New Japan Pro-Wrestling 2021: Protect Naito and Ibushi's Necks

hahaha wtf?! Riki Choshu the happy dancing goof

speaking of wonderful NJPW vids, Hiromu has published his own hype package for the Sho match:

【100% Voltage】
最高の意地の張り合いしようぜ！#写真ありがと#Thankyouforthepictures#njpw#njnbg#ムォラ pic.twitter.com/zxeVV0k4W4

— 高橋ヒロム / Hiromu Takahashi (@TIMEBOMB1105) February 9, 2021

God, I love both Hiromu and SHO so so much.

I know not technically NJPW, but sort of related since he used to be part of NJPW:

GHCのベルトを獲った！！
体中痛いけど、自宅で勝利の美酒を味わう。@noah_ghc pic.twitter.com/dZQmhbyUFk

— 武藤　敬司 (@muto_keiji) February 12, 2021

transitional move only, presumably? i keep being half tempted to check out some of the big matches from the other Japanese promotions but idk if it's really the right time with COVID restrictions.

gotta say I've not been hugely impressed with the final New Beginning shows. Hiromu / Sho was the one I was most excited for and it ended up being far, far longer than it needed to be. I think if you boil down the top matches from all 3 of the main New Beginning shows into a single event then you've got a show worth seeing.

Castle Attack is also going to be two nights. the card for the first night is....yikes:

Hiroshi Tanahashi and TenCozy vs. United Empire (Great O-Khan, Will Ospreay, and Jeff Cobb)
YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tanga Loa
Hirooki Goto vs. Tama Tonga
Provisional KOPW 2021:Toru Yano(h) vs. Chase Owens
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jay White
Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL

Ishii vs Switchblade will rock of course but there is a whole lot of nothing on that show.

bit of a slow run for them atm. part of that is unavoidable given wider circs, but it's been feeling a little uninspired

with that said I like that Naito has decided that he loves the IC title after all and is trying to fuck up Kota's plan to unify the belts

Might be. I am so far behind on NOAH, honestly. I love Shiozaki and was sad to see him lose, but he had a pretty good reign.

I really liked the New Beginning tour as well, though I didn't keep up with it as much as I would have liked. I agree that Hiromu vs SHO was SUPER long, but I also love both of them so much, so I enjoyed the match a lot.

I'm a big, big fan of Guerrillas of Destiny, so I am actually really excited to see the two of them in singles matches. EVIL vs. Okada will probably be fun, but full of Bullet Club interference, which in Okada matches, I actually really like. Also, am hyped to see Jeff Cobb throw some people around.

Can't wait for Naito to win that IC title back and then immediately treat the belt like garbage again.

Man, we should have added a subtitle to protect Hiromu.

BREAKING: After medical assessment, Hiromu Takahashi's left pectoral injury will leave him out of action for an estimated six months. More information will follow.

LIVE: https://t.co/jRz0TtYVmE#njpw #njcattack

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) February 22, 2021

Hiromu Takahashi has officially vacated the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title.

At today’s Road to Castle Attack event, Hiromu came out to start the show. He said that for the sake of the junior heavyweight division, he would relinquish the title. He then asked BUSHI to wrestle in his place at Castle Attack on February 28 against El Phantasmo.

:(

https://www.f4wonline.com/new-japan-news/hiromu-takahashi-vacates-iwgp-junior-heavyweight-title-334201

This is the SECOND TIME he's had to relinquish the Jr. Heavyweight title. I'm glad the injury isn't as serious as his last one, but I am devastated. It's been a while since BUSHI has held the strap. I do appreciate that he's wearing his combo regular/Kamaitachi mask. It would be kind of cool for him to use the mashup music that he has with Hiromu (which I just realized last week or earlier this week is an updated one from their old tag music, and says "B-U-S-H-I-R-O-M-U"), as long as it means that he wins, but I somehow feel they're really high on ELP now that he's returned to Japan.

I hope it manifests into a triple threat between ELP, BUSHI, and El Desperado, who had a KILLER BOSJ match with Hiromu. Really thought that it was going to be his tournament last year.

