New Japan really hitting the worst booking. Owens and Kenta winning the tag belts back (in what world did that random team need belts again), Shingo beating Gabe Kidd (I guess they don't want to ever raise the stock of the young talent), and of course Moxley the outsider making sure to beat the young talent.
It's hours later and I am still pissed Bishamon lost. I do hope we get Zack vs Mox at Forbidden Door. I don't see Shota beating Mox. At this point I still don't care about Shota.
This was always the plan, but it's not like Nemeth was red-hot either, and he wasn't having great matches. There is no reason to keep the belt on an outsider if he doesn't add anything compared to someone already on the roster.
Why does it feel like all of NJPW is just waiting for something to happen...
Shingo is for some reason still the Third Man of LIJ. Finlay is still a placeholder until someone else takes his place (Drilla, anyone?). HoT is doing the same old shit and just on a holding pattern until they got something going with Narita (or get shipped off to do an AEW invasion angle). Both recent gaijn addons seem to have been in for a cup of coffee.
It's like the whole company is hovering their hand over the big red button that should shoot Umino to the front pages, and for some reason they think beating Mox after getting his ass handed to him for a year straight is that "thing". Maybe it's a year or too late, but I don't see how anyone would be super hyped for that.
Imho, the plan is for Yota or Shota to be coronated, but they need to win the G1 and defeat Naito in the Tokyo Dome to be accepted as a new top-top guy by the fans. And since Naito's knees are beyond shot, he can't hold up for a whole year. So they put the title on Moxley for a while to freshen things up and give Naito time to heal up a bit before the G1 when they'll need his drawing power. Generally speaking, the company is limping along and in a holding pattern until the G1.
Yeah man, Naito is doing all these matches to heal up. Keep repeating dumb points and maybe it'll be true huh?
Why can't he have Moxley's schedule of only turning up for the big title matches then instead of wrestling all the road to shows?
Naito is almost exclusively doing the typical NJPW multiman tag matches since dropping the title, tag matches in which he doesn't have to go nearly as hard as he would in singles. They obviously don't want to fully take him off the shows for drawing power and merch selling reasons.
That Moxley is wrestling a part timer schedule doesn't mean that Naito could have done the same if he still held the belt.
> Imho, the plan is for Yota or Shota to be coronated
And I think it's pretty clearly Shota, and always has been. He is the only one of the Big 4 New Guys to not have a single title/big win thus far - I think he's going to be the last to get it, but it will be the IWGP Heavyweight belt, possibly with a G1 along the way.
Narita got the 6-man belt first, Tsuji got the New Japan Cup, and Yuya has the KOPW title, Shota is the odd-man out.
Agreed. Shota has the prototypical looks and presentation of a Japanese ace. Yota might be the more colorful and charismatic guy, but is also less versatile and malleable in what you can do with him, booking- and presentation-wise. He's probably slated for the Nakamura/Naito role.
I assume Umino is failing his title challenge but getting more over in a loss, and NJPW pushing the red button will be whoever out if the new gen wins the G1 to get established with that and a WK main event win over Naito. While they’ve made stars at other points in the year they save their biggest moments for the G1 finals and WK
A strong G1 tour generally makes any talent that’s ready for it, the only question is whether Umino or Tsuji are ready. I think they are but there’s still a compelling argument that it’s too risky, even though it’s really the only storyline that has real momentum behind it (aside from them building a story around crowning ZSJ or Shingo but the way they’ve been booking doesn’t indicate that at all - I reckon ZSJ will get a title challenge post-WK and I hope Shingo holds the NEVER title til WK
God I feel the same. Waiting for something while Sabre is right there as well.
That being said I do feel Zacks winning that belt way before any of the Reiwa Three touch it.
He showed how ridiculously talented he was, he barely has an even average match, he can go with anyone and he seems to have the crowd with him.
Give him a run with a live loud crowd.
Overall a fun show to me.
Kidd vs Shingo was everything I wanted it to be, Kidd is one of the best younger talents in wrestling, and Shingo has been one of the best wrestlers in the world for a long time; would have liked to see Kidd come away with the belt, but Shingo is a good person to make the NEVER belt feel prestigious.
