The Puro Thread

[Warner2BruceTD]

So KENTA is officially done with NOAH?

It was confirmed today that KENTA has resigned from Pro Wrestling NOAH.

The announcement was not unexpected. There had been much speculation on KENTA's future with NOAH over the last 30 days.

We will have the full story on KENTA's resignation on this week's audio show, including when he actually told them, internal reaction of the company, the issues between KENTA and Taue, and where he will likely end up.

He will be working notice for the promotion and finishing up all scheduled dates. The likelihood is that he will finish up after the 5/17 Korakuen Hall show, or the 5/31 show in Differ Ariake, probably the former.

Speculation over KENTA's future began when he spent a week at WWE's performance center in January. Upon his return to Japan, KENTA denied that he was looking to leave NOAH, however NOAH began to phase KENTA out of the main event slot by prematurely rushing into a match between new GHC Champion Yuji Nagata and it's top star - and then cementing booking plans to make Naomichi Marufuji the companies top babyface.

New Japan also had plans to kickstart a NOAH vs. New Japan angle at Invasion Attack, of which KENTA was to be the focal point. This would be the start of several NJPW appearances. However the angle was dropped just prior to the show, fuelling speculation that New Japan had lost interest in doing an interpromotional feud when NOAH couldn't commit KENTA to certain dates because of a undefined contractual issue.

KENTA is publicly claiming that he has not yet signed with another promotion, which may well be the case. However there are only two real options which would explain his resignation from NOAH: WWE or New Japan.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Shinsuke Nakamura & Kazuchika Okada will star in the Japanese music video version of Pharrell William's "Happy".

 

[EmpireWF]

If it's anything like Urijah Faber and his hot sister in the U.S. version, it will be glorious.

They're in @ the 36:00 mark

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Sneak preview of the opening passage to my New Japan "Wrestling Dontaku" review

With the crazy days of the 2012 & 2013 loaded supershows firmly in the rear view, New Japan presented what on paper certainly looked like a mixed bag at the Fukuoka International Center.

Underdog hero Tomohiro Ishii facing (even bigger) underdog hero Tomoaki Honma looked great.

Satoshi Kojima vs Wes Brisco? Not so much.

Kazuchika Okada, who didn't even have a title defense at Invasion Attack, taking on a fresh, exciting opponent in newly signed former TNA star AJ Styles? Awesome.

Shinsuke Nakamura teaming with washed up MMA star Kazushi Sakuraba to take on two members of the Gracie C-team? Welp.

With the perceived quality of people like Brisco, Sakuraba, and the Gracie's aside, the reality is that these are the types of shows you are going to see moving forward. Three or four incredible looking bouts, and three or four matches that'll be hard to get excited about. The plan seems to be to elevate each title to the point that they can rotate each major star in and out of the featured matches, which in New Japan are always expected to be physical and worked at a hard pace.

The Intercontinental title, once an afterthought held by undercard guys like Masato Tanaka & MVP, is now nearly on par with the IWGP Heavyweight title. The NEVER Openweight title, which was meant to be a developmental title of sorts and regarded even lower than the IC title ever was, has been built up as a legitimate semi main event belt thanks to the great series of bouts between Tomohiro Ishii & Tetsuya Naito. The IWGP Junior Heavyweight title, basically forgotten about while held by Prince Devitt, is now around the waste of & being frequently defended by Kota Ibushi, a man the company clearly has long term plans for. The IWGP Tag titles have been positioned as the semifinal on multiple major shows this year, which hadn't been the case in years.

Will fans accept this? We don't know yet. What we do know, is the roster was simply not going to hold up physically if the 2012-2013 pace was maintained. There has been no noticeable change at the gate, but trends take time. The champions & titles are all over, but will the fans continue to accept shows like Invasion Attack where the IWGP champion was in a mid card tag bout? Time will tell, but if the main events of those shows continue to be matches the caliber of Shinsuke Nakamura vs Hiroshi Tanahashi, I think fans will adjust to the new pattern.

The other forgotten aspect of this, is the potential brand split that Tanahashi hinted about in January, and that the company teased in February with two "New Beginning" PPV's held two days apart. Both shows did strong business, with each show splitting up the major bouts that normally all would have occupied one mega show. It's hard to argue with that from a business perspective, as they effectively doubled their revenue without burning a single potential future money match.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

New Japan Best of the Super Juniors XXI

Block A
Jushin Liger
KUSHIDA
BUSHI
Mascara Dorada (CMLL)
Ricochet (Dragon Gate)
Alex Kozlov
TAKA Michinoku (K-Dojo)
Matt Jackson

Block B
Tiger Mask
Ryusuki Taguchi
El Desperado
Alex Shelley
Kenny Omega (DDT)
Rocky Romero
Taichi
Nick Jackson

Pretty awesome field. Best choice from CMLL. I'm shocked Dragon Gate is letting Ricochet do jobs. Omega is great.

Potential winner is wide open. No one obvious. I'll go with Omega. Politically he can job to Ibushi no problem, and they will have a great match.

