>>19736379
Becomes the new leader of HOT in his path

>>19736379
2/11 The New Beginning in Osaka @ EDION Arena (3:00pm)
>IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Yota Tsuji (c) vs Jake Lee [87th champion, 1st defense]
>IWGP Tag Team Championship: OSKAR & Yuto-Ice (c) vs Yuya Uemura & Shota Umino [111th champions, 3rd defense]
>NEVER Openweight Championship: Wolf Aaron (c) vs Ren Narita [50th champion, 1st defense]
>David Finlay vs Callum Newman
>Diablo Cado vs Andrade El Idolo
>NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship: Boltin Oleg, YOSHI-HASHI, & Hirooki Goto (c) vs Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa, & Zack Sabre Jr. [33rd champions, 1st defense]
>Drilla Moloney & Shingo Takagi vs Great-O-Khan & HENARE
>Taiji Ishimori & Hiromu Takahashi vs Jacob Austin Young & Francesco Akira

>NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania 2026
2/18 - 2/27

2/27 The New Beginning USA @ CURE Insurance Arena, Long Beach CA (8:00pm EST)
>NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship: Ishii Tomohirio (c) vs Boltin Oleg [8th champion, 2nd defense]
>NJPW World TV Championship: El Phantasmo (c) vs Konosuke Takeshita [7th defense]

>>19736384
Honestly having crazy ass SHO as new leader wouldn’t be the worst idea. He’s got the schtick down like EVIL, and I don’t think we’ve had a junior faction leader since Devitt…?

Sho gets the gimmick from a presentation and talking standpoint, but his work is orders of magnitude worse than Evil's.

>>19736905
Not to mention simply being a junior lowers his standing. SHO works a gremlin henchman well, hard to picture him in any position of real power.

Honestly the biggest missed opportunity was not letting Yuto Ice lead his own bullet club vibe faction. Instead that is I guess what UE is suppose to be. They should have just disbanded that failure.

>>19736981
Bombaclub

>>19736981
Yuto just needs to start his own thing and they all get high together
Legit could be LIJ 2.0 Yuto is that charismatic

>>19737460
I am for his own faction. When I say bullet club vibe I mean something with a similar gimmick since they fit perfectly. (Cool anti authority tweeners/heels)

>>19736981
You can build into that honestly. I just wanna see them interact with their stablemates mates more

>>19736981
Plenty of time for that. Every faction right now feels like a placeholder.

You can tell big shake ups are coming. It's going to be an angle heavy year, thank god.

"no they're gonna start booking good now after years of bad booking" - delusional man

File: hopefullygedodies.jpg (33.1 KB)

33.1 KB JPG

They posted the Christmas FREEDOMS hardcore match Shingo and Gedo were in on World, fyi.

Since he's retiring this year, yall got any Tiger Mask 4 match recommendations?

>>19738259
There's uhhhhhhhhh
Ummmmmmmm

>>19738259
Study the cagematch and get back to me. In all seriousness I think he is considered a shitter by the old heads.

They will add another heavyweight to HoT - Umino or otherwise. They need to replace EVIL and SANADA while giving some the group another notable threat.
Unbound Co. could also use some help once the War Dogs and Hiromu are gone. Another full time junior instead of Robbie X, while Nagai is still growing.

>>19738259
Unironically he's the worst one by a long shot.

you think they'll bring in another Tiger Mask or did IV kill the gimmick

hello /njpw/ bros, do you guys know about Sonal, a British pajeeta girl on YT who covers NJPW? I kept getting recommended her videos after watching all the backstage comments for WK/Dash etc on Youtube so I checked out this vid she made about the Shingo/Poi news and it was kinda cute and she seems like a huge fan;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtv7-GBSomg
Then I looked at her channel and saw she even attended WrestleKingdom & Wrestle Dynasty last year in Japan. and she doesn't seem to care for WWE/AEW westernslop in general.
I think I might be crushin' bros........

>>19738613
Technically we had a Tiger Mask V and W. If there’s an anime revival I could see it, but Kinnikuman is having a moment now and the most we get are crossover shirts and the mysterious Nazi Bone Soldier that appeared during Fantastica Mania.

Man, has any company in the history of pro-wrestling ever done so much damage to another?
AEW has destroyed NJPW.

>>19738695
Suzuki-gun in Noah. WWE killed the entirety of the American wrestling scene. New Japan is more resilient than your average bear.

>>19738737
>WWE killed the entirety of the American wrestling scene
>Suzuki-gun in NOAH
Greatly exaggerated.
>WWE
There are more active promotions in America than anywhere else in the world.
>New Japan is more resilient
They've weathered a lot, but they always had something that kept people coming back. During the dark ages, they at least had Tanahashi and Nakamura. There were still legends there who could elevate younger talent.
It doesn't have that now.

>>19738259
I think he had a pretty good match when he fought for the tag belts a few years ago but that's about it. He's not a total shitter but just dimeless.

>>19738829
I feel like if the fire in NJPW goes out it's not gonna be some isolated thing, pro-wrestling itself will probably be on life support

>>19738868
>>19738778

Grim shitposting is fun but in all seriousness I’ll worry about New Japan when other Japanese promotions gain any real ground. They still blow everyone else out the water with attendance.

>>19738642
buy a banner sonal

>>19738778
Japan has a way healthier scene than NA in my opinion. None of these companies bar AEW and WWE are able to regularly sell more than a thousy tickets. Meanwhile any company with a pulse can fill a korakuen at least a couple times a year.

>>19738885
I'm not being grim or shitposting here. This is genuinely fucking sad.
AEW destroyed the one true alternative to sports entertainment slop.

>>19738885
NJPW is going to be comfortably number one for years to come regardless of how good or bad the shows are. Japanese fans rarely switch promotions. Stardom is the only one growing at any noteworthy rate but even Stardom isn't close to eclipsing NJPW. NJPW even did that study where they found if they don't run a show in the Tokyo area NJPW fans are more likely to just watch on NJPW World than attend a rival promotion's show.

>>19739024
Attendance is down. Interest is down.
If Hiromu, SANADA and so on go to NOAH, they could easily surpass NJPW.
OZAWA is more over than any young talent in NJPW.

