Paid Members air_raid Posted January 7, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted January 7, 2018 Short answer, no. He's hammy as it gets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members gadge Posted January 7, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted January 7, 2018 I did like his bits in the contrasting black and white part at the end of the VT for the match against Jericho: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Jazzy G Posted January 7, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted January 7, 2018 My New Japan stream runs like garbage and keeps buffering so I find myself having to wait a few days to watch on Dailymotion instead. Although I should probably cycle the router one morning while nobody's in. Anyway, I thought Jericho Vs Kenny was pleasing. The Jr heavyweights 4 way was hectic and loads of fun. Some good stories in among the action. I was gutted by the finish of the main event. Tana Vs Jay White wasn't up to much. I watched mostly with Kev & Don doing the English commentary. I didn't enjoy JR & Striker that year. Corino was FAR too in-jokey and insider talky when he was there. Kevin Kelly does a fine job on the commentary, and Don Callis does a little heel commentator, but does the analysis well as well. He knows what he has to be. I wonder how much of the context is lost sometimes, and hearing the Japanese commentators losing their shit towards the end of a match is fantastic but, there was that lady on the Japanese commentary team this year and it seemed like her only contributions were to say yes now and again, and squeal in distress when something big happened. It did my head in. More matches with Jericho in New Japan should be good. I was wondering halfway through MiSu Vs Goto whether MiSu was going to do something horrible to Goto in their match, prompting Shibata to have to come and get some revenge for him. I know it wasn't going to happen given how bad a shape Shibata is in, but it would have been a heck of an angle. I still have a few other matches to watch. The six man gauntlet, Cody Vs Ibushi, maybe the inevitable Jr tag superkick fiasco. Loved the pop for Liger in the rumble. Nagata Vs Nakanishi was nice, and TenKoji Vs Cheeseburger and that other chap was a nice moment as well. Cheeseburger to win next year's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted January 8, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted January 8, 2018 On 06/01/2018 at 11:45 PM, SpursRiot2012 said: As much as I like Kenny Omega in the ring, is he much of a promo? I haven't seen much of his promos but just going by his little bit with Jay White at New Years Dash, he didn't impress me. Is he known as a good promo? If so, any suggestions on any standouts? His in-ring promos in NJPW aren't necessarily the best indication of his promo work - he has said in the past that he goes out of his way to speak in a specific way, and use certain words, to ensure that the Japanese audience understand him. I've not really seen enough of his promo work outside of Japan to know if he's any better anywhere else - like air_raid said, he can be a massive ham, but I wonder how much of that is part of the "Cleaner" character, which was seemingly envisioned as an anime/RPG baddy. I thought this was one of the weaker Wrestle Kingdoms in recent years, though that probably speaks to the strength of the last three years, where I was pretty confident each time that I'd just seen the best show I'd see all year. Not much on the undercard worked for me this time around; it feels like I've been watching the same Young Bucks opening match at WK for years, and the four-way and gauntlet matches didn't do much for me. Cody vs. Ibushi managed to be Cody's best NJPW match yet, while being one of Ibushi's worst, so I guess those two cancel each other out. Tanahashi vs. Jay White was incredibly dull - Tana just doesn't do much for me outside of being able to go all out in a big main event match, and Jay White is somehow who doesn't work for me at all, not helped by his new angsty teenager gimmick. Goto vs. Suzuki was absolutely class, though. Suzuki is one of my favourites, and it was the most genuinely vicious and sadistic he's looked in a long, long time. A few problems with inconsistent refereeing in this one, but that's NJPW all over. Absolutely brilliant match. Okada/Naito was good, though not overly keen on who won - until New Year's Dash, that is, when it at least became clear that they're still all-in on Naito. I just think that, as good as Okada is, they're getting close to a point where having him as such a dominant champion, and as someone so defined by being the champion, will become a detriment. Jericho/Omega was superb, much better than I thought it would be. All I hoped for from this match, once they made it No DQ, was that it felt more like a real fight than any of Omega's matches to date, and it really did. The most I've liked Jericho in-ring for many years, just a convincing dickhead heel with something to prove. This and Goto/Suzuki are probably the only two matches I'll look back on fondly in months/years to come. Moving forward, I'm not keen on them randomly having interjected Jay White into the Omega/Ibushi angle. The pop for Kenny saving Ibushi was huge, and I'd been predicting since last year's Wrestle Kingdom that we'll see Cody usurp Omega as leader of Bullet Club, leaving Omega to team with Ibushi to fight them off, and I really thought that's what we were getting. Unless the idea was to show that Omega was weak or had lost his touch by thinking he could solve the problems by bringing in Switchblade, it just feels like needless filler to set that up now, and the longer they go without pulling the trigger on doing something with Omega