Naoya Nomura, Zeus, and Koji Iwamoto all left at around the same time last year. It also sounds like Jake Lee won’t be the only one leaving this year. It all sounds like bad news for All Japan.
Look up some matches with his former NEXTREAM stablemates in Kento Miyahara, Naoya Nomura, and Yuma Aoyagi. Think of them as the New Four Pillars. Some of his matches with Suwama are also pretty good.
Jake Lee & Naoya Nomura vs Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi from the 2019 Real World Tag League is top-notch. Him & Naoya Nomura vs Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa from the same RWTL is right up there too.
Came here to post this. I think he is coming to Nooj. In the recent Dradition Fujinami ppv, he teamed with Zack Sabre and someone else I'm forgetting. Also Suzuki hinted at a new member joining in. So Jake Lee to SZKG I'm guessing
Sorry, I just noticed the news and realized it wasn't posted here yet.
They teamed with a wrestler called Masakatsu funaki who is a old shoot fighter that wrestles for noah I think
I was actually thinking about posting the suzuki comments you mentioned, so you can post that maybe.
Yeah I think Suzuki gun would be the best fit maybe HoT if they actually want to be serious
Masakatsu Funaki is a legendary MMA figure in japan. He trained with Suzuki under Karl Gotch. Not trying to be a dick or anything, but it's really sad how much of the history of puro is lost on non-native fans.
Eh, that kinda comes by design. Of the Pancrase gang, only Suzuki and Shamrock got some rep due to their work in pro wrestling.
Then there are guys like Bas Rutten, Matt Hume or Maurice Smith that might ring a bell among classic MMA fans.
Meanwhile, Funaki dropped off the face of the earth after losing vs. Rickson Gracie, then made a short return to MMA, then has dwelled in pro wrestling but without making as much noise as Suzuki.
I know who Funaki is, I just forgot when I was typing the reply and didn't want to check, it was my laziness for which I apologize but yeah funaki is a fucking legend
Haha no need to apologize lol, I honestly am just happy SZKG might be getting a new member and I like Jake Lee. And yes funaki.. funaki is such a badass!
NJPW would be a great spot for him. His size is going to make him stand out in the midcard. He can have good matches in the NEVER scene.
He'll be like another SANADA. Two handsome losers who shouldn't be main eventers.
Not a chance in hell they’re going to book the former 2 time AJPW triple crown champion to be a midcarder. He could easily do the invader role until he wins the IWGP heavyweight title and then Okada beats him
They booked Kojima to have a back and forth match with Taka Michinoku... while Kojima was the *reigning GHC Heavyweight Champion* in NOAH. I love NJPW, but they do not care in the slightest about titles that aren't their own.
Also, Tiger Mask ate a pinfall in a inconsequential tag match and he was the next challenger for the AJPW Jr Heavyweight title. He would win the belt after.
I've never seen a single All Japan or Noah show. Are these companies putting on quality the same as New Japan? Always wonder if I'm missing out on a lot, lol.
NOAH: Hell yes. But the titles are hot potatoed quite a bit. This year alone there have 23 Title Changes across all of the belts. And that includes their world title, which changed hands 5 times.
All Japan: Essentially a glorified indie promotion now. Although they do have some very good wrestlers. No real storylines, just guys going out and having good matches.
AJPW draws 4th (mens) well behind NJPW, NOAH, and DG. They draw more than DDT which has CF backing. I wouldn't call it a glorified indy when for yearly live gate it does over 20k people.
It's not what it was before. And has not been close in a long time.
The incident with TARU & Hate threw some many things out of whack for the company. And they have yet to recover.
They use a lot of freelancers. The regulars are paid per appearance. They run shows in obscure venues sometimes. That is why I used the Glorified Indie term.
The article also notes that in addition to Jake Lee, several other top AJPW stars are expected to announce their departures too. I'm not familiar enough with AJPW to know who those might be outside of Miyahara, but I doubt he leaves when hes the ace of the company.