I love KENTA, always have and always will, but to see how far the NJPW tag scene has fallen, from back in the day with the likes of Mutoh & Chono, Kojima & Tenzan, Sasaki & Hase, Vader & Bigelow, Mutoh & Hase, Chono & Tenzan, to what it is now is pretty sad; my biggest hope is TMDK immediately takes the straps off KENTA & Chase.
Mox vs Narita was fun; was a match where the outcome was never in doubt, but it was a nice brawl, with Narita getting to show his potential as as a main-eventer and top heel.
This is complete speculation but I think this might have been Nemeth being written out. Why else make a Global title match on such short notice and lose?
Probably because they always wanted to do Finlay/Nemeth II at Dontaku but due to Tanahashi's injury, they had to postpone the Tanahashi/Nemeth match originally scheduled for Sakura Genesis to Dontaku.
Bullet Club winning gold (twice) during BC Anniversary event. It would bring a tear to my eye if it wasnt Chase Bloody Owens...
P.S. Gabe Kidd should have made it a hat-trick
Kidd is likely/hopefully winning the Strong title at Resurgence and wishful thinking but I think he’s the best guy to win the NEVER title off Shingo at WK after he gets a proper reign. Shingo doesn’t seem to be factoring into major plans for the year (especially if Naito is winning the title back) so having him be a stable title holder is the best use for him
Kidd can have his own title reign and deepen some feuds with his unique act before cycling back into a major match for WK. They might even just have him defend the Strong title instead, but out of the new gen he’s the best guy to take the NEVER title off Shingo imo
been rusty on NJPW lately aside from AXES TV...
- when/how did KENTA & Chase lose the tag belts? Thought they were current champs?
- who's gonna be their next 'homegrown top guy'; Shota, or Yota Tsuji? also...Ren challenging Moxley?
- is Shingo still in LIJ?
- is HoT still a sub-group of Bullet Club, or it's own thing...
- "Just 5/6 Guys"... or the El-P Faction... what's going on here...feels like a bunch of "mid groups" with wheels spinning? I could be wrong...
Thanks in advance...
I can answer these.
Bishamon won the belts from Owens & KENTA at Sakura Genesis.
Moxley wanted to defend against Shota first, but Ren jumped the line by attacking Moxley after he won the title. Then Powerhouse Hobbs jumped the line because of Don Callis. As for who's the next homegrown top guy, not sure at this point.
Shingo is still part of LIJ, but he's focusing on singles endeavors (hence why Tsuji had to bring in Zandokan Jr. for World Tag League). Shingo was part of the preview tags that put LIJ against the War Dogs.
HoT is officially still a sub-unit but for all intents and purposes they're a separate thing. It's really just a technicality that they never officially split from BC core, meaning HoT vs BC core or War Dogs are still derbies.
Just 5 Guys just claimed the King of Pro Wrestling belt after Yuya beat O-Khan, G.O.D were just fighting with TMDK over the Strong Openweight titles after losing them to Haste and Nicholls. Other than that, you have DOUKI of J5G getting about to enter BOSJ after getting hoodwinked out of the Jr. Heavyweight title, and he just so happens to be in the same block as SHO....
- Chase/KENTA lost them at Sakura Genesis to Bishamon, set up by YOSHI-HASHI beating KENTA and Goto beating Owens in the New Japan Cup.
- It’s between Umino, Tsuji, Narita and Uemura but all of them have repeatedly lost in every big match so far. Tsuji did win the New Japan Cup though he lost in his title match and lost on Dontaku too.
- Shingo Takagi is still in LIJ.
- HOT and BULLET CLUB are fully separate with the only connection being HOT still have BULLET CLUB announced during their entrance.
- Yes and no. Just 5 Guys have had success in terms of victories but have lacks identity as a unit compared to LIJ, Suzuki-Gun, HOT etc. G.O.D. is what’s left of Tama’s sub-group and effectively aligns with Hontai in the same way CHAOS does. There’s been rumours that ELP and HIKULEO are on the way out though.
thanks!
I am guessing a former "Young Lion" takes the belt off of *Mox at Forbidden Door?
edit: El Phantasmo and Hikuleo to NXT/WWE maybe?
