NJPW (Discussion)

[Danwaka]

I'm kidding about Hall.

I do think he should come back repacked. He was improving fast just as he got injured, very bad timing from that perspective.

I'm kind of at a point where if Cody Hall just comes back and rejoins Bullet Club then that faction needs to implode a bit. They've got so many guys that it just feels like a mess, and given how Kenny's all but promoted The Elite as his section of the team I feel like it's inevitable.

Maybe if the Tongans split off as Guerillas of Destiny and BONE SOLDIER and Yujiro Takahashi walk away as their own tag team the unit would feel more cohesive. That way you'd have Kenny on top, Adam as the number two heavy that Karl was (yes I know he was the leader but he was second behind Balor), Cody as the young lion/bodyguard that Fale was and then Chase as the junior "ace" with the Bucks as the tag team.

That being said, I will be very surprised if we don't see Chase Owens and Cody Hall tag at least once in Ring of Honor in the next six months, given how that company has been doing things.

[dean3790]

I think there's a much higher chance of KUSHIDA vs Ospreay at WK than anything else for the Jr belt

It'd not make much sense. So let's say Kushida beats Bushi at Power Struggle and then Ospreay challenges him for the WK11 match. First of all, Kushida already beat him twice. And Ospreay would probably FINALLY beat Kushida, so you'd have two title runs in a row end with no successful defenses. Not really a good idea.

Ricochet and Kushida are 1-1 in singles matches as far as I know and if I remember correctly they agreed to have a tiebreaker in the future. Ricochet can lose and that won't really damage him. Hell, he can just win BOSJ later that year and win the Juniors title from Ospreay or whatever. But I think Ricochet-Kushida is a much smarter choice for Dome Juniors title match than Ospreay-Kushida.

I guess you are right about Ospreay. Collin on the PuroCast keeps plugging it as the BOSJ winner vs. Super J-Cup winner, but you make a good point - Ospreay cashed his BOSJ check at Dominion and lost. No real reason for them to wrestle again so soon.

As for Ricochet, while I think him vs. KUSHIDA would be amazing, I feel like he is definitely going to be slotted into a NEVER 6-Man match. Mostly because without that match, I have no clue where you fit EVIL/SANADA/BUSHI onto the card. It would continue the NJPW vs. LIdJ feud too, and I feel like they are due for a shot at those belts. The only other possibility I guess would be saving KUSHIDA vs. BUSHI for WK 11, and throwing EVIL/SANADA in the tag title match - maybe a 3 or 4 way vs. Goto/Ishii, Briscoes, and GoD. That scenario saves Ricochet for either the NEVER 6-man belts or a spot in the traditional Jr. tag clusterfuck.

[Rich Kraetsch]

I am only thinking it's Suzuki because I really don't know who else it could be. You are absolutely right that NOAH could not survive without SZKG. Who do you think the time bomb is then?

That's really it for me too. I just can't see it being anyone else. At this point, they've hyped it so much and shown it so often that anyone below the level of Suzuki is going to be seen as a massive disappointment. I could be wrong but I just don't see anyone else making sense.

As far as how NOAH lives without Suzuki, who knows, I guess that's not entirely New Japan's problem right now and speaks to a larger issue about the health of the promotion.

[Joe Lanza]

To me, KUSHIDA/Ospreay is the money match, so how they get there is secondary. Winning the title back from BUSHI would be fine I guess, but the told that story with KUSHIDA last year. Ricochet feels fresh, so I could see that, but a lot of that depends on what Ricochet does contract wise.

Either way, the match will be like 4th or 5th from the top, so it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme.

[Ferrante207]

Folks were acting like Suzuki was a foregone conclusion a couple weeks ago. Something change?

[dean3790]

I am only thinking it's Suzuki because I really don't know who else it could be. You are absolutely right that NOAH could not survive without SZKG. Who do you think the time bomb is then?

That's really it for me too. I just can't see it being anyone else. At this point, they've hyped it so much and shown it so often that anyone below the level of Suzuki is going to be seen as a massive disappointment. I could be wrong but I just don't see anyone else making sense.

As far as how NOAH lives without Suzuki, who knows, I guess that's not entirely New Japan's problem right now and speaks to a larger issue about the health of the promotion.

Well it's not NJPW's problem, but it would be Bushi Road's problem. Don't they own a large part of NOAH as well (and that's how they were able to do all this SZKG stuff in the first place)?

I can't see Kidani being ok with Gedo saying "hey, we are going to take the top heel from NOAH and leave them in the dust", considering that Bushi Road has an investment in NOAH as well.

[Rich Kraetsch]

The actual percentage seems to vary depending on who you're asking. My larger point isn't that it wouldn't effect NOAH, it absolutely will but at what point does New Japan have to say, "Alright we tried..." and start looking at next steps for NOAH? I agree they didn't really try as hard as they could have and they made many mistakes along the way but getting a star like Suzuki back in the fold is important to New Japan and shit, Suzuki himself is probably anxious to get back with the big boys, we forget that these guys are human beings too and would much rather work in front of thousands as opposed to hundreds.

[dean3790]

To me, KUSHIDA/Ospreay is the money match, so how they get there is secondary. Winning the title back from BUSHI would be fine I guess, but the told that story with KUSHIDA last year. Ricochet feels fresh, so I could see that, but a lot of that depends on what Ricochet does contract wise.

Either way, the match will be like 4th or 5th from the top, so it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme.

Wasn't Ricochet's cryptic "great news" tweet all but confirmed to be a deal with NJPW? He explicitly said it wasn't WWE, TNA or ROH. Here's the tweet:

[jesse]

I mean I thought people knew Bushiroad was footing the bill for Shiozaki and Kanemaru but I guess not.

[Dreamboat]

To me, KUSHIDA/Ospreay is the money match, so how they get there is secondary. Winning the title back from BUSHI would be fine I guess, but the told that story with KUSHIDA last year. Ricochet feels fresh, so I could see that, but a lot of that depends on what Ricochet does contract wise.

Either way, the match will be like 4th or 5th from the top, so it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme.

Yeah, that first sentence was my thinking. Ospreay getting his first win over KUSHIDA will be a huge moment, so in my mind it makes sense that it happens at WK. We've still got 3 months, so anything can happen with it

[Joe Lanza]

I mean I thought people knew Bushiroad was footing the bill for Shiozaki and Kanemaru but I guess not.

Exactly, I had this conversation with someone on Twitter the other day. NOAH has a tiny roster and half of the guys they use (SZG) are likely being paid by the NJPW end. Why would SZG agree to move over and then take less money? Kanemaru was brought in after the fact with the intent of adding to SZG, so if that is indeed the case it would likely include him too.

NOAH has stopped using expensive outsiders dead (Colt Cabana, Chris Hero). They replaced them with cheaper dojo boys (Andy Dalton, Kingston Eclipse). One thing not talked about is booking is more than storylines. Half the roster consisting of NJPW talent and no more outsiders points to massive cuts being part of the business directive.

[PKThree]

I'm still holding out for the time bomb being Onita. working one last time limit explosion death match in the dome

[ayaashm]

I just hope it's not Ryback. I'd rather take Aoki.

[Goat]

Wouldn't Occam's Razor point to Kamaitachi as the Time Bomb? Isn't he due back in Japan around then?

[Dreamboat]

I'm still holding out for the time bomb being Onita. working one last time limit explosion death match in the dome

Actually yeah I hope it's this, who cares about Kamaitachi