Beech27 Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Dumb question, but is Balor/Devitt’s contract running out soon? Like, I don’t think he’s coming (even though WWE seems pretty apathetic regarding his direction), but it’s hard for me to believe New Japan would make the BCOG’s so ineffectual unless there was some endgame here. If it’s Jay bringing a couple CHAOS stragglers over and making himself boss, as plenty have speculated, then the story ceases to be about loyalty and linearity and really is just about how the wild islanders need a white (or White) guy to keep them in check. Not great! To be clear, I certainly don’t think that would be the idea, but at a certain point subtext is just text. Finn—or Karl Anderson, I guess—would make the whole thing a bit less uncomfortable and a lot more effective. My wishful thinking aside, though, there’s still gotta be more to this than making an angry midcard heel trio... right? And since I introduced the digression, I’ll add that the biggest problem with Jiro is that he’s not nearly handsome enough for that to be his gimmick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiji Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Jiro has all the ikumen trademarks. The thin body, styling hair, and fox/cat eyes. I think it works. It's just hard to take a guy with a sport coat on seriously. When he's clowning his opponent sure. Otherwise, naw. I do wonder if there will be more people, well men as there aren't viable alternatives for women yet sadly, that get sick of the WWE booking and want in on da NJPW goodness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevendaughters Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 trying to hold off on ratings (unlike last year when I turned up as a new poster and rated everything whether you wanted it or not) but fuck it here's what i think, have become a slightly harder marker i think but also I do not track with DAVE's assertion this could be the best-wrestled tournament yet. for ease, 4+ in bold. DAY 1: Makabe-YOSHI ***, Page-Fale **3/4, Elgin-EVIL ***1/4, Tanahashi-Suzuki ****, Okada-White ***3/4 DAY 2: Ishii-Yano ***1/2, Tama-Juice **, Goto-SANADA ***1/2, Ibushi-Sabre ***3/4, Omega-Naito ****1/2 DAY 3: Elgin-Page ***, EVIL-YOSHI **1/2, Makabe-Suzuki ***3/4, Fale-Okada **1/4, White-Tanahashi ***1/2 DAY 4: SANADA-Tama *, Sabre-Yano ***, Ibushi-Juice ***1/2, Naito-Ishii ****1/2, Goto-Omega ****1/4 DAY 5: White-Elgin ***, Suzuki-Yoshi **1/4, EVIL-Makabe ***, Tanahashi-Fale ***1/4, Okada-Page ***3/4 DAY 6: Yano-Ibushi ***, SANADA-Sabre ***1/4, Naito-Juice ****1/4, Omega-Tama **1/2, Ishii-Goto ****3/4 take-homes so far - i. Tama and Yoshi just not at this level ii. a night of G1 action is incredibly good value iii. big matches often deliver iv. Okada probably worked all the worst guys in his block in terms of getting reactions and has done better than a lot. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tromatagon Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Yano/Ibushi - 8 stars. If someone was wearing a monster mask it'd be everything I like in wrestling in one match 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firebreaker Chip Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Rocky Romero having more time to talk on commentary is working pretty well imo Callis has been good at adding gravitas to the big matches but he's quite an overbearing presence a lot of the time I liked that the guy started holding an ice pack to Ibushi's dick rather than helping him get his hands free so he could do it himself 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 3 hours ago, Firebreaker Chip said: Rocky Romero having more time to talk on commentary is working pretty well imo Love how pissed off he was at Jay not even attempting to save his boy SHO from MiSu at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StretchMediatedHypertrophy Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 I guess this is a Japan thing, but why are CHAOS even vaguely putting up with Jay White's bullshit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevendaughters Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 18 minutes ago, ComingToAmerica said: I guess this is a Japan thing, but why are CHAOS even vaguely putting up with Jay White's bullshit? every crew gotta have a wildcard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevendaughters Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 no in seriousness White was all "I *will* turn on these guys" not long after joining CHAOS (after rejecting BC), you think Yano is sweating in his sleep about this, nah, he's got a pub to run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiji Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 I'm SO excited for this! Fantastic promos! Suzuki actually said his name (well, his nickname)! He's excited too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevendaughters Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 I like this venue/crowd in Hachioji, like a mini-Osaka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevendaughters Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 DAY 7 liveblog Block A is testing my patience. No need for Elgin-Yoshi to have a dozen false finishes. Go watch some of the prelim tournament matches from 2013-2015, see how Kojima does it with elegance and economy, Mike. Fale-EVIL had an okay filling between two slices of shit bread. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevendaughters Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 DAY 7 cont White-Suzuki had some good bits but didn't completely click, Tanahashi-Page was wholly decent if not exactly spectacular (which is fine!). Now for Balloon Boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevendaughters Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 solid main event, I think I might be one of the last remaining Makabe fans. DAY 7: Elgin-Yoshi ***, EVIL-Fale 1/2*, White-Suzuki ***, Tanahashi-Page ***1/4, Okada-Makabe ***3/4 the balance in Block A is all out of whack. I usually go to bat for the 'bad block on paper' but this is one block that could have really done with a consistent domestic performer from another company at the expense of someone else. Like if you want to tell this story about Fale & co. fucking things up to prove they're a real crew, there's better ways to do it. Just imagine if there was someone like Takeshita/Ishikawa/Marukami instead of Fale (who, to be clear, I quite like, it's just his journey here is about DELIBERATELY NOT WINNING). instead it's a mix of not over guys doing moves not particularly well (Elgin, Yoshi), half-injured over older guys doing their best (Tanahashi, Makabe), foreigners who haven't been around long enough as singles workers to get crowds reacting early (White, Page), geniuses with retooled themes that seem to deliberately flatten your expectations as they come to the ring (Okada, Suzuki), and then mired in mid-card purgatory (EVIL, Fale). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenalysis Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 I liked the White-Suzuki story, wish the match had been a bit longer with Jay being punished more. He needs to be punished for being a bad boy- and the A block dads are the best folks to do it. (I think Makabe also beats White) Babyface Minoru was something though- the fans really seem to hate their Knife Pervert. A White briefcase defense against Suzuki could be really, really fun. Really want to see a longer match between the two now. (Jay White isn't winning the case) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevendaughters Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 ok so just been doing a bit of a recap on my old ratings for recent G1s (can't find anything that I wrote about G1 26 thus far, I definitely watched it and wrote about it. hmmm...) and - it must be stressed these are just my opinions - here is how things track in terms of 4+ matches per tournament G1 24: 26 in 112 matches (11 x 10 match cards, final, and a runners-up match) = 1 per 4.3 matches notes: lots of ***3/4 rated matches by me here. G1 25: 21 in 90 matches (same format as now, but Nakamura missed one due to injury) = 1 per 4.28 G1 27: 28 in 91 matches = 1 in 3.25 G1 28 so far: 6 in 35 matches = 1 in 5.83 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beech27 Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Yeah, A Block just doesn’t have the amount of similar-tier talent (in terms of their real and projected ability) that B Block does, so it’s impossible to expect the same kind of endorphin-inducing main events (that go three or four matches deep). Given those expectations, I can appreciate everything that went on here—well, the last three matches, at least—even if the wrestlers and general narrative direction don’t lead to the kinds of matches I’ll watch again. Of the three, I think I liked White and Suzuki the best. The crowd reacted appropriately to everything, and they balanced Suzuki working from underneath with his usual supreme competence really well. And in the end, White gets caught. He needs to grow, which is compelling. Would love to see this again, and longer. Page had the earlier stage of a similar arc on display. Tired of moral victories, he tried for direct knee work; but that’s not really his thing, so Tana didn’t seem all that bothered by it, and—a few big spots aside—he never seemed a possible winner. Totally fine, and Tana stays winning. Okada’s commitment to his goth phase almost requires he have ploddier—if not outright worse—matches on purpose, and he certainly did stand around a lot here. Makabe brings enough fire for two, though, and it got going pretty well at the end, even if it felt like a longer road than it was to get there. I love lariat battles, at least. PLOT THING: SANADA got no help when he faced the BCOG interference, whereas EVIL got a crew. SANADA didnt help EVIL, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tromatagon Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Hey @Oyaji Hahahahahahahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSJ Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 21 hours ago, Ryan said: Pray to any deity you do or don't believe in Haku doesn't read this and come to your house. He might try and sell you a car. Haku sell? Don't be silly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiji Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 4 hours ago, sevendaughters said: ok so just been doing a bit of a recap on my old ratings for recent G1s (can't find anything that I wrote about G1 26 thus far, I definitely watched it and wrote about it. hmmm...) and - it must be stressed these are just my opinions - here is how things track in terms of 4+ matches per tournament G1 24: 26 in 112 matches (11 x 10 match cards, final, and a runners-up match) = 1 per 4.3 matches notes: lots of ***3/4 rated matches by me here. G1 25: 21 in 90 matches (same format as now, but Nakamura missed one due to injury) = 1 per 4.28 G1 27: 28 in 91 matches = 1 in 3.25 G1 28 so far: 6 in 35 matches = 1 in 5.83 This is not wholly surprising. This year's tournament was never going to match last year's for match quality on paper, doubly so when Okada is going through IWGP withdrawal and being a smiling weirdo. Ive been a bit more generous with 4 stars than you have but it's still noticeably weaker this year. Gedo should have done a better job of balancing the blocks. Block A really highlights the need for a roster trimming and, yeah, a strong outsider or two. This G1 seems more about pushing character development and story arcs than having best matches ever, which is okay with me but Gedo can easily manage both with all that is at his disposal. No excuse. And if you're truly invested in Jay being a devious bastard to hasten his ascension, his shenanigans should stand out. Tongans shouldn't be doing the dumb version of it on both nights. It dilutes the effectiveness. If I never see Elgin (I feel like his time was shortly after failing to beat Naito last February. Now what purpose does he serve? He is not going to be elevated to the main event this deep into his run), Yoshihashi (serves no purpose at all other than pinfall eater in tags now), and the Tongans in NJPW again it would be too soon. The roster is feeling a little stale with marginal talents outstaying their welcome and offering little. Yoshihashi and Elgin should be working ajpw at this stage. If they can make something out of Yoshi Tatsu, they can do anything. Elgin would have to tone his shit down a bit but he'd fit in with the hosses there. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tromatagon Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 I could go without seeing another ref bump ever again and it's not even at the halfway point yet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiji Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Yeah, this shitting on the refs is the downside of having a genius ne'er do well as a booker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Maybe it's buiiding to something. YUJI NAGATA THE REF. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beech27 Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 5 hours ago, Oyaji said: If I never see Elgin (I feel like his time was shortly after failing to beat Naito last February. Now what purpose does he serve? He is not going to be elevated to the main event this deep into his run), Yoshihashi (serves no purpose at all other than pinfall eater in tags now), and the Tongans in NJPW again it would be too soon. The roster is feeling a little stale with marginal talents outstaying their welcome and offering little. Yoshihashi and Elgin should be working ajpw at this stage. If they can make something out of Yoshi Tatsu, they can do anything. Elgin would have to tone his shit down a bit but he'd fit in with the hosses there. 1) Didn’t that Elgin loss feature, in immediate succession, a powerbomb into the barricade followed by a powerbomb on the apron followed by a sitout powerbomb in the ring? And then Naito kicked out! I really try not to treat pro wrestling like it has hit points, but at a certain point dead is dead. 2) Regarding Yoshihashi, I wonder how much him being a dojo product means he’s got a steady job for as long as he wants it. Part of New Japan’s continued success depends on the creation of in-house talent, and I suppose you attract better prospects with a higher ceiling and floor both. And since we’re already in an era where Kenny, Kota, and Okada (to say nothing of SANADA, ZSJ, etc) trained elsewhere... Anyway I don’t disagree, but I’d be surprised if he goes anywhere. Someone has to eat those tag pins. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Cincinnati Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 1 hour ago, Ryan said: Maybe it's buiiding to something. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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