Castle Attack is coming up:
*Naito and Ibushi messing with each other's knees. It makes me nervous because, as you know, Naito's knees are pretty much held together by DESTINOS shouted by Kevin Kelly, at this point.
*Goto and YOSHI-HASHI having singles matches against Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa, respectively. Tama has gone on record saying that he's pretty excited for his first singles match in a while. Night 2 of Castle Attack has G.o.D. defending the titles against them.
*United Empire going against TenCozy (in which I hope Will Ospreay gets pinned and Jeff Cobb realizes he's better than the faction).
*Hope Yano retains the KOPW trophy. I can't imagine him losing it to someone like Chase Owens (the least loved member of Bullet Club).
*EVIL vs. Okada finally happening. Feels like it's long overdue, but at the same time, I've been enjoying Okada in goofy tag matches, so I'm not really as interested in watching him beat up EVIL, then get beat up by Bullet Club (even though we BC for life).

NJPW Strong things:
*Marty Scurll was apparently seen around backstage at NJPW Strong. Personally, I think he needs NJPW more than they need him and NJPW could do a mini-jr heavyweight thing with all the guys they already have in L.A. and the outreach to IMPACT (Chris Bey, MCMG, Ace Austin, Trey Miguel) and MLW (Lio Rush, Myron Reed, ACH, and Low Ki), not to mention the TONS of people from the indies. I imagine it'll be a bad look to have Marty back so soon, and honestly, for as much as I really did like Marty, there are so many new wrestlers to discover that I haven't even missed him. There are others that have easily filled that same sort of role.
*In happier, more exciting news, New Begnning in USA is Friday, and we'll finally get Mox vs. KENTA, in which I imagine that Mox drops to KENTA before he goes on paternity leave. But if not, who knows? I'm honestly not sure, as I thought that Mox would lose to DBS Jr. in Bloodsport (still counts to me as NJPW talk, since it feeds into his continuing weird relationship with Suzuki-Gun).

We're hitting the ground running in March. New Japan Cup 2021 matches start at the Anniversary show!

With first round byes for NEVER Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi and 2020 winner EVIL, this is your official New Japan Cup bracket!

Who do you have? The action kicks off LIVE and in English Thursday on @njpwworld!https://t.co/2AmxlTn0ES#njpw #njcup pic.twitter.com/2t4CXnhLTK

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) March 1, 2021

There was an earthquake during last night's New Japan Cup show.

Holy shit, an earthquake has happened in the middle of the match https://t.co/YCKTFJJeYE#njpw #njcup pic.twitter.com/RmoktTtguV

— Ciaràn (@CiaranRH) March 20, 2021

Well, I'm devastated by the end of Sakura Genesis.

really no desire to keep up with this promotion at all with ospreay at the top. not just that he's a piece of shit, i can't stand his obnoxious mannerisms and his general way of being, and i don't think he's a remotely good wrestler outside of like PWG. don't think he would have half the rep he does if he wasn't a precious meltzer source.

I think covid killed something in NJPW and it's going to take a lot to come back from it

I have to agree; I'm glad that Ibushi got the double titles, and I'm glad he was technically the first one to hold the new belt, but I'm sad that Ospreay was the first one to win the new belt. Ospreay is the one thing I don't like about United Empire, and it's his own gd stable.

They do have some cool shows coming up, and Ibushi God knows that I am 100% 3000% stoked for the RPG3K return and title win, but man, I'm genuinely so disappointed in the upcoming main title scene, because I somehow get the feeling like they're going to geek out Shingo to further build Ospreay, and I'm just at a loss. This is going to sound mean, but Ospreay's ceiling, as far as being a performer, is mid, at best. He's not someone I would build a stable around.

I kinda fell off after the results of Sakura Genesis, but my ichiban is back and we're getting really close to Wrestling Dontaku, which I'm hoping will be a Bullet Club party baybeeeeee

Monday in Fukuoka!

Day one of Wrestling Dontaku!

🗡️NEVER title: Jay White vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

🪜Iron Finger ladder match- Tama Tonga vs Taichi!

🔥Tanga Loa vs ZSJ with Dangerous Tekkers' future at stake!

LIVE on @njpwworld!https://t.co/DFW9lTZ02y#njdontakuDay1 #njpw pic.twitter.com/iHRWE6Z8m1

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) April 30, 2021

Watching this first night of Wrestling Dontaku, and I appreciate how easily I'm able to forget that Ospreay is champ since the focus is, of course, on Bullet Club.

