NJPW World

[Linus]

I don't do star ratings. I tend to feel whether a match is Good or Not. And, since I'm watching the whole show in one go mostly, it's the show that matters more than the matches, if that makes sense? And I've really enjoyed the Korakuen Hall shows.

[paltaper]

I agree with and understand both the above.

 

I've only just realised 'my' ratings are more 'is it worth watching' more than an analysis of quality. It's always going to sound pretentious in some way, but it's like a scale of would I recommend it to anybody.

 

It's a lot of matches, giving them all 3*+ makes it hard to whittle down what's good if you don't have weeks of spare time on hand.

 

AJ by far and away the best guy in it for me. He's had better matches with hard work like Gallows and Fale than Ibushi has.

 

That said, and despite my dislike for him, I think Ibushi vs. Styles was the best match so far

Edited August 15, 2015 by paltaper

[ClassicsGuy]

Star ratings aren't a new thing, they've been around 30+ years. People can reject them if they want, but I find them a useful guide, 

[Guest]

I agree with and understand both the above.

 

I've only just realised 'my' ratings are more 'is it worth watching' more than an analysis of quality. It's always going to sound pretentious in some way, but it's like a scale of would I recommend it to anybody.

 

 

Yeah that does make sense for publicized ratings like these. I just keep mine in a private notepad file so it's not exactly relevant to anybody else, then I might rate the match/event on cagematch.net if I remember/can be bothered to do a small review

[paltaper]

 

I agree with and understand both the above.

I've only just realised 'my' ratings are more 'is it worth watching' more than an analysis of quality. It's always going to sound pretentious in some way, but it's like a scale of would I recommend it to anybody.

 

Yeah that does make sense for publicized ratings like these. I just keep mine in a private notepad file so it's not exactly relevant to anybody else, then I might rate the match/event on cagematch.net if I remember/can be bothered to do a small review

Forget Cagematch, stick em up here so we can have a gander, and a scrap

 

It's only really since NJPWworld started that I'm finding my idea of a good match so divergent to Meltzer. All those Young Bucks matches really amongst the best matches of all time? I think Meltzer, Pollock and the like are so busy trying to watch and cover everything that they don't really watch the damned match, just check off 'big spots' 'crowd into it' 'big selling' and that's all that's needed. If we've seen the same match 5 shows in a row almost spot for spot, surely it is no longer a great match? In a row, I point out, not like similar spots in matches spaced out time wise because that of course ads to them.

 

Maybe I just need a good kip

[Guest]

 

 

I agree with and understand both the above.

I've only just realised 'my' ratings are more 'is it worth watching' more than an analysis of quality. It's always going to sound pretentious in some way, but it's like a scale of would I recommend it to anybody.

Yeah that does make sense for publicized ratings like these. I just keep mine in a private notepad file so it's not exactly relevant to anybody else, then I might rate the match/event on cagematch.net if I remember/can be bothered to do a small review

Forget Cagematch, stick em up here so we can have a gander, and a scrap

 

 

 

I'll just feel embarrassed when I'm out here alone rating Takahashi matches 6.5/10 though

[Linus]

I do get uncomfortable with the amount of 4-star plus matches Meltzer rates. For me, a 4-star match has to be really, really good - great even. Most matches are around a 2-star rating, unless they feature Fale.

[Merzbow]

VoicesOfWrestling must be the worst for that, it's hard to take them seriously when they bitch about the lack of psychology in a match yet get give a Jr tag match 4.5 stars.

[Liam O'Rourke]

So pissed Nakamura lost. Goddamn.

[The King Of Swing]

I can see what they are going for with next years Wrestlekingdom but damn that result still stings.

[air_raid]

I can see what they are going for with next years Wrestlekingdom

 

Enlighten us? You assuming they'll just go Okada/Tana again and this time have Okada finally beat the bastard?

 

I wonder if the belt might work its way back onto AJ before 4th January rolls around. It might be time for them to finally pull the trigger on the Okada/Nakamura proper grudge match (as opposed to just fighting because the G1 has paired them together like their last three matches) and for that to happen Tanahashi challenges someone else. That has to be AJ at this point, surely. And it ties into my idea that they let AJ main event a Kingdom in recognition of how good he's been.

 

But probably not. And hell, if they do run Okada v Hash again, then WK X would be a fine stage for the first Styles/Nakamura match. Which I'm going mad waiting for. Support it with a combo of Goto, Ibushi, Shibata and Cunt Naito.

[KingofSports]

I devised my own ratings system some years ago. In a nutshell, I found too many lame/average matches receiving *** or thereabouts, leaving precious little wiggle room. The whole thing needed to be re-calibrated imo. I may have strayed a little to far the other way, but by & large the system works. If anyone wishes to read about it in more detail, there's a longer description of why it came about & how the revised/down-scaled numbers work + what they mean. It's here: http://puroresuview.blogspot.co.uk/p/puroresu-legends-arenas-promotions_22.html

...around two-thirds of the way down the page.

