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[Sblargh]

Yeah. I totally marked out in the end. Ricochet was selling the arm so well and KUSHIDA was kicking out of amazing stuff. When he grabbed the arm on that second time I went "fucking hell, the fucking arm. That's it. Game over, man."

And this was amazing. Out of all the crazy aspots going on, it was this very basic concern for the arm that told the story. Very good. Most matches of the night had the storytelling thing down pat.

 

[British Monsoon]

Good to see Ricochet get his. He's one of the few flippy guys who I think really gets it. Kinda surprising he won though considering just a few weeks ago he was doing a WWE tryout.

I'm more surprised he won as a Dragon Gate guy.

Don't know how I feel about NJPW and their gaijin rubs lately though/

I kinda see the logic behind it - you've got the make the gaijins seem worth a damn if they're ultimately going to put over the home talent. They made the right choice today, though - KUSHIDA needs building as a singles competitor. He's not all there yet, as evidenced by the fact that Ricochet was that much more over than him with the crowd.

 

[Alucard]

Watching the match again, I may have to go back and give this five stars. I can't think of a way wrestling could possibly be better than a match like this.

My problem with New Japan, in my limited experience with it, is the amount of multi-man matches versus just singles contests. I feel like a lot of guys just get lost in the shuffle. I realize that's because of time constraints, but everything feels so bloated at times that it's hard to get invested.

 

[Data West]

Self-aware yahoo answers ruin everything. 'Haha I'm gonna make a funny ironic question on yahoo answers because its popular on the internet.'

Fucking Spiders and his people.

Watching the match again, I may have to go back and give this five stars. I can't think of a way wrestling could possibly be better than a match like this.

My problem with New Japan, in my limited experience with it, is the amount of multi-man matches versus just singles contests. I feel like a lot of guys just get lost in the shuffle. I realize that's because of time constraints, but everything feels so bloated at times that it's hard to get invested.

That's Japanese wrestling, bro. It's how they promote their big PPVs. It's why they put Misawa and Hashimoto in a tag match rather than a 1 on 1 because they know they can sell that down the road.

 

[Alucard]

Yeah, I definitely have to give this match five stars. I'd say it's the best match New Japan has delivered this year. Everything was fluid, there was a story told in the ring, and the match was botch free. And it was EXCITING. The crowd was into it. I was into it. And that final stretch...godDAMN.

What are your thoughts Bootaaay? How does this compare to the other NJPW matches from this year? For me, it's at the top. One of the most exciting contests I've seen in a long time, especially from a purely athletic competition standpoint.

 

[British Monsoon]

My problem with New Japan, in my limited experience with it, is the amount of multi-man matches versus just singles contests. I feel like a lot of guys just get lost in the shuffle. I realize that's because of time constraints, but everything feels so bloated at times that it's hard to get invested.

That's something you'll either continue to hate or get used to watching Japanese wrestling - unless it's for a title or a tournament, or there's some storyline grudge, you won't often see a singles match. Also, the multi-man matches are often used for storyline progression - in the 8-man tag today, for instance, you had lots of Fale/Nakamura and Yujiro/Ishii interaction, as those pairs are facing off in singles matches at the next big show (Dominion on 6/21), while two other random tag matches earlier in the card set up two potential singles matches down the line (Shibata vs Nagata and Sakuraba vs Suzuki).

 

[British Monsoon]

Yeah, I definitely have to give this match five stars. I'd say it's the best match New Japan has delivered this year. Everything was fluid, there was a story told in the ring, and the match was botch free. And it was EXCITING. The crowd was into it. I was into it. And that final stretch...godDAMN.

What are your thoughts Bootaaay? How does this compare to the other NJPW matches from this year? For me, it's at the top. One of the most exciting contests I've seen in a long time, especially from a purely athletic competition standpoint.

It's definitely top 5 for me so far - I'd probably place Ishii vs Naito and Nakamura vs Tanahashi from the New Beginning shows above it, but it's a close thing. I don't think any two wrestlers have told a better story in the ring this year other than maybe Bryan & H's. Fantastic work by both KUSHIDA & Ricochet.

 

[Sblargh]

I really can't in good conscience say twenty five bucks is too much for this level of talent, but... Well... I just wish I had more money, I guess.

 

[Alucard]

That's something you'll either continue to hate or get used to watching Japanese wrestling - unless it's for a title or a tournament, or there's some storyline grudge, you won't often see a singles match. Also, the multi-man matches are often used for storyline progression - in the 8-man tag today, for instance, you had lots of Fale/Nakamura and Yujiro/Ishii interaction, as those pairs are facing off in singles matches at the next big show (Dominion on 6/21), while two other random tag matches earlier in the card set up two potential singles matches down the line (Shibata vs Nagata and Sakuraba vs Suzuki).

