Purotopia Catch-All Thread 2014

[Edwin 4,114]

It looks like Kenny Omega is grabbing someones junk.

[ultimoDANK 365]

they do seem to be headhunting Sekimoto lately. if they were going to toss some money around and try to score one big indie name he wouldn't be a bad choice. doubt it would help them long term though, unless he brought along Okabayashi and some of their other cronies. 

Well they do have whatever they were paying KENTA now.

[Belgian_Waffle 103]

hah, good point. here I go speculating again, but maybe they could try to sign Daichi Hashimoto now that he's left Z1? I'm guessing he would be a tough sell for anyone other than New Japan, and even then he'd stand to profit more as a freelancer, but who knows... 

[GOTNW 383]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KczFr8pXk10

[S.K.o.S. 1,217]

Hat tip to Alan4L for loudly trumpeting the Dragon Gate Dead or Alive PPV.  I've watched up to and including Ricochet vs. YAMATO (I think I've just got the six-way cage match left after that) and it's been very enjoyable.

 

However I do notice that the older guys (Susumu, Mochizuki, Don Fujii) are having a little trouble keeping up with the DG undercard pace.  I'm not criticizing the match quality at all, nobody's blowing spots or anything, but you can't help but notice that they're pouring sweat by the end of a match.  I guess normally, guys would develop a "work smarter, not harder" mindset as they get older, but in DG you can't really do that because everything has to go so fast.

[John E. Dynamite 740]

I actually came into this topic to ask about the latest DG show. I stopped being able to suffer through the average DG eventa few years ago and I have never been a fan of Kickout Pro-Wrestling, but the cage match seems insane enough to be worth a watch. I've also held YAMATO and Hulk in higher regards than a lot of the roster and it seems like it was really "their show".

[A.M.B. 19]

Takumi Tsukamoto has resigned from Big Japan. He cites very vague family reasons, and it sounds like he will be back at some point, but looks to be taking a break.

 

Anyone (BAHU) know what the deal is with Freedoms and BJW? Kasai has been phased out a lot in recent history, but now hasn't been on a show since March, and seems to be advertising his deathmatches now as "Only in Freedoms". Is he completely done? And Takashi Sasaki hasn't been on a show at all this year.

 

So now we're looking at all these guys being out: Kasai, Takeda (Not returning as soon as expected), Okabayashi, Yoshihito, WX, Kobayashi, Takashi, and Tsukamoto. That's gotta hurt bad.

[BAHU 58]

I think it's a mix of things. FREEDOMS not wanting to be considered Big Japan light where they offer nothing that Big Japan can't, Takashi Sasaki while he was champion of FREEDOMS for a year not wanting to just be in the midcard in Big Japan which meant he was not going to let himself job that whole time because it would look bad for FREEDOMS champion losing to Isami Kodaka and others if needed, and Jun Kasai is obviously really banged up and probably shouldn't be wrestling 7 straight days in front of 100 people in Hokkaido. They are still obviously working together as the Big Japan young boys are still the one putting up the ring for FREEDOMS when they run Korakuen and Great Kojika/Nikkan Lee work for them reguarly.

[GOTNW 383]

It's time. Oh yes it's that time again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3GoBFNR8F8

[Salads 123]

Hopefully Magmatic Bustard catches on.

[KanadianKrusty 2]

I just watched this tag match from last November.... I think Fujinami may be reaching Backlundian levels of freakish physical fitness for a 60 year old dude. Save a few wrinkles he looks EXACTLY the same. Incredible.

[Ryan 5,081]

Speaking of his 60th.

Dradition "DRAGON FOREVER ~ TATSUMI FUJINAMI 60TH ANNIVERSARY", 11.05.2014
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,297 Fans - No Vacancy

1. Tatsumi Fujinami 60th Birthday Special Singles Match: Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Koji Kanemoto - Time Limit Draw (5:00).
2. Nobuyuki Kurashima besiegt Ryuta Hasumi (6:54) mit einem Backdrop Hold.
3. AKIRA & Tatsuhito Takaiwa besiegen NOSAWA Rongai & MAZADA (12:33) nach der Musasabi Press von AKIRA gegen NOSAWA.
4. Hiro Saito besiegt Bear Fukuda (7:32) mit einem Senton.
5. Naomichi Marufuji besiegt LEONA (12:10) mit einem Perfect Facelock.
6. First Tiger Mask & Masakatsu Funaki besiegen Alexander Otsuka & Mitsuya Nagai (13:55) nach einem Hybrid Blaster von Funaki gegen Otsuka.
7. Tatsumi Fujinami & Yoshiaki Fujiwara besiegen Takashi Sugiura & Akitoshi Saito (9:44) nach einem Wakigatame von Fujiwara gegen Saito.

