Will they do two relative squashes in a row? I hope so! I much prefer Naito’s “too cool for school” demeanor over Okada’s; Okada’s is always just a little too much “Who farted?” for my tastes. I love Naito’s ridiculously cocky 70s attire here, and it’s a nice trick to let Yano fill the space…
I’m looking forward to seeing how Moxley is presented in the G1. His New Japan matches so far have been framed as standalone showcases that really just served to establish his character; now he’s part of a much bigger — and always intricately planned — story. It’ll be interesting to see how the framing of…
Really solid opener and such a bummer that American fans couldn’t sell out the show. G1 CLIMAX 29: July 6 Watch: Sabre vs. Sanada, Tanahashi vs. Okada, Ospreay vs. Archer Consider: Ibushi vs. Kenta Skip: Fale vs. Evil
I believe it was Rocky who declared this “One is the most important rivalries in professional wrestling history.” It’s kind of wild to see this as an opening-night match, but at least it’s the main event. It’s taken me a long time to come around on Okada. His douchey Rock-wannabe gimmick has always felt a…
This will be an interesting meeting of two recent signees. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing Kenta outside of the WWE environment. I feel like the best we ever saw of him there was his NXT Takeover title challenge against Bobby Roode. Rocky mentions these two first met in 2005 in Pro Wrestling NOAH. I…
I try not to miss a Zack Sabre Jr. match. The guy is incredible and has such fantastic physical heel charisma. He’s like Bryan Danielson at his worst (best) and I love it. I’m looking forward to seeing Sanada in this singles matchup. The crowd is doing the Seven Nation Army chant to “Zack Sabre…
In full transparency I’m only watching this match to be a completist. I’m not really into either of these guys. I’m mostly watching this because I’m intrigued by the upcoming Evil and Sanada match, and I figure I should see how Evil does leading up to that. I’ve always felt like Bad Luck Fale has…
I’m a few weeks behind on the G1 tournament, so I’ve got a bottle of Bushmills and my New Japan World subscription teaming up for a “let’s make up for lost time / I have no interest in watching the Raw Reunion” evening. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Lance Archer match. I don’t…
WWE put the worst elements of their booking on display last night, and the bright spots even managed to prove the rule. Elimination Chamber was symptomatic of a bloated creative team that hides its lack of good ideas in overwhelming volume—overwriting the simplest and most compelling elements of what makes competition resonate with people. The…
There’s no way around it—JBL has to go. WWE’s bullying culture has been known for decades, but some unfortunate timing and sympathetic victims have launched the issue into the mainstream. Much of the judgment has swirled around John “Bradshaw” Layfield, a former cowboy-themed / occult-bodyguard themed / J.R. Ewing-themed wrestler-turned-Fox Business analyst-turned color commentator. JBL’s…