NJPW (Discussion)

[PKThree]

They've already started this with David Finley, Henare, and now Haku's kid. Seems to be working okay so far.

It will require them to be able to attract international talent continuously tho. Finlay went since his dad vouched about New Japan for him, White went since it was a high quality training dojo close to home. Same with Henare (who was scouted by Fale) and Haku's son got recruited by his brother(s).

It's going to be hard to attract western talent just "off the street" since it includes selling them on moving across the world, work in a country where you (most likely) don't speak the language and live in a dojo.

[powerfulmgp]

A much better use of money would be to bring NJPW World up to the level of the WWE Network and FloSlam in terms of accessibility. Native English language and support for devices such as Roku and Apple TV, which make up the vast majority of the set-top box market in the US. Continue building the fanbase before blowing your wad on an expensive back-to-back in LA that will most likely lose money and do nothing to boost the companies position here. They're putting the cart way before the horse.

[RolandGunner]

They've already started this with David Finley, Henare, and now Haku's kid. Seems to be working okay so far.

It will require them to be able to attract international talent continuously tho. Finlay went since his dad vouched about New Japan for him, White went since it was a high quality training dojo close to home. Same with Henare (who was scouted by Fale) and Haku's son got recruited by his brother(s).

Its not like Kidani is committing to having 5 international guys in at one time or something. Its a general statement that they will be training guys from around the world. Which they are successfully doing right now.

[ScorpioCorp]

Interesting

[Mootio]

It probably doesn't help that they get an influx of international subscribers to NJPW World because of Kenny Omega, who loses and then announces he's going on a break. Okada vs. Suzuki might not be the program to keep those fans locked in and as we've learned from AAA's recent disasters, you only really get one shot at this whole international expansion thing. Now they're essentially telling those fans to stay subbed for two months until at least March when the NJC starts to get their Kenny Omega fix.

[suplexberry]

Japanese Audio Wrestling's latest episode had a great take on the slowness/stop-startness of the English language integration - in all likelihood they haven't hired anybody bilingual to do it, or outsourced it to a place that provides this kind of bilingual social media/video production work, instead they're just adding more work onto existing employees, who are probably not fully bilingual and struggle to get it done anyway. They obviously should hire capable people, but easier said than done I suppose.

The lady who does the on-the-road to interview seems capable (when she's not being patronized by Ricochet in that one clip that mysteriously went missing), I wonder if she's an outside brought in to do gigs or whether she's on the payroll permanently.

[Buzz Sawyer]

Now I think New Japan would have potential to develope a presence in America, but I think they're getting really delusional with this whole we're going to take down WWE thing. Are they aware of the things WWE has done with companies for over 30 years, even fighting the Turner owned WCW? If New Japan pushes this thing hard I know exactly what you can expect out of WWE. It would be more than just their raid of 4 names last year. I see them doing things like booking shows in the same area and time frame as any New Japan shows in America. I can expect network specials up against big New Japan shows. Or depending on what venues New Japan books their shows in I can also see WWE making attempts to shut them out of certain buildings.

Then there's the thing where he said they want to shop their TV around to cable networks for a cheaper price than WWE. What could they get other than stations where they would only draw viewers in the hundreds of thousands? Due to the low ad rates wrestling attracts networks are not interested in wrestling shows. It's been that way for a long time now.

I think New Japan should definitely focus on locking in their talents long term and fighting off any possible attempts by WWE to open up a Japan territory, but becoming obsessed with WWE at the level they appear to be doesn't usually work out in the long run. I think if you focus too much on WWE it eventually becomes a downfall. Look at TNA and their past attempts.

Could they use Ryan Seacrest & Mark Cuban as backers in getting more into the US TV market?

[GuestTimekeeper]

I was happy that the Okada/Omega video package had English subtitles. It was the first video package I had seen them do that with. I'm fine with them taking baby steps on accessibility, but English translation in as many areas as possible should be the priority.

[elloziom]

Him stepping down makes absolute sense, because after this match it was either rematch and he wins the title or he loses momentum. Now New Japan wants to be build some anticipation for him. I really think that in this time they should make him tour the world, because I don't think he can get any hotter in Japan, but outside of it, most of the people hadn't seen his work, so in my opinion they can easily do 1000+ (maybe one or two up to 2000) shows in Canada, UK and US (ROH or Rev Pro or whatever). I really hope they don't waste it.

[EvanDeadlySins]

Him stepping down makes absolute sense, because after this match it was either rematch and he wins the title or he loses momentum. Now New Japan wants to be build some anticipation for him. I really think that in this time they should make him tour the world, because I don't think he can get any hotter in Japan, but outside of it, most of the people hadn't seen his work, so in my opinion they can easily do 1000+ (maybe one or two up to 2000) shows in Canada, UK and US (ROH or Rev Pro or whatever). I really hope they don't waste it.

Definitely think he CAN get hotter in Japan. Once he starts speaking Japanese.

[Tigerkinney]

So a little bit late, and I'm sure all of zero people actually care But just my general thoughts on the latest goings on in New Japan....

I'm with the general consensus that NJPW hit it out of the park yet again at the Tokyo Dome with this years Wrestle Kingdom having a solid undercard (probably the most solid undercard out of all the Tokyo Dome shows in the Kidani era) and finishing off with a incredible four match closing stretch, where for me everyone of those matches was at least **** 1/2.