 

[KidKash202 268]

Have you ever wanted to know what it takes to become a professional wrestler in the biggest promotion in Japan? This video shows exactly what exactly happens in a daily training session. From back bridges, to push-ups, to downright difficult looking exercises. Those who train in Japan are taught to be tough and to be well disciplined, and with these young talents at the time working closely under the late Kotetsu Yamamoto in 2002 they are indeed pushed to their limits. The talent involved are Naofumi Yamamoto 山本尚史 (Yoshi Tatsu), Ryusuke Taguchi 田口隆祐 , Shinsuke Nakamura 中邑真輔 & Hiroshi Nagao 長尾浩志.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTBn8CVPE94

[Ryan 5,081]

Poor, poor Nagao.

[Hokuto in Winter 2]

I actually came into this topic to ask about the latest DG show. I stopped being able to suffer through the average DG eventa few years ago and I have never been a fan of Kickout Pro-Wrestling, but the cage match seems insane enough to be worth a watch. I've also held YAMATO and Hulk in higher regards than a lot of the roster and it seems like it was really "their show".

 

The cage match is okay if you're fine with more outside interference in a cage match than Cena/Wyatt by several orders of magnitude. Also comedy spots. That said Ricochet vs. YAMATO was great and worked at a slower pace and with more body part work than 95% of dragon system stuff. Plus the Flamita Open the Brave Gate defence should be seen, perfect showcase for probably the most promising luchador of his generation, he does spots I've never seen before yet still works nice and snug - he's got endless upside. The other two big matches are really good but if you're not into the style they won't change your mind.

[NikkySan 4]

Have you ever wanted to know what it takes to become a professional wrestler in the biggest promotion in Japan? This video shows exactly what exactly happens in a daily training session. From back bridges, to push-ups, to downright difficult looking exercises. Those who train in Japan are taught to be tough and to be well disciplined, and with these young talents at the time working closely under the late Kotetsu Yamamoto in 2002 they are indeed pushed to their limits. The talent involved are Naofumi Yamamoto 山本尚史 (Yoshi Tatsu), Ryusuke Taguchi 田口隆祐 , Shinsuke Nakamura 中邑真輔 & Hiroshi Nagao 長尾浩志.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTBn8CVPE94

Nakamura is now one of top wrestlers in Japan, Yamamoto/Yoshi Tatsu is now in WWE and Taguchi is still about, but what ever happened to Nagao?

[Kevin Wilson 1,035]

Nagao wasn't very good.  He was only in New Japan until 2006, wrestled in Hustle for a few years, and then retired.  All I really know is that he didn't retire for injury reasons, so I am guessing he just found a new career elsewhere.

[Ryan 5,081]

He did have injury issues, but I'm unaware what did him in at the end. Probably as suggested.

 

Edit: He got his ass kicked on a DEEP show in 2010 if that helps.

[rzombie1988 299]

Nagao was kind of screwed from the start. He was over hyped from the start and was never going to live up to expectations.

[Ryan 5,081]

I believe he tore up his knee entering the ring on one of his first appearances too, so he had that going for him.

[ultimoDANK 365]

The young lion who quit that I liked was Akiya Anzawa. I believe he's from the Goto, Taguchi, Yoshi Tatsu class. Dude had some spunk. If I remember correctly he left to be a chef.

NOAH has lost a few decent young lions over the years as well...

[JRV 266]

Nagao wasn't very good.  He was only in New Japan until 2006, wrestled in Hustle for a few years, and then retired.  All I really know is that he didn't retire for injury reasons, so I am guessing he just found a new career elsewhere.

You don't really come back from GIANT VOBA

[lostinube 168]

The young lion who quit that I liked was Akiya Anzawa. I believe he's from the Goto, Taguchi, Yoshi Tatsu class. Dude had some spunk. If I remember correctly he left to be a chef.

NOAH has lost a few decent young lions over the years as well...

 

Looks like he's a personal trainer now.

[ultimoDANK 365]

 

The young lion who quit that I liked was Akiya Anzawa. I believe he's from the Goto, Taguchi, Yoshi Tatsu class. Dude had some spunk. If I remember correctly he left to be a chef.

NOAH has lost a few decent young lions over the years as well...

 

Looks like he's a personal trainer now.

 

You're good at internet.

[The Natural 25,097]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-FFdYoq2r8