Essential Japanese Wrestling Discussion/News

[FRIED MASON]

From today's Observer:



JR calling New Japan

http://whatculture.com/wwe/cm-punk-work-alongside-jim-ross-new-japan-pro-wrestling.php

 

[Miracle Violence]

Punk would be a major long shot honestly. If he was hypothetically willing to work for NJPW, it wouldn't be cost effective to bring him in to do something as inconsequential as English language commentary. They aren't going to do the type of business on US PPV that would justify it.

JR I think would be a lock though, since he's publicly expressed interest in doing it.

 

[Honga Ciganesta]

A lot of people have said that the commentary is a barrier to them watching so I get where they're coming from but I hope there's an option to somehow stick with the Japanese. I'd be curious to hear JR but really the commentary has never been a problem for me, in fact it kinda adds to my enjoyment. Definitely a smart move to get people to try out the product though.
Inoki

39-year-old Mirko Cro Cop became a pro wrestling world champion under the most unique of circumstances. Antonio Inoki’s IGF show at Sumo Hall in Tokyo was headlined by Satoshi Ishii, the 2008 judo Olympic gold medalist, defending his title in a shoot match against Cro Cop, before 5,000 fans. Ishii took him down early and was doing ground and pound, but really not much. Cro Cop sliced Ishii’s head open with an elbow from the bottom. In the second round, the blood got so bad it was impacting Ishii’s vision and the doctor stopped the fight at 2:37. Cro Cop looked slow and there was very little to the fight. Cro Cop agreed to a rematch, which will most likely take place on Inoki’s annual New Year’s Eve show. The IGF does both shoot and worked matches on the same bill. The IGF title started out in 2011 using mostly former shooters doing pro wrestling worked matches, with Jerome LeBanner and Kazuyuki Fujita as the first champions. Josh Barnett may have been the first champion but he signed with UFC, which by contract, would not allow him to do pro wrestling matches. On the 12/31 show, they put Ishii vs. champion Kazuyuki Fujita and the match was a shoot, with Ishii winning, and Ishii this year has been defending it only in shoots. Pro wrestler Shinichi Suzukawa upset much smaller 38-year-old “Giant killer” MMA fighter Minowa-man (who is much smaller) at 2:59 via towel thrown in a shoot. The top pro wrestling match on the show saw Naoya Ogawa & LeBanner beat Fujita & Crusher Kawaguchi when Ogawa pinned Kawaguchi after the judo STO. Daichi Hashimoto, the son of Shinya Hashimoto, debuted in the IGF using a rolling armbar submission on Shogun Okamato in 5:51.

Antonio Inoki’s 8/30 and 8/31 shows in Pyongyang, North Korea, have gotten worldwide media attention over the past week because of the uniqueness of the event. It’ll be an IGF pro wrestling show that will combine pro wrestling matches, aikido and taekwondo matches. Americans booked on the show are Bob Sapp, Bobby Lashley and Eric Hammer. Interesting that Lashley is flying to and from South Korea for pro wrestling just days before his fight in Bellator. That doesn’t sound like the best idea, and hopefully he reconsiders. The guys who went to North Korea in 1995 for Inoki’s shows, even though they performed before the two biggest crowds in pro wrestling history, most considered the experience a nightmare and will tell horror stories about the experience. Well, except Kensuke Sasaki and Akira Hokuto, who met, went out on a date, and were engaged by the morning, and 18 years later are still married and a well known celebrity couple in Japan. The two shows in 1995 drew 170,000 and 150,000 at the stadium, although very little of that was paid. The stadium is being refurbished so this week’s shows are at the largest arena.

Those North Korea shows will be something.

 

[The Rainmaker]

Does anyone have info on what happened to the wrestlers on those North Korean shows on '95? Thing seems like

Nvm, found this Flair interview:

Flair: They kept us three days after the event — we were supposed to leave right after but they kept us three days longer. The thing that really disturbed me the most was that they wanted me to make a public statement…. that after my time in North Korea, I saw that they could dominate the United States of America if they wanted to. I couldn’t say that, you know what I mean? I can’t remember how I angled my way around that one but I did not say that. I just said that I was thrilled and honored to be there and appreciated their hospitality. They were, for the most part, very nice. It was just an intimidating format, the whole time. There was no misunderstanding that [the North Koreans] wanted us to know that they were a threat as a world power.

One of the guys over there [Scott Norton], apparently called home and said something that would indicate I guess that he wasn’t happy where he was, that he didn’t like being there, and they cut off his phone. I didn’t communicate to anybody… I brought my wife and kids to Tokyo with me in case I didn’t make it back.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/01/ric-flair-north-korea

 

[23Barrettcity]

Danshoku Dino from DDT unmmmm Can someone explain how he's a face
@Honga Ciganesta you seem educated breh wtf is DDT doing

 

[Jmare007]

Danshoku Dino from DDT unmmmm Can someone explain how he's a face
@Honga Ciganesta you seem educated breh wtf is DDT doing

It's fukking Japan breh, why wouldn't a weirdo comedy wrestler like Dino be a face?

DDT is a comedy/fukkery promotion that does have serious wrestling for big shows. You can find all types of shyt in DDT, from great-epic matches to complete fukkery.

