Guest Edwin Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 On 4/12/2018 at 4:26 PM, Pete said: In brighter news, DDT just threw up a bunch of English-commentary shows with Colt Cabana on their Youtube page. This is great. American Balloon is doing commentary on some of these. I remember him, he was great 15 or so years ago in DDT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Attila The Hut Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 https://411mania.com/wrestling/all-japan-promoter-owner-motoko-baba-passes-away/ Motoko Baba (Giant Baba's wife) has passed away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kang Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 Noah and AJPW are putting aside their bad blood. Jake Lee has left Nextream. I expected Zeus to lose block B. I'm not sure but seems like Marufuji wants Kawada to come out of retirement. But anyway Kawada will be at the Marufuji show. (Not wrestling though) There will be another Holy War Show and the first one will show up on tv later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 I hope that ajpw.tv goes back to filling out their catalogue after the CC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgian_Waffle Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 (edited) SPOOOOOOIIIIILEEERRRRRRRSSS Marufuji will be challenging for the GHC title against Sugiura on May 29 and then after today's Carny final will presumably be challenging Miyahara for the TC. Sooooo....unification match?? Also third year in a row an outsider has won the carny (!!!!). Interesting also to note that the last three years have not only been won by outsiders, but that the loser of each final is someone who hasn't won a carny yet but it probably overdue to do so (Sekimoto > Zeus, Ishikawa > Joe, Marufuji > Miyahara). Edited May 1, 2018 by Belgian_Waffle SPOILERS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 7 hours ago, Belgian_Waffle said: SPOOOOOOIIIIILEEERRRRRRRSSS Marufuji will be challenging for the GHC title against Sugiura on May 29 and then after today's Carny final will presumably be challenging Miyahara for the TC. Sooooo....unification match?? Also spoilers!: Maru is challenging for the TC four days prior to his GHC match, which makes me think that he might win? Two losses in a row for Miyahara would be crap, but if Maru loses you’d think that’d kill the heat for his GHC challenge. And I can’t imagine Marufuji wanting to go broadway or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgian_Waffle Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 16 hours ago, Control said: Also spoilers!: Maru is challenging for the TC four days prior to his GHC match, which makes me think that he might win? Two losses in a row for Miyahara would be crap, but if Maru loses you’d think that’d kill the heat for his GHC challenge. And I can’t imagine Marufuji wanting to go broadway or something. Cripes, what if they do go broadway though? Much as I love those two guys I wouldn't wanna see it. Other possibility is NOAH heard Marufuji agreed to job to Miyahara so they quickly booked him to beat Sugiura a few days later to protect his rep (which would be pretty dumb since his winning the Carny should be enough of a rub in itself). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 Maybe Kento gets the win, Marufuji wins the GHC, and they set up a rubber match later in the year? Still hoping we get a Takagi TC challenge somewhere in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgian_Waffle Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 I think there's a pretty safe bet in that happening. His performances in the Carny were first rate and he got a lot of wins. I hope AJPW can start actually signing some of these outsiders and build a more stable roster. I can live without goofs like KAI and Dylan James but if Takagi and Ishikawa signed full time it would feel more like an actual expansive roster rather than a few top guys and a rotating cast of freelancers. I was hoping Super Tiger II (a guy I really wouldn't mind getting a TC run) would stick around permanently but even he disappeared after one Carny and a tag title challenge. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 I agree w all of that except the KAI hate which I can’t abide. Last time I read anything, AJ only paid people per performance (this led to a couple of guys leaving). They might have to fix that shit first before they can sign more people. Hino is a straight-up unaffiliated freelancer, right? He fit in real well. He and Doering should start a tag team called The Motherfuckers and have an epic tag title run. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgian_Waffle Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 I've been holding down the hating on KAI fort since he was having zany Jr title matches with Omega back in Mutoh-era AJPW. I like the guy on paper but he just never delivers for me. I believe Hino is legitimately unaffiliated, yes. He would be an epic bruiser to put up against Suwama. I still think in terms of style Tomohiro Ishii is the most AJPW-adaptable guy in NJPW. He would be nuts to leave NJPW in terms of the paycheck cut but unless they suddenly give him the G1 or something he might be treading serious water soon. Based on how old he is he may as well do a run in AJPW and get a TC reign and have a few crazy matches with Miyahara or something. Does Big Van Walter still wrestle? I remember hsi BJW stuff from like 2012-ish being a wet dream of what an AJPW badass gaijin should look and fight like. And all this leads to the question of whether or not Kawada will wrestle again now that he's promoting his own showsand Marufuji is teasing him about getting back in the ring... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Fowler Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 1 hour ago, Belgian_Waffle said: Does Big Van Walter still wrestle? Um.... Yes. He's just called WALTER now, and he's one of the biggest names on the indie scene. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archibald Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 2 hours ago, Belgian_Waffle said: I still think in terms of style Tomohiro Ishii is the most AJPW-adaptable guy in NJPW. He would be nuts to leave NJPW in terms of the paycheck cut but unless they suddenly give him the G1 or something he might be treading serious water soon. Based on how old he is he may as well do a run in AJPW and get a TC reign and have a few crazy matches with Miyahara or something. Well he now has RevPro title after he defeated Zack during Mania weekend. And from few RevPro shows (in UK, not Mania stuff) that I have seen it looked like Ishii was very over there so I think it is likely that this year he is going to focus on that title, British indies and likely have an extended feud with Zack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kang Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 AJP is only bothering to sign new rookies now. They have 4 that might pass in the dojo. They also seem to hire one outside junior a year. The Mutoh era had a bigger roster of natives and more gaijin but it was expensive maintaining and lot of times late pay or they would give the wrestlers tickets instead. Jun doesn't want that to happen again. The only reason Shuji isn't signed because of his dates with other Feds. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 So, a read a tweet saying that Noah fans are outraged at Ishimori, treating him in New Japan as a betrayal, because NJPW almost destroyed NOAH. What’s the deal here? I know NJPW was heavily involved in NOAH for a while there, but that the company got sold to someone else, so they pulled out. In and of itself that doesn’t really explain the bad blood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beech27 Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 I think part of it is he implied his goal was to go become a star in America, which is viewed as a more acceptable reason for leaving, and now it appears the plan was New Japan all along. Regarding the alleged attempt at destruction: People have argued the Suzuki-gun booking nearly did that, but I imagine people are referring to the rumor that New Japan (or their parent) was looking to buy and absorb NOAH. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archibald Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 39 minutes ago, Beech27 said: Regarding the alleged attempt at destruction: People have argued the Suzuki-gun booking nearly did that, but I imagine people are referring to the rumor that New Japan (or their parent) was looking to buy and absorb NOAH. Why not both? Being conspirational we could assume that whole reason behind ridiculous Suzuki-gun booking was to tank NOAH and make it cheaper for buyout and eventual pillage. But either way I think that people wouldn't be happy with one of their favourites jumping shit. Imagine if Kento left AJPW for NJPW? Even without all the bad blood I think that AJPW fans would be pissed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beech27 Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 Man, I kinda love that conspiracy idea. Obviously it would be scummy, but it’s wrestling, so we have to accept—and maybe even celebrate—some of that. If I can project some silly pop psychology, I’d suggest NOAH and it’s diehard fans might have some identity/insecurity issues on display here. That is, big companies don’t get poached, and it is perhaps hard to accept that they are nowhere near a big company anymore, that it doesn’t matter that they could once run Dome shows and wildly outdrew New Japan across the country. I don’t think, for instance, that there was much vitriol when Kenny left DDT or SANADA left Wrestle-1; as I recall, fans were basically like “yeah, we’re an indie, this is what happens”. But while NOAH is no bigger than those companies now—maybe smaller, honestly—it’s hard to let go of that legacy as one of Japan’s big three, even if there’s now only one. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kang Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 Noah's bad blood with NJPW stems from the Noah crew doing the sale to estbee behind NJPW's back. NJPW owned a small part of the old Noah ltd. When it was sold to the new ltd..the trademarks and etc moved to estbee, while the old ltd was made defunct which NJPW partly owned. NJPW wanted NOAH as a sub-brand. But without the aid of Bushiroad. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted May 6, 2018 Share Posted May 6, 2018 NOAH still has fans? You can barely tell. Ishimori might actually be getting paid in real money in New Japan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphman 3000 Posted May 6, 2018 Share Posted May 6, 2018 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphman 3000 Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 Dragon Gate is splitting into two companies - one in Japan and one in China Quote Fans, friends, and everyone Today we would like to make several announcements. Dragon Gate President Takashi Okamura is stepping down from his position due to health related issues. Domestic operations will continue under a new company: Dragon Gate Entertainment, Inc. Dragon Gate Senior Management member Toru Kido has been promoted to lead Dragon Gate Entertainment operations. Nobuhiko Oshima (CIMA) will assume the role of president for Dragon Gate Inc. This branch will focus on Shanghai, China. T-Hawk, El Lindaman, & Takehiro Yamamura will be Dragon Gate Inc. roster members and will also be based out of Shanghai with the OWE promotion as a priority While this will decrease their appearances in Japan, we hope fans will continue to support their efforts while they undertake this new challenge. We would like to thank fans for their continued support and ask for their understanding during this transition. Dragon Gate Inc. Dragon Gate Entertainment Inc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Fowler Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 Woah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinube Posted May 7, 2018 Share Posted May 7, 2018 Interesting. They just started their new streaming service too, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted May 8, 2018 Share Posted May 8, 2018 Great Pirate Festival (Minoru Suzuki's 30th Anniversary event) will be headlined by Suzuki VS. Okada. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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