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NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14 *contains King of Pro-Wrestling 2019 SPOILERS*


The Natural

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5 minutes ago, Ryan said:

@D.Z has lost it again and is screaming for more Inoki-ISM, quick get the ban ready again.

Can't wait for Naito to lose an MMA fight against, I dunno, Satoshi Ishii and then drop the belt in a 5-minute BANGER to Don Frye via heel hook while the next logical challenger puts somebody from NOAH over in the main event.

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2 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:

Holy fuck Korakuen HATES KENTA

I just cracked up picturing the fans filling up Korakuen to boo KENTA even while the actual show is taking place across town at Ota Ward. ? 

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Wow the retirement ceremony made the room even more dusty than I thought it would. Inoki was a surprise, Liger is so respected that they probably could have filled the whole show with people paying tribute to him. Amazing career and he went out the way he wanted going on first the whole weekend to not take the shine away from the rest of the roster. 

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A little surprised CHAOS was the only faction out there honoring him. You could've had LIJ in there since they're basically faces with Suzuki-gun on the ramp and BC by the entrance "keeping their distance" while still taking part in the festivities. I bet a bunch of them wish they could've taken part.

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2 hours ago, Sublime said:

Wow the retirement ceremony made the room even more dusty than I thought it would. Inoki was a surprise, Liger is so respected that they probably could have filled the whole show with people paying tribute to him. Amazing career and he went out the way he wanted going on first the whole weekend to not take the shine away from the rest of the roster. 

Such a selfless man. More should follow Jushin Thunder Liger's example.

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4 hours ago, Pete said:

A little surprised CHAOS was the only faction out there honoring him. You could've had LIJ in there since they're basically faces with Suzuki-gun on the ramp and BC by the entrance "keeping their distance" while still taking part in the festivities. I bet a bunch of them wish they could've taken part.

Suzuki and Hiromu already had personal moments with Liger before this.

 

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Here's a really stupid question that's been bugging me since Okada/Ibushi on Saturday morning...Were Ibushi's punches not worked at all? I've watched that part of the match repeatedly and holy shit, he's just looks like he's fucking blasting him with shots that would KTFO most people and Okada comes out of it "ok." 

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If there were going to be any sort of AEW crossover or involvement then it wouldn't happen until next WK I'd guess. Stranger things have happened though, so maybe they get someone other than Moxley for the G1, which is still 10 months away. Hell, maybe someone from AEW winds up in the tag league, but I doubt it's the Bucks. If you watched BTE, one of the things you could pick up on near the end of their NJPW run was how tired they were of always having to fly out to Japan and missing time with their families. The schedule of flying out to Japan, wrestle, come home for 12 to 24 hours, and then fly out again sounded incredibly taxing and for the money they were making it made more sense to not do it anymore. Now that they have added responsibilities of running AEW, I doubt they make the trip, but maybe PnP, Private Party, or someone else winds up being involved.

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Night 1:

Pre-show:

LA Dojo Guys & Henare vs New Japan Dojo Guys, Honma & Makabe - Full disclosure I don't like Honma, beyond the headbutts there isn't much to him. Other than Honma I liked the match. There's beef between Dojo's so they are all a little snug with one another. Being there's 5 Young Lions in this match its all mostly mat work and other basic wrestling moves which is fine with me basics doesn't necessarily mean boring. A cool spot in this match was in Yota Tsuji had Henare in a Boston Crab and Clark Connors chopped the shit out of Yuta's chest until he let go of the crab. Team work makes the dream work.

Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs TenCozy - This was so much fun. New Japans old gaurd in a 6 minute sprint. This was a slugfest, alot of chops. Suffice to say they beat the dog snot out of each other. Wish WWE would understand like New Japan does that it's fun to have your old gaurd, the guys from the "good ole days" on the card but not in the main events but on the pre shows. Also I applaud the lack of ego's from these for men that they recognize their careers are winding down and they are not still grasping at the top spots in spit of younger talent. Refreshing to see.

Main Show:

Jushin Liger Retirement Match 1 - This felt special because it is special. Taguchi is a New Japan regular and Tiger Mask shows up from time to time so I knew they were still active but I looked it up and everyone else is still active too not all the time but they wrestle a handful of times a year even the 66 year old Tatsumi Fujinami. I liked this match before it even began. There's so much thought put into this match, they really let Liger have his match. Everyone he teamed has a history with him, everyone on the opposing team was a rival at one point with him. The match was really fun cuz of course it was. Sasake took a reckless bump cuz of course he did. Everyone else kept it a little reserved but it was ok cuz no one phoned it in but no one flew through the air off the apron and almost slide under the guardrail like Sasake did. Everyone else just hit each other really hard. And it says alot that Taguchi went over Liger there in the end. 

