Looks pretty much the same as always.

Eh, a lot of us are waiting for SANADA to get his moment. But, I think you're right.

Last year had the biggest shake up in the field in a long time with 6 debuts (Ospreay, Shingo, KENTA, Mox, Cobb, Taichi) and Archer returning for the first time in years, so I'm not surprised this year's field is very similar especially given the global climate.

I think in a non-pandemic timeline, Yujiro never would've sniffed the tourney and YOSHI-HASHI probably wouldn't be back in either. I could've seen them maybe giving a spot to one or two guys from other Japanese promotions, but this year it's not really an option as everyone's running their big tournaments concurrently.

Kinda disappointed EVERYONE is back, would have loved to have seen Hiromu and SHO continuing to take it to the heavyweights. Also fucking Yujiro is going to be a total buzz kill, honestly even Honma has pulled off some better performances this year. Feel like his spot as the A Block butt monkey should have gone to Koji and hes really only there to screw Okada out of two points. Wouldnt have missed Cobb either actually.

A Block seems a bit too loaded and both blocks could have been better balanced had they swapped a couple guys around.

Other than that, nice looking field for this year's tournament.

I am goddamn ready for Ishii in this A Block. I see at least 7 different 4 star matches in there.

I'm just ready for Ishii in general, regardless of what time of year it is.

I hope Suzuki Gotch-style piledrives Ospreay into oblivion.

The schedule is set:

https://www.njpw1972.com/80304

Actually very surprised Naito/EVIL is Night 14 and not 18. They could be once again giving me false hope on a SANADA win!

Looking at nights 17 and 18 thought my best guess is Okada vs. EVIL in the finals with Okada winning to set up Okada/Naito at the Dome again. We shall see.

SANADA is definitely winning B Block and then getting cucked in the finals because SANADA is SANADA.

Popular opinion seems to be a Switchblade victory, but honestly SANADA taking it seems a hell of a lot more interesting than just doing White / Naito at the Dome for the second year in a row.

The fact that Switchblade goes up against Okada and Ibushi so early is a bit of a head scratcher to me, I would have figured he'd have to go through one of them as the final hurdle if he was going win A Block.

The other thing is....is he going to be going back to Florida after this tourney or is he staying in Japan? I think they had to pull some strings to get all these guys back into the country in the first place. Even though it's Switchblade I can see them maybe not wanting to commit him to a Dome main event unless they know for sure he'll be there, nobody knows what the world will look like in the winter.

The A Block finals seem to be set up in a way where every potential winner is up against a potential spoiler rather than somebody winning or losing the block outright. Okada taking it to face SANADA could also work thematically, if they are actually giving SANADA the nod. Ibushi making the finals and not Tanahashi could also potentially happen to set up their WK match.

I actually feel like Okada/Ospreay could be for an outright A Block win, provided they still want to give Ospreay the huge push they were planning to pre-pandemic. He'll rack up some wins.

Ospreay will presumably be staying in Japan for the long haul, he and Bea Priestley live there, they just happened to be in the UK when shit went down and they had to ride it out.

Probably staying in Japan since if he leaves, that's another 2 week quarantine if they want him for a future show or tour.

In terms of their NJPW Strong series, they don't really need him to be on the show based on how its setup and KENTA, Cobb, and Juice likely are going back to the US to boost the star power of that series.

I feel like Ospreay will get a few key wins but pushing him as a top contender in THAT block seems a bit much, I'd expect him to be levelling off around Shingo / Ishii / Suzuki /Taichi in the middle of the pack but yeah thats totally viable, they could have him almost go the distance. You never know how Gedo is going to book it, Yujiro shouldn't be getting any points at all but he could easily get 8 and beat all the top 4 guys if he really wanted to fuck with everyone.

It is going to be interesting seeing if Gedo has that much faith in Ospreay at this point, especially a super roided up, controversial in the West Ospreay who hasnt wrestled in months or even put his new body to the test yet.

Next tour or special for NJPW's weekly Strong series will be called NJPW Lion's Break Crown. NJPW made the announcement during tonight's Strong show.

Its been weeks into his new look but Tama Tonga still looks weird with the clean shaven appearance.

If someone ever started an Ultimate Warrior-like urban legend of this Tama not being the original Tama, I'd believe it.

The most Gedo thing ever would be to book Switchblade vs. EVIL in a Bullet Club wankfest final.

KENTA managed to successfully defend his IWGP US case against Jeff Cobb tonight and still on track to face Jon Moxley for the IWGP US belt.

This week's episode of NJPW Strong was decent overall. So far, tag matches and multi-tag matches have been mostly good in NJPW's empty arena setting for these Strong shows while their singles matches has been very hit or miss.

First time seeing Will Ospreay in a NJPW ring since they went on the coronavirus break and he's a lot more bigger/thicker than before.

Seems this year's G1 shows are going to be around 2 hours long if Night 1 is any indication so far.

Half of tonight's card is done and hit the intermission break around 50 minutes into the show.

Yeah. No tag team previews and just the Lions fighting to open things up. Keeping the minimum amount of roster in the building. Which is understandable.

Not bad. So long as the "juicy stuff" at the end got some time to it, it's all good.

Holy hell at the sound of these strikes Suzuki has been laying into Ishii.

Making the Thunder Rosa vs. Ivelisse shoot fight or not on AEW's Dynamite show earlier this week looking like child's play in comparison.

Don't think I've ever seen Ishii get that brutalized in a match before.

Suzuki managed to even create a loud echo with one of his strikes.

Like if Ishii was a cat, Suzuki just took away 8 of his lives from that bout.

Someone elsewhere mentioned Okada's popped collar jacket looks like a Ramen Noodle Cup and now I can't unsee it. Same style coloring and designs as well.

Yikes at that DDT Ibushi took on the outside.

Got planted hard on his head and made a very loud thud sound when it happened.

Tuned in really late. So far this Okada / Ibushi shit is top notch.

Okada stay working the neck, which I'm not sure is very smart because Ibushi's neck is lined with admantium or something.

Whoa.

Ibushi vs. Okada was great.

Same for the whole show in general as well. Easily among the best wrestling shows of this coronavirus ravaged year.

Suzuki and Ishii trying to murder each other with elbow strikes in the first 2 minutes of a match. Ya gotta love it.

Fuck, the sounds these elbows are making.

It just turned into Slapsgiving

Fuckin Suzuki like a horror movie villain. Ishii keeps putting him down, Suzuki gets up, laughs maniacally, and then just continues to beat the ever loving shit out of poor Tomo.

I really could watch Suzuki and Ishii fight forever.

Sooooooo, who shaved Yota Tsuji while he was sleeping?

Bummer. They couldn't pay Pieter to come back and shake her ass to make these Yujiro matches worth it.

:'(

:lol: at Juice Robinson's entrance gear.

Sort of looks like a long lost member of the Blues Brothers or Deuce 'n Dominio tag team. Not sure the slick back mullet-style look is a good choice for him either.

YOSHI-HASHI vs. Juice Robinson was pretty good overall.

SANADA's new little mask looks a bit goofy. Like he left it in the dryer for a bit too long and it shrunk since it barely covered his face.