sevendaughters Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 I am okay with short-term reigns by legitimate hard-asses. He was an upper-level sumo (sidebar - I love sumo) and the whole deal was set up to put Nagata over big (and give Tenzan some shine too). The deeper we get into the 'match quality as king' era then it looks more bizarre but I'd defend it as a choice. Even if they barely drew flies to the big return match and nearly crashed the company into a ditch. Lot of weird stuff going on then but when you try and judge it as an artistic choice made in light of the ways companies were having to change against PRIDE et. al. it makes a strange sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salads Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 On 6/17/2018 at 8:52 AM, Ryan said: In terms of legit high level backgrounds in pro fighting, it is Suzuki and Kushida. Plenty of the roster were very good to amazing amateur wrestlers. That means nothing now. Cobb and Kenny in theory go on there. Yano and Yujiro were very good amateurs. Nakamura was the toughest when he was there and younger. Nakanishi and Nagata were very high level, but that meant nothing the way they were thrown into fights, plus both are fairly long past anything like that, especially Nakanishi. Thank you for reminding me of Toru Yano: hot amateur prospect and the confusion accompanying his subsequent career path. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 He wasn't a good wrestler, they had to think of something, they eventually got there. The heel stuff was also fun for awhile and hid his flaws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eivion Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 How long did they try for Yano as a serious wrestler after Choshu killed his drunk character during his short return stint as booker? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Wait, Yano played a lush? Did he bring a bottle of whisky with him to ringside or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I'm pretty sure that's why he still carries a bottle to the ring. Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E. Dynamite Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Yano's gimmick is a part of a long tradition of dye-job brawler midcard heels, started way back when by Umanosuke Ueda. When Yano debuted I think Hiro Saito and Tatsutoshi Goto (dye-job heels themselves) were on the roster. I haven't seen a ton of undercards from that era but I assume Yano's ring work wasn't clicking so he got a similar gimmick. I remember Yano had a long DQ streak and would come to the ring with an umbrella and a bottle of sake, and that Ueda was name-checked a lot during Yano matches. In a weird way, EVIL would be the most recent in the lineage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ka-to Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 6 hours ago, Curt McGirt said: Wait, Yano played a lush? Did he bring a bottle of whisky with him to ringside or what? Yano carried a big bottle of sake to the ring. When New Japan did the northeast tour with Jersey All Pro I was called upon to find a bottle for him in Rahway, NJ. I knew Witty's would have one and made it back to the Rec Center in 15 minutes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eivion Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 If I recall he occasionally forced his opponents to drink said sake. 8 hours ago, John E. Dynamite said: In a weird way, EVIL would be the most recent in the lineage. I have never seen an EVIL match, but every time I see a picture of him I think the son of TARU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevendaughters Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 this may prove worthy of its own thread in time, but what does the quorum make of the WWE/NOAH working relationship? Colonial powers invade a vital wrestling force, or fading great given shot in the arm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beech27 Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 I'd think it's the first step in a rather inevitable NXT Japan deal, similar to what they're (very slowly) building in the UK; although I guess it's possible they're just doing Itami a favor, and letting him return for Marafuji's anniversary show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norwegian Rudo Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Dave doesn't supply any details other than Itami working a Noah show, which one assumes is the Marafuji anniversary show. If that is all he's basing his claims of a working agreement on, that seems very flimsy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevendaughters Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 2 hours ago, Norwegian Rudo said: Dave doesn't supply any details other than Itami working a Noah show, which one assumes is the Marafuji anniversary show. If that is all he's basing his claims of a working agreement on, that seems very flimsy. true but at the same time it IS a working agreement, just a very small one and not the kind that might see us lead to a WrestleWar 2022 type situ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norwegian Rudo Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 5 minutes ago, sevendaughters said: true but at the same time it IS a working agreement, just a very small one and not the kind that might see us lead to a WrestleWar 2022 type situ If that is all it is, I'd say most likely Itami just asked if he could work his buddy's anniversary show and they agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevendaughters Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 probably. I am willing to bet there's a little more to it and KENTA is the canary in the cage, as it were, quietly throwing a blanket over the portrait of Misawa when the subject of NXT Japan comes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 If you actually look up the name of most of Yano's moves, they're all named after Sake. Also, Marufuji and KENTA didn't always get along very well. That could have been kayfabe or gone away over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 On 6/19/2018 at 10:24 PM, ka-to said: Yano carried a big bottle of sake to the ring. When New Japan did the northeast tour with Jersey All Pro I was called upon to find a bottle for him in Rahway, NJ. I knew Witty's would have one and made it back to the Rec Center in 15 minutes. I remember we could smell that sake all the way up in the bleachers after he used it. @Rev Ray and I were trying to figure out where in Rahway they would've found some for him... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ka-to Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 On 6/23/2018 at 6:44 PM, Pete said: I remember we could smell that sake all the way up in the bleachers after he used it. @Rev Ray and I were trying to figure out where in Rahway they would've found some for him... Witty's on St. Georges Ave is a good store to hit if you plan on some beers in the parking lot at Rahway Rec Center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 I hadn’t realized how tall Jake Lee is. He’s like Pretty Boy Takayama. I actually like Sweeper, but that’s an awful stable name, and they gotta do something about Lee’s sea foam-green and glittery silver gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 BTW - it is official  Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 On 6/21/2018 at 1:02 PM, sevendaughters said: probably. I am willing to bet there's a little more to it and KENTA is the canary in the cage, as it were, quietly throwing a blanket over the portrait of Misawa when the subject of NXT Japan comes up. Yeah - I agree with seven on this one that circumstances happen to lineup where they could do Itami a solid AND float a trial balloon too It isn't the worst thing in the world to start letting more NXT guys work the the guys under UK contracts. Where they can work other feds that have friendly relationships with. I mean sending Ohno back over to NOAH is totally fine with me 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beech27 Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 A less structured excursion system would be really beneficial, especially for some of WWE's more in-house projects, considering both how easily they can get lost beneath whichever indie superstar has just be signed and how the Japanese touring model accommodates temporary talent. And while we're dreaming, Lars Sullivan doing his best Bison Smith impression for a tour would be a ton of fun. (He already uses Rikio's old finisher.) It's just really, really hard to imagine WWE working with a promotion and not seeking to control and eventually own it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Have been hoping that the Dick Togo v Sekimoto BJ match from April would pop up online. Though, admittedly, I have no idea what to expect from Togo these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beech27 Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 I’ve missed Japanese fans screaming KENTA’s name at random intervals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 13 hours ago, Control said: Have been hoping that the Dick Togo v Sekimoto BJ match from April would pop up online. Though, admittedly, I have no idea what to expect from Togo these days. He can still go at or near at least 85% of what he was in his prime. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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