Cursed. This belt is cursed.

Will Ospreay sustains neck injury; to vacate IWGP World Heavyweight Championshiphttps://t.co/u3RAwkbyzV#njpw pic.twitter.com/UlWMVstp4z

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) May 20, 2021

Finally watching Dominion, and man, I'm really enjoying this show, and my grandpa's commentary over each match. I know I'm really late, but anyone else catch it already?

I think covid killed something in NJPW and it's going to take a lot to come back from it

Very true, their last big show before COVID was that amazing New Beginning in Osaka event that was a record breaking sellout with KENTA vs Naito, Moxley vs Suzuki, and Ryu Lee vs Hiromu. They had Hiromu vs Naito set up for the anniversary show a couple of weeks later, but that match never happened. COVID sucked all the fun out of the Naito title reign that fans had waited years for. But you can't blame it all on the pandemic, EVIL's run with the belt was horrible and the matches with Naito were big disappointments. Matchups involving the heel stables border on unwatchable with the same stupid interference and run-ins for every match. Ibushi's coronation was underwhelming due to pandemic restrictions but at least it was well deserved. I liked the decision to unify the belts and create some history. Then they gave the belt to Ospreay in another dumb booking decision. Ospreay is still great in the ring but knowing what kind of an asshole he is, I can't get excited about his matches in the least.

I did catch Dominion but it wasn't close to the quality of the last few years' shows. But I still haven't seen Tanahashi vs White or Ospreay vs Shingo from the Dentaku shows. Maybe Shingo's reign will turn the promotion around? I have hope. Shingo has been the best wrestler in the company for over a year and it's his time.

If nothing else it’s refreshing that there’s a company out there whose instinctive reaction when the chips are down is to get the title straight onto the best wrestler they have who can guarantee excellent main events. It would have been very easy to go straight back to Okada.

Not saying that Okada wouldn’t also deliver excellent main events but they’ve been there and done that. Shingo feels fresh.

Shingo was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't entirely sure that they were going to give it to him, but that was probably me being gun-shy since my SANADA fandom has seen me get my hopes up so high so many times. I'm super behind on NJPW (been working a ton lately), but I got a ticket to Resurgence in Los Angeles, and I am HYPED.

AHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ALSO SPOILER IN CASE THIS DOESN'T HIDE I AM DEVASTATED

NO-pongi 3K?!?@njpwShowT's Shock Arrow slays a nine year brotherhood with YOH!

Replay “SUMMER STRUGGLE 2021 Night13” (Aug 16th)
Watch on #njpwworld ▶︎https://t.co/z1DNREgyh5#njpw #njsst pic.twitter.com/WDjxVCsh91

— njpwworld (@njpwworld) August 16, 2021

Has anyone watched Wrestle Grand Slam? It was a pretty fun pair of shows to lead into All Out.

G1 TIME!

Really got no interest in NJPW at the moment. A combo of the bad booking and awful luck with injuries that seems to have completely derailed them, the lack of joy in the COVID clap crowds compared to stuff in the US and the ridiculous runaway momentum of AEW which is really the only wrestling I want right now

Otoh Shingo vs Ishii and Tana vs Okada pt. 127 are two fuckin huuuuuuuuge matches to be leading off with, which goes to show that Gedo can still do the simple stuff right. I’ll definitely give those a look; maybe they’ll pull me back in

Shingo vs. Ishii was great. Night 1 was honestly a thrill.

Man, we were so busy worrying about Naito's neck that we forgot to protect his knees!

Tetsuya Naito suffers left knee injury, to withdraw from G1 Climax 31 competition. https://t.co/LNkhYmEhNN#njpw #G131 pic.twitter.com/O8gSbkGhyM

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) September 21, 2021

Also forgot to bless Ibushi's shoulder. What a brutal G1.

At least my mans made it to the finals four times.

Kota Ibushi has undergone evaluation on an injury sustained during last Thursday's G1 final.

His diagnosis is a right anterior shoulder dislocation and joint lip damage. He is expected to make a recovery in around two months.

Details: https://t.co/SLAEWM1p43#njpw pic.twitter.com/TWPyyTrQDC

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) October 26, 2021