The Puro Thread

[BigBiss]

Nak & YAMATO chillin' together in Tokyo, SWAG factor at 1000%

god this match .... god this team !!!

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

If there are two guys in wrestling I want to have a beer with...one would be Steve Austin...the other would be Nakamura. I bet he has the best whore stories.

[Warner2BruceTD]

This is fun. Worst records as challengers among men who have never won the IWGP Heavyweight Title:

Hirooki Goto: 0-7
Minoru Suzuki: 0-5
Tetsuya Naito: 0-3
Bam Bam Bigelow: 0-3
Don Frye: 0-3
Giant Bernard: 0-2
Karl Anderson: 0-2
Osamu Nishimura: 0-2
Shinjiro Otani: 0-2
Masato Tanaka: 0-2

Masa Chono was 0-7 when he finally broke through.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

During the Tanahashi-Nakamura bout from Hiroshima...they had me BEGGIN for the title change.

I don't know if it is Naito himself or whoever is booking the match structure of his last two big matches (Okada, Ishii)...but man are his matches constructed on another level. Really well done.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Also, TNA really needs to take a que from DragonGate.

They don't attempt to compete with New Japan. They offer something totally different. They stay in their lane and are a nice #2 promotion over in Japan.

Catching up on some DG and they are doing some good things over there.

Loved the Tozawa/SHINGO v. THawk/UT match.

Watching Yoshino-Mochizuki now.

[Warner2BruceTD]

During the Tanahashi-Nakamura bout from Hiroshima...they had me BEGGIN for the title change.

I don't know if it is Naito himself or whoever is booking the match structure of his last two big matches (Okada, Ishii)...but man are his matches constructed on another level. Really well done.

Me too! I was pulling for Nak hard. Coming in I knew he had no shot, but man they sucked me in.

Naito was always considered a "wrestling genius" within the company, to the point it became a kayfabe nickname. "The next Muto". So there you go.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Also, TNA really needs to take a que from DragonGate.

They don't attempt to compete with New Japan. They offer something totally different. They stay in their lane and are a nice #2 promotion over in Japan.

Catching up on some DG and they are doing some good things over there.

Loved the Tozawa/SHINGO v. THawk/UT match.

Watching Yoshino-Mochizuki now.

Check out this description of current DG, I thought this was pretty brilliant:

I see it as a five-sided rivalry, rather than the simple face/heel dichotomy we are used to as US fans. It's easy to relate to high school-level cliches: Monster Express are the cool kids, Mad Blankey are the goth/punk/emo crowd, Jimmys are the geeks, Veterans are the seniors, and the Millenials are the freshmen. CIMA is the one who should have graduated already, but he's still trying to get over with the kids and buying beer for the Millenials.

So the Millenials are seen as brash, cocky, upstarts by Mochizuki and others, while Mochizuki is seen as a crotchety and disagreeable old man by the youngsters. I find this kind of storytelling more interesting and compelling than the simple good guy/bad guy stuff.

[FedEx227]

Me too! I was pulling for Nak hard. Coming in I knew he had no shot, but man they sucked me in.

Naito was always considered a "wrestling genius" within the company, to the point it became a kayfabe nickname. "The next Muto". So there you go.

I've been hard on Naito for a few months now but he's slowly winning me over with Okada/Ishii matches. I think he's actually starting to figure it out versus everyone just saying he knows what he's doing.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Check out this description of current DG, I thought this was pretty brilliant:

That is 100% on point.

Personally, I love what DG is doing right now.

Now, don't get me wrong, that style can take its toll over the long haul. It can be exhaustive and the match structure doesn't always tickle my pickle...but overall, what they do is unique. TNA should really take a look at what DG is doing and honestly...just copy it. It should be "X-Division"-style (which means nothing in 2014, honestly)...and everyone should be thrown into groups. Not FACTION WARZ style, but in a similar bubble that DG works in.

It works, its totally different from what New Japan is doing, even down to the in-ring product. And, they've elevated themselves to a nice #2 promotion in the company while staying in their lane.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Me too! I was pulling for Nak hard. Coming in I knew he had no shot, but man they sucked me in.

Naito was always considered a "wrestling genius" within the company, to the point it became a kayfabe nickname. "The next Muto". So there you go.

I really wanted to see Nakamura and Tanahashi flip flop the title a few times. One of the few instances where I'd be cool with that kind of booking.

/I want to walk into a room like Nakamura walks down the aisle.

As for Naito...his match structuring had always been good, but he has taken it up another level in the first two months of the year.

A nice breather away from the title picture and away from a monster push and in there in the upper mid-card is going to do him well. Just focus on kicking ass in the ring. It'll get him over to the point they want him over.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Naito working a more aggressive style has been working for him. He needs that edge to keep up with this roster. I like when he does heelish shit.

[Warner2BruceTD]

3/6 New Japan Anniversary show Tokyo sold out (Okada vs Ibushi non title)

4/6 Invasion Attack just about sold out, Sumo Hall, no matches announced.

New Japan hasn't sold out Sumo Hall for a non G1 in roughly a decade. So this is a major growth benchmark if they sell it out, which looks very likely right now.

Maybe they aren't nuts for running Seibu Dome for G1 after all.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

3/6 New Japan Anniversary show Tokyo sold out (Okada vs Ibushi non title)

4/6 Invasion Attack just about sold out, Sumo Hall, no matches announced.

New Japan hasn't sold out Sumo Hall for a non G1 in roughly a decade. So this is a major growth benchmark if they sell it out, which looks very likely right now.

Maybe they aren't nuts for running Seibu Dome for G1 after all.

Been awesome seeing the growth of NJPW over the last few years.

They are legitimate a #2 in the world as you'll ever see. AND SLOWLY EXPANDING. This hot period hasn't even peaked yet.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Invasion Attack will be an afternoon show on Sunday in Japan, meaning it will air in America at a very decent hour the night before Mania (probably around 11pm or 12am eastern).

Pretty convenient, as it will start pretty much just as whatever indie iPPV of your choosing (ROH, whatever Gabe brand runs that night, the WrestleCon Supercard, the Mid South/TCW thing) is ending, and will wrap up between 12am-3am depending what time zone you live in, which is not bad for a Saturday night at all.

Looks like another crazy loaded weekend.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Invasion Attack will be an afternoon show on Sunday in Japan, meaning it will air in America at a very decent hour the night before Mania (probably around 11pm or 12am eastern).

Pretty convenient, as it will start pretty much just as whatever indie iPPV of your choosing (ROH, whatever Gabe brand runs that night, the WrestleCon Supercard, the Mid South/TCW thing) is ending, and will wrap up between 12am-3am depending what time zone you live in, which is not bad for a Saturday night at all.

Looks like another crazy loaded weekend.

I'll bring the HDMI cable.