Fair enough. It's hard for me to follow stories as is, being an English speaker, but I get the logic behind it.

My other problem with New Japan shows, and I suppose this goes for PPVs in general...is how damn long they are. 3 hours just kills me. I wish these shows would top out at 2.5 hours with 6-7 great matches instead of 9 that have some filler.

So good. So very, very good. Maybe my favourite match of the year, hands down, in any promotion this year.

Oh, and I thought Nakamura was a heel buuuuut...I guess not? I'm confused by the stables in New Japan with Chaos, Suzukigun, Bullet Club, and...some other ones I think? Tried reading their histories, but they still don't make a lot of sense to me with how they work in the present.

 

[Data West]

If you try to figure out AJPW/NJPW stables being heels or faces, you'll lose your mind. Watch here as the two biggest 'heels' destroy the two biggest babyfaces and see how the crowd reacts to it.

In Japan you typically only get booed if you're shit. Like Bad Luck Fatso and Festus.

 

[strobogo]

On today's agenda: Making a Virgil/Godzilla gif.

 

[Alucard]

Ricochet ‏@KingRicochet 3m

I just wanna give a huge shout out to @KUSHIDA_CANADA for the amazing match. He's truly 1 of the best guys I've ever been in the ring with.

 

[Alucard]

Watching the ROH All-Star Extravaganza DVD from last year. It's the one where BJ Whitmer takes a botched pile driver from Michael Bennett. Was my first time actually seeing the spot in action. Holy SHIT. Bennett has his head WAY too low. You can see the top of his head peeking out from between Bennett's legs on the way down. So scary. @_@ On the DVD they quickly jump to the next match after Sinclair calls for the bell and Kelly just says "He had no choice but to stop the match after that!" And they continue to the next match without the stretcher spot. Guys...I'm legit shook having just watched that. Sooooo scary, and amazing that BJ is still wrestling today.

 

[BronsonLee]

RICOCHET WON
GOD IS REAL
WOOOOOO

 

[strobogo]

RICOCHET WON
GOD IS REAL
WOOOOOO

God is dead.




And no one cares.

 

[Sblargh]

Interesting that you all weren't expecting him to win given how over he was.
Good on new Japan to have thrown a curveball to send the fans home happy.

 

[Alucard]

KUSHIDA dive.

The finish.

The celebration.

 

[Data West]

Wonder how far Milano Collection would have gone if he hadn't got injured. Chono made it come off like he wanted him to be the new Chono real bad.

 

[Sblargh]

By the way, after winning, Ricochet mentions white Pegasus. That's Benoit, right?

 

[strobogo]

That's a really stupid finish. What did the fireman toss do for the move?

 

[Sblargh]

That's a really stupid finish. What did the fireman toss do for the move?

Showmanship?

 

[strobogo]

It's not even showy. It's stupid. It looks like he forgot to kick on the way down.

 

[BronsonLee]

By the way, after winning, Ricochet mentions white Pegasus. That's Benoit, right?

Benoit was Wild Pegasus/Pegasus Kid, but yeah I bet he probably was.

Benadryller is a weird finish ya

 

[British Monsoon]

The Benadryller is hard to pull off right, but it looks better when he catches someone in the fireman's carry before dropping them for the kick.

 

[British Monsoon]

Damn, just read that Tomoka Nakagawa's retiring in December. Joshi's in a weird place right now, lots of wrestlers who've been around for a decade or less are retiring, while you've still got wrestlers from the 90s going strong. When people like Toyota, Aja, Ozaki and Kansai retire for good it'll leave a pretty big void that can't be easily replaced.

 

[ecurbj]

I'm probably a noob to this but I got a question. I watch WWE & TNA, unfortunately but I want to watch ROH and Chikara. Do they have subscriptions services or do they just have YouTube content that I can watch?

 

[Deleted member 47027]

Man last night's final sure looks like it was good. Goddamn.

 

[British Monsoon]

I'm probably a noob to this but I got a question. I watch WWE & TNA, unfortunately but I want to watch ROH and Chikara. Do they have subscriptions services or do they just have YouTube content that I can watch?

You can watch ROH's weekly TV show for free on their website, you just have to make an account first;

www.rohwrestling.com

Their big non-TV shows can be bought for about $15 iirc and they have some stuff on their youtube channel; http://www.youtube.com/user/ringofhonor

As for CHIKARA, they just started back up again, but you can buy the replay of their return over at www.smvod.com and they also have a bunch of content on youtube; http://www.youtube.com/user/CHIKARAoffice

Also, when they get back to doing regular shows, you'll be able to buy downloads of the events from www.smartmarkvideo.com as well as a whole bunch of other indies like AIW, wXw, CZW, AAW, etc.

Man last night's final sure looks like it was good. Goddamn.

