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Pro Wrestling Forum >> Official Puroresu News/Discussion/Video Thread
| 3/21/12 7:58 PM | |
grizz632
196 
Edited: 03/21/12 7:57 PM Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 4980 |
Long time coming, but here it is. Want to know what's going on in any feds today? Want to reminisce about '90s All Japan? Or about how amazing the NJPW junior scene was back in the day? Looking for matches, or want to share your favorite matches? Anything you want to talk about in the world of Japanese wrestling, fire away! Let the discussion and videos rain down with the fury of a thousand Kazuchika Okada Rainmakers!! |
| 3/21/12 9:56 PM | |
Enamoratu
129
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 820 |
Subbed for when I get home. Vids forthcoming! |
| 3/21/12 11:50 PM | |
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grizz632
196
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 4981 |
I'll start it off with a good one from just a few weeks ago. Okada makes his first IWGP Heavyweight title defense against Tetsuya Naito in an early match of the year candidate |
| 3/22/12 1:42 AM | |
Beezulbubba
27
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 9323 |
Awesome thread. Let's keep this near the top. |
| 3/22/12 4:51 AM | |
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Enamoratu
129
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 823 |
LOL, damn you grizz!!! That was the vid I was going to post. It's definitely my match of the year so far. |
| 3/22/12 4:56 AM | |
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Enamoratu
129
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 824 |
Full version of the Tanahashi vs Okada IWGP Heavyweight Title match from last month. |
| 3/22/12 5:06 AM | |
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Enamoratu
129
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 825 |
One of my all time favourite matches. Steve Williams vs Kenta Kobashi. Even if you're not a fan of these guys, do yourself a favour and watch the finish sequence of the match (from about 26:45). |
| 3/22/12 5:15 AM | |
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Enamoratu
129
Edited: 03/22/12 5:16 AM Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 826 |
Shinya Hashimto vs MMA legend Nokuhiko Takada at Battle Formation 1996. For those that aren't familiar with the back story, Takada was from the UWFi promotion who sort of/kind of invaded New Japan. Eric Bischoff has noted this as being the inspiration for the nWo. Anyway, Takada bad beaten Keiji Mutoh (aka The Great Muta) for the IWGP title 5 months earlier using his shoot style. This is Hashimoto attempting to regain the belt for NJPW. PS - Sorry about the shitty video quality. |
| 3/22/12 12:02 PM | |
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grizz632
196
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 4982 |
Hashimoto was really something. You'd never think it by looking at the guy, but he could really go. Unfortunately I don't think he gets the props he deserves due to his untimely death. I always thought it was funny that Hashimoto was trying to regain New Japan's honor in this match, when soon after, and for the last decade or so off and on, NJPW and Hashimoto's Zero-1 would take turns invading each other 
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| 3/22/12 2:17 PM | |
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Tom Lawlor
259
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 4178 |
how is AJPW doing these days? Who is running things? Major storylines/factions/etc? i used to follow Puro a lot more, and always had a soft spot in my heart for them after the NOAH split
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| 3/22/12 3:00 PM | |
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grizz632
196
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 4983 |
AJPW is still chugging along, but they've been a bit of a mess since the scandal last year after Nobukazu Hirai was almost beat to death by Taru backstage after a match. As a result of that incident Muto resigned as president and their major heel faction, Voodoo Murders, was disbanded. Almost all their title belts are held by outsiders currently, and they're a bit thin on homegrown talent, but they're still drawing decently. Not on the NJPW level, probably not even on the Dragon Gate level, but they're in ok shape. Shuji Kondo is booking for them now I believe, and Akiyama has the Triple Crown
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| 3/22/12 6:49 PM | |
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Stryfe
37
Member Since: 11/5/06 Posts: 1017 |
Thank you for starting this |
| 3/22/12 7:52 PM | |
Moneyweight
188
Member Since: 7/30/10 Posts: 557 |
Lets def keep this toward the top! I'll post a vid when I get home. Grizz, you mention Voodoo Murderers disbanded.. Was wondering if Rene was still with the company and what's his angle. Thanks 
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| 3/22/12 8:13 PM | |
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Tom Lawlor
259
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 4180 |
holy shit, Akiyama is the TC champ? Think about that....crazy.
