NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 8 (now with Results!)

[wakigatame]

Is it a transitional run if Akiyama held the title just shy of eight months, though?

[Belgian_Waffle]

I never really thought Rikioh was their first choice to dethrone Kobashi. hasn't it always been the prevailing theory that they built up the Kobashi vs Akiyama match at the Dome to be the title switch and then changed the result last minute when everyone predicted Akiyama going over? even if that's not quite the case, Rikioh winning a one-night tag tournament by pinning Kobashi seemed an awfully abrupt way to suddenly announce that he would be the first of Kobashi's failed challengers to get a second title shot. I know NOAH didn't have an annual singles tournament at the time for him to win but I would think that if they were planning Rikioh from day one they would have built him up a little more credibly over the two year span of Kobashi as champ.  

[Territorial]

I never really thought Rikioh was their first choice to dethrone Kobashi. hasn't it always been the prevailing theory that they built up the Kobashi vs Akiyama match at the Dome to be the title switch and then changed the result last minute when everyone predicted Akiyama going over?

 

I still remember browsing Meltzer's Wrestling Observer website on the day of the match and reading that Kobashi's reign would be coming to an end "that night".  Oops.

[TimLivingston]

Marufuji was never the guy they wanted to give the belt to during the Kobashi reign. They had to build him up as they got the belt to Akiyama. Having him beat Taue in a singles match at least put him on that level, and once he developed the Perfect Small Package Hold, he had a somewhat credible way to hold his own against a heavyweight. Then he didn't do well like Rikio did, and that's where Misawa decided to put the belt on himself for a year while they rebuilt Morishima. Then we all know what happened from there, sadly.

 

The problem was that they went with Rikio instead of Morishima due to age, where Morishima might have had a better impact in the same spot. With Rikio, they only had the moment he won the belt. That decision ended up setting them back years.

 

As far as the 1/4 show goes, the vote is definitely due to Naito as opposed to Okada. I think the big question now is whether they do let Tanahashi win the belt and then push towards some type of unification match. Nak has really done a good job with that belt, though, and I would love to see what a guy like Tanahashi could do as a secondary champion for a while. The problem there, however, is that Okada really doesn't have many challengers left. I can only imagine the backlash if they actually try and put the belt on Naito.

[RandomAct]

That's been a slight issue in NJPW for a few years now, though.  There are only so many people that are getting shots at the title.  Whoever holds it is going to defend against Goto, Makabe and Kojima, no matter what.  For some reason, they rarely put Nakamura and Nagata in the mix unless they are going over.  Then they'll dip down further in the card for Devitt and Anderson.  It seems like that group are the only ones that rarely end up challenging.  They've got a few guys that could be built up enough for a one shot title match, like Honma, Ishii, Shibata, Ibushi, and maybe even Davey Boy Jr.

[wakigatame]

Shibata as he is right now could challenge for the title, but he's a freelance guy and Tanahashi hates him so we're not getting Shibata in a title match anytime soon.

[Belgian_Waffle]

 I think the big question now is whether they do let Tanahashi win the belt and then push towards some type of unification match. 

don't give them any ideas. also keep in mind Naito still has the NEVER title. why not have him go over Okada AND the IC wnner and create a watered down Triple Crown?

[The Natural]

Shame Tomohiro Ishii hasn't got a match as of right now.

[Salads]

I'm sticking to my initial wild speculation that Goto was meant to win the G1 and challenge for the belt. They're clearly re-running the Goto/Shibata match that was meant to happen in the G1 at the dome because they think it's important Goto is seen to get one back on Shibata because they could easily have wrapped that up later and used his return/Shibata for matches that would actually generate interest. Goto was on good form before his injury (uh-oh, Naito logic) and despite being named above as one of the usual challengers is fresh as a daisy in terms of big singles matches - hasn't challenged for the title since May 2012 and spent most of 2013 mingling with Shibata before not even having a full G1 and sitting out the rest of the year.

 

Goto winning the NJC for the billionth time but actually taking the title after would be the laziest thing in the world, but I still want to see it.

[Ace]

I'd have to think that if he isn't close, Goto seems to have a rep for choking in the big match.

[The Natural]

I'd have to think that if he isn't close, Goto seems to have a rep for choking in the big match.

 

We're in agreement.

[wakigatame]

So...what are the chances that MVP is Yano's partner?

[Attila The Hut]

Shibata as he is right now could challenge for the title, but he's a freelance guy and Tanahashi hates him so we're not getting Shibata in a title match anytime soon.