Yeah, it was pretty special - they replayed it immediately after and I had to watch it again, great stuff. Easy match of the year contender.

 

[ecurbj]

You can watch ROH's weekly TV show for free on their website, you just have to make an account first;

www.rohwrestling.com

Their big non-TV shows can be bought for about $15 iirc and they have some stuff on their youtube channel; http://www.youtube.com/user/ringofhonor

As for CHIKARA, they just started back up again, but you can buy the replay of their return over at www.smvod.com and they also have a bunch of content on youtube; http://www.youtube.com/user/CHIKARAoffice

Also, when they get back to doing regular shows, you'll be able to buy downloads of the events from www.smartmarkvideo.com as well as a whole bunch of other indies like AIW, wXw, CZW, AAW, etc.

Thank you!!

 

[Mr. Luchador]

Lance Storm might just be one of my favourite entertaining boring wrestlers.

 

[mechashiva]

Damn, just read that Tomoka Nakagawa's retiring in December. Joshi's in a weird place right now, lots of wrestlers who've been around for a decade or less are retiring, while you've still got wrestlers from the 90s going strong. When people like Toyota, Aja, Ozaki and Kansai retire for good it'll leave a pretty big void that can't be easily replaced.

That sucks. I drank with her on bourbon street a bit. She was delightfully silly.

Also, f yeah Ricochet. Good on NJPW for crowning the true best of the super juniors. Makes it a much cooler tournament.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

I need to gif Tanahashi's exit from Wrestle Kingdom 8. It was the corniest, dorkiest thing ever.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

 

[strobogo]

Here we see Godzilla delivering a super DDT off a cliff to Mechagodzilla:

 

[slightconfuse]

kushida forever chasing . Grats to ricochet,

 

[BronsonLee]

kushida forever chasing . Grats to ricochet,

I would give it to either KUSHIDA or Taguchi next year, though Taguchi won it in 2012, soooo

 

[Kaladin]

WWE might as well forget getting the attendance record with a Wrestlemania again:

Country music king George Strait capped off the last tour of his career with an epic, star-studded final performance Saturday (June 7) at the billion-dollar stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play, dazzling an audience of 104,793 people with duet after duet with some of the biggest names in country music.

The attendance shattered the previous record for a North American indoor concert set by the Rolling Stones at the former Louisiana Superdome in 1981. (The Mercedes-Benz Superdome's website lists that attendance figure as 87,500.) More than 10,000 fans alone took in Strait's three-hour show from the floor of AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Well, they at least had a shot with beating old entertainment record of The Rolling Stones with 87,500, but they couldn't touch the current sports attendance figure which stands at 108,713 for the 2010 NBA All Star Game and now they can't touch the entertainment concert figure which stands at 104,793....both in the same stadium.

Wrestlemania III was 93,173....and I doubt Daniel Bryan is even that big of a draw.

Who am I kidding, they'll still run the Cowboys stadium and fudge the numbers anyway.

 

[lovely ladies]

Could we have the IRC channel again? Have a feeling GAF won't even last through tonight.

 

[jred2k]

Do you guys have E3 Command Centers?

 

[Macho Madness]

Apparently Cena's eye got busted pretty badly last night at a house show, may have knocked heads with Bray during a match. He finished the match, but his eye was completely shut the rest of it, and he didn't celebrate after the match and rushed to the back as quickly as possible. A concussion is feared because they may have knocked heads.

If both him and Bryan are out, that would be just terrible.

 

[Data West]

Cena could have a missing arm and would still show up for work.

 

[strobogo]

GodZandig.

 

[Plywood]

Apparently Cena's eye got busted pretty badly last night at a house show, may have knocked heads with Bray during a match. He finished the match, but his eye was completely shut the rest of it, and he didn't celebrate after the match and rushed to the back as quickly as possible. A concussion is feared because they may have knocked heads.

If both him and Bryan are out, that would be just terrible.

How terrible?

 

[somedevil]

Cena has wolverine healing ability so knowing him he is wrestling today . Wish Bryan had that gift right now.

 

[Macho Madness]

How terrible?

Panic button gets pushed, and it'd either be great or the fucking worst.

 

[lovely ladies]

Who's the 3rd guy in line? Sheamus? Reigns?

 

[Plywood]

Panic button gets pushed, and it'd either be great or the fucking worst.

Speaking of panic, the avatars didn't load for a second. E3 RIP

 

[slightconfuse]

We are going to get Pirate Cena . I can hear the poop deck jokes already

 

[Data West]

Who's the 3rd guy in line? Sheamus? Reigns?

Take your fucking pick

 

[Macho Madness]

Who's the 3rd guy in line? Sheamus? Reigns?

Too early for Reigns, THAT IRISH GOLD IS COMING HOME!

Realistically: Bryan and Cena would appear as they do now. Not wrestling, but still on Raw doing who knows what.