GDT: New Japan/Stardom Thread - Life Post-Okada

[SnS]

I highly recommend you all go watch Catch 2/2 vs. Ichiban Sweet Boys. It was one of the best tag matches of the year in my opinion.

I've yet to finish the whole show, but I assume ZSJ/Shingo was great as always.

+1 on the tag match.

and yes, I thought it was great.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Takeshita/Shingo set for WK title vs. title. Winner of that will probably face Ishii the next night at WD.

Jack Perry challenged Tsuji at WD as well. I was at the show and the whole arena chanted "You're a p***y" at him

Shota/ZSJ at WK is pegged to be the main event. It's rather controversial but Shota's my favorite of the Reiwa 3 so I ain't complaining.

Naito/Hiromu will probably be the big money match.

 

[Masked]

Takeshita/Shingo set for WK title vs. title. Winner of that will probably face Ishii the next night at WD.

Jack Perry challenged Tsuji at WD as well. I was at the show and the whole arena chanted "You're a p***y" at him

Shota/ZSJ at WK is pegged to be the main event. It's rather controversial but Shota's my favorite of the Reiwa 3 so I ain't complaining.

Naito/Hiromu will probably be the big money match.

WK is looking great this year except for the ZSJ-Umino match. Really curious why NJPW is going with that. They must have some sort of plan that will make it all make sense down the road. I'm sure the match will be fine but Umino hasn't had the kind of year that you'd expect for a guy challenging for the big belt at the dome.

All the other announced championship matches are going to be great. Douki-Despy? Junior tag four way? Finlay-Tsuji? Takagi-Takeshita? Narita-Cobb-Oiwa? All great.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

WK is looking great this year except for the ZSJ-Umino match. Really curious why NJPW is going with that. They must have some sort of plan that will make it all make sense down the road. I'm sure the match will be fine but Umino hasn't had the kind of year that you'd expect for a guy challenging for the big belt at the dome.

All the other announced championship matches are going to be great. Douki-Despy? Junior tag four way? Finlay-Tsuji? Takagi-Takeshita? Narita-Cobb-Oiwa? All great.

I gotta imagine whatever they have planned for the build to the match, the match itself, and the follow up is their best chance to get Shota going since he's a big part of their future. I imagine they're confident in it because ZSJ/Sanada or ZSJ/Shingo would've been much safer options.

With that said, if this is what they had in mind then I truly don't understand why they have him feud with HOT for most of the year.

All the other title matches should be excellent as you said. Really hope they got something good planned for Gabe. I'm thinking him and Sanada could win WTL.

 

[Big Poppa Puck]

SANADA joining War Dogs screams "when in doubt have them join the nWo Bullet Club" booking.

Doesn't make sense to me. Goes from leading his own stable to 'taking orders' from David Finlay?

Think they're holding out hope that they can do Omega-Kidd, but I think that's more likely for Forbidden Door than WK, doubt Kenny is back that soon. Omega might send a surrogate from AEW in his stead. Who that might be, I'm not sure. An Eddie Kingston return could make sense. Other than that I can't really think of anyone. Adam Cole? Jay White? Danielson?

 

[GKJ]

SANADA joining War Dogs screams "when in doubt have them join the nWo Bullet Club" booking.

Doesn't make sense to me. Goes from leading his own stable to 'taking orders' from David Finlay?

Think they're holding out hope that they can do Omega-Kidd, but I think that's more likely for Forbidden Door than WK, doubt Kenny is back that soon. Omega might send a surrogate from AEW in his stead. Who that might be, I'm not sure. An Eddie Kingston return could make sense. Other than that I can't really think of anyone. Adam Cole? Jay White? Danielson?

Eddie Kingston is out for an entire year last we heard.

 

[Big Poppa Puck]

Eddie Kingston is out for an entire year last we heard.

When did he get injured again? Seems like at least 6 months ago.

 

[GKJ]

When did he get injured again? Seems like at least 6 months ago.

May 11, so yeah about 6 months

 

[GKJ]

Mayu Iwatani beats Momo Watanabe in what some on Twitter are calling the match of the year.