LIJ vs Suzuki-gun - Both factions are collections of nihilists two different types of nihilists. LIJ flat out don't care they just do what they want, Suzuki-gun all assaulted the same Young Lion on the way to the ring with the same caviller attitude one would have picking daisies in a meadow. So when these two groups meet its pure unadulterated chaos. The just beat the hell out of each other and I can get behind that. Out of the 8 participants, 4 of them are some of my favorite wrestlers on the New Japan roster. Sanada is super duper over, this may be his year or at least I hope it is. I guess we'll see on Night two if Sanada beats Sabre for the British Heavyweight Championship or not.

Choas vs Bullet Club - I dislike Chase Owens more than I dislike Honma. Chase Owens sucks. Everyone else is tight. Yoshi-Hashi is kind of just there to me. I'm big fans of Yano and Pieter. They other 5 are cool too. Oh the match, it was good really good actually. It started off slow which is ok, i'm a proponent of letting the soup simmer. Once Ishii started suplexing people it picked up. Kenta and Goto have a big match on Night Two so we got a little taste and if thats a preview its gonna be a knock down drag out fight. That pop when Ishii finally got Fale up for the suplex was massive. I appreciate how Fale has been booked to not leave his feet easily. It's a big deal when it finally happens. I'm disappointed Yano didn't do the turnbuckle spot. It's a middle of the card multi man tag at Wrestle Kingdom play your greatest hits.

FinJuice vs G.O.D. - I think its a fair statement that the heavyweight tag division was bit stagnant in 2019 compared to years past. I'm happy this match was good, it has me optimistic for a more productive year for the division. This was four tough sons of bitches beating the hell out of each other. Historically at least to my understanding the heavyweight tag scene has always been a bit of a hoss division in New Japan. I'm happy to see it get back to that with this match. Juice and David took a beating and gave a beating. Good for Juice and Dave they've worked their asses off over the last five years to get to this moment. This felt like a major victory for them, I'd like to see them get a long run, I know Gedo it's a fan of long reigns for any championship other than the World but I'd like to see these two Job For Life guys get their run.

Moxley vs Archer - Lance Archer looked like a tough you'd run into in Mad Max. This was a wild brawl. Moxley has a talent for taking a No DQ match and not making it gratuitous but almost artistic. Lance likes to raise hell too. Tons of inventive crazy shit like setting the trash can lid on the chairs and suplexing Archer through it. That blackout Moxley took trhough those chairs was fucking nutty as hell too. The Von Erich Claw with the plastic bag over Mox's face was ingenious. The DDT's through the tables i mean just so much crazy shit. A crafty bit of booking Archer didn't answer the count of ten but he stays protected cuz he wasn't pinned and Moxley won back the title he never technically lost and goes into Night Two strong into his match with Robinson. I think Smart Money is on Robinson beating Moxley for the title. Doesn't make much since for your United States Champion to be exclusive to Japan while you are expanding into the United States.

Will Ospreay vs Hiromu Takahashi - One wouldn't have known from watching this match that Hiromu hasn't wrestled since 7/7/18. Dude looked great, hasn't lost a step. Hiromu wasn't shy about landing on his neck thats for sure. Don't get me wrong I really like this match. I'm not gonna try to remember everything that did but holy shit this two but on a clinic in arial expertise. What a Homecoming for Hiromu, and Ospreay continues to get better I mean the guys great but it's like every time you see him he just gets a little more great if that makes sense.

Jay White vs Naito - When Naito grabbed Gedo by the beard causing Gedo to yell and scream, I got a laugh out of that, it was genuinely funny. This was fucking awesome. I enjoyed the pacing it was slow it built up got a bit wild slowed back down then slowed way down as White took his time targeting that knee, then got awesome as fuck for that final stretch there. White working over the knee of Naito thats just basic phycology simple but effective. White spent a lot of time on that knee, he's the kind of heel i appreciate he's not a dastardly coward, the classic trope. No, he's a  sadistic dickhead who like to admonish punishment to his opponents. It's refreshing. This was Naito's night, shit this is Naito's weekend. That crowd went fucking crazy when Naito won. I don't think it was just because Naito won, or because Naito won the Intercontinental Championship or even because Jay White lost. Those people were cheering cuz it's one step closer to Naito maybe just maybe plus God maybe Naito walks out of Wrestle Kingdom as World Champion. Naito has his chance at redemption, constantly for the last two coming on three years NAito has been as good if not at times better then Okada who every one dotes over. Naito finally has a chance to prove to everyone that he's deserving of that Championship, and its finally looks like its gonna. For a man who claims not to give a fuck it doesn't seem lost on him.

Okada vs Kota Ibushi - Okada's entrance was cool as fuck. I watched this a second time. I find myself at a loss as to what to say. I like the match, it took it's time to pick up but it's about the journey not the destination. They didn't phone it in they just took their time there's a difference. Lots of dropping each other on their head. Strong Syle! Not a knock just an observation. Kota came in here with something to prove, like everyone does when they are main eventing against Okada. Okada is the best wrestler or should we say the most elite wrestler in New Japan he's the guy everyone wants to beat. To be the man you got to beat the man sort of speak. Kota definitely wanted to beat the man. May have left him a tad sort sided. Okada is no slouch, pack a lunch when you're in the ring with him, you'll need it. Kota does have a new found mean streak as mentioned in this thread, the whole matcvh changed once he started to admonish it. Kota beats the shit outta Okada. Okada pays Kota back for every red cent, that Tombstone on the apron was gnarly dude. Kota badly wants to be champion but Okada wants to be champion just as badly which is why he fights so diligently to retain the championship. Okada is gonna make you leave it all on the mat because he's gonna leave it all on the match. It's a huge test for Kota but he stepped up to the challenge. There's the New Japan strike each other while both on knees in the middle of the ring spot so thats good. That flying double stomp turned into a sit out powerbomb was pretty rad. Kota may have lost but it doesn't diminish his effort's he ran with the big dog as long as he could and longer then others did thats something to be proud of. All it takes is getting hit with the Rainmaker and you're stuck and thats what happens. Kota Ibushi has a bright future ahead of him he could be the successor to Okada's empire if he so chooses to be. Dudes really good next level good he proved it tonight i'll tell you that much. This is Okada's World and we are all living in it, when he hangs up the boots one day he'll legacy will out live him. Dude is a legend. The in ring exchange with Naito was epic, you can tell the crowd is really excited to see this matcha gain two years later. This is Naito's time and he wants to make sure Okada knows it. 

 

 

Edited by Web Conn
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4 hours ago, Craig H said:

Here's a really stupid question that's been bugging me since Okada/Ibushi on Saturday morning...Were Ibushi's punches not worked at all? I've watched that part of the match repeatedly and holy shit, he's just looks like he's fucking blasting him with shots that would KTFO most people and Okada comes out of it "ok." 

Wouldn't surprise me. Wrestlers have agreed to dumber things on smaller shows. Like every Necro Butcher match with a shoot punch bar fight sequence in front of 87 hicks in rural anywhere.

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4 hours ago, Craig H said:

If there were going to be any sort of AEW crossover or involvement then it wouldn't happen until next WK I'd guess. Stranger things have happened though, so maybe they get someone other than Moxley for the G1, which is still 10 months away. Hell, maybe someone from AEW winds up in the tag league, but I doubt it's the Bucks. If you watched BTE, one of the things you could pick up on near the end of their NJPW run was how tired they were of always having to fly out to Japan and missing time with their families. The schedule of flying out to Japan, wrestle, come home for 12 to 24 hours, and then fly out again sounded incredibly taxing and for the money they were making it made more sense to not do it anymore. Now that they have added responsibilities of running AEW, I doubt they make the trip, but maybe PnP, Private Party, or someone else winds up being involved.

I specifically remember the bucks talking about February 2018 because of how crazy it sounded. There was two nights in Tokyo for honor rising, then everyone got three nights off, then four nights in Australia. All the foreigners stayed behind, because of course. But because the bucks were spending so little time at home, they flew all the way to California, spent 18 hours at home, and then flew to Australia. They were home for a total of three days that month. 
 

Ive been doing a lot of 1-2 week work trips lately and it freaking sucks. I have two little kids at home who I miss dearly, it’s hella hard on my wife who works full time. It just really sucks all around. But we all choose our jobs I guess. 

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