Horangi

Shota is a very interesting case. Where did it all go wrong? There's probably a many answers here (bad booking nd lack of identity stand out). He CAN have great matches, but 2/3 times he just doesn't for whatever reason. Yuya i think has clearly passed him as the potential Ace in pretty much all aspects. Shota I think can be salvaged, but it will be a long game. I'm very interested in his Shingo and Takeshita matches to see how his "2nd chapter" stands up against the two best in his block. 1300 at Ota last night was dismal. I think its time they start considering downgrading to smaller venues like they did 15 years ago. Things are not going to get better anytime soon. Tsuji vs Oiwa was good fun though!

Zack vs Taichi on the post-G1 Destruction tour would be perfectly fine too (or Power Struggle if Zack is still champ). Zack vs Shota last night was excellent, I nearly skipped it to continue my Survivor binge due to the disappointment their Tokyo Dome match was but glad I didn't. I think more of this Shota will get people back to believing in him. GOK and Takeshita was pretty damn good too.

Taichi has been the wrestler of the tournament based on the first 3 matches, Yuya a close second. Sendai night 3 was a great show, I think helped by a really hot crowd, even most of the multi-man undercard stuff was fun (especially how crazy the crowd was when they thought Murashima was going to get up over Big Jag). All the G1 matches delivered in their own ways. Oiwa/Newman was decent for a first meeting with both holding a bit back (Oiwa is having a good tournament too), as was Tanahashi/Boltin (I don't know how Tanahashi is going to hold up but I am fascinated to see). EVIL vs SANADA was everything it should have been, the two just trying to one-up each other in the shenanigans department and I thought it was a blast to watch. The last two matches are contenders for match of the tournament so far and definitely worth seeking out. Finlay and Taichi have really good chemistry and I'm still quietly hoping that Taichi makes it to the top 3 by the end of it. Tsuji and Yuya matches keep getting better and better, I don't think they are far off having a classic defining match. Real good stuff here.

For non TAKE/Tana matches I'd say the following: Night 1: ZSJ vs Narita, Uemura vs Boltin Night 2: Taichi vs Uemura (best match of the two nights IMO) I really enjoyed Finlay vs Oiwa (night 1), Takagi vs O-Khan and Oiwa vs Boltin (night 2) but i wouldn't call them standouts.

Step one to making this a thing complete! The Taichi/Ishii part of the gauntlet and is must see. There's a good story with Taichi doing well and taking Goto's points that i hope they take advantage of. Taichi has been one of the best guys in the company this year.

I thought Goto would drop earlier than this, so a solid 5 month reign was a nice surprise. I dont think this is the case, but I wonder if Dominion drawing less than 2024 influenced the change on some level. I'm a bit surprised Zack won it back, but with UK Forbidden Door coming up it makes sense. I don't think it matters who is champ going into the Dome as Tanahashi's retirement is the draw.

Dominion had some really great stuff, and some outright terrible. Most of the wrestling was good, if not great, but it will be a show that is going to be remembered for some very spiteful booking choices. I think some of it was necessary and the unit shakeups are long overdue, but still incomplete and messy. Probably long thoughts in the spoiler box So yeah, very mixed show and I think the really good stuff (Main, Tag Title match, Tsuji/Kidd) is going to get lost in the discourse due to some of the booking choices.

2AW is the one indy I wish I could follow more (I'm sure there's ways, looks like they upload a a few matches on YouTube. Mashimo had been one of my guys since probably 2004, and nobody snapping up Yoshida feels like a huge miss. My upcoming WK trip i wasn't going to attend any non-Dome shows, but I'm making a special point to try attend theirs if try run that week.

Hiromu vs the next generation matches have been from really good to excellent too. The matches with Akira, Fujita, Connors and Dragon Dia are all worth a look, the Akira match being the best of the bunch. Agree with Evil Otto, KUSHIDA vs Fujita was great - my favourite match of the tournament so far.

I'll try keep it brief (brief for me anyway)

Naito/Hiromu vs Dangerous Pitbulls was really good and worth checking out. It was obvious how broken Naito is, but Taichi & Hiromu in particular carried that one.

Naito isn't so much of a surprise with the recent rumblings. I'm sure he'll get a good run with NOAH or AJPW (I'd say NOAH/DDT as Cyberfight I think are the only ones who could afford him) as I don't see him going to the US long term. His eye and knees are pretty much done though so I do really wonder how much time he really has left. No feelings about BUSHI.

Lol they put the tag straps on Cobb and he then announces his departure. I felt the whole "wasn't I leaving internet?" was a bit hokey and obvious. When are they going to learn that putting belts on people isn't going to make them stay when you can match the salary of the US companies? Callum Newman wants to now challenge Goto...he's won like 5 singles matches and is nowhere near ready...watch Gedo book him for the Dontaku main event! (In all honesty I'm guessing Callum gets the shot because they were booking Dontaku around Cobb vs Goto and that this is just an easy pivot. O-Khan is probably tied up with ELP still and HENARE injured so in order not to shake too much they just replace with Callum. On a positive note, Goto will hold until Dominion which is a hell of a lot longer than I thought)

Junior Genesis last night was a lot of fun, bring on tonight!

Both title matches last night were very good and are in my top 10 NJPW matches of the year. Glad Tanahashi still had one more left in him, knees be damned. Tonight's Korakuen show has been cancelled, looks like one of the ring posts broke during set up (despite Hartley Jackson claiming responsibility because he's a big boy...)

I'll give a top 10 so far a shot! 1. Zack Sabre Jr vs Hirooki Goto 2/11 (and I very much doubt anything is going to overtake this) 2. Kenny Omega vs Gabe Kidd 5/1 3. Yota Tsuji vs Gabe Kidd 2/11 4. El Desperado vs Kosei Fujita 4/2 5. Konosuke Takeshita vs Tomohiro Ishii 5/1 6. David Finlay vs Yota Tsuji 4/1 7. Konosuke Takeshita vs Boltin Oleg 11/2 8. Zack Sabre Jr vs Hechicero 11/1 9. Sumie Sakai retirement match 11/1 10. TMDK vs Chaos/Desperado 3/2 Last two were just super fun matches i enjoyed way more than I should.

Harsh when Chono/Muto vs TenKoji exists from WK1...its bottom 5 sure but i don't think worst ever is fair.

Yep, Wato had it worse than anyone. I still think there is a hugely negative view from the Western audience on him because of this. Evidently nobody is producing or monitoring the English commentary otherwise KK/CC would have been pulled up sooner on some of their things. Even the puns with Dick Togo wouldn't fly anywhere else. Maybe a positive from all of this will lead to some proper management and direction of English commentary going forward.

Criticisms aside, Chris is pretty good for bridging the gap for foreign fans with his live translation which is very helpful (for me anyway now that my Japanese has gone to shit) Some are speculating that Rocky Romero had something to do with the suspension, but who knows. I think it's pretty poor form to suspend Charlton over this considering how bad Kevin Kelly and Charlton have been to domestic partners like NOAH and yet they did nothing they (it's inconsistent is my point - they shouldnt be burying any partners unless its agreed as an angle) but I understand it didn't make NJPW look good to a partner that they are relying on for revenue.

Tsuji vs Finlay, Mayu vs AZM for sure. Depending how you feel about car crash ladder sprints possibly the opener.

I also finally watched the last Korakuen of 2024, the Zack/Roy vs Ishii/Umino match really good and well worth checking out. Onto Dash tonight, Josh Barnett teased a match with Boltin Oleg in his backstage comments.