Great-O-Khan also wants to fight Mayu next year for the IWGP women’s title

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Mayu/AZM for the title at WK sounds good, but I feel like they'll give them 5 minutes and tell them to f*** off unfortunately.

EVIL vs. Tanahashi is kinda lame on paper, but hopefully it's a fun, overbooked mess that makes it worth watching.

 

[GKJ]

Mayu/AZM for the title at WK sounds good, but I feel like they'll give them 5 minutes and tell them to f*** off unfortunately.

EVIL vs. Tanahashi is kinda lame on paper, but hopefully it's a fun, overbooked mess that makes it worth watching.

You’re probably right, but at least AZM is the opponent to do that with. I’d guess they can get to about 10 though, since they won’t have a long entrance to do.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

You’re probably right, but at least AZM is the opponent to do that with. I’d guess they can get to about 10 though, since they won’t have a long entrance to do.

True. Part of the reason for the short match 2 years ago was because of Mercedes debut.

 

[Masked]

Mayu Iwatani beats Momo Watanabe in what some on Twitter are calling the match of the year.

Great-O-Khan also wants to fight Mayu next year for the IWGP women’s title

This is looking like such a great card except for the main event. Shota doesn't seem ready to main event the Tokyo Dome yet. I'll bet it'll still be a great match but it's an underwhelming matchup.

 

[GKJ]

This is looking like such a great card except for the main event. Shota doesn't seem ready to main event the Tokyo Dome yet. I'll bet it'll still be a great match but it's an underwhelming matchup.

You’re probably right, but if not him, then who?

 

[Clint Eastwood]

You’re probably right, but if not him, then who?

I think the other option was Sanada instead of doing that match in England. Make it about Sanada winning the big Tokyo Dome main event that he couldn't last year.

The issue with that was he had a trash G1 so Idk how you could justify it. Rematch with Naito would've been possible but it looks like Naito/Hiromu is gonna happen.

I think they have something up their sleeve with Shota too. Maybe a big presentation change at the dome.

 

[Masked]

I think the other option was Sanada instead of doing that match in England. Make it about Sanada winning the big Tokyo Dome main event that he couldn't last year.

The issue with that was he had a trash G1 so Idk how you could justify it. Rematch with Naito would've been possible but it looks like Naito/Hiromu is gonna happen.

I think they have something up their sleeve with Shota too. Maybe a big presentation change at the dome.

They don't really have anyone who is a bonafide Tokyo Dome main eventer to match up against Zack in a fresh matchup.

I also think that this match is more about what it does for Shota than selling tickets. Does he join a faction, create his own faction, or just lay the groundwork for those things down the road? Do they put the belt on him?

I'm curious where it goes but it's no Okada-Naito main event.

 

[GKJ]

I think the other option was Sanada instead of doing that match in England. Make it about Sanada winning the big Tokyo Dome main event that he couldn't last year.

The issue with that was he had a trash G1 so Idk how you could justify it. Rematch with Naito would've been possible but it looks like Naito/Hiromu is gonna happen.

I think they have something up their sleeve with Shota too. Maybe a big presentation change at the dome.

They don't really have anyone who is a bonafide Tokyo Dome main eventer to match up against Zack in a fresh matchup.

I also think that this match is more about what it does for Shota than selling tickets. Does he join a faction, create his own faction, or just lay the groundwork for those things down the road? Do they put the belt on him?

I'm curious where it goes but it's no Okada-Naito main event.

They’re in a space where they need to build stars after losing so many of their top guys. They probably could’ve asked AEW for help, but that’s like what we would say about WWE at Wrestlemania where they would bring in the ‘real’ stars instead of lifting up the people who are there. Eventually you just gotta bite it and trust that you get a bigger gain later by trying to make someone now.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Gabe Kidd vs. Kenny Omega seems to be official for Wrestle Dynasty

 

[yahhockey]

Good for him. If things go sideways and it were to become his final match he may be happy that it was in Japan so I'm okay with him not wrestling or appearing in AEW before then...although there is an AEW PPV this week and they could insert Kenny into the Moxley stuff, lol.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Shota/Claudio for WrestleDynasty.

Douki keeps calling out Sammy Guevara. Not the most exciting match, but definitely AEW going the "we don't want someone overly valuable to lose to a jr." route.