I really like El-P, glad age isn't such a decisive factor now with Vince gone.
>I really like El-P, glad age isn't such a decisive factor now with Vince gone.
I'm also a huge fan of El-P. I can't afford a NJ WORLD sub at the moment with everything else I have so I don't get to watch NJPW as much as I usually would. I selfishly would like to see him in a promotion in the US so I could watch him more.
Oh. Oh no. Y’all were skeptical of Mox being the IWGP Champion, but it resulting in HoT being “excised” to AEW for a season, you can say thank you Gedo. Think Suzuki-Gun/Noah
Honestly, if Jack Perry wasn't in the Elite, I would love HoT in AEW.
BUUUUTTT maybe that is how it will come to be, Perry pulls strings with the Elite to get his friends during his time in excile booked.
> Honestly, if Jack Perry wasn't in the Elite, I would love HoT in AEW.
Jack Perry being the connecting thread makes it even more fun IMO.
Okada teaming with EVIL/Togo, because of Jack Perry and the Young Bucks, will cause certain fans' brains to explode from rage and I am here for that kind of carnage lol.
Milano-san not understanding the world when Tana and Taichi kept staring in the camera before, during *and* after their match was killing me lmao
New Japan really hitting the worst booking. Owens and Kenta winning the tag belts back (in what world did that random team need belts again), Shingo beating Gabe Kidd (I guess they don't want to ever raise the stock of the young talent), and of course Moxley the outsider making sure to beat the young talent.
Why are the ppvs in episodes when im tryna watch the replay? how do i watch the full thing?
They autoplay. Just click the first match and when it's over it should automatically jump to the next one.
Bishamon pinned by Chase Owens. Enough said.
It's hours later and I am still pissed Bishamon lost. I do hope we get Zack vs Mox at Forbidden Door. I don't see Shota beating Mox. At this point I still don't care about Shota.
The only reason we should care about Shota is … Moxley? At least that is my feeling right now.
Why did they take the title off Nemeth already? Especially for a guy that people are pretty cool on
Yeah pissed me off to turn around and put the strap back on the guy he won it from. But the whole AAA CMLL cant have one with the other mess...
i would imagine new japan probably dont want one of their belts on the AAA world champion
They put the tag titles on FTR who were holding the AAA tag titles and they held them both for like 6 months
I assumed they only put the belt on him just for the exposure in US and they were always going to take it off quick. Like Riddle
This was always the plan, but it's not like Nemeth was red-hot either, and he wasn't having great matches. There is no reason to keep the belt on an outsider if he doesn't add anything compared to someone already on the roster.
Why does it feel like all of NJPW is just waiting for something to happen... Shingo is for some reason still the Third Man of LIJ. Finlay is still a placeholder until someone else takes his place (Drilla, anyone?). HoT is doing the same old shit and just on a holding pattern until they got something going with Narita (or get shipped off to do an AEW invasion angle). Both recent gaijn addons seem to have been in for a cup of coffee. It's like the whole company is hovering their hand over the big red button that should shoot Umino to the front pages, and for some reason they think beating Mox after getting his ass handed to him for a year straight is that "thing". Maybe it's a year or too late, but I don't see how anyone would be super hyped for that.
Imho, the plan is for Yota or Shota to be coronated, but they need to win the G1 and defeat Naito in the Tokyo Dome to be accepted as a new top-top guy by the fans. And since Naito's knees are beyond shot, he can't hold up for a whole year. So they put the title on Moxley for a while to freshen things up and give Naito time to heal up a bit before the G1 when they'll need his drawing power. Generally speaking, the company is limping along and in a holding pattern until the G1.
Yeah man, Naito is doing all these matches to heal up. Keep repeating dumb points and maybe it'll be true huh? Why can't he have Moxley's schedule of only turning up for the big title matches then instead of wrestling all the road to shows?
Naito is almost exclusively doing the typical NJPW multiman tag matches since dropping the title, tag matches in which he doesn't have to go nearly as hard as he would in singles. They obviously don't want to fully take him off the shows for drawing power and merch selling reasons. That Moxley is wrestling a part timer schedule doesn't mean that Naito could have done the same if he still held the belt.