>>19739043
NOAH numbers are a small fraction of NJPW numbers. Ozawa got NOAH some more fans and I'm sure if LIJ fully reunifies in NOAH that might make some LIJ hardcores jump to NOAH but it's not going to be a number that makes NOAH a serious contender to NJPW.

>>19739043
NOAH gets outdrawn by AJPW, they should focus on that first

>>19739043
>easily surpass NJPW
That would require them to have a 300%+ jump and New Japan to have a decline that surpasses their post-Inokism dark ages

>>19739043
>If Hiromu, SANADA and so on go to NOAH, they could easily surpass NJPW.
you mean guys from the promotion where
>Attendance is down. Interest is down.
? how exactly are they gonna do that since they apparently can't draw in njpw?

>>19739054
NJPW's numbers are greatly inflated by WK at the Tokyo Dome and the sheer amount of shows they do during the G1.
Let's not act like they're selling out arenas with a monthly show or something. It all adds up.
>>19739083
Being realistic, who does NJPW actually have now? Who has a genuine connection with the crowd?
Tsuji is great, but one man can't reverse the damage alone.
>>19739096
Adding big names to a new promotion creates interest. Look at the absolute slapper that was Hiromu vs. AMAKUSA.
Fans in Japan don't care about the West or AEW. You saw it with WD's attendance last year.

>>19739120
Noah sells a fraction of the tickets even if you exclude WK. They are a distant foruth comfortably behind Stardom and Dragon Gate.

For reference:
>NJPW 2025 # Shows = 149
>Attendance = 275,272
>NOAH 2025 # Shows = 88
>Attendance = 69,006

>>19739150
This isn't what I'm getting at.
NOAH has NJPW's former biggest star, and if rumors are to be believed, said star's insanely popular faction.
Stranger things have happened. If fans aren't happy with the revolving door of generic Western CAWs who only use Japan as a stepping stone and NJPW's cucking to AEW, there's a solid alternative elsewhere. And NOAH will only get bigger.

>>19738642
I don't watch her very often. But yeah, she's good vibes

NOAH = NXT Japan

NOAH will become super power by 2030, just trust me bro

>>19739248
Funny considering that NJPW is now AEW's developmental.

>>19739266
NOAH = NXT Japan

>>19739271
Based on what? Why?
Inamura went to NXT, sure, but that's where it ends.

>>19739248
I'm a little skeptical of how tight NOAH is with WWE when NOAH is sending Kaito to work that Maple Leaf/Ring of Honor show.

Styles vs Marufuji was a better match than any AEW x NJPW match ever btw

You're forgetting that NOAH constantly trips over itself with booking. Hiromu proved that he can still go when he wants to, so he could actually make a difference. But most of that 1/1 show sucked

>>19739191
>If fans aren't happy with the revolving door of generic Western CAWs who only use Japan as a stepping stone and NJPW's cucking to AEW, there's a solid alternative elsewhere.
japanese fans don't really care about gaijin coming and going because that's how it's always been. nor do they care as much about the aew relationship nearly as much as overseas fans do. noah isn't much different in either regard. they book plenty of dismal western shitters and they stick around way longer since nobody wants them. noah being nxt japan is just a dumb meme, but if one day wwe finally remembers they exist they will 100% gladly gape themselves 10 times as wide as njpw have for aew
>And NOAH will only get bigger.
given their history i don't see why you would assume this

How come New Japan is the only one that US promotions raid for talent.

>>19739280
>>19739282
Pattern recognition

>>19739302
Because the Noge Dojo is the best in the world at teaching wrestlers the fundamentals

and that is what the Performance Center, for whatever reason, is so fucking awful at teaching.
I legitimately think WWE needs to hire Finlay and give him a big contract but as a trainer first and foremost. His dad is the GOAT women's wrestling trainer in America and has a long relationship with them backstage and Finlay, while not the most compelling character, is a very competent in-ring guy who would bring a little of that Noge Dojo spirit to WWE training.

>>19739302
It's the only one that fucking sucks at keeping their roster happy

>>19739317
I don't think you have any idea how little money Japanese pro wrestlers make outside of NJPW. Hell, they don't make a ton in NJPW either but they make far, far less in NOAH, in DDT.
Any American company could poach those guys with money alone.

>>19739302
Most who bounce are gaijin. NOAH doesn't have many gaijin besides AAA luchadors and Jack Morris and Morris has tried a few times to interest WWE with no luck. AJPW meanwhile is using guys WWE dropped like Xyon, Odyssey, and Talos so no one is fighting to get these guys.

>>19739331
You also need to consider that AEW/WWE don't just want gaijin, they'll take Japs, but the reason they mainly go for NJPW/Stardom Japs is because those two companies book a lot of gaijin.

You need your Japanese talent to be able to call a match in the ring with an English speaker, to be able to communicate enough to work a match together.
When you get someone from NJPW or Stardom, whether they are Japanese are gaijin, you know that they can do that and have a lot of experience working with non-Japanese speakers, etc.
Wrestling is cooperative so they need to be able to communicate.

Excuses.

>>19739296
There are literally more foreigners signed to NJPW than actual Japanese.
NJPW abandoned their domestic audience to chase the US market.
>>19739317
It has nothing to do with that and everything to do with an autistic manchild who's willing to spend absurd money that even WWE don't want to match.

NOAH and All Japan all secretly have super draws, you just don't see it because NJPW is booking the Tokyo Dome and it's heckin' inflating their numbers, so unfair.

>>19739313
The PC seems to refuse to teach people how to forward role and instead just gives them match scripts and if they are gymnasts lets them do flips before they can do a headlock or pinfall cover. The quality even a low rent Jap shindy is better than your average American wrestler. They are incapable of understanding the basic flow of a match and instead just move from spot to spot because they were never taught. To make matters even worse American audiences have been trained to be dopamine fiends.

>>19739391
>heckin' inflating their numbers
Yes, that actually happens.
You AEW wasters don't care about New Japan. You've helped to destroy it. You make all these excuses for why NJPW is failing and ignore the nepo elephant in the room.

>>19739404
While I wouldn't call Xyon, Odyssey, or Talos brilliant wrestlers I do think they've shown improvement since going to AJPW and working there. They're clearly learning something they didn't pick up from the Performance Center. I think they're an interesting case study because they're all Performance Center guys.

