sevendaughters Posted November 18, 2017 Share Posted November 18, 2017 27 minutes ago, Michael Sweetser said: Question: When/how did Iizuka stop being a straight wrestler and become.. y'know, Iizuka? well jokingly I was going to say when Scott Steiner dropped him on his head at WrestleWar. but by the mid-00s, maybe even earlier - he was a concussion wreck, which explains why he just does not take a single bump ever. Inoki tried to push him as a legit sambo guy (LOOOOL) but it didn't work so he changed his gimmick in 2008 to what we have now but he was on that path for a while. sure he's 51 but I've honestly never seen him even take a proper breakfall drop from a strike. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Sweetser Posted November 18, 2017 Share Posted November 18, 2017 10 minutes ago, sevendaughters said: well jokingly I was going to say when Scott Steiner dropped him on his head at WrestleWar. but by the mid-00s, maybe even earlier - he was a concussion wreck, which explains why he just does not take a single bump ever. Inoki tried to push him as a legit sambo guy (LOOOOL) but it didn't work so he changed his gimmick in 2008 to what we have now but he was on that path for a while. sure he's 51 but I've honestly never seen him even take a proper breakfall drop from a strike. Thanks for the info, and that makes sense. Bumping sucks - I'm personally lucky I came out of my career as well as I did, especially considering some of the utterly stupidly stiff ref bumps I took early on, and my back and neck still bother me on a daily basis. I can't imagine how some of these guys still work at their age. I love Iizuka. When it's just a few guys doing gimmicks like his, they stand out in a good way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinit Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 Didn't Iizuka turn heel on Tenzan and begin devolving into the madman character he is today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E. Dynamite Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 2 hours ago, Infinit said: Didn't Iizuka turn heel on Tenzan and begin devolving into the madman character he is today? Yeah, it was a GBH thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgian_Waffle Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Kea pinned Suwama today in the RWTL opening. Hoping that means he's gonna stick around for awhile. If he's in good shape and working hard he could have an awesome late-career run in AJPW right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Surprisingly good numbers claimed for that AJ show, too (2000+). When did Kea stop doing the surfing suplex and his original Hawaiian Smasher? Both looked legit painful, so I’m not surprised he doesn’t do ‘em anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 I think the only beating I've ever seen Iizuka take was that five minute G1 match against Nakamura where he kicked the shit out of him and he legit ran away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 Iizuka had his brain smashed in by Mitsuya Nagai and missed a whole shit ton of time and when he came back was just another guy. Then the Tenzan angle happened and he became the wacky psycho he is now and evolved more over time with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgian_Waffle Posted November 23, 2017 Share Posted November 23, 2017 The knee strike he took from Nagai in that injury match is worth the bajillion bumps he never took afterward upon his return. Also not sure when exactly Kea switched up his moveset but he got another significant pin today. Also TAJIRI and KAI are winning all their matches in under 5 minutes. KAI is the hardest guy to figure out in the Japanese freelance scene. Went from junior daredevil goof to half-assed Tanahashi clone to random heel-ish generic indie guy. This tournament is loads more interesting than it's sister tournament currently going on in New Japan. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 Great Kabuki says his is retiring The 12/22 NOAH show will be his last show The show is now titled "KABUKI THE FINAL" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 Mil Mascaras can be his last opponent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 Nah. Tajiri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgian_Waffle Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 I have dreams that can never happen. But one of them is that McMahon would bring in Suwama and give him his own heel mouthpiece manager and feud him with Lesnar for the belt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Otto Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 "Big Match" Suwama is one of the best things in pro wrestling, period. At the very least, I would like to see him be invited to the Tokyo Dome before he starts breaking down, so yeah, preferably sooner than later. I have realistically low expectations of that, though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgian_Waffle Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 Yeah I was thinking of that one, too. Him and Ishii in the Dome would tear the place apart. EDIT: Or him and EVIL. Or even Goto, or, like, Elgin. I think he still "owes" Tanahashi a job for the 2008 Carny final, no? That would be a hell of a rematch ten years after the fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 This is probably a stupid question but have AJ and NJ ever had a working relationship, even after Inoki stepped down and Baba died? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiji Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 New Japan and All Japan worked extensively after the NOAH exodus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 It must be a complete blindspot for me. What were some prominent matches? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevendaughters Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 there was that Pro Wrestling LOVE show that had NOAH, AJPW, and NJPW guys on one card in 2012 I think. Main event was Tanahashi-Makabe and Akiyama-Kea and they mainly did mixed tags. 40th anniversary. think this followed on from some charity shows the three did in 2011. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Otto Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 What Belgian Waffle is referring to is a significant example of the All Japan/New Japan working relationship, that being Tanahashi's 2008 Champion Carnival run, which was AMAZING due to Tanahashi going full-fledged heel, essentially doing what Cena has still yet to do, if only briefly. The Suwama-Tanahashi match was an absolute blast to watch, really nasty and heated, or at least it seemed that way at the time. Worth a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beech27 Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 I thought Tanahashi was in the middle of contract negotiations with New Japan at that point, and as such was technically a free agent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattdangerously Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 I really wish someone would tell Ospreay he doesn't need to scream like he's being stabbed in the face when he's selling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Otto Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 1 hour ago, Beech27 said: I thought Tanahashi was in the middle of contract negotiations with New Japan at that point, and as such was technically a free agent? Wow, interesting. I had never heard that before until now. Surprising to think New Japan would let that happen, but then again, 2008, and the mid-2000s in general in Japan were quite a bit wacky in that regard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raziel Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 7 hours ago, Curt McGirt said: It must be a complete blindspot for me. What were some prominent matches? Well, that Sasaki/Kawada non-Title Dome match happened: I should probably get around to rewatching that Dr. Death/Norton match from the same card, since I don't remember it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 *slaps forehead* How could I forget about one of my favorite puro matches of all time? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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