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NJPW THE NEW BEGINNING 2019


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4 minutes ago, Craig H said:

Why not? The show is already sold out. Who gives a fuck what they put on at the top? There's no need for them to avoid two Japanese wrestlers main eventing the MSG show because people were already going to attend.

Because they haven't Mained two Japanese wrestlers any show they've done in the US, there's always been someone white (mostly Elite) involved.  I can't imagine they'll change that given how they've treated the US so far.  US Fans though we were getting Japan PPV level shows, we've gotten glorfied RoH shows.  That's not changing yet because they're still selling shows given the mid-quality shows produced so far.

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I don’t see any way Okada/Ibushi is a NJC Final. That’s a match they’ve been protecting for a long time and they’re not putting it in a 4,000 capacity arena. That match could easily main event Dominion or be the G1 Final. A match like that would be a good Dome main event too.

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Old article that I think is relevant to whole USA shows thing: https://spoilerfreewrestling.com/njpw-la-dojo-wrestler-training/

Key quote from Kidani:

“[A North American New Japan offshoot] would be a localized product. If in Japan it’s 75/25 Japanese, then 75/25 American would be the best mix I think.

We are unlikely to ever get a main event between two Japanese guys in the USA.

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1 minute ago, FlaeBlazer said:

I don’t see any way Okada/Ibushi is a NJC Final. That’s a match they’ve been protecting for a long time and they’re not putting it in a 4,000 capacity arena. That match could easily main event Dominion or be the G1 Final. A match like that would be a good Dome main event too.

Yeah, but you know, they both will be in the Cup and on opposing brackets so thats what everyone will be speculating about. Kinda how last year we had Tanahashi/Naito and before that Tanahashi/Omega. And then upsets happened and we got radically different things.

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White also said on the Jericho podcast that he still lives in America and considers it his home now, so I think it's pretty clear New Japan will try to push him that way. For better and worse, the company seems certain that 1) "casual" wrestling fans in America won't totally connect with Japanese wrestlers; 2) they want to pursue those fans.

I'd argue with many aspects of both of those premises, but here we are.

-The Cup will probably be won by someone surprising, so Jay can beat them at MSG. He's not losing on his first defense, even if Okada over Omega was the plan at some point.

-Naito's gonna be fine.

-CHAOS could be adding someone, in addition to Suzuki-gun.

 

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Jay/Kota seems most likely if they're really following through with the NJ Cup winner gets their shot at MSG, but if they're running with the "Gedo the manager is making lightning strike twice" angle with White, he needs a defense or two before dropping it back to someone.  Kota's a good one since I don't see anyone else winning the Cup, and they're not going to run back Okada or Tana yet.  Okada probably gets it back by Dominion though to start the run up to WK.

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I liked White/Tana more than I liked Omega/Tana, and I like Omega.  I think Jay's style and willingness to heel it up plays better against Tana than Omega's mega-athletic style, which works better with Okada.

 

Hearing Ibushi actually signed a contract with NJPW, so he's going to get a push. NJPW not thinking Americans won't connect with Japanese wrestlers is a mistake.  LIJ is insanely popular (just as many LIJ as Lovers/BC shirts at CEO), and folks wanted to see Ishii at the US shows this month.

 

BTW saying the US fans in Charlotte expected a PPV level show is ridiculous.  Everyone knew what the likely card was going to be, and friends I talk to, when this was announced, the names expected weren't Naito or Okada.   People were interested in Nagata, Henare, and Ishii, and knew Juice was going to show up and give a good effort.

 

 

 

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One more knock against Jay White for me...I really don't like the whole "Breathe with the Switchblade" thing. It's lame and sounds like something an edgelord scribbled on the back of a notebook.

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I'm probably the only person who actually would really like to see a White/Barnett match. It won't happen and probably shouldn't, but I love kinda awkward pro wrestling versus shoot style affairs.

The Ibushi signing news came from the Super-J Cast, which is somewhat odd, as they don't typically get scoops. Assuming he really is exclusively signed--and that's how it seems--I hope he's in line for one of the big belts. If the Golden Lovers really are split again and for a while, I'll be disappointed; but finally getting a main event run for Ibushi in New Japan would make me feel better about that.

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2 hours ago, Archibald said:

 

I'm still sceptical about "Omega would have retained" story, because everything in this storyline makes sense since White's return.

 

Gedo is just a shrewd as fuck long-term booker.  I think that, as the Kenny talks dragged on or stalled out, he started hedging the booking against Kenny re-signing, so they’d have somewhere to go if he did indeed leave.  It makes sense because Gedo is smart.

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49 minutes ago, Craig H said:

One more knock against Jay White for me...I really don't like the whole "Breathe with the Switchblade" thing. It's lame and sounds like something an edgelord scribbled on the back of a notebook.

When he started it, I wasn't used to his accent (which is cool as hell), and I thought he was saying Bleed with the Switchblade, which sounds a lot more vicious.  I can imagine Bushiroad not going for it though- it's a little too violent for NJPW.

 

I do want to see Jay White shill some Children's card games in full heel mode now and make the kids cry.

 

 

 

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Since I've been binge-watching 1999-2001 NJPW let me just say this.

If you are not a veteran fan of this product and are in any way bitching about this particular "swerve" then you have no idea what bad booking looks like.

Anybody complaining about Naito should have started when they let the Jericho feud persist, since it ate up his entire 2018 and was only going to end with him being saddled with a belt that he kayfabe already resented. That hole was dug forever ago - the sensible way out is to get the IC on Tama Tonga and have Naito beat Jay down the line. But they've got the Kota direction, too. Also, Kenny said NJPW wanted to put the belt back on Okada @ MSG, but Jay/Kota @ MSG would be hot. They've got options.

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1 minute ago, John E. Dynamite said:

Anybody complaining about Naito should have started when they let the Jericho feud persist, since it ate up his entire 2018 and was only going to end with him being saddled with a belt that he kayfabe already resented. That hole was dug forever ago - the only real way out is to get that thing on Tama Tonga and have him beat Jay down the line. But they've got the Kota direction, too.

I did that and for some mysterious reason Gedo didn't change his plans.

Anyway, I started running scenarios in my head based on what I have read from reactions and what I think myself:

1. Should White's reign be long? Some people think that he should drop it during MSG, which is clearly crazy, while some say that maybe at Dominion. I wonder, should they maybe wait it out till KoPW? Kinda like how AJ won the title, but wasn't really drawing people in so they did a switch there for Tanahashi.

2. Okada got a huge boost from feuding with White and for this type of story it would be natural if Okada ends up beating White for the title. But... what will happen when Okada will win the title back? Will we get another long reign with fans not really caring that he is the champ?

3. So if Ibushi is signed... and wins NJ Cup... should White beat him? I'm not sure if The Elite fans will ever accept him (partially due to taking Omega's spot and partially due to having completely different wrestling style) and they'd surely be behind Ibushi so if White wins then he'd get lots of heat. I'm just unsure if that heat would translate into anything tangible.

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3 hours ago, Beech27 said:

I think it's some part heartbroken Omega fans, but the larger faction of angry puro twitter I've seen simply don't want a foreign champ. Not so much because they hate White specifically, and more because they're traditionalists in a sense (you might say regressive), and were hoping for a more native/inward focus. There's a pretty substantial gatekeeper faction that were hoping The Elite leaving meant they could "get their company back" from these new bandwagon fans; White winning suggests to them that this foreign focus will continue, and they aren't happy about that. (It's dangerous to represent arguments generally and without direct citation, so I hope I'm being fair.)

Make New Japan Great Again

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