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

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