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NJPW Golden Series. Contains Wrestle Kingdom 16 spoilers.


The Natural

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Most looking forward to Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito. Didn't expect that so soon after Kazuchika Okada won the IWGP World Heavyweight match at Wrestle Kingdom 16. The two have great chemistry. The 40th Anniversary Show is still the best Okada/Naito match then Okada/Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 14, Night 2. Gave both *****.

Really hope SANADA doesn't beat Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship as SANADA does nothing for me and it's too soon for a title change as Tanahashi's just won it beating KENTA in a right spectacle at Wrestle Kingdom 16. The belt needs bigging up as a true secondary championship like the IWGP Intercontinental Championship was.

House of Torture is the worst thing going not just in NJPW but all of wrestling.

Edited by The Natural
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  • The Natural changed the title to NJPW Golden Series. Contains Wrestle Kingdom 16 spoilers.

From Nagata's twitter

"The three people who played the main role in the opening round of the New Year Golden Series tonight. Okada, who carries the 50th anniversary of the founding again, Tanahashi, who carries the 40th anniversary of the founding, and Yuji Nagata, who carries the 30th anniversary of the founding. I asked for a commemorative photo."

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  • 3 weeks later...

Desperado and Wato going 30 minutes just because Gedo said they could; that’s discussion on talent, push and booking all neatly packaged. Remember when every NJPW show was a date in the diary? Two great matches every big show ain’t going to cut it. Even I’ve got to admit they are pretty much on their arse right now. 

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I actually had a huge rant about the Sendai show typed up, ready to post, but thought the better of it...it was bad. Despy/Wato was fine, definitely too long, would have been better as a 15-18 minute banger as semi main on either last night's Osaka show or either of the upcoming Hokkaido shows. I didn't watch live, this was the first NJPW show with a title match I decided I'd rather continue watching old James Bond movies than this. I might be one of the biggest NJPW fans here, and even I'm at the point of cherry picking.

I wonder if their early 2022 schedule was based on possibly having more of their foreigners in because and booked prior to Omicron as it really looks like they are just running too many shows. If the bigger matches of this show had been split between Osaka & Hokkaido, the Osaka & Hokkaido shows would feel bigger and there wouldn't be shows like Sendai that are just a slog to get through. I stand by that when NJPW is at its best (like Okada/Ospreay, or Taichi/DOUKI...a JTO show I know but an NJPW match), there isn't much better. But damn, do we have to trudge through some shit to get to it.  

If someone would have told me 12 months ago that a SHO/YOH feud would be dreadful, I would have laughed in their face. Where did the SHO that was having bangers with guys like Shingo, HIromu and Robbie Eagles in 2019/2020 go? I think he's worse than EVIL...

Anyway with the changes to Japan's visa rules about to come into place, maybe they can look at bringing LA Dojo or STRONG guys over...Lawlor, Fredericks, Connors and Gabe will really freshen things up. Connors wants a shot at Despy, which is a match I never knew I wanted until now.  

Last night's Osaka show was fun though, some spoilers below:

Spoiler

Why wasn't that EVIL/Ishii match the one at the Dome? Those last 5 minutes was a reminder of what EVIL can actually do, I'm hoping (but doubting) this is a catalyst to him having less House of Torture shit and being more of an enforcer. Fun match, maybe one of the few times the lumberjack stipulation actually helped. 

Both junior singles matches were fun, the 3 way junior tag match was pretty good at the Tokyo Dome, so why not add a fourth team? I assume they announce a change to the junior tag match to being Flying Tigers vs Bullet Clubs Cutest vs Taguchi/Wato vs Despy/Kanemaru today. 

Enjoyed the main event tag, a bit long, but the Osaka crowd helped it on like they always seem to do. SANADA did feel really out of place in the match though, which is a sign of how badly he has been booked since the 2020 G1 final.

 

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On 1/11/2022 at 10:06 AM, The Natural said:

Most looking forward to Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito. Didn't expect that so soon after Kazuchika Okada won the IWGP World Heavyweight match at Wrestle Kingdom 16. The two have great chemistry. The 40th Anniversary Show is still the best Okada/Naito match then Okada/Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 14, Night 2. Gave both *****.

 

Here it is:

 

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Honestly,  if Inoki and Muto being back around causes a change up in the formula like Mutoh did Noah so it's actually enjoyable and not video game snowflake chasing, then let's fucking go.

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48 men NJPW Cup this year.

Spoiler

Okada defeated Naito, and now Okada is the protagonist of the 50th year. Okada wants to face a Junior for the 50th show.

Today..Feb 20th is Mr.Inoki's birthday, Okada still wants Inoki to step in the ring some day soon.

 

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Meltzer:

Spoiler
  • Lots of praise for the Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito match from today's New Japan show in Sapporo. I saw the end and it was very good. It was the first match in the short history of the IWGP World title to finish in less than 30:00, going 29:34.

A telling statistic that.

 

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On 2/19/2022 at 8:09 PM, John E. Dynamite said:

Eeeh? Good match, nifty finish.

I've never got into SANADA and the hot potato of the NJPW United States Heavyweight Championship changes since Jon Moxley's 564 days reign ended to Lance Archer.

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Of the Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito matches I've seen, I'd have this third or fourth. The best is still Okada/Naito from the NJPW 40th Anniversary Show, 4th March 2012 then Okada/Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 14, Night 2. Both *****. My NJPW MOTY is still Shingo Takagi vs. Kazuchika Okada from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16, Night 1.

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