The Puroresu (Japanese Wrestling) thread

Agent Coulson

FTR really are the best thing in pro wrestling in 2022!

Great PPV from NJPW today.

Lithium93_

Spoiler Warning

Kenny Omega/Will Ospreay set for Wrestle Kingdom 17.

Agent Coulson

Yeah for Kairi

Agent Coulson

Wrestle Kingdom 17 will be the true Forbidden Door event

Contracted talent from NJPW, AEW, WWE, NOAH, Stardom along with talent who work for AAA, MLW & CMLL all appearing on the show.

What a bloody card it is.

• Kick-Off Match: Boltin Oleg vs. Ryohei Oiwa
• Kick-Off Match: New Japan Ranbo
• Antonio Inoki Memorial Match: Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata &Togi vs. Tiger Mask, Minoru Suzuki & Tatsumi Fujinami
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: “Catch 2/2” Francesco Akira & TJP vs “CHAOS” Lio Rush & YOH
• IWGP Women’s Championship: KAIRI vs Tam Nakano
• IWGP Tag Team Championships: “FTR” Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler vs “Bishamon” Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI
• NJPW World TV Championship: Ren Narita vs Zack Sabre Jr.
• NEVER Openweight Championship: Karl Anderson vs Tama Tonga
• Keiji Muto’s Last NJPW Match: Keiji Muto, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shota Umino vs “Los Ingobernables De Japon” Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Taiji Ishimori vs Hiromu Takahashi vs El Desperado vs Master Wato
• IWGP United States Championship: Will Ospreay vs Kenny Omega
• IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Jay White vs Kazuchika Okada

The White Wolf

Muta had an interesting post match couple of words putting it mildly. Hope it doesn't cause too much hassle for him.

Headshot

Is Wrestle Kingdom on Fite.tv ?

J. Marston

Sasha debut was weak. A botch and a crap promo to awkward silence.

hynesie08

Well, maybe without the WWE production umbrella, it'll show up that Sasha's never been that good.

Cherry_Cola

Oof that fell flat. Not much good there either, song is awful, name isn't great, botched move, no reaction and she sounded awkward and congested with the promo. Hopefully they got enough Sasha stans to subscribe and make it worth it!

ThePott

Was definitely an awkward as hell debut and I actually like Sasha a lot.

The new name is a bit forced, Mercedes by itself would probably be better than the Moné thing. Feel like we got a lot of different pronunciations already. Mercedes Vernado or something a bit less awkward. Theme wasn't great either. She looks amazing even if the wing is a bit weird looking.

Then we have the promo, which just didn't seem like it was for a New Japan crowd but she was waiting for a reaction she was never going to get, felt very WWE tbh. Then the one move she did was botched. Not sure why you would break out a move you don't usually do for a reaction either, save that for your first match back. Had she put Kairi in a Banks statement and had her submitting and screaming while the ring bell is ringing we'd be having a very different conversation.

I mean these NJPW debuts have been awkward in the past and considering only some parts of the crowd can cheer it didn't help. Hopefully just a strange start to a good run outside WWE.

ebbsy

I have just watched the Omega/Ospreay bout and the problem I have with it is will anything else top it this year ?

RollieFingers

Omega/Ospreay was outrageous, gonna be very hard beat as match of the year. Kenny showing once again why he's the best in the business, love that he came out to murder Will, and that he had to bust out a Kamigoye as part of the final sequence. Hopefully we get the rematch at FD2!

Best WK in years, thought both junior heavyweight matches and the main in particular were also very good. Was shocked Mutoh let Shooter have the spotlight.

Kills me that the best they had for Shingo was the Rambo though.

ebbsy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120067528#Comment_120067528

If it happens at again FD2 it would need to be the last match on the card.

cagefactor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120063393#Comment_120063393

No surprise. She is overrated beyond belief.

ThePott

Sasha (Mercedes Moné) is officially the IWGP women's champion after defeating Kairi at Battle in the Valey.

Thought it was a really great match, I think Sasha is a great wrestler even though there's been some backlash lately. Her promos are a bit awkward (closing the show she cut an awkward one too) but I rate her highly and this match was good. Be interesting to see how her reign goes.

Also worth nothing that Eddie Kingston beat Jay White in a loser leaves NJPW match. So it seems most likely Jay White is going to be WWE bound.

ebbsy

Just watched Davis/Ospreay in the New Japan Cup, a real classic.

Check it out if you can.

Agent Coulson

NJPW Strong Resurgence was a good watch with a new title on the line and two new champions champions crowned and Aussie Open having to forfeit both their tag titles.

Lots of AEW crossover

And probably the biggest news story coming out of it is Mercedes breaking her ankle.

Agent Coulson

I love NJPW promo's

https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1660782598853894147?s=20

Agent Coulson

Dominion this Sunday so I would expect Kenny to turn up and with Archer & The BCC on the card it’s nearly a mini Forbidden Door setting Forbidden Door and the on going BCC vs The Elite storyline in AEW

Agent Coulson

A great line up for this years G1 and with two big surprises in Eddie Kingston & Kiyomiya 

https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1665281513267793920?s=20

Agent Coulson

Stardom with a great card this weekend such a pity it is on the same day as Forbidden Door I would love to see what kind of reaction someone like Giulia would draw outside of Japan.

Agent Coulson

Giulia challenged Willow for the NJPW Strong Womans title this moring.

Hopefully Giullia shows up in AEW or ROH at some stage.

Agent Coulson

Official now Giulia will challenge Willow for the Strong Woman’s Championship at NJPW Independence Day night 2 next Wednesday.

My guess Giulia wins setting up for the return Mercedes to challenge for the title against Giulia.

Agent Coulson

Eddie Kingston is your new NJPW Strong Openweight Champion and now he goes into the G1

https://twitter.com/njpw1972/status/1676579783885598721?s=46&t=zRM2qWE45WHfQvIbvI7-0w

Giulia beats Williow to be the Strong women’s champion setting up for the return of Mercedes.

https://twitter.com/njpw1972/status/1676571428865593344?s=46&t=zRM2qWE45WHfQvIbvI7-0w

https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1676596237959667713?s=46&t=zRM2qWE45WHfQvIbvI7-0w

Agent Coulson

Ospreay just threw away the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship and replaced it with the IWGP UK Heavyweight Championship :)

Headshot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120970321#Comment_120970321

Oh interesting with All IN around the corner

Agent Coulson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120970592#Comment_120970592

I think it's more to do with NJPW now having there own US brand in NJPW Strong there is no need for IWGP US Champioship that isn't connnected to NJPW Strong.

Ospreay is the perfect guy to use to change the name of the Championship.

Agent Coulson

Only watched bits and peices of the G1 this year as I found it poor at the start.

Naito got a rocket strapped to him now.

Eddie Kingston seems like he had the time of his life and was living the dream.

juligrat

Naito is a true legend. And finally he gets a feud with SANADA and hopefully gonna win at WK

Agent Coulson

About time,

It looks like NJPW World is getting a complete rebuild for the International market and will be avaible on all platforms.

https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1701068546036625799?s=20