and Ibushi the less people will still be wanting to see it, if they're not careful. I'm guessing we'll get Cody vs. Omega headlining the Bucks/Cody promoted show and/or NJPW's next US show. It's not exactly a controversial opinion to say that they need to trim the fat of Bullet Club, and my first instinct would have been to break the Tongans away into a separate group, and break the Elite away separately, but that would leave Cody's version of Bullet Club as basically him, Marty Scurll, and some schmucks. So probably keep the Bucks with Cody, and then we can get a Young Bucks vs. Golden Lovers match in the future - which, while I'm not a huge Young Bucks fan, sounds bloody lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 (edited) I hated Callis talking about star ratings during Naito/Okada. Some insider terms, that's fine, it's a certain type of audience, but if Meltz rates that match less than 5 snowflakes then they all look like goons. Anyway, good show but I'll echo that it doesn't feel as great as the last 2 or 3, and lacks that "I've just seen the best show of the year already" feeling all those bought - I wouldn't be surprised if Dominion or whichever show this year surpasses this one. The Rumble was good. Cheeseburger is well over, needs signing. Nice moment with Kakihara. He's got a banging STO on him. Ibushi is the greatest in the world getting a really good match out of Cody. If Ibushi wasn't so eccentric and would rather sign a contract than shoot himself with fireworks in an alleyway in East London/moonsault into a ditch in DDT, he'd be a main eventer here and everyone would name him over Okada, Omega and Styles, I'm convinced. Four way was a fun spectacle but I think they made a mistake focusing on Scurll/Ospreay when, to me, the build indicated that Hiromu was the real star of that match. With him keeping being interrupted for title challenges, before finally being able to get his challenge out at Power Struggle, it just seemed like his time. Hiromu's flurries in the match were also the best bits by a distance. Hiromu should've won. Hiromu for life. Hiromu Hiromu Hiromu. Suzuki/Goto was superb. One of my favourite Goto matches. Jay White just sucks, no presence to him whatsoever. He has zero facial charisma and his "gimmick" was totally impossible for me to buy into. A complete flop and I have no idea why anybody thought he was ready for this spot. I now live in a world where Tanahashi has had the worst match at a Wrestle Kingdom and I.... I don't like that! Omega/Jericho surpassed my expectations by a fair bit, it was a blast and my MOTN. Seeing Jericho in this new environment and with less WWE chains on him was a breath of fresh air for both him and NJPW and I'm loving the thought of him v Naito now. Was a bit worried what Jericho would produce but he knew what was required of him, what a wrestler that guy is. Okada/Naito was fantastic but I fear simply having a fantastic match isn't necessarily enough in this company. Okada's weird trousers and the overwhelming sense that this was Naito's time meant I felt deflated when all was said and done. Okada's reign will go down as one of the best title runs of all time, but I'm worried that Naito may never gain the momentum back from this. All in all, that made me put it way below WK 11, 10 and I think 9 too. The overall card just felt a bit iffy - Ibushi could've been used better, Ishii was totally wasted and I'd much rather have seen a showcase from Nagata, who is still basically a guaranteed great match, than anything involving Jay White Edited January 8, 2018 by sj5522 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted January 8, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted January 8, 2018 Absolutely agree on Ibushi - I'd be hard pressed to argue with anyone saying he's the best wrestler in the world right now, but they're never going to make him the focal point of the company as long as he won't commit. Hopefully getting to work alongside Kenny Omega in some capacity will move him closer to wanting to play ball, as it seems to have been a dealbreaker for both of them one way or another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thevestofdeanambrose Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Must say this was the first NJPW event I have watched in full after getting drawn in by the Y2J element and I loved every minute of it. Kelly and Callis on commentary were superb, really helped me get into every match with me not knowing the background of each competitor. Its amazing what can be done with a little explanation and how every person in every match seemed important. I enjoyed this event more than any WWE even I have watched in I dont know how long. Jericho vs Omega was amazing, non PG heel Jericho stole the show for me. Great performance and Omega played his part superbly too and also I was fully drawn into the Main Event also not knowing much about either competitor due to my lack of knowledge on the Japanese market. NJPW made a new fan out of me this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted January 8, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted January 8, 2018 Still wondering what @AdamTH17 thought of the main event, at present your review reads like you switched off after Omega. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheapheat Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Is there a reason Ibushi isn a full time roster member? It seems like he would be very near the top of the card if he was a full time member of NJPW. Can someone inform me why he isn't? What is the benefit to him in not signing with what I assume is the most lucrative job possible in his hoe country? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 1 hour ago, Cheapheat said: Is there a reason Ibushi isn a full time roster member? It seems like he would be very near the top of the card if he was a full time member of NJPW. Can someone inform me why he isn't? What is the benefit to him in not signing with what I assume is the most lucrative job possible in his hoe country? Simply put, he's a nutter - in the best possible way. Look up some of his DDT work (Suzuki may also be on the same non-contracted deal as he had an amazingly entertaining empty arena match for the same company) and his day out in London for XWA He seems happy to just do his freelance thing. I dare say if NJPW gave Ibushi some kind of ultimatum like "sign for us or we won't use you anymore" he'd be moonsaulting off a lorry the very next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamTH17 Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 3 hours ago, air_raid said: Still wondering what @AdamTH17 thought of the main event, at present your review reads like you switched off after Omega. My bad, I had initially posted that whilst knackered and intended on a longer post covering Naito/Okada because of its particularly noteworthy stature. I'm on my phone at the moment so will only be keeping things fairly brief. I thought it was a fantastic match that will find itself overrated due to the finish and the winner perhaps not being the most popular of choices. Though I wouldn't rank it above the main events of the 2/3 years beforehand, it was still a really good match as you'd expect between those two. They started the finishing stretch a little too early for me, to the point where it was just flat out unbelievable. The booking is something I can live with. NJPW love their redemption storylines and in ways this felt like the end and yet the beginning of one for Naito. I don't think he's going to lose his crowd support, especially given their reaction to him at NJD - transitioning him into a programme with Jericho also indicates that New Japan haven't lost any faith in his ability to draw, as a feud with Y2J is going to be a significant factor regarding them gaining a greater foothold in America. I know he's doing a tour of America mid-February with the likes of Glory Pro and AAW as well, which could well be an attempt to register his drawing level in the USA. If there's any company I trust to get this booking right, it's New Japan. I also loved Okada's pants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted January 8, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted January 8, 2018 3 hours ago, Cheapheat said: Is there a reason Ibushi isn a full time roster member? It seems like he would be very near the top of the card if he was a full time member of NJPW. Can someone inform me why he isn't? What is the benefit to him in not signing with what I assume is the most lucrative job possible in his hoe country? He likes the freedom to fuck around wrestling in woods and car parks and take whatever bookings he likes. He's a bit of a free spirit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted January 9, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted January 9, 2018 (edited) Similarly, he turned down a WWE contract and the first booking he took afterwards was with Kaiju Big Battel. When he first started with NJPW, and had a dual contract with them and DDT, he was working three shows a day sometimes, getting the bullet train across Japan to get from a DDT booking, to NJPW, back to DDT. Everyone assumed that, when he got out of that contract, he'd go full-time with NJPW then, but he apparently insisted he'd only sign with them if he got to be Tiger Mask, and even when they gave him the Tiger Mask W gimmick never went full-time. He apparently had no idea who Vince McMahon was when he met him at a taping, had to re-record the finish to one of his Cruiserweight Classic matches as he got counted out through not realising it's only a 10-count in America, allegedly trained in karate for months as a child before realising it wasn't pro-wrestling, and as a freelancer lists his home promotion as "The Ibushi Pro Wrestling Research Institute" - something which definitely doesn't actually exist. He's said in a fair few interviews that he doesn't wrestle for the money, and apparently the purpose of the "Research Institute" is to push the boundaries of pro-wrestling, and ask questions like "why does it have to be a four-sided ring? Why not three sides?". Mad bastard. As for Suzuki, I don't know if he's technically a freelancer or not, but generally NJPW allow even the full-timers to take bookings elsewhere so long as they're cleared through head office. I doubt they see Suzuki dicking around in DDT as competition, or conflicting with his NJPW commitments, so they're probably perfectly happy to let him do it. Edited January 9, 2018 by BomberPat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TildeGuy~! Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 (edited) The New Beginning is Osaka card has been announced for the 10th February IWGP Heavyweight Title: Okada(c) Vs Sanada Never Openweight Title: Goto(c) Vs EVIL IWGP JR Title: Will Ospreay(c) Vs Hiromu Takahashi Yoshi Hashi Vs Tetsuya Naito Kitamura Vs Yuji Nagata Gedo Vs Bushi The Road to New Beginning on the 4th of February will feature EVIL and Sanada defending the Tag Titles vs Okada and Goto Edited January 9, 2018 by TildeGuy~! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members mim731 Posted January 9, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted January 9, 2018 Wait, hang on. when are we getting Naito vs Jericho and Omega vs White? Are they holding off for Sakura Genesis? Or have I missed a big show somewhere in the interim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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