Except maybe KENTA. Which says less for NOAH than it does for Nagata. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raziel Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Took me a minute to realize that whirlling sound last week was Misawa rolling in his grave over the GHC Champ being in a gimmicky mid-card match on a NJPW PPV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salads Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I've spent years looking forward to the likes of Nagata and Akiyama as wily old vets and if excursions to AJ/NOAH means Yuji can escape New Japan's prettyboy tyranny to fulfil that destiny then praise be. If Misawa's in any way displeased with Nagata as GHC champion he should spend some of that quality coffin time meditating on why NOAH don't have any of their own established veterans from that generation. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTNW Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Akiyama ran away because of Ryu Nakata, Sasaki retired, Takayama is barely mobile. Couldn't do much about it being dead and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultimoDANK Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 You rate current Nagata *that* high in NJ right now? Well let's see. Not counting gaijin. 1. Okada 2. Tanahashi 3. Nakamura 4. Shibata 5. Ishii 6. Goto 7. Naito 8. MinSu So #9 could be Nagata, maybe Togi. NOAH guys, I'd put KENTA either before or after Ishii. Morishima, Sugi, and Marufuji all in the Nagata range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raziel Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 That's pretty much a copy of my list, just invert Ishii and Goto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultimoDANK Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Akiyama ran away because of Ryu Nakata, Sasaki retired, Takayama is barely mobile. Couldn't do much about it being dead and all. I wonder what the passing of Nakata is going to do to NOAH and the Puro scene in general. Could this maybe, just maybe lead to Akiyama bringing NOAH and AJPW back together? I can dream right. If NOAH were to fold I wonder where KENTA would wind up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Nakata didn't have much actual power left in NOAH after the Yakuza scandal, so who knows if it's going to change much of anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Wilson Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Are more events becoming available this year than the last couple years? I didn't really follow puroresu last year, but I remember people kvetching about shows not being available to watch. So far this year just for January, by my count roughly 18 events are available to download from somewhere or another. Trying to review every event from this year is going to be a lot harder than I thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTNW Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Why are people even debating Makabe vs Nagata? Makabe is New Japan's #2 TV guy and a much better worker. He should be compared to Nakamura as they could both be seen as #3 guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaedmc Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Wait. Makabe is a better worker than who? Yuji Nagata? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spritenaut 32 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Makabe was probably my favorite guy in the world during the Great Bash Heel days, but I've never confused him with a great worker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTNW Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Makabe has fantastic timing, sells well and smashes people's heads into the corner post. What more do you need? Dragon Screw Neck Twists? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts