Control Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 It's a new year! Rumour is that Shuji Ishikawa is the new booker for All Japan. I don't know if that's true. What is true, in any event, is that the next big All Japan show features three (!) first-time title challengers. Fresh match-ups! In All Japan! Wild. AJPW, 11.02.2020 Tokyo Korakuen Hall AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Title: Susumu Yokosuka (c) vs Akira Francesco Akira is a skinny Italian guy who pinned Okada and Black Menso-re in the New Year's shows. He is crazy fast and very agile, but still pretty green and botch-y. Susumu Yokosuka is a Dragon Gate guy who won the AJ Jr. Heavyweight tournament. I've never seen him before, but he seems perfectly fine. This should be very different than the Iwamoto/Sato-style matches we've been getting for the Junior Title. AJPW World Tag Team Title: Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa (c) vs Shigehiro Irie & Lucas Steel Suwama missed the 1/3 show, but apparently he's good to go. Violent Giants are the perennial champs, and Irie & Steel are the new kids on the block. Both of them joined UTAMARO's unit within the last couple of weeks. Steel is a tall British guy who seems perfectly fine. I'm hoping Irie sticks around and makes it to the Champion Carnival. Triple Crown: Kento Miyahara (c) vs Yuma Aoyagi Aoyagi is the NEXTREAM dude who has been left behind after Jake and Nomura split off. He was Kento's partner for some of the best tags of the tag league. He suplexed Kento at the end of the 1/3 show, which was a great moment and a bit of a surprise. Good worker who hasn't really had many standout singles matches, so this is his opportunity to see if he can make a name for himself like Jake and Nomura. This will be Kento's 10th defence, which will tie him with Kawada's record. Typically there's a March defence before the Carnival as well. Another story is that all of Nextream has now abandoned Kento (though it's unclear if this is a straight-up betrayal by Aoyagi or if it will be more of a "sibling rivalry"-type thing. Also, if I'm reading translated Twitter correctly, Nomura and Yoshida might have a match later this month, which would be swell. AJ should book Yoshida as much as possible. Fuminori Abe as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archibald Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 This is 2019 stuff, but I think is relevant for 2020 as well. A bit surprised at that DDT number, thought that they were bigger. Anyway, can things change this year? Who can grow the most? My wild guess would be that Stardom is probably going to move past 50k number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted January 6, 2020 Author Share Posted January 6, 2020 Surprised AJ is #3, actually (would have guessed that they were behind DDT and Noah, tbh). Guess their working with Dragon Gate is a good thing, then. I hold out hopes that they can get someone like Ben K for the CC this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonzombie Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 The company that makes the most profit and revenue is number 2 under NJPW. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eivion Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 AJPW, BJW, and NOAH are all doing better than I would have guessed. DDT is doing a little worse as I thought they were no. 3 for sure. I did not realize anyone was still arguing whether DG was no. 2. Like that hasn't been a real question for years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonzombie Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 I expect Stardom to grow some more because of their backers, ads, new tv slots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonzombie Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiji Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Not surprising with how he got the ring to himself at the end of the jiji match at the dome and how emotional he was. He's been more or less immobile for a while now but he had a pretty fun run from his G1 win to about 2004 or '05. Never did see his title win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 His match against Takayama from '02 is still one of my favorites. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E. Dynamite Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 On 1/6/2020 at 11:09 AM, Control said: AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Title: Susumu Yokosuka (c) vs Akira Francesco Akira is a skinny Italian guy who pinned Okada and Black Menso-re in the New Year's shows. He is crazy fast and very agile, but still pretty green and botch-y. Susumu Yokosuka is a Dragon Gate guy who won the AJ Jr. Heavyweight tournament. I've never seen him before, but he seems perfectly fine. This should be very different than the Iwamoto/Sato-style matches we've been getting for the Junior Title. That's a little bit of a no-sell on Susumu. He's a 22 year-old pro, founding member of M2K, and two-time holder of Dragon Gate's main championship. Surprised to see him as the guy spearheading an invasion of the AJPW Junior ranks as I have no idea how much he has left in the tank, but as far as I remember he's been Mr. Consistency since God was a boy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonzombie Posted January 10, 2020 Share Posted January 10, 2020 Might be Kento vs Suwama after Kento vs Yuma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Fowler Posted January 11, 2020 Share Posted January 11, 2020 4 hours ago, D.Z said: Might be Kento vs Suwama after Kento vs Yuma. Potentially a huge match. Assuming Miyahara wins against Ayoagi, that match would both be going for breaking Kawada's defense in a reign record and tie Misawa's total defense record 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonzombie Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Katsuhiko Nakajima is W-1 champ. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcm Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 I heard rumors of the Realhero Archive returning, but it looks like something happened. Anyone know the deal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyanide Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 52 minutes ago, D.Z said: Katsuhiko Nakajima is W-1 champ. I haven't seen Nakajima in a minute but he's looking tremendously scummy and I'm here for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiji Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 (edited) 24 minutes ago, kcm said: I heard rumors of the Realhero Archive returning, but it looks like something happened. Anyone know the deal? Mort stopped doing it to focus on himself and the other guy is a prevert? Edited January 14, 2020 by Oyaji Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 41 minutes ago, Cyanide said: I haven't seen Nakajima in a minute but he's looking tremendously scummy and I'm here for it. Oh my, you're missing out. He's a spectacular prick these days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonzombie Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 Kaito said NOAH went bankrupt twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Fowler Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 I wonder how different things would've been if the company hasn't been sold behind Bushiroad's back when they were propping NOAH up and possibly looking to buy it as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 (edited) Fuminori Abe joined JIN (AJPW). Hoping after tomorrow’s Singles match with Nomura, Ayato Yoshida joins as well (or another good option: vows a rivalry). edit: excellent Edited January 19, 2020 by Control 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonzombie Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonzombie Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 (edited) Koki Kitahara taught Yuma the spin kick. And other moves. Edited January 22, 2020 by D.Z 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted January 23, 2020 Author Share Posted January 23, 2020 So is Dick Togo signed with NOAH, or is he just freelancing with them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonzombie Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 He isn't contracted with NOAH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted January 25, 2020 Author Share Posted January 25, 2020 In case you’re interested: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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