>>19739390
>There are literally more foreigners signed to NJPW than actual Japanese.
what? no there aren't, even if you assume every foreigner listed on their roster page actually has a contract

File: 1748009712338.png (181.5 KB)

181.5 KB PNG

>>19739325
>>19739390
>it has nothing to do with the exact thing a former announcer and the company's previous #1 guy have flat out said in the last month
>please also ignore the guy who bought this up months ago that might be leaving soon

>>19739428
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Japan_Pro-Wrestling_personnel
Yes, there are.
>>19739436
So, he never had an issue with it in the past, but does now because Tiny hugs everyone and Kidani doesn't?
Again, you AEW cunts are the worst.

>>19739420
Precisely the value of learning how to actually work and not just follow Chef Michaels or whoever's match script. Knowing what to do between moves is almost equally as important.

>>19739436
No, I agree with you about Kidani and people being unhappy with Bushiroad.

Kevin Kelly's comments, Okada's comments, Naito leaving, and now potentially other guys sneaking out the back door? There's too much smoke for there to be no fire.
But both things can be true. American companies could still easily lure NOAH and DDT guys if they wanted them. Just most of them don't even know who any of those guys are, thankfully, so there's not near as much danger of them being poached. Even WWE clearly has no idea what is going on internally with NOAH and has shown almost 0 interest in their talent.

Apparently I've helped destroy New Japan because I think that ignoring Tokyo Dome shows is stupid, huh

>>19739475
A good case study here is Takeshita. Kenny said he had to beg and plead to get Tony to give Takeshita a chance then ended up surprised at how much he liked Takeshita and signed him. Tony's pretty clueless about anything going on in puro outside of NJPW.

>>19739453
>Yes, there are.
your own link proves that there aren't. most of the foreigners listed there aren't actually signed

>>19739475
>could still easily lure NOAH and DDT guys if they wanted them.
The issue is that Meltzer and Twitter don't watch those promotions so there's no mass-push on social media.
People forget that it was Twitter that jumped on the Maki Itoh bandwagon and helped to make her a major name.

>>19739484
They're personnel, dude.
There's quite literally more gaijin names in this company than Japanese.

>>19739493
did you actually read the notes and see that most of them have "freelancer" and "signed with x company" written there?

>>19739502
And that means that they aren't involved with NJPW?
Them being freelancers or signed to AEW doesn't change anything. There's still more foreigners in New Japan than actual Japanese.

>>19739511
you said signed, not just "involved with". and even then themajority of shows have more japanese talent than foreign

>>19739475
>American companies could still easily lure NOAH and DDT guys if they wanted them
They don't have anyone worth poaching

Wrestlers leaving should never be a big deal.

You should have 10 wrestlers ready to fight for that spot.
If you don't, that's exclusively your fault.

>>19738885
>when other Japanese promotions gain any real ground
kek

>>19739546
Are you fucking kidding me?
How can you make new stars when the old ones never helped to give them a rub?
Okada, Ospreay and everyone else jumped to AEW and there's literally nobody there to build them.
Even during the Dark Ages, you had Tana and Nakamura, Naito was a rookie. You still had legends on the card who could help build new names.
There's nobody now.

>>19739568
You force them to put people over on their way out.
Still a self-inflicted problem

>>19739587
Yeah, everything is the problem except AEW.
>Covid
>Silent crowds
>Weak yen
Every other sport and promotion recovered except NJPW, which lost their main event stars to their supposed partner that has literally never helped them in any way.
But that's not the cause.

There was exactly 1 time in New Japan's history where it wasn't the number 1 promotion in Japan and that was the first year of its existence because I noticed had yet to secure a permanent TV deal and even so it wasn't that far behind Baba's All Japan. The only time someone came close since was Noah in 04-05.

File: naito ibushi sawdust apron german.webm (779.2 KB)

779.2 KB WEBM

>I’m so sorry, Kenny. There’s no guarantee, but medically, I have one year and nine months left. I’ll cure you in nine unnecessary months! That means I’ll be back in 2026. I’ve caused trouble for Kenny. In return,I can’t say for sure, but I’ll do it! I’ve gained the power to send out new energy. Shall I teach you bald guys that you have no chance of winning? Yesterday, for the first time in a while, I was able to enter the Budokan in costume for a live performance by the band that plays my entrance song. I think I’ve fulfilled another ambition. And to Tony Khan, I’ll be making a comeback once again!

>I’m not sure if my English will be understood, but I’ll do my best anyway.
T-thanks, Ibushi-san...

>>19739661
replace "I noticed" with Inoki. Thanks auto-correct.

>>19739611
>Every other promotion loses talent all the time
>Every other promotion can build their own talent
>Every other promotion can hire talent if the have empty spaces

Even your sister promotion got their shit together

>>19739746
When was the last time a major promotion lost FOUR major names in what, two, three years?
Naito is gone and Tanahashi has retired.
How about you stop blaming NJPW when AEW is the root cause here?

>>19739754
>It's AEW's fault Naito is sawdusted and that Tanahashi had to retire this year
Derangement

>>19739760
Naito being sawdusted somehow means that he isn't a star or a major loss?
The excuses and cope of you people, Jesus fucking Christ.

>>19739754
Stardom

>>19738778
>they at least had Tanahashi and Nakamura
Shinsuke ultraflopped as the ace in the 00s due to Inokek’s bullshit and didn’t become beloved until later, and Tana became the god emperor of the universe in his 30s. Naito became the most popular wrestler in the country at like age 34 or 35. There are a lot of young guys in their late 20s who people are writing off already when we have historical proof that guys really start to hit a stride later than that unless they’re Okada tier (and nobody is).

>>19739765
And what does all pajeet have to do with him going to NOAH exactly

A lot of the names being floated can go i dont care that much but they seriously need to hold onto Drilla. He was fucking lab grown to be an asskicking gaijin heel. If we lose him who is the top gaijin heel, fooking Robbie X?

>>19740035
Newman is on a multi-year deal. He's the top gaijin heel now

>>19739966
>Okada tier (and nobody is).
Okada was never in the same league as Tanahashi or Naito. He's a solid wrestler, but has the charisma of a shoe.
Okada was Gedo's boy, the corporate choice. He was never the true Ace.
The Ace is your biggest star and top merchandise seller, and that was Tanahashi and then Naito.