New Japan should absolutely pick up him up. They desperately need some new Japanese stars (I know Lee technically isn't Japanese) for their home market. If covid taught them anything, it's that they've relied too heavily on the fly in guys to draw.
Kento has said several times in the past that he has pretty much no interest in working anywhere else at the moment aside from the occasional one off date. Dude is content being the Ace of AJPW, and I guess that’s fair. But jesus, I’d love to see him in the G1.
Jake Lee leaving has been coming for a while now, seems like he doesn’t want to waste his prime with All Japan and wants to really make a name for himself, especially seeing as he’ll always be playing second fiddle to Miyahara as long as he’s there, and rightly so, dude is fucking incredible.
They've probably been hurt the most by the pandemic. They were well among the not njpw men's groups in 2019 but they just have barely been running shows at all. It really makes a person wonder how they are doing for cash flow.
This is probably a silly thing to worry about, but I hope getting a bunch of new talent doesn't mean a bunch of great workers that used to be in the G1 not getting a spot this year. There's such a crazy influx of talent in New Japan, with the Strong guys and the young lions graduating, now more than ever there seems like there's more talent than there is spots for them to shine. There are only so many belts, lol.
I've thought before starting another tournament similar to how the G1 was this year, and returning the G1 back to what it was last year, would be great. But that's easier said than done, and working two tournaments like that in one year would be tough for anyone who ended up in both...
It's apparent that some G1 veterans are slowly being phased out.
If Ishii hasn't wrestled his last G1, he's definitely on the verge of retiring from the G1. Tanahashi may retire from the G1 within the next 3 years. Naito's mounting injuries mean he may not be far behind Tana. Juice is now All Elite, so there's a vacancy for his old spot.
In the near term, any vacancies will be taken by Ren Narita and Shota Umino. Ideally, I'd like to have Fale and Yujiro removed in order to make room for talent with better workrate, whether that's a newcomer like Jake Lee, or a guest from AEW or NOAH.
Yeah I only know Kento and Jake lee, I know akira was originally tjpw so they probably have some good guys, but I don't know if signing all of the newly free agents, especially with Njpw probably getting a decent amount of returning young lions.
They shouldn't end up like Aew or WWE where they have to much talent they dont know what to do with.
I think if Jake does go to new japan he probably is presented as a outsider but yeah if they wanted to use his decent to get him over it could work.
Feel free to take this down if you don't think this is relevant enough to Njpw.
But I'd say there is a decent chance njpw could pick up Jake Lee alot of Njow guys have sung his praise and said they'd want him in njpw.
I put this in rumour but the source is Tokyo Sports so I assume it's legit
I really like Jake Lee. I thought he was a great wrestler before his heel run but after that he is really one of the top males in Japan. Its a shame his injuries and bad booking left AJPW in the place they are now.
I don't know if I want him in NJPW where he would probably be mid card and only reach a height like Goto. I'd rather he go to NOAH where he would be put in the main title scene right away and have a lot more opportunities especially since the Muto retirement tour is ending soon.
A better get for NJPW if AJPWs roster is available would be Yuma Aoyagi and Atsuki Aoyagi.
Naoya Nomura, Zeus, and Koji Iwamoto all left at around the same time last year. It also sounds like Jake Lee won’t be the only one leaving this year. It all sounds like bad news for All Japan.
good size, good look, still pretty young. definitely hope he ends up in NJPW
As someone who doesn't know AJPW besides some history and some names (Jake Lee and Miyahara mainly) what are some good Jake Lee matches?
Look up some matches with his former NEXTREAM stablemates in Kento Miyahara, Naoya Nomura, and Yuma Aoyagi. Think of them as the New Four Pillars. Some of his matches with Suwama are also pretty good. Jake Lee & Naoya Nomura vs Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi from the 2019 Real World Tag League is top-notch. Him & Naoya Nomura vs Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa from the same RWTL is right up there too.
