NJPW Thread

[DirtyDave]

Nakamura/Tanahashi being ***** is ridiculous lmao. Nakamura didn't even sell the leg. Tanahashi literally worked it over the entire match. Come on...I love NJPW and Nak but that's a little crazy.

ya i agree. Tanahashi did a great job heeling it up but nowhere near 5

[cviens]

For anyone who hasn't caught it, Prince Devitt officially resigned from the company after Invasion Attack.

Next iPPV is Wrestling Dontaku 2014 taking place in the Fukuoka International Center.

0. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Tiger Mask, KUSHIDA & Yohei Komatsu vs. Captain New Japan, El Desperado, BUSHI & Mascara Dorada
1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (c) vs. Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov
2. Special Tag Match: Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka vs. Minoru Suzuki & Shelton Benjamin
3. NWA World Heavyweight Title: Satoshi Kojima (c) vs. Wes Brisco
4. Special Tag Match: Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata
5. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
6. NEVER Openweight Title: Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Tomoaki Honma
7. Special Elimination Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, Tetsuya Naito & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga
8. Wrestling vs. Jiu-jitsu MMA Fight: Shinsuke Nakamura & Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Daniel Gracie & Rolles Gracie
9. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. AJ Styles

Also... AJ Styles is confirmed for the G1 Climax! Wonder if he'll lose to Okada at Dontaku then avenge the loss during the tournament. I am hoping Tomoaki Honma gets placed into the tournament this year. Dude is solid and has never had the chance. Ishii needs to be in there again, especially after his hard work last year. If anyone from CMLL is considered, I'd love to see La Sombra or Rush in the G1 again. I've also been wondering if a NOAH talent will come over for the tournament with their recent working relationship.

[Hellfont93]

Looks like a pretty solid card! but one thing... Wes Brisco?! WTF?!

[ICHIFUJI]

He is booked not as former TNA roster.
New Japan tells first was Wes Brisco is nephew of WWE agent.

[Northwoods_Nightmare]

Looks like a pretty solid card! but one thing... Wes Brisco?! WTF?!

Haha. This is the reaction every single time they announce who the NWA representative is.

[Big Red Machine]

Nakamura/Tanahashi being ***** is ridiculous lmao. Nakamura didn't even sell the leg. Tanahashi literally worked it over the entire match. Come on...I love NJPW and Nak but that's a little crazy.

He definitely sold his leg. He knew Boma Ye was his best chance to win and he fought through the pain to hit the move, then almost immediately went down clutching his knee in pain every time. How can you possibly criticize the selling in this match while praising that Ishii-Shibata sh*tfest so much?

[DieHard]

NJPW Invasion Attack 2014 Review:

The Young Bucks(c) vs. Kota Ibushi and El Desperado: ***1/4

Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata, and Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Minoru Suzuki, TAKA Michinoku, and Taichi: **1/4

Rob Conway and Jax Dane(c) vs. Ten-Koji: **1/2

Takashi Iizuka and Toru Yano vs. Daniel and Rolles Gracie: 1/4*

Prince Devitt vs. Ryusuke Taguchi: ***1/2

Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga vs. Kazuchika Okada and YOSHI-HASHI: **1/4

Tomohiro Ishii(c) vs. Tetsuya Naito: ***3/4

Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson(c) vs. Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata: ***1/2

Hiroshi Tanahashi(c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: ***1/2

First NJPW show I've seen in a long time. I think since WK. To be honest, I don't care about the product too much atm. I HATE HATE HATE the talents they bring from US, I don't like the way they're using Bullett Club and the Main Event/IC scene is stale. Still, a solid show with Ishii/Naito being the MOTN.

[ROHFan25]

Main Event/IC scene kind of has to be stale right now. The IC belt is almost on level with the Heavyweight belt, and there's only so many main eventers left for Okada to face. Thankfully AJ has been brought in. Only real money matches left for Okada are Nakamura and Shibata...and the Shibata match most likely won't ever happen.

IC belt is stale because of the Nakamura/Tanahashi feud which was used to elevate the shit out of that belt. Bullet Club is fresh now with no Devitt.

I do agree with the US talent thing though. The NWA stuff is fucking ridiculous. Dontaku looks like it's going to be fucking terrible other than AJ/Okada and Ishii/Honma.

[Northwoods_Nightmare]

Hopefully AJ's matches don't have endless Bullet Club interference like Devitt had.

[JTCole]

Hopefully AJ's matches don't have endless Bullet Club interference like Devitt had.

I can almost guarantee the entire BC will interfere at the May 3 show if AJ does win just so Okada saves face.

BTW, if Styles is champ going into ROH WotW will that be the first time two gaijin's face each other for the IWGP Title?

[Hellfont93]

Hopefully AJ's matches don't have endless Bullet Club interference like Devitt had.

I can almost guarantee the entire BC will interfere at the May 3 show if AJ does win just so Okada saves face.

BTW, if Styles is champ going into ROH WotW will that be the first time two gaijin's face each other for the IWGP Title?

Lesnar/Angle possibly? that may have been unsanctioned though.

[ICHIFUJI]

Lesnar/Tensai 2006 May 2nd

[JTCole]

Lesnar/Tensai 2006 May 2nd

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ihswwqHL9kc

Yikes, that wasn't very good.

[cviens]

Scott Norton defended it twice in WCW in squashes. One against Van Hammer, the other against Lodi. During his reign that lasted over a year, Vader defended against Stan Hansen twice and against Bam Bam Bigelow once. In 1989 Vader and Salman Hashimikov exchanged the title.

[DBSommer]

Scott Norton defended it twice in WCW in squashes. One against Van Hammer, the other against Lodi. During his reign that lasted over a year, Vader defended against Stan Hansen twice and against Bam Bam Bigelow once. In 1989 Vader and Salman Hashimikov exchanged the title.

I thought Norton had defended it against some NA guys. Forgot about Hashimikov's reign since he was so bland. I have no idea what people liked him outside of Russians enjoying a rub for their country.

[Northwoods_Nightmare]

Hopefully AJ's matches don't have endless Bullet Club interference like Devitt had.

I can almost guarantee the entire BC will interfere at the May 3 show if AJ does win just so Okada saves face.

BTW, if Styles is champ going into ROH WotW will that be the first time two gaijin's face each other for the IWGP Title?

Lesnar/Angle possibly? that may have been unsanctioned though.

Sanctioned if you follow Inoki's claim to the true lineage before Nakamura unified them.

[DieHard]

Dontaku spoiler

Spoiler: show

STYLES DEFETED OKADA AND HE'S YOUR NEW IWPG HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!!!

[DXvsNWO1994]

Dontaku spoiler

Spoiler: show

STYLES DEFETED OKADA AND HE'S YOUR NEW IWPG HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!!!

Not really a spoiler, but yeah that's pretty cool. Sucks we won't be getting an Okada/Elgin Match, but I'm not going to complain about it like I know some people would. Still getting to see Okada in NYC so that's good enough for me.

Yujiro Takahashi joining Bullet Club was shocking to say the least. Isn't he the first Japanese Wrestler to be in Bullet Club (since their gimmick is a stable of foreigners)?

[Robareid]

I think it's a good move for him. I'm a big fan of his, and has kind of been stagnant for a while.

[ICHIFUJI]

Yes, Yujiro is only Japanese wrestler of BC.