New Japan iPPV thread

[Big Rob]

I loved Davey Boy against Kojima on Day 4 as well, what a fantastic event (aside from Shelton vs Nagata, but you can't win everything).

[air_raid]

Yeah, staggering. There was not a thing wrong with Okada/Makabe either. Brilliant show. Plus, "Rated R" Yujiro's best entrance yet.

[firstnameunknown]

What was wrong with Shelton/Nagata? I thought that was a fun match.

[Sixteen Degrees]

Goto & Tenzan have pulled out due to injuries: Goto has a broken Jaw and Tenzan has broken Ribs.

 

 

Shibata, Davey Boy Smith Jr & Ishii all get default wins over Goto in Block A.

Nakamura, Nagata & Ibushi all get default wins over Tenzan in Block B.

 

This leaves Ibushi & Ishii without a match on the last show.

[ultimo the great]

Yeah that was an odd one. I'm guessing that Tanahashi was supposed to kick out so the ref stopped the count at two. But because Hash's shoulders were still blatantly on the mat the ref called the bell to cover his blushes. Or something.

Pretty sure it was a fuck up by ol' Red Shoes.

 

I finally finished Day 2 and FUCK ME Tanahashi/Ishii was awesome. If we see a better match we've had a great G1.

 

There are two better on Day 4 in Shibata/Ishii and Nakamura/Ibushi which are both amazing in different ways.

Yeah Shibata/Ishii is damn close to topping it but Nakamura/Ibushi was some distance from them, very good just not quite up to the other two for me.

 

Day 4 was pretty immense apart from Yujiro/Yano and Nagata/Benjamin everything was at least good. The only way this tournament could be better is Devitt/Anderson as faces, sorry but bullet club can fuck off. Neither have been bad but Devitt especially hasn't been as good as he was as a face.

 

Real shame to hear about the injuries (really i'm thinking why can't it have been Yujiro) but putting Tenzan in an 11 day tournament where he'd have to have 9 matches is just moronic. No way his body is holding up. I was looking forward to Ishii/Goto on the final day too

 

Still spoiler free, Now where's my day 5!!

 

Prediction based on first 4 days

 

SPOILER - Highlight the black box to read

I was thinking Naito over Goto in the final but now i'll go Naito over Tanahashi, which i think i predicted about a month ago.

 

I'd like an Ishii/Nakamura final but doubt it.

 

[Mr Butternut Squash]

Disagree about Bullet Club fucking off. First time I've found Devitt or Anderson interesting to be honest.

 

Get stuck in, day 5

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1SXZcFaVWM

[air_raid]

Err, spoilers for last night, I guess.

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

 

Naito has looked far removed from his best, inconsistent, pensive at times and to be blunt is foreshadowing a heel turn with some of his petulance. He looked lost last night with Yano. B Block is, as it always was, Shinsuke's group. Tana/Shibata will blatantly decide A Block on finals night, and with him going over Devitt and showing off a new finisher (and Go To Sleep really suits him) plus the points he'll pick up from the Goto default, it's hard to look past Shibata. However on the night, my heart will find it difficult to accept Tana losing a 4th time this year, so I'm going to stick with my Tanahashi vs Nakamura prediction, even if it elevates nobody. I firmly believe that their match is destined to be a G1 final and with Okada as champion, there's never been a better time.

 

Although head says Shibata takes the lot.

 

 

[close spoiler]

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[JNLister]

The final show will be available as an individual iPPV for $30. I'd say if you've been watching the shows so far through other means, it's a pretty fair ask that you order it.

 

http://www.ustream.tv/njpwsub

[Sixteen Degrees]

The final show will be available as an individual iPPV for $30. I'd say if you've been watching the shows so far through other means, it's a pretty fair ask that you order it.

 

YES! I'll be ordering that then. Thanks for the info Lister.

[Mr Butternut Squash]

Just got to Ibushi vs Shelton day 6. Benjamin is the absolute worse. How is he still so shit after so many years? Never has a wrestler had so much of that intangible quality about them that makes me not give a shit. Not even a cool entrance robe and Taka Michinoku can make this fuck interesting. I did like the ending of the match with Ibushi springboarding into the shitty Paydirt which felt like a nice callback to his match with HBK (his only good match?) with the roles now reversed. He shouldn't be winning any bloody match though.

 

On the other hand you have Davey Boy who had one of the most commanding performances I've seen of him in New Japan against Okada on day 5. Real fun match.