>>19740618
I don't think anyone's really arguing this. But I've been watching some of the 2010's stuff recently, and Okada was in the right spot. Delivered on big spots, and good be the hero or obstacle depending on the opponent

>>19739921
This and Marigold isn’t taking their spot anything soon with 50 people going to their Korakuen shows

>>19740640
Can you shut the fuck up about Marigold for once, menhera-kun?
Okay, you don't like that company, ruined the general on here, and made seven Twitter accounts to bully their talent. You don't need to get your lame little digs in here.

The absolute state of PHD-FENDERBAUM

File: 1724025485387577.png (123.3 KB)

123.3 KB PNG

Imagine trying to spin your company getting ass penetrated and poached by AEW like it's a good thing. The Tonybots are here.

>>19740035
Drilla is great in his tweener spot with Shingo too. So even if they don't want him as the top foreign heel, he's in a good spot.
>>19740280
I think the little shit will pull this off well. He's got that arrogant soccer player air to him and he's been wrestling very aggressive. He and Yuto could have a real good feud in a year or two, I think.

File: 1740614818127726.jpg (109.7 KB)

109.7 KB JPG

Tsuji you are the double champ now can you please stop channelling Hide the Pain Harold with your image

File: Screenshot 2026-01-23 112941.png (347.3 KB)

347.3 KB PNG

Shota putting this company on his back and carrying it into the new era

>>19741088
Dave has gone insane

a million stars not a single dime

>>19741088
I like this match, but it didn't demonstrate either team at their best and was filled with missteps and awkwardness in the execution

>>19741123
nah fuck this, I'll give AJPW a try. I bet Kento isn't as much of a shitter as I remember

>>19741088
>better rating than KOB vs TMDK
nah

>>19741123
He's a good worker.

thankfully he's small enough that he'll never get out of the juniors but sure, he can help Fujita get over or something

File: spACE .jpg (369.6 KB)

369.6 KB JPG

>>19741088
>5 Star Shota

>>19741131
Watch his recent match with Anzai

>>19741219
If he's willing and able to adapt and change to fit the style he could have some success. I'm 50/50 on it.

>>19741088
LMFAO I'm pretty sure this is the same rating he gave to one of the Kenny/Naito matches. This shit is not in the same galaxy. And I liked this match

I wouldn't bring a guy that will want to return to WWE at some point

Ice and Oskar break away to form their own unit and bring Ciampa in as a mercenary

>WWE bad
>AEW good
AEW cultists, man.

>>19741131
AJPW has been pretty solid for the last few months since Shiozaki left NOAH to join them. Hard to say if that'll last or not though. Miyahara vs Anzai was a better match than Tsuji vs Takeshita or Ozawa vs Inamura though even if Tsuji winning the IWGP was the biggest moment. Fairly I like things going on in all three companies right now.

>>19741123
If he keeps a BOSJ slot away from Robbie X and Ninja Mack Im cool with this

You did not learn anything from Ziggler and Riddle

>>19741740
Riddle sucks and he's literally gay. Ziggler would've been decent if he actually stuck around for a few tours instead of the one or two shows or whatever it was he did.

>>19741780
I liked Ziggler and his 80s coked out maniac energy. Shouldn't have put a belt on him, though. That was a bizarre choice

>>19739043
as grim as NJPW is, NOAH will never surpass them. the rest of the puroresu world is even more grim.

>>19736952
Reminder that there was a point in time that people thought Sho was the future. And, in fairness, he got all the high profile singles matches when 3K were still a team against Will, Shingo, etc.

>>19741088
It was more like a 4 and I like all the guys involved

>>19742398
Always was overrated. Ironically because of his at the time lack of Charisma. His bangerinos with Dragon Lee were good though.

>>19741088
Meltzer said that this match felt like a real fight, he really is insane

File: 76b8740c3f195cc7fd15a5a9040c275c.png (78.2 KB)

78.2 KB PNG

njpw uncles on 5ch still having a field day after the rumors

>>19742909
Endgame is literally just get Ishimori over to Tsuji & Shingo. They will need another non-Robbie X Jr though until Nagai graduates

I guess Sho and Yoh prove that you can eventually develop a personality as a wrestler instead of just having charisma or not from the start.

File: pinkman.png (664.2 KB)

664.2 KB PNG

>>19741088
>the pink man

>>19740618
Okada is not as popular but his push never flopped like Shinsuke’s or Naito’s early one did. Okada got the Roman Reigns tier rocket to his ass from a young age and people went with it. He never had to go back to the drawing board. Naito and Shinsuke got that treatment when they were young and the audiences turned on them. The majority of the main event scene is young guys who are probably in a pre king of strong style Shinsuke/pre Ingobernable Naito stage. Okada is a very rare example of a main eventer hitting his final form early. Jay too. Yuya and the other guys could very easily explode in popularity in a couple years. Hell, it took Taichi until he was like 37 to finally stop getting crowds yelling at home to fucking go home. Point is that doomers about NJPW’s future aren’t looking back at history and realising that very few of the previous generation’s biggest stars had it figured out at the age Shota and the like are now.

>>19741219
I don’t think he expects anything more, his generation of NXT was basically the jr. heavyweight division of WWE due to Devitto’s putting it on the map. I was a Kyle O’Reilly megafan during his juniors run, I think Ciampa could have one hell of a BOSJ tournament.

>>19741263
Why? Year rentals of gaijins has always been standard operating procedure when the company was healthy. They tried to move beyond that by making Kenny an ace and trying to turn a gaijin into a loyal dojo boy with Jay and it backfired on them. Keep foreigners as junior heby champs and tournament entertainers. They never got burned doing that.

WWE and NOAH are taking too many NJPW wrestlers now WTF

>>19741088
This was not better than the new year's dash main event

>>19744015
Too bad no one cares about your opinion

>>19741263
ciampa is 40 and said he has another 10 years left. i kinda doubt WWE would even take him back again. he was close to his WWE ceiling (transitional midcard title run) and might have hit it if he stayed, but as he gets older and more dusted and has shown he's not loyal, it's less likely he'll even be able to return regardless of what he wants.

>>19741088
It’s Shota’s time, who’s the bald bitch anon?