Would have I gone as all in as Meltzer, with the six stars on Okada vs Omega, maybe not but for me it deserved the usual five. And I'm with the Joe Lanza's of this world, who is just tired of the anti-Okada brigade who dismiss him as over-rated and overpushed. Of course people are entitled to their opinion, but I'm just as entitled to call them out on it being not just wrong, but deluded. That being said even with the great performance he put in during this match, he was still outshone by Omega but that's nothing to do with Okada and more with just how incredible Omega was.

I've also seen some whinging elsewhere on the interweb, that Omega should have gone over, if NJPW are serious about their International expansion. Omega was put over as strong in defeat, as anyone could have been with Okada having to kill him with multiple Rainmakers and Omega never able to hit his own kill-move the One Winged Angel. Besides the show's in America aren't happening until July (7 months away) and provided Omega hasn't decided to leave New Japan, he could quite easily be IWGP HW Champion by then and being the figurehead of the U.S shows.

Speaking of Omega's situation, there's always that wrinkle of doubt when someone decides to step away for a bit, that they are stepping away completely or deciding to move on to pastures new, but I honestly think this is just Omega taking a well deserved break during the first few months of the year, whilst Suzuki emerges as Okada's next challenge.

Speaking of which I'm both excited and concerned about the Suzuki-gun return. On the upside we have the return of Minoru himself, who only adds further depth to New Japan's main event scene and K.E.S will feel fresh again being reintroduced into the Tag Division, but unfortunately Suzukigun also have a fair amount of deadwood in their ranks and I really don't want to see the likes of Iizuka and his stupid iron-glove and Taichi stinking it up anywhere on the card or matches being over-run by garbage interference.

Also how awesome is the Junior Division looking for 2017? With KUSHIDA, Hiromu Takahashi, Ricochet, Will Ospreay and BUSHI already established as a strong top 5, it now looks we are having Dragon Lee put into that mix and with what looks to be an upcoming Hiromu vs Lee match for the Junior belt not appearing on the Fantasticamania shows, it looks like Dragon Lee is sticking around for the year.

[ayaashm]

I made a thing. If you enjoy it, like, and subscribe, I will make more things like it. I probably will anyway, but it'd be nice.

TYB. please do more of these!

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[steve]

This time last year I was questioning whether I should work out how to unsubscribe from NJPWWorld, They'd just lost two of my favorite performers in AJ and Nakamura.

1 year later I can even argue that New Japan is stronger. GoD had a rocky road, but they are better than Gallows and Anderson (I have to be honest, all the swearing in their match just made me laugh so much). I thought AJ could not be replaced and in 2015 was the best wrestler in the world; but Kenny has more than stepped into his shoes. And while IMO Nakamura languishes in NXT, Naito has blown through New Japan. In all honesty, I'd take Nakamura back in a heartbeat, but there were times he looked unchallenged and unfilled.

More so than ever, 2017's spend on NJPWWorld looks the best value for money available in wrestling.

[Jacob's Bawks]

I want everyone's predictions the upcoming title programs:

1. Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki: For me, I think Suzuki has a 100% chance of winning this. Okada's hurt, he's been champ a while, and I think Suzuki winning would lead to a great match with Omega so he could win when he returns and not burn the rematch with Okada so soon. I think he'll get one or two defenses, but ultimately I predict him transitioning this to Omega.

2. Tetsuya Naito vs. Michael Elgin: Naito seems comfortable in the Nakamura position right now so him losing and moving into the IWGP title scene again doesn't seem right to me. Elgin could win the NJ Cup if he loses here and challenge the IWGP champ, but so could Naito. I think right now Naito's being established as the one LIJ member who can make a successful defense, but he could lose this on the second one like he did with Okada. I'm about 70-30 with Naito.

3. Killer Elite Squad vs. Ishii/Yano: Another one I'm confident on. Ishii is above this and this is above Yano. I don't think they're destined to be a long-term thing. KES will swoop in and dominate the tag division for a few months to a year. I think this is also really good booking though by having Ishii/Yano get in the WK11 match and not burn another GoD/GBH match. I don't know when they'll fight again, but this gives us a breather while they find some way to build for the fourth match between the two teams.

4. Roppongi Vice vs. Taka/Taichi: Usually you just flip a coin with the Jr. Title matches, but we just saw the satifying end of the first real story arc these titles have had in forever and you don't want to make CHAOS look like complete dweebs. RPG Vice.

5. HIromu Takahashi vs. Dragon Lee: Does Hiromu choke on his first defense like his stablemates? I don't know. Dragon Lee is likely staying for the year which means this probably won't be the last collision between the two in NJPW and KUSHIDA was none too pleased to see Lee come in and get the title shot, so they're already planting seeds for that match. KUSHIDA/Hiromu is also a money program they can protect until Dominion or the next Jr.-headlined Destruction show. My heart wants Hiromu because Hiromu (and because I'm sick of LIJ losing so many titles), but my brain says Lee.

6. Hirooki Goto vs. Juice Robinson: We know who's winning this. The question is though, who challenges Goto afterward? Do we give a BC guy like Fale, Page, Yujiro, or Tama Tonga something to do, or do we keep with the SZKG vs. CHAOS storyline and have one of them challenge? Goto said he wants to make this a true openweight title and fight Juniors, so Kanemaru or Desperado are strong possibilities.