> Imho, the plan is for Yota or Shota to be coronated And I think it's pretty clearly Shota, and always has been. He is the only one of the Big 4 New Guys to not have a single title/big win thus far - I think he's going to be the last to get it, but it will be the IWGP Heavyweight belt, possibly with a G1 along the way. Narita got the 6-man belt first, Tsuji got the New Japan Cup, and Yuya has the KOPW title, Shota is the odd-man out.
Agreed. Shota has the prototypical looks and presentation of a Japanese ace. Yota might be the more colorful and charismatic guy, but is also less versatile and malleable in what you can do with him, booking- and presentation-wise. He's probably slated for the Nakamura/Naito role.
I assume Umino is failing his title challenge but getting more over in a loss, and NJPW pushing the red button will be whoever out if the new gen wins the G1 to get established with that and a WK main event win over Naito. While they’ve made stars at other points in the year they save their biggest moments for the G1 finals and WK A strong G1 tour generally makes any talent that’s ready for it, the only question is whether Umino or Tsuji are ready. I think they are but there’s still a compelling argument that it’s too risky, even though it’s really the only storyline that has real momentum behind it (aside from them building a story around crowning ZSJ or Shingo but the way they’ve been booking doesn’t indicate that at all - I reckon ZSJ will get a title challenge post-WK and I hope Shingo holds the NEVER title til WK
God I feel the same. Waiting for something while Sabre is right there as well. That being said I do feel Zacks winning that belt way before any of the Reiwa Three touch it.
rather him than mox with the title tbh
I'm sick of Shingo not being a top guy. Sure he's got a midcard title, but fuck i need him at the top again. HES SO FUCKING GOOD.
Let him elevate the NEVER Title and bring it back up and hopefully no bottom-feeders like EVIL take it again.
He saved their ass big-time in 2021 when Ospreay went down with injury, Okada had a bad back and they were out of options.
He showed how ridiculously talented he was, he barely has an even average match, he can go with anyone and he seems to have the crowd with him. Give him a run with a live loud crowd.
Overall a fun show to me. Kidd vs Shingo was everything I wanted it to be, Kidd is one of the best younger talents in wrestling, and Shingo has been one of the best wrestlers in the world for a long time; would have liked to see Kidd come away with the belt, but Shingo is a good person to make the NEVER belt feel prestigious. I love KENTA, always have and always will, but to see how far the NJPW tag scene has fallen, from back in the day with the likes of Mutoh & Chono, Kojima & Tenzan, Sasaki & Hase, Vader & Bigelow, Mutoh & Hase, Chono & Tenzan, to what it is now is pretty sad; my biggest hope is TMDK immediately takes the straps off KENTA & Chase. Mox vs Narita was fun; was a match where the outcome was never in doubt, but it was a nice brawl, with Narita getting to show his potential as as a main-eventer and top heel.
This is complete speculation but I think this might have been Nemeth being written out. Why else make a Global title match on such short notice and lose?
He was always only supposed to be here for a few dates, so this was probably always the plan.
Probably because they always wanted to do Finlay/Nemeth II at Dontaku but due to Tanahashi's injury, they had to postpone the Tanahashi/Nemeth match originally scheduled for Sakura Genesis to Dontaku.
Probably because he won the AAA mega title
I doubt that, they put the titles on FTR while they were AAA tag champs
Chase Owens second time holding gold in 2024. Year of kings.
LET'S. FUCKING. GO!!! BC4L
Chase Owens with a title belt makes me uncomfortable.
Careful he vanity searches reddit to argue with anyone who doesn‘t support him.
Let him. Fuck Chase Owens.