>>19744419
Hans Moleman

>>19743181
our elder nip brother's insight should be even more leaned into have shooter devolve into an unfeeling gaze deathmatch merchant gimmick while really hamming up the plushy pink glowstick baiting for a unique catchy contraposition

>>19743415
based non-despairing anon

>Ciampa joins just to poach OSKAR
grim

His dad is in better shape than he is

shokek has the physique of someone who injects steroids but doesnt even work out. literally just a chunky, no muscular definition guy with a roidgut.

I will never understand the bond that the Japanese crowd has with Chase Owens

>>19736379
>Be Gabe
>Completely kill your gimmick, your momentum and your faction's momentum to be the fourth background guy in the Death Riders
>War Dogs get folded into Unbound Company because of the uncertainty
>Most of the other War Dogs leave for WWE or AEW
>"umm can I have a dual contract"

>>19747333
white boys are over with japanese women

tfw never gonna hear this absolute ultrabanger again after a couple weeks
I always think of Hiromu losing his shit screaming IBIRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU when this was playing in the background

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0-NRUb5B4Q

>>19747756
you don't know the good times until they're over

>>19747756
I'll manage

>>19747333
they're craving for his mcnuggies

I'll never be a doomer about NJPW's future when my nigga Yuto Ice exists. If you don't GET FUCKING HIGH while watching him you just don't like wrestling.

>>19736379
how about we bump NJPW and other relevant threads instead of making more faggy bullshit

t. non-NJPW watcher

>>19747333
Honestly part of it is longevity - they saw him grow from being the NWA Jr. champion to the long-time Bullet Club lackey. When he beat Juice in Korakuen they were actually cheering for the upset. Plus it helps that he’s done little things with crowd interactions over the years to further endear himself, like the running Milano gag or taking time with fans after matches.

>>19747333
gotta love the Chaster

File: 20260124_085800.jpg (841.6 KB)

841.6 KB JPG

Where you guys sitting

>>19749555
5 so I can watch hentai with Oka

>>19749555
4 or 13

>>19749555
6. Ren-kun looks lonely

File: lonestar.jpg (36.4 KB)

36.4 KB JPG

>>19747333
Howdy, /njpw/.

>>19749555
12 - free flan

Who do people assume is insider-kun, now that Shane is never there? Charlton?

File: 1761173490158419.jpg (318.9 KB)

318.9 KB JPG

>>19749614

>>19749555
3. I need the motivation to find a wife.

>>19749555
5 for mile high club with Fujita

>>19750264
Based incel

>>19748872
This, he’s basically the best bout machine of road shows. It gets tiresome to watch him for big event viewers but he goes on all the tours, is constantly going out to small towns to put on his comedic pantomime show for all the women and kids.
I can’t even remember the last time he wrestled in a company outside of NJPW either, must surely be pre-coof or might even be since NWA in 2016. He’s basically Gabe if he was worse at wrestling but his muh shin nihon ga daisuki gimmick was actually real.

>>19749555
9. Listening to Yuto yapping for an entire hours long flight is either the most entertaining experience of your life or absolute spirit crushing hell, either way I need to find out

>>19750369
OSKAR made sure to note he would be an Ice Americans actually like

File: 1743989482876043.png (2.4 MB)

2.4 MB PNG

They did the thing

>>19753641
recreation is missing huwaito, dishonest filmmaking

File: 3093D4D1-9DF8-4700-91D5-7793D66B1BE5.jpg (474.5 KB)

474.5 KB JPG

I saw this woman wrestling at the Tokyo Domeu and I thought she and Syuri were cool. Is Stardom normally that good? I thought it was just idolshit. But Syuri especially was a good worker. But not as dimes as picrel. Was it just the 1.4 aura making them kino? Will I become disappointed if I start watching Kamitani matches in other promotions than NJPW?

>>19754848
Saya is cringe as fuck but if you liked that match you're not gonna be disappointed much watching her in Stardom

>>19754848
I don't know I think women's wrestling is fucking gay as hell

if i wanna coom, i can find better material
miss me with that WNBA shit

File: G_ftwW_bcAAr19B.jpg (217.3 KB)

217.3 KB JPG

They sending his ass back to Korea the hard way

>>19755967
Justice for Shingo

>>19755967
You can strike us, but when you try to make orphans (its triplets at a minimum due to virility), the unbound strike back.

File: 1768706995574880.webm (4 MB)

4 MB WEBM

>>19754848
I don't like Kamitani and think she's overrated as fuck, but if you liked that match you won't be disappointed like the other anon said. You should at least check STARDOM out and I'd also suggest you check out other promotions or at least other notable joshi. Wrestle Universe is cheap and has access to Marigold, TJPW, Sendai Girls, and Marvelous. I'll warn you that TJPW is by far and away the most "idol" of all the promotions I mentioned.

>>19755967
shades of anchorman

>>19754848
>>19754880
>>19756638
Go back to your containment’s you faggots.

They should send EVIL off by throwing him into the sea

File: 1756644469678662.mp4 (2.6 MB)

2.6 MB MP4

>Go back to your containment’s you faggots.

>>19756808
HE'S HAVING FUN!

>>19738652
>W
That was just to promo the anime, it wasn't a real gimmick. You dumb fuck.

>>19755967
Good to see the lads having fun

>>19756808
AAAAAAH HE'S MAKING ME SO MAD THAT MEANS HE'S BAD AT HIS JOB!!!!

Serious question - have you cared about the jr division since Liger retired?

>>19756811
Oh shit, my bad. I meant to say back to your containment you pedophile.

1 more week till the Hiromu/Finlay/Gabe/Drilla farewell tour begins

>>19756808
Should've thrown him in the nearest body of water in Chiba after this

>>19757305
Yes, I usually care more about the Jrs than the heavys. The last year plus of no movement because Despy/Douki needs to happen has hurt a lot of my interest

>>19757305
Love Liger but he wasn’t relevant for the last ~4 years of his career outside of the Suzuki feud
That being said haven’t cared about juniors since coof

>>19757305
Despy has had a fantastic past couple years and I enjoyed his title reign a lot

>>19757305
Wrestling is about larger than life characters. No Jr evokes that feeling and the division is therefore pointless

>>19757218
chill brother canon is canon especially under the honor of The Lionmark

>>19757305
kanemaru has been the wrestler I've cared the most after jay white cut his cock off (not counting tana/naito)
yuya and yuto have picked up the slack but it was a dire few years post-pandemic as someone who really doesn't care about okada or ospreay

>>19757305
Serious answer - Yes. even despite wuhan/Khan hamstringing causing booking that doesnt not warrant you asking this, the characters and workrate and production remain an example
"non-indy" promotion (while one can also acknowledge the immense potential of where njp could be is not being met at the same time, its "low" is really "high" biggup.)