 

[XavierDZ]

Would be great to have a Ricochet vs Omega clash in the finals. If anyone has links to the shows can you please post them?

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

5/9/2014 Tokyo, Korakuen Hall
USTREAM iPPV $15

King of Gate Round One

1. YAMATO, Kzy, Mondai Ryu vs. Masaaki Mochizuki, Don Fujii, Gamma
2. K-ness, Dragon Kid vs. Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Jimmy Kagetora
3. KING OF GATE 2014 1st Round C Block: Jimmy Susumu vs. Cyber Kong
4. KING OF GATE 2014 1st Round D Block: Mr. Quu Quu Tanizaki Naoki Toyonaka Dolphin vs. Jimmy Kanda
5. KING OF GATE 2014 1st Round A Block: BxB Hulk vs. Naruki Doi
6. Masato Yoshino, Ricochet, Shingo Takagi vs. Eita, Yosuke♡Santa MariaFlamita
7. KING OF GATE 2014 1st Round B Block: T-Hawk vs. Akira Tozawa

 

[EmpireWF]

From the Observer:

We’re told Tanahashi sent word that he wants to tear the house down in New York with Bennett, as I guess working in New York is a big deal to him.

:cig:

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

5/9/2014 Tokyo, Korakuen Hall
USTREAM iPPV $15

King of Gate Round One

1. YAMATO, Kzy, Mondai Ryu vs. Masaaki Mochizuki, Don Fujii, Gamma
2. K-ness, Dragon Kid vs. Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Jimmy Kagetora
3. KING OF GATE 2014 1st Round C Block: Jimmy Susumu vs. Cyber Kong
4. KING OF GATE 2014 1st Round D Block: Mr. Quu Quu Tanizaki Naoki Toyonaka Dolphin vs. Jimmy Kanda
5. KING OF GATE 2014 1st Round A Block: BxB Hulk vs. Naruki Doi
6. Masato Yoshino, Ricochet, Shingo Takagi vs. Eita, Yosuke♡Santa MariaFlamita
7. KING OF GATE 2014 1st Round B Block: T-Hawk vs. Akira Tozawa

Review:

http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2014/05/09/dragon-gate-59-king-of-gate-ippv-review/

Cool gifs inside.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

97-year old Dragon Gate fan can't go to shows, so Dragon Gate goes to her:

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

This is must read stuff, translated excerpts by or Twitter friend yottsume from Hiroshi Tanahashi's book.

Tanahashi shoots on the main players from the New Japan roster. The Katsuyori Shibata entry is fascinating, and really pounds home the story of why they refuse to go all the way on a Shibata push.

http://yottsumepuroresu.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

This is must read stuff, translated excerpts by or Twitter friend yottsume from Hiroshi Tanahashi's book.

Tanahashi shoots on the main players from the New Japan roster. The Katsuyori Shibata entry is fascinating, and really pounds home the story of why they refuse to go all the way on a Shibata push.

http://yottsumepuroresu.blogspot.co.uk/

If this entry isn't SHOTS FIRED at Shibata, I don't know what is:

http://yottsumepuroresu.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/njpw-hiroshi-tanahashi-talks-about-his.html

 

[Leftwich]

FF to 1:04 for the push of pushes.

 

[CaribbeanJoseph]

FF to 1:04 for the push of pushes.

:lebron:

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

yottsume's translation of Tanahashi's book makes it seem like its the best wrestling biography ever.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

New Japan review: http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2014/05/25/new-japan-back-to-the-yokohama-arena-review/

Gedo & Jado are the best. What a well booked show.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

New Japan review: http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2014/05/25/new-japan-back-to-the-yokohama-arena-review/

Gedo & Jado are the best. What a well booked show.

In the past six months, this has to be like, the third time there was a booking decision only for you to go Lanza-Crazy on it, only for THE VERY NEXT SHOW to be like, "Gedo and Jado da bess, I sowwy!"

I mean, I believe you said "RIP New Japan" after the run-in finish last time. lol

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

Any link for last night Warner? This will be the true beginning of my NJPW viewing.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

In the past six months, this has to be like, the third time there was a booking decision only for you to go Lanza-Crazy on it, only for THE VERY NEXT SHOW to be like, "Gedo and Jado da bess, I sowwy!"

I mean, I believe you said "RIP New Japan" after the run-in finish last time. lol

Those fuckers are crafty, and always, ALWAYS prove me wrong, but some of their shit moves sooooo sloooooooow. Did we really need a FUCKING YEAR of Suzuki/Yano matches that were all the same, before Iizuka turned on Yano? Couldn't that have been done four or six or eight months ago?

The main event was booked exactly how it needed to be, and exactly how I laid it out on the podcast, so clearly they listen to the show. I'll take credit for it. You're welcome, I saved New Japan from North American Russo hell.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Any link for last night Warner? This will be the true beginning of my NJPW viewing.

I'll assume you mean free. It takes a few days. I'll put it here when it pops up.