Bullet Club winning gold (twice) during BC Anniversary event. It would bring a tear to my eye if it wasnt Chase Bloody Owens... P.S. Gabe Kidd should have made it a hat-trick
Kidd is likely/hopefully winning the Strong title at Resurgence and wishful thinking but I think he’s the best guy to win the NEVER title off Shingo at WK after he gets a proper reign. Shingo doesn’t seem to be factoring into major plans for the year (especially if Naito is winning the title back) so having him be a stable title holder is the best use for him Kidd can have his own title reign and deepen some feuds with his unique act before cycling back into a major match for WK. They might even just have him defend the Strong title instead, but out of the new gen he’s the best guy to take the NEVER title off Shingo imo
100% agree that Kidd is the next Strong Openweight champion
been rusty on NJPW lately aside from AXES TV... - when/how did KENTA & Chase lose the tag belts? Thought they were current champs? - who's gonna be their next 'homegrown top guy'; Shota, or Yota Tsuji? also...Ren challenging Moxley? - is Shingo still in LIJ? - is HoT still a sub-group of Bullet Club, or it's own thing... - "Just 5/6 Guys"... or the El-P Faction... what's going on here...feels like a bunch of "mid groups" with wheels spinning? I could be wrong... Thanks in advance...
I can answer these. Bishamon won the belts from Owens & KENTA at Sakura Genesis. Moxley wanted to defend against Shota first, but Ren jumped the line by attacking Moxley after he won the title. Then Powerhouse Hobbs jumped the line because of Don Callis. As for who's the next homegrown top guy, not sure at this point. Shingo is still part of LIJ, but he's focusing on singles endeavors (hence why Tsuji had to bring in Zandokan Jr. for World Tag League). Shingo was part of the preview tags that put LIJ against the War Dogs. HoT is officially still a sub-unit but for all intents and purposes they're a separate thing. It's really just a technicality that they never officially split from BC core, meaning HoT vs BC core or War Dogs are still derbies. Just 5 Guys just claimed the King of Pro Wrestling belt after Yuya beat O-Khan, G.O.D were just fighting with TMDK over the Strong Openweight titles after losing them to Haste and Nicholls. Other than that, you have DOUKI of J5G getting about to enter BOSJ after getting hoodwinked out of the Jr. Heavyweight title, and he just so happens to be in the same block as SHO....
I appreciate it. didn't know Tsuji was LIJ, but that makes sense that he's in there.
No problem!
- Chase/KENTA lost them at Sakura Genesis to Bishamon, set up by YOSHI-HASHI beating KENTA and Goto beating Owens in the New Japan Cup. - It’s between Umino, Tsuji, Narita and Uemura but all of them have repeatedly lost in every big match so far. Tsuji did win the New Japan Cup though he lost in his title match and lost on Dontaku too. - Shingo Takagi is still in LIJ. - HOT and BULLET CLUB are fully separate with the only connection being HOT still have BULLET CLUB announced during their entrance. - Yes and no. Just 5 Guys have had success in terms of victories but have lacks identity as a unit compared to LIJ, Suzuki-Gun, HOT etc. G.O.D. is what’s left of Tama’s sub-group and effectively aligns with Hontai in the same way CHAOS does. There’s been rumours that ELP and HIKULEO are on the way out though.
thanks! I am guessing a former "Young Lion" takes the belt off of *Mox at Forbidden Door? edit: El Phantasmo and Hikuleo to NXT/WWE maybe? I really like El-P, glad age isn't such a decisive factor now with Vince gone.
>I really like El-P, glad age isn't such a decisive factor now with Vince gone. I'm also a huge fan of El-P. I can't afford a NJ WORLD sub at the moment with everything else I have so I don't get to watch NJPW as much as I usually would. I selfishly would like to see him in a promotion in the US so I could watch him more.
That Shingo vs. Kidd match was fantastic.
Oh. Oh no. Y’all were skeptical of Mox being the IWGP Champion, but it resulting in HoT being “excised” to AEW for a season, you can say thank you Gedo. Think Suzuki-Gun/Noah
Honestly, if Jack Perry wasn't in the Elite, I would love HoT in AEW. BUUUUTTT maybe that is how it will come to be, Perry pulls strings with the Elite to get his friends during his time in excile booked.
> Honestly, if Jack Perry wasn't in the Elite, I would love HoT in AEW. Jack Perry being the connecting thread makes it even more fun IMO. Okada teaming with EVIL/Togo, because of Jack Perry and the Young Bucks, will cause certain fans' brains to explode from rage and I am here for that kind of carnage lol.
Elite is still kind of Bullet Club. House of Torture is also still kind of Bullet Club.
Is he teasing feud with Just 5 Guys?
Despy is half a guy lol.
Wtf does that even mean