>>19738642
ah Sonal, my beolved <3
>says she's an incel like she Shingo was too and he was their leader
kek, she sound like all u niggas on here when that news broke

>>19759313
Fuck off edrone

>>19757305
Despy became the ultimate kinoman AFTER Liger left though.

File: 9500AC1D-3A40-45C3-BFAF-032E0C2E6D76.jpg (296.1 KB)

296.1 KB JPG

Doctors conducted experiments on twin babies. One would be raised as normal and the other would receive a GENE BLAST. This was to visually measure the long term effects on gene blasted specimens with identical base genes.

>>19759486
kayfabe should have never died.
>do.. d do we have the technology to.. bring it back. could Kay's DNA be saved...

>Thank you for supporting New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

>After careful consideration and discussions with NJPW management, EVIL, who has been a long standing member of the NJPW roster will leave New Japan Pro-Wrestling at the expiry of his contract at the end of January 2026.

>We apologise to fans for the sudden nature of this announcement. New Japan Pro-Wrestling wishes EVIL the very best in his future activities.

https://www.njpw1972.com/625508

>>19759741
>top Japanese heel
>let him leave with no angle whatsoever
This company is fucking retarded

[Good News] EVIL is leaving!

https://x.com/njpwglobal/status/2015593026958291056

Reminder that it took a 10 months for Stardom to fix their office issue after a shit president and firing the founder for poaching for an exodus and we're in 6 years and 3 presidents of losing talent via office meddling.

>>19759741
Thank you Ebiru. Amazing heel as HoT leader and that G1 win over Okada is such a great moment.

>>19759741
>>19759812
>using the black/white Lion Mark as if this were some kind of bad news

File: 1716250223384657.png (198.1 KB)

198.1 KB PNG

>>19759741
This is a very grim news ! EVIL is going to the big leagues and Shin Nihon will die.

WWE and NOAH are poaching how many in total?
-Naito
-Bushi
-EVIL
-SANADA
-Hiromu
-Finlay
-Gabe
-Drilla

>>19759943
Gabe's obviously going to AEW

>>19759969
>obviously
Who knows. WWE are interested in him. I didnt put Clark on the list because he for sure would go to AEW since Thekla is there.

>>19759943
Gabe,Connors and Drilla prob go to AEW

>>19759978
I've come to find whenever it's pretty obvious a talent is going to AEW like Gabe is, Dave will report that there's interest in that talent from WWE just to make sure Tony pays the guy as much as possible.

File: 1704371379629.png (438.9 KB)

438.9 KB PNG

>>19759943
do it right nigga
-EVIL
-Bushi
-SANADA
-Hiromu
y
-Naito

>>19760063
NOSOTROS!!!!
LOS INGOBERRRRRRRRRRRRRNABLES DE JA-PON

The only ones WWE are actually going for are EVIL and Finlay. Doubt they're getting anyone else.

File: ....jpg (13 KB)

13 KB JPG

grimsters won

>[NJPW] EVIL to leave the company in a “shock” departure; the worst man in Japanese pro wrestling expected to head overseas

>It was announced on the 26th that EVIL will leave New Japan Pro-Wrestling at the end of January. First appearing at Ryogoku in October 2015 as Tetsuya Naito’s “pareja” (Spanish for partner), the King of Darkness went on to lead the villain unit House of Torture (H.O.T.) from September 2021. The man widely regarded as the worst in the Japanese scene is now strongly expected to pursue opportunities overseas, with WWE seen as a leading candidate.

>According to multiple related parties, EVIL’s NJPW contract expires at the end of this January. After he indicated he would not renew for February and beyond, his departure was finalized.

>EVIL had been participating in the current tour, which began with the Korakuen Hall event on the 19th, but his name was absent from match cards starting with the Aomori event on the 28th. As a result, the Korakuen Hall event on the 20th effectively became his final match in NJPW.

>If he is leaving the premier domestic promotion after so many years, the next option is naturally expected to be a move overseas. U.S. media had repeatedly pointed out this month that EVIL might be leaving NJPW. At present, more voices predict a move to WWE than to AEW, which has a working relationship with NJPW. On the other hand, there remains the possibility that he chooses to work as a freelancer—similar to the path taken by Naito and BUSHI, who left NJPW in May of last year, in the style of Los Tranquilos de Japon—so attention is focused on what he does next.

>EVIL first appeared at Ryogoku in October 2015 as Naito’s pareja. The unit Los Ingobernables de Japon (LIJ), formed the following month by EVIL, Naito, and BUSHI, became one of the most popular units in Japanese pro wrestling until it effectively disbanded in May of last year.

>>19760162

>In July 2020 at Osaka-jo Hall, EVIL himself left LIJ and joined Bullet Club. By seizing Naito’s IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Intercontinental double championship, he rapidly rose to the top as he embraced a path of villainy.

>In September 2021, EVIL formed H.O.T. around himself, and the group’s ruthless tactics escalated further. Because they repeatedly engaged in near-constant rule-breaking style fights in almost every match, the promotion issued an unusual statement in June 2024, strictly cracking down on second interference—sparking controversy among fans.

>However, it cannot be ignored that steadfastly committing to absolute villainy was also part of EVIL’s pride as a wrestler. He once again proved his ability in last year’s G1 Climax final (vs KONOSUKE TAKESHITA). Then, at the January 4 Tokyo Dome event this year, he served as the debut opponent for Wolf Aron, the gold medalist in the men’s 100 kg judo division at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. Although EVIL ultimately lost and dropped the NEVER Openweight Championship he had been holding, the dirty fight he waged against a super-rookie with exceptional name recognition generated a frenzy in the building and was praised from multiple quarters as a great match.