 

[Honga Ciganesta]

Yeah DDT has some of the strangest stuff around, but even then Dino usually has me the most. HUSTLE had some totally weird stuff as well but you can throw on anything with Dino and be

I think Meltzer did an article about the last North Korea shows with some cool stories, mentioning how Sasaki/Hokuto met and got engaged the next day etc, but I can't find the classic issue right now.

 

[23Barrettcity]

It's fukking Japan breh, why wouldn't a weirdo comedy wrestler like Dino be a face?

DDT is a comedy/fukkery promotion that does have serious wrestling for big shows. You can find all types of shyt in DDT, from great-epic matches to complete fukkery.

Lol but if I'm wrestling him I'd be pisswd

 

[Lo-Co]

im mad as fukk i didnt watch japanese wrestling when i was younger. this shyt is amazing! shinsuke nakamura is that dude. he looks like a japanese danny brown lol

 

[Lo-Co]

ive watched NOAH here and there. what are some matches you guys reccommend?

 

[Honga Ciganesta]

Inoki bringing diplomacy, wrestling and bus pulling to North Korea



''Inoki, known for his distinctive red scarves'' No mention of the GOAT chin

 

[Beautiful Bobby Eatin]

Inoki bringing diplomacy, wrestling and bus pulling to North Korea



''Inoki, known for his distinctive red scarves'' No mention of the GOAT chin

You aint lyin. They really need to take his skull in for study when he dies so we can all know how to get our chin game up

 

[TrueEpic08]

Inoki bringing diplomacy, wrestling and bus pulling to North Korea



''Inoki, known for his distinctive red scarves'' No mention of the GOAT chin

Not sure how you can focus on anything but the chin there, honestly. shyt's a lethal weapon.

 

[FRIED MASON]

WWE's Tour Of Japan Unsuccessful, WWE Greatly Exaggerates Attendance Figures

Apparently WWE's tour of Japan wasn't nearly as successful as it appeared. While WWE announced attendance figures for their two shows at Sumo Hall of 6,176 and more than 12,000 (which is impossible because the building only seats 11,066) and also announced 6,048 for the Osaka show, the actual inside-the-building totals were closer to 5,000, 11,000 and 5,000, with the latter two shows including Hulk Hogan. The shows in Japan were said to be heavily papered, which is not unusual for wrestling in Japan.

On WWE's business website, which is prepared for stockholders and investors who follow the business, and where they report the real numbers, it came out this past week that the three shows in Japan did a combined total of approximately 14,000 paid attendance, or just over half of what WWE actually announced.

If the percentage/exaggeration/papering was close to consistent, it would mean that the actual paid attendance for the three dates would be closer to 3,670 for the first Sumo Hall show, 7,140 for the full house that they claimed and 3,600 for the event in Osaka.

So while it appeared based on what WWE originally claimed as far as attendance for their latest Japanese tour that they beat what New Japan Pro Wrestling does in those same venues, the reality is that they couldn't even beat what some smaller Japanese-based promotions do, and barely did half of what New Japan does.

 

[Jmare007]

WWE's Tour Of Japan Unsuccessful, WWE Greatly Exaggerates Attendance Figures

Apparently WWE's tour of Japan wasn't nearly as successful as it appeared. While WWE announced attendance figures for their two shows at Sumo Hall of 6,176 and more than 12,000 (which is impossible because the building only seats 11,066) and also announced 6,048 for the Osaka show, the actual inside-the-building totals were closer to 5,000, 11,000 and 5,000, with the latter two shows including Hulk Hogan. The shows in Japan were said to be heavily papered, which is not unusual for wrestling in Japan.

On WWE's business website, which is prepared for stockholders and investors who follow the business, and where they report the real numbers, it came out this past week that the three shows in Japan did a combined total of approximately 14,000 paid attendance, or just over half of what WWE actually announced.

If the percentage/exaggeration/papering was close to consistent, it would mean that the actual paid attendance for the three dates would be closer to 3,670 for the first Sumo Hall show, 7,140 for the full house that they claimed and 3,600 for the event in Osaka.

Japanese promotions lie about their attendances all the time, and so does WWE. Every damn live TV show they have (RAW or PPV) they boost the attendance figure, even if it is a sellout

They real bad number is the first Sumo Hall show. Less than 4k is a complete bomb for a WWE big international show. The other two are fine and WWE doing typical carny shyt.

So while it appeared based on what WWE originally claimed as far as attendance for their latest Japanese tour that they beat what New Japan Pro Wrestling does in those same venues, the reality is that they couldn't even beat what some smaller Japanese-based promotions do, and barely did half of what New Japan does.

The reality my ass, no damn puro promotion is pulling those numbers unless their name is New Japan, Dragon Gate or the big "Peter Pan" DDT show. fukk out of here with "smaller japanese-based promotions" do better than that. Wrestling is still in the fukking shytter in Japan - no matter how Meltzer pimps New Japan shows and matches - and companies doing more than 4,000 paid for shows is sadly the exception and not the rule.

Nothing against you breh, but sites likes rajah piss me the fukk off when they come out with stuff like this.