 

These are the shows I've rated from this year's G1:

 

New Japan - G1 CLIMAX XXV Tournament Matches
(23.7.15):
[block B]: Tomoaki Honma v Yuji Nagata *
[block B]: Michael Elgin v Kazuchika Okada *
[block B]: Shinsuke Nakamura v Karl Anderson *¼
(25.7.15):
[block B]: Tomohiro Ishii v Yujiro Takahashi ¾
[block B]: Satoshi Kojima v Michael Elgin ¾

 

G1 CLIMAX XXV Tournament Matches
(25.7.15):
[block B]: Hirooki Goto v Karl Anderson ¾
[block B]: Yuji Nagata v Shinsuke Nakamura *½
[block B]: Tomoaki Honma v Kazuchika Okada *¼
(29.7.15):
[block A]: Kota Ibushi v Katsuyori Shibata **½
[block A]: AJ Styles v Tetsuya Naito *½

 

G1 CLIMAX XXV Tournament Matches, 26.7.15

[block A]: Doc Gallows v Bad Luck Fale ¾

[block A]: Hiroyoshi Tenzan v Toru Yano ¾

[block A]: Katsuyori Shibata v Togi Makabe *½

[block A]: AJ Styles v Kota Ibushi **¼

[block A]: Hiroshi Tanahashi v Tetsuya Naito **½

 

G1 CLIMAX XXV Tournament Matches, 1.8.15
[block B]: Satoshi Kojima v Yujiro Takahashi *¼
[block B]: Yuji Nagata v Karl Anderson *
[block B]: Tomoaki Honma v Michael Elgin *¼
[block B]: Shinsuke Nakamura v Tomohiro Ishii **
[block B]: Kazuchika Okada v Hirooki Goto *¾

G1 CLIMAX XXV Tournament Matches, 4.8.15
[block A]: Michael Elgin v Yujiro Takahashi *
[block A]: Satoshi Kojima v Tomoaki Honma *
[block A]: Tomohiro Ishii v Yuji Nagata ***¼
[block A]: Karl Anderson v Kazuchika Okada *½
[block A]: Shinsuke Nakamura v Hirooki Goto **

G1 CLIMAX XXV Tournament Matches, 7.8.15
[block B]: Yuji Nagata v Michael Elgin *
[block B]: Karl Anderson v Tomoaki Honma *¼
[block B]: Hirooki Goto v Satoshi Kojima *¼
[block B]: Yujiro Takahashi v Shinsuke Nakamura *¾
[block B]: Kazuchika Okada v Tomohiro Ishii **¼

G1 CLIMAX XXV Tournament Matches, 9.8.15
[block B]: Karl Anderson v Michael Elgin **
[block B]: Satoshi Kojima v Yuji Nagata **¼
[block B]: Kazuchika Okada v Yujiro Takahashi *¼
[block B]: Tomoaki Honma v Shinsuke Nakamura **½
[block B]: Tomohiro Ishii v Hirooki Goto **½

G1 CLIMAX XXV Tournament Matches, 12.8.15
[block A]: Yujiro Takahashi v Karl Anderson ¾
[block A]: Hirooki Goto v Michael Elgin *½
[block A]: Shinsuke Nakamura v Satoshi Kojima *½
[block A]: Yuji Nagata v Kazuchika Okada **¼
[block A]: Tomohiro Ishii v Tomoaki Honma **¼

 

G1 CLIMAX XXV Tournament Matches, 14.8.15
[block A]: Katsuyori Shibata v Doc Gallows ¾
[block A]: Bad Luck Fale v Toru Yano ¼
[block A]: Tetsuya Naito v Hiroyoshi Tenzan *½
[block A]: Togi Makabe v Kota Ibushi *
[block A]: Hiroshi Tanahashi v AJ Styles **¾

 

G1 CLIMAX XXV Tournament Matches, 15.8.15
[block B]: Yujiro Takahashi v Tomoaki Honma ½
[block B]: Tomohiro Ishii v Michael Elgin **¼
[block B]: Hirooki Goto v Yuji Nagata *½
[block B]: Karl Anderson v Satoshi Kojima *
[block B]: Shinsuke Nakamura v Kazuchika Okada **¼

 

G1 CLIMAX XXV, 16.8.15

[G1 Climax XXV ~ FINALS]: Hiroshi Tanahashi v Shinsuke Nakamura ***
 

Despite the 'low numbers', 9/8 made it onto my recommended viewing list (not easily achieved) & in that particular case, it was for consistent quality.

Edited October 10, 2015 by KingofSports

[KingofSports]

These may be of some interest to New Japan fans. They're actually posted among other stuff on the NJPW youtube channel, but I've refined it down to "Public Exercise" videos. I quite enjoyed Nakamura's. Not visually exciting, but it examplifies the way he studies his craft.

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/NJPW/search?query=public+Exercise

Edited August 22, 2015 by KingofSports

[paltaper]

Loving the match rating talk above-we are obviously not alone in these thoughts!

 

From the latest Ovserver:

"Nakamura missing his bout with Michael Elgin with his elbow injury, and when he came back, he didn’t miss a beat."

 

Didn't miss a beat? Is there another Nakamura knocking about tht I haven't seen? Other than perhaps the final, I would say several beats were missed by old YEAOH.

 

Some interesting attendance from the last three nights:

"the A block final day on 8/14 drew only 5,658 fans, the company’s smallest crowd in the building since October 10, 2010, even with Tanahashi vs. Styles as the main event. The B block finals, with Nakamura vs. Okada, drew 7,557."

 

That's pretty awful for AJ/Tanahashi, but maybe people had figured out it was going to be a bad show? I though it was fucking awful bar the main event, so I guess why would you pay for that with two better nights coming up?

 

NJPWWorld subscribers: 22,000 before G1, 30,000 for it. Hmmm. I'm sure they loved the single camera no commentary experiences!

 

Anybody been able to subscribe to Samurai TV yet?

[Accident Prone]

I bottled out after day eleven; went to a festival, came back and saw that were more single camera shows and way too much to get through without staying spoiler free.

 

So i thought i'd just watch the finals. Pretty good, can't see the logic in the winner though. Nakamura had the PERFECT story going throughout the tourney and it would've been a brilliant pay off for him to win the whole thing.

 

From what i saw, it was a dissapointing G1 but it was more easy to manage. The single-camera shows were the worst and i hope they get their shit together next time.

 

Anyone got any matches to recommend post-day 11?