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| 3/22/12 8:13 PM | |
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grizz632
196
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 4987 |
Dupree hasn't been around much since the Voodoo Murders death sentence. When they killed Voodoo Murders they also suspended all the Japanese members, but the gaijin weren't suspended if I remember correctly. He was teaming with Joe Doering a bunch after that, but I don't remember seeing him at all since the "All Together" show last summer. I haven't watched that much All Japan in the last year or two though, so I may be wrong about that |
| 3/22/12 8:19 PM | |
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grizz632
196
Edited: 03/22/12 8:24 PM Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 4988 |
Tom Lawlor - holy shit, Akiyama is the TC champ? Think about that....crazy. Yep, pretty interesting. It's a long time coming though, I actually might say it came too late 
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| 3/22/12 8:44 PM | |
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grizz632
196
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 4989 |
And since current AJPW has been a topic of interest today, enjoy a heavyweight slugfest from this January 2nd's Korakuen show between former Voodoo Murders kingpin Suwama and Big Japan's resident badass and brick shithouse Daisuke Sekimoto |
| 3/22/12 10:29 PM | |
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Enamoratu
129
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 828 |
grizz632 - Hashimoto was really something. You'd never think it by looking at the guy, but he could really go. Unfortunately I don't think he gets the props he deserves due to his untimely death. Yeah, the dude could go. I think he was overshadowed somewhat by the other two Musketeers with bigger personalities. And you're right about him being underrated due to his early death. In America his death would likely have enhanced his reputation (like it did with Owen Hart to a degree). In Japan most reputations are enhanced as guys get older for purely cultural reasons. It would have been awesome to see him work with some of Japan's current crop of young guys. grizz632 - I always thought it was funny that Hashimoto was trying to regain New Japan's honor in this match, when soon after, and for the last decade or so off and on, NJPW and Hashimoto's Zero-1 would take turns invading each other At the time I did wonder why he was selected over a guy like Chono to be the one to dethrone Takada. After seeing the bout though I saw why. And him locking in a submission after hitting his finisher on Takada was a great touch by the way. The ultimate eff you to UWFi. I could be mistaken (too many blows to the head over the years) but wasn't Zero-1 originally going to be an nWo type of thing within New Japan (and owned by New Japan) that would eventually run it's own shows on the side to promote younger guys? |
| 3/22/12 10:36 PM | |
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Enamoratu
129
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 829 |
I was really digging All-Japan last year. The matches weren't always great but I thought the angles were all solid and I'm a massive Suwama mark. Personally I'd love to see a merger between All-Japan and NOAH. The split left a bad taste in my mouth and despite the great stuff in both promotions over the years which I've enjoyed, the residual effects still linger for me. |
| 3/22/12 10:37 PM | |
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Enamoratu
129
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 830 |
And on a side note, has there ever been a supercard with a better name than "Battle Formation". I think not. |
| 3/22/12 10:39 PM | |
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grizz632
196
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 4990 |
Hashimoto proposed the idea of having an affiliated promotion, which would have been called Zero-1, but New Japan rejected the idea. So him and Ohtani just started the company as an independent when they left New Japan |
| 3/22/12 10:42 PM | |
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grizz632
196
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 4991 |
Enamoratu - I was really digging All-Japan last year. The matches weren't always great but I thought the angles were all solid and I'm a massive Suwama mark. The residual effects still linger for both companies too. All Japan never really recovered from the loss of star power, and Noah never bothered to establish a new generation of stars and just relied on the old guard and are hurting for it now. I don't think there's any going back for either though Also, I'm a big Suwama fan too, have been since he first joined Voodoo Murders |
| 3/22/12 10:45 PM | |
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Tom Lawlor
259
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 4181 |
I vaguely remember there being a big bidding war for Suwama as he was an amateur wrestling star, or maybe it was just a big coup for puroresu over their biggest competitor at the time, MMA. Sekimoto is awesome too, I'm about to watch that match and can't wait to see his German! Do you have anymore on the AJPW scandal you were talking about? I have been out of the loop and missed a lot as far as puro goes it seems.... |
| 3/22/12 10:52 PM | |
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Enamoratu
129
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 832 |
grizz632 - Hashimoto proposed the idea of having an affiliated promotion, which would have been called Zero-1, but New Japan rejected the idea. So him and Ohtani just started the company as an independent when they left New Japan Seems like a terrible decision to me to let go of one of your top heavyweight stars and have him create a rival promotion which you now have no control over. |
| 3/22/12 10:54 PM | |
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grizz632
196
Edited: 03/22/12 10:54 PM Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 4992 |
Tom Lawlor - Do you have anymore on the AJPW scandal you were talking about? I have been out of the loop and missed a lot as far as puro goes it seems.... Basically, Taru and Nobukazu Hirai, who were stablemates in Voodoo Murders, had a disagreement backstage after a match that led to a fight between the two. As a result of the fight, Hirai had a stroke which put him in a coma for quite a while. After the circumstances became public, All Japan took action and suspended all the Japanese members of Voodoo Murders, who were present during the fight, for not stepping in to stop it. Minoru was the AJPW Junior Heavyweight champ at the time, so his title was stripped since he was suspended. Muto, who was the president of All Japan, also resigned his position due to the incident occurring under his watch. The suspensions were all ended after one month with the exception of Taru. Hirai eventually came out of the coma, but has some memory loss and may never be the same again |
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