>With top wrestlers leaving NJPW in succession—Kazuchika Okada in 2024 and Naito in 2025—the hole left by EVIL will not be small either. Even as expectations rise for a transition into a new era, it also seems we will not be able to take our eyes off which ring the premier villain of Japanese pro wrestling will rampage through next.

https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/articles/-/374916

The next Korakuen Hall show is on a Sunday and still not even close to selling out. The only draw is Aaron Wolf which is why the only 2 shows to do well so far have him in the main event (Blue Justice & NBG Osaka)
Once they make him drop to Narita it's over.

>>19760168
Correction: Not the main event in Osaka, but the first match confirmed for the show which caused it to sell out fast.

File: G_jZyfMawAA3DPB.jpg (289.2 KB)

289.2 KB JPG

one left

File: aaron-wolf-wins-never-openweight-championship-at-wrestle-kingdom-20-31-2215424567.jpg (29.2 KB)

29.2 KB JPG

Thank you based Wolf for vanquishing the living embodiment of evil

>>19760223
and he's leaving too

File: 1753461097161265.jpg (6 KB)

6 KB JPG

>lost Okada
>lost Naito
>lost BUSHI
>lost EVIL
>will lose Hiromu

>>19760253
Oh no we're not going to get the 16th year in a row of the exact same people doing the exact same shit

>>19760253
Atleast we signed Callum and Shota to new contracts...

Who is beating up Ibiru to take over HoT?

>>19760291
>Atleast
>Ballyum
>Shitahhh

Who will be the new President of NJPW??? Narita or Sho?

File: 1767524613378638.png (313.9 KB)

313.9 KB PNG

NOOOOOOOO THIS CAN'T BE FREAKIN' HAPPENING WE SOLD OUT THE DOME, MELTZER GAVE US THE YUMMY STARS WHAT THE FUUUUUUCK

>>19760300
Jake Lee and the lads surprise run-in, dump skye off at the docks, polymerization.exe on faction remains
>gotta make UE look strong to give Newman more marketvalue in the west

File: 2D3D75B6-D8FA-451A-81E1-1669E2C7E719.jpg (229.9 KB)

229.9 KB JPG

IIIIIBIIIRUUUUUUUUUUUUEHHHH

>>19759998
Retard. WWE is interested in a lot of wrestlers that show up in AEW.

>>19760253
Gabe Kidd and Drilla to WWE

>>19760300
There is no beating up. The 20th was his last show

Togi Makabe's run as IWGP champion is interesting. Hasn't really been anyone like him since unless you count Moxley I guess.

File: 132C1249-C5B3-42CD-9F4A-6DD21CF3B1C2.jpg (188.1 KB)

188.1 KB JPG

PremiumCHADS… we won

>>19760259
True, now we've got... Nobody.

File: 1759410923620.jpg (82.9 KB)

82.9 KB JPG

Which one of you was this

>>19760546
Shota, Calum, Jake Lee, Tsuji, Narita etc.

File: 1741694123024.png (2.4 MB)

2.4 MB PNG

>>19760591
>40 year-old Jake Uso
>Shota
>Narita
Yeah, it's over.

File: 1713408107584429.jpg (93.8 KB)

93.8 KB JPG

yappari, nobody wants to work for this yakuza black company

>>19760591
>Shota
Rejected by the crowd.
>Calum
Not in the same league as previous gaijin. Untested.
>Jake Lee
Come on, man.
>Tsuji
I'll give you this one.
>Narita
Last I checked, he was a Shibata cosplayer and then HOT lackey.

Should've kept him off any shows after Jan. 4th and held a press conference saying the spirit of Inoki exorcised EVIL and he no longer has the will to wrestle in NJPW

File: 098A907E-E656-46F7-AA18-862ECFA64A81.jpg (446.8 KB)

446.8 KB JPG

Doomjeet is trolling again i see

We got my nigga ICE, we ain’t scared.

>>19760772
Not Doomjeet or trolling.
I'm just honestly sad at this. I LOVED NJPW. Still do, I suppose.
Just comparing it to what it was just 6 years ago when it was the absolute best is heartbreaking.

>>19760859
*sheathes katana*
>'first time..
>we stand with Ice
>we defeat evil
>we enforce borders
>we fulfill contracts
>we fill up the dome
>we ARE kono wa Shin Nihon Puroresu
>we will keep marching steps in red shoes
>we cant but not be the kang'o' sports
>always have been, and as long as theres young lions setting up that ring of combat, legends will enter, and champions will choppa
Yesterday. Tomorrow. Forward. Unified.

How is Milano holding up

Sending EVIL to WWE is going to be one of the top pranks of 2026, absolutely hilarious

>>19760644
You're a retarded chimp and you need to be put down.

>>19760223
If it wasn't for KOB they'd have 0 *cool* wrestlers on their roster that aren't either about to leave or getting old.

>>19760772
Im really excited for New Beginning honestly. Tsuji needs to drop the belt ASAP thoughever the idea of Narita and SHO hopefully taking over HoT is a fun idea. Callum has been great taking UE heel with Oka. Ice and Oskar have been a blast to watch, hopefully we will see BC/War Dogs advance in some way.

The future is bright bros.

File: Miura - Ace.jpg (76.5 KB)

76.5 KB JPG

>>19760772
Yes, he's pearl clutching over EVIL like it's some kind of disaster or something

NJPW is loaded to the brim with young talent so you can expect a lot of the older guys to start leaving to pursue other opportunities if they refuse to join the dad circuit. I expect Taichi and Ishii will be pushed out next because they're just almost never going to get NJC/G1 spots anymore.
>but muh 6 years ago
6 years ago things were already starting to get stagnant, especially in the main event scene. Jay White was more or less the only interesting guy who still had places to take his character (face turn) and had room to grow. We had already seen everything we were going to see from guys like Okada, Ibushi, Naito, Tanahashi, etc.

There is way more to look forward to now because the future is considerably more unpredictable.
You could predict almost anything that would happen in 2020 EASILY, now not so much.
If that doesn't excite you as a viewer, you're a fag.

>>19761242
KOB, Fujita, Nagai, Tsuji and maybe Newman with some polish are the only ones with any sort of cool factor among the new generation. On the other hand you have Yuya who's a bit of a dork on purpose cuz he's trying to be Clark Kent, but then there's the Shotas and Watos and Naritas and DOUKIs and Akiras that belong in lockers.