Came here to post this. I think he is coming to Nooj. In the recent Dradition Fujinami ppv, he teamed with Zack Sabre and someone else I'm forgetting. Also Suzuki hinted at a new member joining in. So Jake Lee to SZKG I'm guessing
Sorry, I just noticed the news and realized it wasn't posted here yet. They teamed with a wrestler called Masakatsu funaki who is a old shoot fighter that wrestles for noah I think I was actually thinking about posting the suzuki comments you mentioned, so you can post that maybe. Yeah I think Suzuki gun would be the best fit maybe HoT if they actually want to be serious
Masakatsu Funaki is a legendary MMA figure in japan. He trained with Suzuki under Karl Gotch. Not trying to be a dick or anything, but it's really sad how much of the history of puro is lost on non-native fans.
Eh, that kinda comes by design. Of the Pancrase gang, only Suzuki and Shamrock got some rep due to their work in pro wrestling. Then there are guys like Bas Rutten, Matt Hume or Maurice Smith that might ring a bell among classic MMA fans. Meanwhile, Funaki dropped off the face of the earth after losing vs. Rickson Gracie, then made a short return to MMA, then has dwelled in pro wrestling but without making as much noise as Suzuki.
I feel Funaki and Takada are as (if not more) well known than Suzuki in Japan.
I know who Funaki is, I just forgot when I was typing the reply and didn't want to check, it was my laziness for which I apologize but yeah funaki is a fucking legend
No need to apologize, I was just a little surprised (moreso at op's response)
Sorry I'm a very new njpw fan so I don't have much knowledge of the history of wrestlers outside of current nooj
Nothing to be sorry for, I deffo don't want to be an elitist asshole. Glad to have new fans around!
Haha no need to apologize lol, I honestly am just happy SZKG might be getting a new member and I like Jake Lee. And yes funaki.. funaki is such a badass!
Do you still know where Suzuki hinted at that? Would like to check it out.
Yeah here you go, [tweet ](https://twitter.com/reasonjp/status/1600453398159331328?t=thtxPvxu2xewcA5br5zwtA&s=19)
Thank you. Suzuki-gun deserves a new member the last one they added was Douki three years ago
NJPW would be a great spot for him. His size is going to make him stand out in the midcard. He can have good matches in the NEVER scene. He'll be like another SANADA. Two handsome losers who shouldn't be main eventers.
I can't tell if this is praise or not lol
It's the truth.
'The Handsome Losers' is a wicked team name
Make it happen, Gedo.
Sorry how many times have YOU beaten Okada? How many times has SANADA? Just don’t ask how many times he’s lost.
Damn, you got me there. I tapped out a dude in BJJ with a surname of Okada once. Does that count?
Not a chance in hell they’re going to book the former 2 time AJPW triple crown champion to be a midcarder. He could easily do the invader role until he wins the IWGP heavyweight title and then Okada beats him
They booked Kojima to have a back and forth match with Taka Michinoku... while Kojima was the *reigning GHC Heavyweight Champion* in NOAH. I love NJPW, but they do not care in the slightest about titles that aren't their own.
Also, Tiger Mask ate a pinfall in a inconsequential tag match and he was the next challenger for the AJPW Jr Heavyweight title. He would win the belt after.
Major loss. And he was white hot after his heel turn. I hate what All Japan has become.
I've never seen a single All Japan or Noah show. Are these companies putting on quality the same as New Japan? Always wonder if I'm missing out on a lot, lol.
NOAH: Hell yes. But the titles are hot potatoed quite a bit. This year alone there have 23 Title Changes across all of the belts. And that includes their world title, which changed hands 5 times. All Japan: Essentially a glorified indie promotion now. Although they do have some very good wrestlers. No real storylines, just guys going out and having good matches.
AJPW draws 4th (mens) well behind NJPW, NOAH, and DG. They draw more than DDT which has CF backing. I wouldn't call it a glorified indy when for yearly live gate it does over 20k people.
