Sublime Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 I was hoping Ibushi and Yano would be in the same block, just to see if Kota would try to find ways to take crazy ass bumps off of being hit by the turnbuckle pad or punched in the dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 Suzuki/Elgin is going to be ugly in the best way possible. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiji Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 I think the two obvious candidates are Naito and Omega. I'm guessing it largely depends on whether Kenny is sticking around another year or not. At this point, seeing how WWE uses high end talent that they didn't develop, I hope he stays in Japan for the rest of his career. I'm thrilled with the blocks. So many amazing matches. I feel like SANADA gets some big boy wins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSC Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 2 minutes ago, Oyaji said: I think the two obvious candidates are Naito and Omega. I'm guessing it largely depends on whether Kenny is sticking around another year or not. At this point, seeing how WWE uses high end talent that they didn't develop, I hope he stays in Japan for the rest of his career. Considering AJ Styles is one of the most over guys in the company and Nakamura is billed as the greatest attraction they have, I think they are using high end NJPW talent just fine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 My pick for wacky Yano upset: Omega. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgian_Waffle Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 I feel like if they're ever going to let Ishii win the tournament then this is the year. I'd settle for just seeing him die gloriously in the final tho.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raziel Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share Posted June 27, 2017 Your High Profile Matches announced: 7/17 - Opening Night Block A: Tanahashi vs. ZSJ, Block A: Ibushi vs. Naito 7/20 - B Block: SANADA vs. EVIL, Suzuki vs. Omega 7/21 - Ibushi vs. ZSJ. YOSHI-HASHI vs. Naito 7/22 Omega vs. Tama Tonga, Suzuki vs. SANADA 7/23 - Ibushi vs. Ishii, Makabe vs. Goto 7/25 - Yano vs. Omega, Okada vs. SANADA 7/26 Makabe vs. Ibushi, Tanahashi vs. Goto 7/27 Suzuki vs. EVIL, Elgin vs. Omega 7/29 Tanahashi vs. YOSHI-HASHI, Ishii vs. Naito 7/30 Kojima vs Omega, Robinson vs. Okada 8/1 Nagata vs. Ishii, Tanahashi vs. Ibushi 8/2 - Kojima vs. Suzuki, Omega vs. EVIL 8/4 Naito vs. ZSJ, Tanahashi vs. Makabe 8/5 Kojima vs. SANADA, Okada vs. EVIL 8/6 Makabe vs Naito, Tanahashi vs. Ishii 8/8 Omega vs. SANADA, Okada vs Suzuki. 8/11 Ibushi vs, Goto, Tanahashi vs. Naito 8/12 Yano vs. Suzuki, Okada vs. Omega. So, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it's going to come down to the last two days, with Tanahashi/Naito and Okada/Omega deciding the Finals. And I'll say that Okada/Omega will be a draw advancing Suzuki out of Block B(even though they used that finish last year to advance Goto to the finals), and Naito wins Block A, giving us Naito/Suzuki, and Naito wins. And I'll say that Omega takes the belt at Destruction, but that'll be another thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVA Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 I could see Ibushi losing to Naito on opening night, leading to him chasing Naito through the tournament and finally overtaking him on the last night to make the finals. I feel like they wouldn't have taken the mask off Ibushi if they weren't about to do something worthwhile with him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beech27 Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Having no idea, of course, I'll nonetheless predict an Ibushi/Omega finals, with Omega winning. It's simply really hard for me to imagine anything but Okada/Omega headlining the dome show. (Even if he is leaving soon after, the 60 minute draw leaves more to tell than a G1 match can accommodate.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 I'm guessing Omega goes over Okada and Yano picks off Suzuki on the final night (to continue their on-again off-again feud), setting up a Naito/Omega rematch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVA Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 If Omega is winning, I could see Ishii being a strong darkhorse to come out of A block. They split a couple of great matches earlier this year, so we know they can deliver the goods in a big match, and it would elevate Ishii at a time when they need to elevate a native to fill the spot Shibata was ascending to prior to his injury. That said, while the conventional wisdom has Omega going over on his way to another match with Okada at WK, and I don't think anyone would be upset by that, I kinda hope they swerve us somehow. But it's just very difficult to imagine a WK main event without Okada at this point, and any prospective opponent who isn't Omega is going to be met with disappointment, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 I think the US tournament might tell us something about how G1 will go. See which of Naito and Ishii get pushed to the finals there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattdangerously Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 You guys, Omega isn't going to the WWE. Let it go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVA Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 I watched the video of the matchups being announced live, and it is hilarious how little of a shit anybody gives about Makabe and Goto. On the flip side, EVIL was strangely the most over of the non-main event level guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 When Okada/Omega 3 happens during the G1, if it's a win for Omega, that put their series at 1-1-1. The logical conclusion should be another WrestleKingdom main event where it's the ultimate rubber match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raziel Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 I know there's something to Omega going to WWE, but... He loves Japan, he's a major top guy in the biggest promotion in Japan and 2nd in the world, he's loved in Japan, and his best friend seems to be working NJPW seriously again, and he at least wants to top the card against him. I don't see Omega jumping since he seems like he's good for at least a couple IWGP Runs. He's not leaving for another couple years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 WWE would use him poorly, not unlike most of their talent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 12 hours ago, EVA said: I watched the video of the matchups being announced live, and it is hilarious how little of a shit anybody gives about Makabe and Goto. On the flip side, EVIL was strangely the most over of the non-main event level guys. Goto seems to get about as much respect from the Japan crowds most of the time as he gets on here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgian_Waffle Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 No way is Omega's first win over Okada going to be in a non-title tournament match. Although I guess AJPW technically did that with Kawada and Misawa in the wacky three way 1997 Carny final... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVA Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 There's no point in doing the match here if Omega doesn't go over. Doing a 30-minute draw after you just did a 60-minute draw doesn't advance the story and only dilutes the value of the matchup. And Okada can't win because that pretty much ends the story. Even if Omega goes on to win the tournament anyway, he's just 0-2-1 against Okada at that point. Omega finally hits the OWA in the middle of the ring and wins. That's the only way it makes any sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raziel Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 Not necessarlary. The Dome match went 45 minutes, and their last match went 60. Plenty in the realm of possibility, even in the last match of the tourny, that they couldn't pin another in 30 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sublime Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Omega getting the win with the OWA at the 25 minute mark would help put over the if he hits it clean he gets the title thread of the story. Hell it would be something if they did it similar to KUSHIA/Takahashi II where Omega wins with the OWA fairly quickly, maybe not 2 minutes in but like 12 minutes, that would help put over the OWA as Okada's kryptonite. Plus it would help pop the crowd when he kicks out of one at WK 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVA Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Anothe draw doesn't advance the story in any meaningful way. We already know they can wrestle a really long time without beating each other. Wrestling for less time and not being able to beat each other doesn't give use any new information, from a storytelling perspective. If this match doesn't add anything to the story that adds drama to their next title match, then it was completely pointless. Omega definitely proving that the OWA in the middle of the ring can put Okada down quickly totally changes the dynamic going into their next match when everyone is expecting them to go long again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 2 hours ago, EVA said: Anothe draw doesn't advance the story in any meaningful way. We already know they can wrestle a really long time without beating each other. Wrestling for less time and not being able to beat each other doesn't give use any new information, from a storytelling perspective. If this match doesn't add anything to the story that adds drama to their next title match, then it was completely pointless. Omega definitely proving that the OWA in the middle of the ring can put Okada down quickly totally changes the dynamic going into their next match when everyone is expecting them to go long again. Bingo. Okada winning via multiple Rainmakers proves nothing except that his finisher is weak. TLD proves nothing, unless they come back with a "no time limit" stip for their next match. Omega winning with one OWA in the middle of the ring is where the money lies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgian_Waffle Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 I don't think the fans really think of a G1 encounter as "part of the series" between Okada and Omega. The title isn't at stake, the time limit is 30 mins, the major consequences just aren't there. They show up and do a heated 30 minute draw and the fans will just see it as a tantalizing placeholder before the real showdown. Having the guy who hasn't won yet pin the guy he's chasing in a lower-stakes scenario just waters down the moment of seeing him actually pin the guy for the first time with the belt on the line. Another time limit draw, or even a scenario where Omega is already a lock for the final and loses to Okada again on the last night of the tournament, knowing he still has the chance to face him again for the title if he wins the tournament, are both preferable scenarios (imo!) to giving Kenny the win somewhere other than the Dome. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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