NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 2022: 1/4, 1/5 and 1/8

[The Natural]

24 minutes ago, Archibald said:

Either surprise Ibushi return or an outsider. Nothing else really comes to mind?

Yoh/Sho and Naito/Cobb are looking like #1 contender matches for New Beginning shows.

Oh man, I have bad visions of Murder Ibushi coming out with those slaps and strikes.

[The Natural]

Video announcement.

[Sublime]

I could see Suzuki as Shibata’s opponent since he’s someone who can do a lot of grappling in a match if they want to keep limiting bumps for Shibata. If any of his students from the LA dojo are in Japan with him I could see one of them being his opponent as well since they’d be someone he trusts being in the ring with. I

[Doragon]

 

[The Natural]

Noticed there's no Jay White or Minoru Suzuki. NJPW's loss is NJPW STRONG's gain.

[Beech27]

It seems pretty clear that New Japan just doesn't see Suzuki as a featured player anymore, so he's happy enough to play the hits as a touring legend. 

I can't imagine the company is as stoked about White's extended absence, and what that could imply about his future plans. (Even if COVID does someday get sorted, it could be suggested that he's expressed his territorial priority, and he already lives in the States.)

[Doragon]

The Shibata match rules are undecided. He will be taking some hits and bumps since it's not grappling rules this time.  Maybe UWFI rules with UWF style in ring, or maybe not.

I wouldn't mind Suzuki winning the KOPW, and turning the division into the different style fights rules division.

Edited December 16, 2021 by D.Z

[Doragon]

In 8 hours

 

[The Natural]

[Archibald]

Card announced for NJPW/NOAH show and it is all tags with one single match between Sho and Atsushi Kotouge.

Edited December 17, 2021 by Archibald

[lostinube]

https://www.njpw.co.jp/329914

 

[Sublime]

I feel like the lack of Ospreay on the card is tipping their hand on his chances of winning on night 2. I’d assume they’d want their top champ on this show and really it would make sense to have it on either Shingo or Okada based on the lineup. I feel like the card does the same for NOAHs upcoming Nakajima/Go match cause being matched against EVIL is a terrible thing for a top champ to be doing.

[The Natural]

Wish Go Shiosaki had a better opponent than fucking EVIL. The Okada/Tanahashi tag and Suzuki-Gun match are the ones I'm most into.

[SturmCRF]

Kind of disappointing card, but LIJ vs Kongoh is very exciting on paper. What this card really needs more than a particular match is some angles setting up future crossovers, they need something to freshen them up if Covid will be keeping their foreign talent inaccessible for the most part.

[Sublime]

I think there's a good chance that there will probably be at least one angle that could lead to future crossover with the match where KENTA is wrestling on the NOAH side. KENTA's heel nature would lend him to either betray NOAH or cheat to help NOAH win where either could create future crossover options, with the latter opening a chance for KENTA to leave BC and be leader of a NOAH invasion/faction/something. 

[Archibald]

2 hours ago, Sublime said:

I feel like the lack of Ospreay on the card is tipping their hand on his chances of winning on night 2. I’d assume they’d want their top champ on this show and really it would make sense to have it on either Shingo or Okada based on the lineup. I feel like the card does the same for NOAHs upcoming Nakajima/Go match cause being matched against EVIL is a terrible thing for a top champ to be doing.

I think that nobody from UE getting booked is a bit weird. You'd think that Cobb/O-Khan or Cobb/O-Khan/Henare would be better than having 3 Suzuki Gun matches. 2 Bullet Club matches probably could also be combined into one.

[Doragon]

The card was bound to be mostly tags because of politics and being safe. Looking forward to the interactions anyway and if anything starts something after.

Something was suggested between LIJ and Kongoh, the losing unit losing the color red. But nothing may happen.

[Beech27]

Stray thought: LIJ and Kongoh is a faction vs faction match featuring a world champ on either side, but the world champ isn't the faction leader in either case. That feels pretty unique.

[The Natural]

 

[The Natural]

LOL at ZSJ.

[matwarz]

ZSJ with a British Christmas in a nutshell. Mind you, last time I enjoyed festivities in Blighty I was smashed on fosters and killing myself at Morecambe and Wise 

[Doragon]

6 hours ago, The Natural said:

 

So he will be taking and doing throws and slams again. The English NJPW website left it out but Shibata mentioned Inoki.

[Doragon]

 

[The Natural]

 

[Doragon]

I read that the Yokohama Arena show is sold out, what that means in terms of attendance in this covid era...we will have to see.