 

What's the background on Tanahashi hating Shibata? Is it due to Shibata quitting the promotion to do his not so good MMA career?

[wakigatame]

 

Shibata as he is right now could challenge for the title, but he's a freelance guy and Tanahashi hates him so we're not getting Shibata in a title match anytime soon.

 

What's the background on Tanahashi hating Shibata? Is it due to Shibata quitting the promotion to do his not so good MMA career?

 

 

Someone on here probably knows better than I but I think it's mostly him leaving the promotion.

[Salads]

He may have a right to be personally irritated by that because not only would leaving New Japan when business was down be the opposite of Tanahashi's decision to stay and revive the company instead of going to the US, but Shibata made a short-lived comeback in 06 where he came in, went over Tanahashi at the dome and that was the last they saw of him for six years. Got to think some verbal agreements were broken with that one.

[wakigatame]

Just a heads up, anyone ordering this on the regular UStream channel is getting Spanish commentary. To get it with Japanes commentary, you gotta go to http://ustream.tv/njpwjp

 

Lovely of them to announce that shit after I paid the $35 for the show on their main channel instead of announcing that from the start. Almost frustrates me more than announcing two G1 PPVs for UStream and then saying fuck that and putting the whole tournament up for $150 where it was all or nothing. Why do that to your fans?

[J.H.]

Didn't Shibata leave because he didn't get along with Choshu, who was booker at the time?

I remember reading that while Choshu was willing to push Tanahashi and Nakamura he wasn't willing to move Shibata up the card with them (thus killing the whole point of the Next Gen Musketeers gimmick that had been built up)

 

James

[wakigatame]

Yano's partner is Muta.

[The Natural]

Full card:

 

The entire Jan. 4 show at the Tokyo Dome was announced with the additional of the ten man opener and the reveal of Great Muta as Toru Yano's mystery partner at today's show at Korakuen Hall.

The show will begin at about 1:45 a.m. Eastern time late Friday night:

Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Tomoaki Honma & Captain New Japan & Bushi vs. Tiger Mask & Jushin Liger & Manabu Nakanishi & Super Strong Machine

Four way for IWGP jr. title: Young Bucks vs. Alex Shelley & Kushida vs. Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov vs. Taka Michinoku & Taichi

IWGP heavyweight tag title: Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer vs. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows

NWA heavyweight title: Rob Conway vs. Satoshi Kojima

Yuji Nagata & Kazushi Sakluraba vs. Daniel & Rolles Gracie

Great Muta & Toru Yano vs. Shelton Benjamin & Minoru Suzuki

Togi Makabe vs. Bad Luck Fale

Hirooki Goto vs. Katsuyori Shibata

IWGP jr. title: Prince Devitt vs. Kota Ibushi

IWGP hwt title: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito

IC title: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

 

Credit: f4wonline.com

[ultimoDANK]

I gotta see the 12-23 Okada/Nakamura vs Tanahashi/Naito match before I watch the Dome show. Sounds fantastic.

[The Natural]

So the show is almost here. Thinking Kazuchika Okada retains the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and Hiroshi Tanahashi wins the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. I'm fine if the latter matche goes the other way with Nakamura retaining but I hope Naito doesn't win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, want Okada's reign to continue.

[TimLivingston]

Naito winning would be horrible. Nobody buys it. I understand NJPW wants a #3 guy but he's not the dude right now.

[supremebve]

Naito winning would be horrible. Nobody buys it. I understand NJPW wants a #3 guy but he's not the dude right now.

Why isn't Nakamura considered the #3 guy?  Other than Okada and Tanahashi, he has been the most consistently good worker I've watched since I started paying attention about a year and a half ago.  The difference is that Okada and Tanahashi have had the good fortune of working with each other over and over again, while Nakamura has had really good matches with just about everyone in the company. 

[GOTNW]

Nakamura IS the #3 guy.

[TimLivingston]

Dude hasn't had an IWGP title match in almost 3 years. May of 2011. I understand that he's been the guy holding up the IC belt, but at some point, he would have seen a shot in the last couple of years. They're pushing Naito ahead of him instead of just moving him up. Yes, they're stable mates and what have you, but as a true alternative to Tanahashi, he'd be a great challenger to Okada.

 

Once Naito won the G-1, Nak got pushed down. NJPW wants him to be that #3 guy right now. If they really wanted something interesting, they should have let Nak win the G-1 instead of shoving Naito down everyone's throats.