>>19761242
>>19761318
Chono was a total vanilla geek until somebody told him to put on sunglasses 10 years into his career

File: 202602-組織図_リリース用-1※赤.jpg (87.9 KB)

87.9 KB JPG

https://www.njpw.co.jp/625678
>New Japan Pro-Wrestling Co., Ltd. has decided to establish a new Corporate Strategy Headquarters, effective February 1, in order to strengthen strategic marketing as part of its efforts toward further business expansion.
>The Headquarters will be headed concurrently by Director Taro Okada (President of Stardom Co., Ltd.).

File: 202602-組織図_リリース用-1※赤.translated.jpg (103.5 KB)

103.5 KB JPG

>>19761364

File: 1710980523019389.png (20.2 KB)

20.2 KB PNG

>>19761393
IS this why there eyes are like this, how the fuck can you make this out

>>19761396
I tried putting it into Google translate first and the translations were literally unreadable so I used Yandex

>>19759486
The gene blast seems to have increased the size of Yota’s head

File: wk14.jpg (155.1 KB)

155.1 KB JPG

>Huwaito left and became a comedy jobber to Mr. Ass
>Ibushi left and became a cripple
>Naito left because they wanted him to wind down due to being sawdusted and he said that's not gonna work for me brother I'm finna Misawa myself
>Okada mentally left and then he physically left
>Tanahashi retired and cut his hair

More and more, WK14 is looking like the finale of an entire era NJPW. They brought all the dudes (sans Tana but this was where the Forbidden Door term was coined which was an omen for the future) who defined a generation together for one big showdown. Liger also retired on that show.

>>19759486
>Non-gene blasted twin hiding his teeth
FINNERMOGGED

I think we need to range ban anyone who isn't American to get rid of this grimposting faggot SEAmonkey

>>19761408
and his heart's fire

>>19761480
I may be a burger but I too support our fellow *Northern* hemisphere island brethen on Hokkaido
>activate banning press

less marketing and expansions and more investing on the actual product.

The last time the juniors were at their peak was Hiromu vs. Despy when Despy removed the mask. Both men are well past their prime. I am not the biggest fan of flippy dos, but the juniors desperately need some exciting wrestlers. Fujita is a competent worker, but is boring. His style isn't flashy and he has no personality beyond dressing like the Japanese equivalent of a hot topic kid. I want all time great matches not a gentleman's 3 and half.

EVIL was my guy. I'm sad now

>>19761500
They have shed an insane amount of salary, yet you just know no one is getting paid well. At least we get more card game tie ins or something. Retaining talent is for suckers.

File: 1710756926701661.png (318.7 KB)

318.7 KB PNG

>Ren Narita's House of Torture
I really hope anyone else becomes the HOT leader

>>19761364
>NJPW raiding Stardom the second they get hot and threaten to overtake them as #1 in Japan

SAD

It took New Japan like 2 full years to do something with the corpse of UE. I am sure the same will apply to HoT. HoT was bad enough having an actual charismatic front man. It will be even more insufferable to watch now.

>>19761851
Stardom had exactly one big show and it was the retirement of their biggest draw. Let's see them do something more than sellout Korakuen.

>>19761862
>Stardom had exactly one big show and it was the retirement of their biggest draw
ironic

>>19761874
Doesn't change the fact New Japan has 3k+ houses twice per month Stardom has like one total.

I’m kind of surprised they didn’t do some kind of angle to kick Evil out of the group/company.

>>19761874
Stardom drew 6.5k+ people for their year end show (Dream Queendom) a few weeks ago, you dumb bitch.

>>19761956
PEDOS. CONTAINMENT. NOW.

File: go.png (305.4 KB)

305.4 KB PNG

Where does he fit into all of this? NJPW need a new ace

>>19761851
Okada was already part of New Japan's office though.

File: G_kwtKea0AAlABF.jpg (562.1 KB)

562.1 KB JPG

so is this Management Strategy Division thing their way of putting both New Japan and Stardom under Okada without having to fire anybody

They could build a great Junior division easily if they wanted.

>>19760236
Aaron Wolf-san's problem is not that he's a bit chubby, it's that he has big nipples. He should get nipple surgery to reduce their size.

maybe Okada will poach wrestlers from NOAH/DDT/AJPW like he did with Maki Itoh on Stardom

File: GLEAT.jpg (247.3 KB)

247.3 KB JPG

This is NJPW in the next 3 years after 80% of the roster left.

File: 1689839235174510.png (767.4 KB)

767.4 KB PNG

*goes to the big leagues*

>>19762163
looks comfy tbf

>>19762126
>thats the face of a man who would never allow cameras behind the scenes

File: 1757826955667537.png (135.4 KB)

135.4 KB PNG

>cooks up big plans for EVIL

https://x.com/tokada_mh4e/status/2015691649154949563
this nigga okada had to apologise for the lion mark being used lol

File: GFaOL3hbcAAF8Ih.jpg (214.8 KB)

214.8 KB JPG

Imma miss this pairing

>>19762003
Jobbing to Miyahara and Anzai

>>19762383
>teams up with the Miz to get revenge on Carmelo Hayes
DIMES

>>19762623
so it is confirmed all 3 are debuting together at NB in USA. expansion never stops trust the plan.

File: G91BdoYbAAApu4t.jpg (3.8 MB)

3.8 MB JPG

>flight to Orlando now departing

I hope some Saudi sheik is enough of a mark he pays Triple H to debut EVIL in the Rumble even if he's going to NXT. Whoever payed for the fake Yokozuna a few years ago.

>>19763733
Yep... he's dimes

>>19763733
This fatty is supposed to save us?

>>19763733
hes FAT

next >>19763774

>>19743373
Stardust Genius Naito was sent to cut the go home promo after the Rainmaker Shock because Okada was horrible on the mic and the fans stayed behind as Naito went to high five every one of them. The real Stardust Naito (2010-2012) had a certain cockiness from his days as a No Limit heel that Shota lacks. Mocking Shinsuke after beating him, doing the Rainmaker pose after beating Okada in the 2012 G1, showing defiance against mutoh who tried to raise his hand but naito refused his gesture. The 2013 push failed because the front office told him to lose everything that had made him stand out, to the point of even dropping his eye pose for that year’s G1. If Naito had stayed true to his character back then, he wouldn't have lost the fans and he would've main evented WK8