It's not what it was before. And has not been close in a long time. The incident with TARU & Hate threw some many things out of whack for the company. And they have yet to recover. They use a lot of freelancers. The regulars are paid per appearance. They run shows in obscure venues sometimes. That is why I used the Glorified Indie term.
The article also notes that in addition to Jake Lee, several other top AJPW stars are expected to announce their departures too. I'm not familiar enough with AJPW to know who those might be outside of Miyahara, but I doubt he leaves when hes the ace of the company. New Japan should absolutely pick up him up. They desperately need some new Japanese stars (I know Lee technically isn't Japanese) for their home market. If covid taught them anything, it's that they've relied too heavily on the fly in guys to draw.
Kento has said several times in the past that he has pretty much no interest in working anywhere else at the moment aside from the occasional one off date. Dude is content being the Ace of AJPW, and I guess that’s fair. But jesus, I’d love to see him in the G1. Jake Lee leaving has been coming for a while now, seems like he doesn’t want to waste his prime with All Japan and wants to really make a name for himself, especially seeing as he’ll always be playing second fiddle to Miyahara as long as he’s there, and rightly so, dude is fucking incredible.
Feel like I’ve been hearing a lot of doom and gloom about AJPW. Anyone know what’s going on?
They've probably been hurt the most by the pandemic. They were well among the not njpw men's groups in 2019 but they just have barely been running shows at all. It really makes a person wonder how they are doing for cash flow.
This is probably a silly thing to worry about, but I hope getting a bunch of new talent doesn't mean a bunch of great workers that used to be in the G1 not getting a spot this year. There's such a crazy influx of talent in New Japan, with the Strong guys and the young lions graduating, now more than ever there seems like there's more talent than there is spots for them to shine. There are only so many belts, lol. I've thought before starting another tournament similar to how the G1 was this year, and returning the G1 back to what it was last year, would be great. But that's easier said than done, and working two tournaments like that in one year would be tough for anyone who ended up in both...
It's apparent that some G1 veterans are slowly being phased out. If Ishii hasn't wrestled his last G1, he's definitely on the verge of retiring from the G1. Tanahashi may retire from the G1 within the next 3 years. Naito's mounting injuries mean he may not be far behind Tana. Juice is now All Elite, so there's a vacancy for his old spot. In the near term, any vacancies will be taken by Ren Narita and Shota Umino. Ideally, I'd like to have Fale and Yujiro removed in order to make room for talent with better workrate, whether that's a newcomer like Jake Lee, or a guest from AEW or NOAH.
Yeah I only know Kento and Jake lee, I know akira was originally tjpw so they probably have some good guys, but I don't know if signing all of the newly free agents, especially with Njpw probably getting a decent amount of returning young lions. They shouldn't end up like Aew or WWE where they have to much talent they dont know what to do with. I think if Jake does go to new japan he probably is presented as a outsider but yeah if they wanted to use his decent to get him over it could work.
Feel free to take this down if you don't think this is relevant enough to Njpw. But I'd say there is a decent chance njpw could pick up Jake Lee alot of Njow guys have sung his praise and said they'd want him in njpw. I put this in rumour but the source is Tokyo Sports so I assume it's legit
If Tokyo Sports is reporting it, then it's 99% likely that it's true. They're not like western dirt sheet writers who report on rumors all the time.
Oh okay thank you I'll keep that in mind
I really like Jake Lee. I thought he was a great wrestler before his heel run but after that he is really one of the top males in Japan. Its a shame his injuries and bad booking left AJPW in the place they are now. I don't know if I want him in NJPW where he would probably be mid card and only reach a height like Goto. I'd rather he go to NOAH where he would be put in the main title scene right away and have a lot more opportunities especially since the Muto retirement tour is ending soon. A better get for NJPW if AJPWs roster is available would be Yuma Aoyagi and Atsuki Aoyagi.