RIPPA Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Who will step up and champion the non-New Japan workers??? Time Period: March 1, 2015 - February 29, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Man Known as Dan Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Anybody in Dragon Gate have a year worth talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Z Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Minoru Suzuki almost single-handedly carried NOAH on his back, had several MOTYCs against Sugiura and Marufuji and an amazing match against an old and barely mobile Takayama. Probably my favorite wrestler in Japan at the moment. Isami Kodaka had two MOTYCs just in the last few months and always brings it even in smaller matches. Could be a dark horse in my opinion. Anybody in Dragon Gate have a year worth talking about? I've heard a lot of raves about Shingo Takagi vs. Masaaki Mochizuki from Alan4L and other people, which to my shame I haven't seen yet. I've seen a few other Dragon Gate shows, though and felt pretty meh about all of it to be honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raziel Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Only non-NJPW guy I can speak for is Suzuki, and he's still techincally NJPW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTNW Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Anybody in Dragon Gate have a year worth talking about? Please don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goodear Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 I'm not a deep follower of New Japan, but would there be anyone not on last year's list that would make it this year? Because I think the biggest problem with the promotion is that it moves at a glacial pace where nothing much changes unless someone leaves the company. Did they elevate anyone during the last 12 months? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTNW Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Who will step up and champion the non-New Japan workers??? Time Period: March 1, 2015 - February 29, 2016 Folks I think should absolutely be included this year: Jun Akiyama Meiko Satomura Shuji Ishikawa HARASHIMA Minoru Suzuki Yuji Okabayashi Kento Miyahara Kairi Hojo New Japan folks I think should be in: are we counting Nak and AJ? well they should be in anyway Honma Ishii Shibata Ibushi (hopefully he will make his return soon but I think he should be in anyway. probably.) Naito KUSHIDA urgh......okada tanahashi........urgh Not sure how many spots there were last year for japanese workers so... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiji Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Agree with all of that list from what I've seen (though I need get to watching more AJPW and non New Japan in general). Okabayashi is an easy inclusion from where I'm sitting. Just watch his match with Hama that Dean posted recently. He's a fucking beast and a really smart, charismatic one at that. Kenny Omega has been a blast. I think he was the more impressive of the two during his KUSHIDA feud (though KUSHIDA had the BOSJ finale and definitely merits inclusion), but he did have that great defense against Mascara Dorada from April. Must see the matches with Ospreay and Bailey from PWG when they come out. His case is hurt because he missed out on the BOSJ tournament and has been in a lot of okay to fine tag matches with the Bullet Club. But it seems to me like every time he's given a shot to shine he does so with flying colours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Z Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Who will step up and champion the non-New Japan workers??? Time Period: March 1, 2015 - February 29, 2016 Folks I think should absolutely be included this year: Jun Akiyama Meiko Satomura Shuji Ishikawa HARASHIMA Minoru Suzuki Yuji Okabayashi Kento Miyahara Kairi Hojo New Japan folks I think should be in: are we counting Nak and AJ? well they should be in anyway Honma Ishii Shibata Ibushi (hopefully he will make his return soon but I think he should be in anyway. probably.) Naito KUSHIDA urgh......okada tanahashi........urgh Not sure how many spots there were last year for japanese workers so... No Daisuke Sekimoto? Another guy that has really caught my eye over the last year is Yukio Sakaguchi. What's everyone's opinion on him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTNW Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Figured someone could/would bat for him anway. I don't think much of him. Not sure I'll have the time but ideally I'd like to track down enough Hideki Suzuki stuff to argue for him as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazlo Woodbine Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Hideki Suzuki is great, loved the whole Suzuki gives no fucks that he is Wrestle-1 champion thing, but it seems his dispassionate crushings of KAI and Hama have been removed from the internet. I think he's a guy that would appeal to a lot of people on the board. Check this out. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x32dcur_daisuke-sekimoto-vs-hideki-suzuki-zero1-7-24-2015_lifestyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTNW Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 I just checked my list of things I've seen and in the eligible period Suzuki has matches vs. Masakatsu Funaki, Nakanoueno, several vs KAI and vs Ryota Hama. For some reason I thought that was all in the period for the previous MM so yeah he should be there too. Also has the Masato Tanaka match we've expressed our love for in the YES/NO section. edit: Yano Toru should be in as well. I also forgot Yuji Hino. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 I've got massive blind spots here, but I'd nominate: Ibushi Ishii Nakamura Styles Sadly, my knowledge of Japan is really just New Japan's big shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share Posted February 12, 2016 Sadly, my knowledge of Japan is really just New Japan's big shows. Which will be more than half the people voting... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red is Dead Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Ishii Shibata Would Barbaro Cavernario fall under this category or the lucha cat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 They wrestle in Japan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raziel Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Naito should be in and should make it a couple rounds in on the strength of his G1 performances alone, the heel turn and gimmick change helped him immencely. I'm one of those that usually ugh Tanahashi, but he had a real solid year and only had a couple "old" Tanahashi matches drag him down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 So, nobody thinks Okada is worthy? You guys are insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTNW Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 So, nobody thinks Okada is worthy? You guys are insane. I mentioned him but I'd be more than happy if his spot went to Kazuki Hashimoto or HASEGAWA. Matt is missing out on some good fat wrestler action. Someone else can go bat for Akebono and Ryota Hama though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Z Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 They wrestle in Japan? Matt D, already trying to rile people up. It's ok, though, I don't watch any Lucha outside of Lucha Underground, so it equals out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 They wrestle in Japan? Matt D, already trying to rile people up. It's ok, though, I don't watch any Lucha outside of Lucha Underground, so it equals out. I learned to love Honma last year through March Madness. I promise that I will totally watch some Okabayashi, whatever the hell that is, if it gets nominated this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share Posted February 12, 2016 That hurts because it means Matt totally doesn't read the DVDVRs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supremebve Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 So, nobody thinks Okada is worthy? You guys are insane. I mentioned him but I'd be more than happy if his spot went to Kazuki Hashimoto or HASEGAWA. Matt is missing out on some good fat wrestler action. Someone else can go bat for Akebono and Ryota Hama though. I think Okada is kind of a total is greater than the sum of his parts type of wrestler. If you look at everything he does in a match and analyze his selling, psychology, and what ever else it doesn't look like he's that great of a wrestler, but his matches are always good. I know we overanalyze everything around here, but he wouldn't constantly be in really good to great matches if he wasn't really good to great himself. I tend to like all of his matches, despite the fact that I feel l ike he should sell more and vary his offense based on his opponents limb work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 That hurts because it means Matt totally doesn't read the DVDVRs I would say that it's a case where I don't totally read, as opposed to totally don't read. I'll say this. I've enjoyed going back and looking at older issues now that I have more bearings in lucha and actually know who the hell these people are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTNW Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 So, nobody thinks Okada is worthy? You guys are insane. I mentioned him but I'd be more than happy if his spot went to Kazuki Hashimoto or HASEGAWA. Matt is missing out on some good fat wrestler action. Someone else can go bat for Akebono and Ryota Hama though. I think Okada is kind of a total is greater than the sum of his parts type of wrestler. If you look at everything he does in a match and analyze his selling, psychology, and what ever else it doesn't look like he's that great of a wrestler, but his matches are always good. I know we overanalyze everything around here, but he wouldn't constantly be in really good to great matches if he wasn't really good to great himself. I tend to like all of his matches, despite the fact that I feel l ike he should sell more and vary his offense based on his opponents limb work. This is a line of thinking I can't really get behind, but nonetheless I assure you most people's dislike of Okada has absolutely nothing to do with overanalysis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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