[JNLister]

According to my maths, after day 7 and assuming there aren't any three-way (or more) ties at the top:

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

Block A, Still in contention

 

Shibata, 8 (+2 to come from forfeit)

Devitt, 8 (eliminated if Shibata beats Tanahashi)

Makabe, 8 (eliminated if Shibata beats Tanahashi)

Tanahashi, 8

Okada, 8

Smith, 8 (eliminated if Shibata beats Tanahashi)

Kojima, 6 (must win last two matches, eliminated if Shibata, Devitt, Makabe, Goto, or Smith win another match)

 

Block A, Eliminated

 

Ishii (can only tie with Shibata, lost to him)

Archer (can't catch Shibata)

Goto (withdrawn)

 

Block B, Still in contention,

 

Nakamura, 10

Suzuki, 8

Takahashi, 8 (eliminated if Nakamura wins another match)

Nagata, 8 (eliminated if Nakamura wins another match)

Ibushi, 6 (+2 from forfeit) (eliminated if Nakamura wins another match)

Naito, 6 (must win last two matches, eliminated if Nakamura beats Benjamin)

Benjamin, 6 (must win last two matches, eliminated if Nakamura beats Naito)

 

Block B, Eliminated

 

Tenzan (withdrawn)

Yanao (can only tie with Nakamura, lost to him)

 

 

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[air_raid]

So, did anybody else watch it? What did you think? It's half midnight here and I'm still buzzing out of my head.

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

 

Of the three G1 finals I've attended - i.e. the last three - that probably wasn't the best match (that would be last year's) but it certainly was the best payoff in terms of emotional investment after two consecutive heartbreaks. After a relatively predictable day's work considering New Japan's usual policy of "early group matches cut the legs off anybody else that can make the final making the last match in each block an effective semi" (and I nearly wept when I realized it meant Shelton would have to go over Shinsuke) it really kicked off with a good unpredictable final A Block match, and a smashing final. Not the better card than yesterday on the whole but what a fucking payoff. I assume Naito takes the NEVER belt off Tanaka in pretty short order but realistically there's no point in him staying champion of the offshoot promotion when there are bigger fish to fry. Still, a card with Okada/Kojima, Naito/Tanaka and the Tana/Shibata rematch would excellent for a B show.

 

 

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[Sixteen Degrees]

So, did anybody else watch it? What did you think? It's half midnight here and I'm still buzzing out of my head.

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

 

Of the three G1 finals I've attended - i.e. the last three - that probably wasn't the best match (that would be last year's) but it certainly was the best payoff in terms of emotional investment after two consecutive heartbreaks. After a relatively predictable day's work considering New Japan's usual policy of "early group matches cut the legs off anybody else that can make the final making the last match in each block an effective semi" (and I nearly wept when I realized it meant Shelton would have to go over Shinsuke) it really kicked off with a good unpredictable final A Block match, and a smashing final. Not the better card than yesterday on the whole but what a fucking payoff. I assume Naito takes the NEVER belt off Tanaka in pretty short order but realistically there's no point in him staying champion of the offshoot promotion when there are bigger fish to fry. Still, a card with Okada/Kojima, Naito/Tanaka and the Tana/Shibata rematch would excellent for a B show.

 

 

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I watched it live this morning. I did really enjoy it. Probably not the best day for this years tour but very good none the less.

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

When Naito vs. Anderson became the last match for Group B it pretty much took a lot of surprise out of it. It looked obvious that Shelton would beat Nakamura & that Naito would beat Anderson. As Shibata vs. Naito looked like too much of a clash I expected Tanahashi to win Block A. Tanahashi vs. Shibata was very enjoyable and I really want to see a rematch. How was the pop for Naito at the end live? This did a good job getting him over but he still looks a little rusty. At least he didn't look as lost as he can do in the main event (he has this deer in the headlights look sometimes).

 

A mate said that Naito winning it is a good way to retire the NEVER title. Since I don't think there's been a NEVER show since the title tournament I think that might just happen.

 

I agree that a show with the three matches that you suggested would be a very good B show. I wouldn't be surprised if we have an Ishii vs. Ibushi singles match this year, either in New Japan or DDT, after their pull apart after the 6 man featuring one of the weirdest trios in history: Akebono, Sakuraba & Ibushi.

 

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[PowerButchi]

Why do New Japan have everyone who you'd expect to win choke on the last day of tournaments? It does get a bit annoying and predictable after a while. For example, Kojima over Okada? Another top show though, that whinge apart.

[Vamp]

I'm not sure I could make it through all these shows, I really don't know how some of you managed it. I think I'd get bored as all hell. I just don't think there'd be enough variety for me to get through it.