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Is New Japan Using the American Academy to its Full Potential?

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I seem to have stumbled into constantly fantasy booking and speculating on New Japan and its future recently. It’s no real surprise given the rebuilding that New Japan needs in terms of its talent and roster given retirements and talents leaving over the past few years it allows wide open debate about how is the next top guy or top guys. One of the things that likely also needs looking at is who is that top foreign star post Zack Sabre Jr (ZSJ). Arguably since the signing of AJ Styles 2014 New Japan has always looked to position at least one non Japanese wrestler from a western country at the top or around the top of its card normally with them in big featured matches and winning titles and at least the world title at some point. Starting with AJ Styles and then followed with the likes of Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay and then Zack Sabre Jr New Japan always wants one guy near the top of the card but isn’t afraid to also add depth with other talents from America and other countries. If it w...
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How I Would Book: Master Wato and The Road to 'GrandMaster'

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With this current crop of Young Lions fresh from excursion we have had a large boost to the Heavyweight division. It does now seem our next group will all be juniors as they are all currently under 225 pounds. It has lead to me thking, with the rebuild of the heavyweight scene then the next junior division glut of talent is fast approaching.  With Kosei Fujita coming through, Francesco Akira continues to be great year on year and DOUKI stepping up to be a real champion of note who is the next ace? Today I want to pitch an idea to cement Master Wato as that guy. My hopes were dashed when KUSHIDA left that it would be SHO who then in turn ended up in House of Torture, never had a good match again and won the belt via countout. So out with that idea it's done lets go with former besto f the super juniors winner Master Wato. I do feel with Wato that he name and presentation allows for a very clear growth from where he is to what he could become. I think in his recent match with DOUKI a...
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Quick Thoughts: AEW Full Gear 2024

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Another year, another Full Gear. It's weird that I really don't remember much of last years show outside of the Texas Death Match and people really hating the main event. Regardless I've quite liked the build to the show I know I feel like that isn't a common thought. The Mox title run I have enjoyed but I have to be honest I still see the main event as a filler for Darby to win the belt a Worlds End but we will see.  Again the pre-show seems thrown together last minute with just a good match for the sake of a good match (which I am fine with) so not real need to comment on it. I will speak on 'The Costco Guys' it is a thing I don't understand but if it leads to more people watching the show and buying tickets then it is a plus for AEW in the end. It might not be for me but I can't disagree on doing this considering the potential reach. Main Card: AEW World Tag Team Championship Match: Private Party (Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen) (c) vs. The Outrunners (T...
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How I Would Book: Bullet Club Civil War

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Following on from my previous booking post on Shota Umino I've caught a bug for fantasy booking. One of the main issues I think is with pushing Gabe Kidd. Now this isn't a case of the person themselves I think Gabe Kidd is great and clearly so do New Japan I mean January 5th he is facing Kenny Omega in the Tokyo Dome it is more of the face I wonder if New Japan will go full force in gabe Kidd when he isn't the main guy in his stable? Sure we have had times when the non leader of a group has won the big one like Shingo as World Heavyweight Champion but it isn't a regular thing. So how do you have two big faces of a faction deal with each other. Well maybe finally we actually have a real Bullet Club Civil War for once.  Having always been teased with Kenny and Cody and then Kenny and Tama Tonga but never really happening I think it is time to do as such. Forget Rouge Army and House of Torture (if they still count) this is a story using simply the War Dogs and the Main Bul...
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How I Would Book: Shota Umino and His Rise to the Top of New Japan Pro Wrestling

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The road to the Tokyo Dome is long and winding and when it came out the main event would be Zack Sabre Jr vs. Shota Umino it felt like a lot of fans did not want Shota Umino in that role. For many a spot and role too soon, for others a corner New Japan booked into. Many see Shota Umino as the appointed next ace of New Japan following the end of Hiroshi Tanahashi's career on January 4th 2026. I think that New Japan have the chance to tell a great story with Shota Umino and personally I would like to outline how I would go about it. As the man with the main event of the Tokyo Dome and being rejected due to it, looking to cement his place at the tope of the card but not seen as that ace, Shota Umino isn't the next Hiroshi Tanahashi he is the next Tetsuya Naito. Right now Shota Umino is in that feeling as Naito did when he declared himself the Shuyaku (the main persona of New Japan) and met with fan rejection, a vote to remove his main event match from that position and then stumbl...
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Why I Am Optimistic 2025 Will Be A Great Year For New Japan Pro Wrestling

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Earlier this year I made mention of various things I would like to see New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) to do and I felt with the end of G1 us being close to Wrestle Kindgom and Wrestle Dynasty I thought I'd give my thoughts about New Japan as a whole going into 2025 and honestly why I think this year can be entered with optimism but I think calls for caution should be understodd. Starting with a negative and man that World Tag League line up is not a positive. We have two old men juniors in Jado and Taka Michinoku on teams and another Junior Heavyweight in Taguchi in the tournament, Tsuji & Shingo as a team meaning no Zandokan Jr and the fact they are in major titles matches at Wrestle Kingdom already means they won't win and feels a wasted spot. Perhaps the main issue or point of contention is that Zack Sabre Jr (ZSJ) & Shota Umino are in it despite being the Wrestle Kingdom main event so you know their tag partners are taking the pins and while ZSJ took his G1 climax w...
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Quick Thoughts - WrestleDream 2024

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Moving onto the third PPV in roughly 9 weeks I'm beginning to feel burned out on these reviews. I'd be honest combined with Grand Slam there has just been no time really to build to this show outside a few matches. A lot feels thrown together last minute but I expect this is a good card the talent on the card normally deliver but I won't be covering the build on TV just the matches. Zero Hour Much like All Out I won't be breaking down match by match. It is good to see Atlantis Jr enjoyed him in World Tag league the other year and hope to see more, I'd watch more CMLL but I ain't paying all that Youtube premium stuff. Anna Jay seems better but I still think she needs more of a Japan run, do STARDOM have a tag league? That would be also a benefit. I think it is time for The Acclaimed to be done again if they ain't turning or winning the belt then what is the point time for Bowens singles run. Speaking on tag teams I love The Outrunners give them a sustained ru...
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