Essential Japanese Wrestling Discussion/News

[Jmare007]

Daichi Hashimoto (c) vs. Ryuichi Kawakami



Well I'll be damned, this was way better than I expected it to be. The middle portion dragged a little bit as Daichi still has some issues mounting a comeback when it's not a tag match, but everything else was top notch. Probably Kawakami's best singles performance to date, dude was vicious and did an excellent job working on top. Really liked the finish too, certainly worth a watch @Don Ibiza Ibrahimovic

 

[Scottie Drippin]

Daichi Hashimoto (c) vs. Ryuichi Kawakami



Well I'll be damned, this was way better than I expected it to be. The middle portion dragged a little bit as Daichi still has some issues mounting a comeback when it's not a tag match, but everything else was top notch. Probably Kawakami's best singles performance to date, dude was vicious and did an excellent job working on top. Really liked the finished too, certainly worth a watch @Don Ibiza Ibrahimovic

I'm on it.

Also, Mike Bailey in the D-King right now is really showing off his growth. His match with Yukio is in front of a tiny, dead crowd, but it is fantastic. He also carried Takao to the best match he's ever had in his career.

 

[Jmare007]

I'm on it.

Also, Mike Bailey in the D-King right now is really showing off his growth. His match with Yukio is in front of a tiny, dead crowd, but it is fantastic. He also carried Takao to the best match he's ever had in his career.

Duly noted, I'm always up for some Speedball

By the way, are you as worried as me about Takeshyta? Seems he just settled for a style he's either not suited for or is not ready to carry yet

 

[Scottie Drippin]

Duly noted, I'm always up for some Speedball

By the way, are you as worried as me about Takeshyta? Seems he just settled for a style he's either not suited for or is not ready to carry yet

My worst fear for him has come true. There's just no one around him on a consistent basis who has any clue on how to work the way he should be. DDT has always been a jr fukkery style stomping ground. He is a big breh now. A straight up, legit heavyweight. And he's damn near by himself in DDT in that regard. I was hoping years ago before they got too tied into him DDT would let him go to BJ for long stints but it's too late now. Can you imagine what this dude would look like after one full year in AJ under Papa Jun?

Problem for him is he's on an island, and will basically have to figure out these crucial next steps on his own.

The HARASHIMA match from last year was ridiculous. The final stretch of that match was this big kid getting the shyt beat out of him and selling (and doing a good job of it) that he was getting killed. It just off. Shuji is the only person he wrestles on a semi-frequent basis that is his size or bigger.

You know what he really needed? He needed someone as smart as whoever it was in the DG office (I always imagine it was CIMA, planting a seed in NJ to see his influence dictate the entire puro landscape) who saw the long game and referred Okada to NJ when he was in their dojo. Kono's ceiling is legit puro megastar and I demand everyone involved in the decision making around his career sacrifice all their interests to make it happen

But then you remember the breh is only 22

 

[Jmare007]

My worst fear for him has come true. There's just no one around him on a consistent basis who has any clue on how to work the way he should be. DDT has always been a jr fukkery style stomping ground. He is a big breh now. A straight up, legit heavyweight. And he's damn near by himself in DDT in that regard. I was hoping years ago before they got too tied into him DDT would let him go to BJ for long stints but it's too late now. Can you imagine what this dude would look like after one full year in AJ under Papa Jun?

Problem for him is he's on an island, and will basically have to figure out these crucial next steps on his own.

The HARASHIMA match from last year was ridiculous. The final stretch of that match was this big kid getting the shyt beat out of him and selling (and doing a good job of it) that he was getting killed. It just off. Shuji is the only person he wrestles on a semi-frequent basis that is his size or bigger.

You know what he really needed? He needed someone as smart as whoever it was in the DG office (I always imagine it was CIMA, planting a seed in NJ to see his influence dictate the entire puro landscape) who saw the long game and referred Okada to NJ when he was in their dojo. Kono's ceiling is legit puro megastar and I demand everyone involved in the decision making around his career sacrifice all their interests to make it happen

But then you remember the breh is only 22

Spot on post, specially the bolded. Puro CANNOT risk losing a guy with Takeshyta's potential, they kinda already did with Nakajima but they at least had the excuse of him being more of buffed Junior than anything else, Konosuke is a legit heavy as you've pointed out. Can't let them waste his talent

I really hope he takes the Ibushi route instead of HARASHIMA's and decides to become a free lancer that helps DDT as much as he can - instead of the staying there forever - I can only imagine him having an invader run in All Japan and mixing up with Strong BJ

His age is still crazy to me, but Nakajima is also only 29 and it seems the ship has sailed on him, which is fukking ridiculous

 

[Scottie Drippin]

His age is still crazy to me, but Nakajima is also only 29 and it seems the ship has sailed on him, which is fukking ridiculous

NOAH crumbling, Kensuke office falling apart (and Kensuke himself falling apart), and the sad realization that no, he wasn't going to have a late growth spurt really seemed to kill Naka's drive to improve. Crazy that that kid's peak was basically a decade ago with that KENTA series in '09.

 

[Jmare007]

NOAH crumbling, Kensuke office falling apart (and Kensuke himself falling apart), and the sad realization that no, he wasn't going to have a late growth spurt really seemed to kill Naka's drive to improve. Crazy that that kid's peak was basically a decade ago with that KENTA series in '09.

Feeling old as fukk realizing the KENTA feud was 9 fukking years ago, dear lord

 

[stro]

Wtf I'm older than Nakajima?

 

[Jmare007]

He's 4 months older than me. Motherfukker was main eventing Budokan Hall at 17

 

[Scottie Drippin]

Wtf I'm older than Nakajima?

He was a baby family. Breh debuted when he was 14 like he was a luchadore Man was like 19 in that legendary Burning v K-Office elimination tag. Like 17 in that classic Kensuke/Naka v Kobashi/Go tag

 

[Jmare007]

Man was like 19 in that legendary Burning v K-Office elimination tag.

One of the most underrated classics of this century

 

[The Intergalactic Koala]

Nakajima was a goddamn animal in the G1. His match with Nagata was low key my favorite match of 2016. Shame dude is just because man....dude took a Shibata headbutt and lived to talk about it

 

[The Intergalactic Koala]

Watching random NOAH because of boredom. Why in the living hell does Kenta Kobashi got blond hair

 

[WaveMolecules]

One of the most underrated classics of this century

link?

 

[Jmare007]

link?