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#2761 |
Posts: 61,508
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It’s not ideal, but I think it’s making chicken salad out of chicken shit to have two guys entering their first Wrestle Kingdom main event against each other. I like that it’s got those stakes. Where they go from here is important.
Lol at Ricochet being Zack Sabre, Jr’s opponent night 2 though. |
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#2762 |
Posts: 61,508
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I watched some New Japan to see how I’d take to the current product.
Zack Sabre, Jr. is better than I last saw him. Wish he wouldn’t invite people to hit him. It’s just a hack trope at this point. But his overall performance was a lot better than when I last saw him at Wrestle Kingdom against Ishii years ago. Ishii is a bit shit. He was the weakest part of the Road to Wrestle Kingdom tag I watched. He doesn’t even register getting hit. The match structure protected him, but they should really move him out of that spot soon. Ryohei Oiwa impressed me. He seemed to have it together really well. His facial expressions and overall presence was good. Thought his pants looked a bit shit. Speaking of shit pants, Shota Union probably needs a main event look. His work was excellent. I thought he and Oiwa were the better halves of that match. I also watched two Takeshita matches from the G1, since people rave about him. He’s good. He’s got a shit-sniffing look and plays to the crowd well. I saw him against Hirooki Goto and Yota Tsuji. Those guys were great too. Goto apparently stepped up this year. Tsuji has got real good flare to him. I might give New Japan World a go. I’ll check out more stuff tomorrow. I think I want to check out some Gabe Kidd, Jeff Cobb and maybe some of the junior heavyweights. |
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#2763 |
Posts: 61,508
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I liked Gabe Kidd vs. Shingo from the G1. Gabe has got something. A bit too much “hit me, I’ll hit you,” but I can kind of buy it from their personalities. Some cute spots.
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#2768 |
Posts: 61,508
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I say this as someone who doesn’t like Kenny Omega: Check out his match with Gabe Kidd at Wrestle Dynasty. The best Omega match I’ve ever seen. Kidd is great.
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#2769 |
Posts: 61,508
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I watched Battle in the Valley. Pretty boring show. Gabe went from impressing me to boring the fuck out of me. Easy come, easy go.
Kushida vs. Takeshita was great though. Takeshita is very talented. He even cut a good broken English promo afterward. Kushida more than held up his end. ZSJ vs. Hechicero and El Desperado vs. Taiji Ishimori were fine in execution, but they just didn’t pull me in. Takeshita vs. Kushida goes on my list of “matches you should watch” for 2025. |
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#2770 |
Posts: 61,508
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Jeff Cobb is pretty great too. It seems like he’s got stuff to do if he sticks around, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Triple H poaches him.
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#2771 |
Posts: 61,508
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So after ruminating over Omega/Kidd for a bit over a week, I think it was pretty overrated (by myself included). I popped on Backlash 2001 and Raven vs. Rhyno from that PPV is basically in-line with what Omega/Kidd was. No springboards, so I guess what makes classic matches are springboards.
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#2772 |
Posts: 11
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Yeah, after thinking about it, Omega/Kidd felt overrated. It had the hype, but it didn’t hit the mark. Raven/Rhyno from Backlash 2001 was actually more solid, no flashy moves, just good storytelling.
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#2773 |
Posts: 61,508
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My NJPW trial continues! Bring on Blue Justice!
Shota Umino is teaming up with the young lions. |
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#2774 |
Posts: 61,508
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I don’t think NJPW is going to make the cut. Still haven’t gotten around to New Beginning. Product just isn’t very good. Goes against Dave Meltzer’s assertion that this is the easiest time to book and you can do almost anything and people will eat it up.
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#2775 |
Posts: 61,508
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The Rock accidentally posted a photo of him trying to solve a Rubik’s cube in a New Japan shirt.
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#2776 |
Skibbidy Lock Jaw
Posts: 88,592
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Doesn't seem like an accidental post
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#2777 |
Skibbidy Lock Jaw
Posts: 88,592
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He also was probably trolling and knew what wearing the shirt would do. Immediately cause all the newz goblins and internet fans to immediately start jumping to wild speculations and theories about what it means....
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#2778 |
Posts: 61,508
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Tetsuya Naito has gotten the fuck outta there.
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#2779 |
Posts: 61,508
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New Japan fucking sucks. I tried watching the Dontaku shows. Boring as shit. It got to the main event of night 1 and they’re doing a garbage spotfest in the main. I turned it off after one clown smashed another over the head with a steel chair. Got no time for that shit in 2025. Reeks of desperation.
Zack Sabre, Jr. is probably my least favorite wrestler on the planet. He is aggressively boring. He’s a collection of these annoying ticks and tropes that come together in this poorly presented package. His limb work never goes anywhere. The neck twist he does is just lame as hell — Giulia should stop doing it in WWE too. His selling is poor. His gear barely fits him. I cannot stand him. Of course he drives down business and of course these fuckers go back to him as a main eventer. |
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#2780 |
President of Freedonia
Posts: 58,316
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Wrestle Kingdom is gonna be on Japanese national TV for the first time in 22 years
Time for them to royally fuck it up by basing the entire card around House of Torture as they have been |
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#2781 |
Posts: 61,508
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I watched Dominion. Oh boy…
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#2782 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,427
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Sabre is everything wrong with modern wrestling
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#2783 |
Posts: 61,508
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#2784 |
Posts: 61,508
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When I checked out Dontaku (I think that was the double night show they did recently), about the only thing that didn’t absolutely suck was the young lion match. I quite enjoyed Murishima vs. Nagai lol. It’s like they have to forget everything they learn when they graduate.
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#2785 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,427
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Modern Puro took the worst of the US indy style that made TNALOL sucha meme and fused it with the worst of worked mma and flooded the circuit with guys who look half as tough as Punk.
Sabre is the crown jewel of the farce stylistically. He cant work a hold. He cant sell a shotgun to the face. He looks like he's going to die from malnutrition at any moment. He cant talk. He's a blackhole where charisma goes to die. His psychology is nonexistent. The only thing he has going for him is his ring timing. Not his crowd timing mind you cause i dont think he's aware he's working in front of an audience. But he's where he needs to be in order for the nonsense to continue. So his memorization is fine too i guess. Congrats. If i were going to shoot any 2 wrestlers into the sun he'd be my 2nd pick only behind Orange Cassidy and for shockingly similar reasons. Last edited by Destor; 06-25-2025 at 04:21 PM. |
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#2786 | |
Posts: 61,508
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Quote:
When WWF and WCW starting locking talent down in the 90s, I think the days of big name stars going to Japan started to die. Then AJPW died, Inoki went to his dark place, Misawa literally died and puroresu has been left with what they can get. I’m starting to question whether or not they’ve convinced themselves they actually prefer that nonsense though. I think the coverage guys like Meltzer gives them has colored their thinking and they believe this stuff has a chance of catching on. |
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#2787 |
I am the cheese
Posts: 51,427
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Puro died with Misawa. Once we lost NOAH the form shriveled and died. The more they court a global audience the more true it is.
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#2788 |
Posts: 61,508
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You might be right, but I’m not sure it’s their pursuit of a global audience so much as the type of global audience they are seeking.
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#2789 |
Posts: 61,508
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LOL at fucking New Japan.
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#2790 |
Posts: 61,508
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I gave them a shot. Fucking dogshit promotion.
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