HTQ on Day Six of the G1 Climax Tournament
Day Six saw a collection of hot matches, and an upset match in terms of length, as Masahiro Chono just destroyed Kendo Kashin.
Tanahashi gets a forfeit win due to Makabe's injury, though he wrestled a non-tournament match later in the night, beating El Samurai.
Goto getting the expected win over the young Yano.
Nakamura continues his march to the Block B finals. By not keeping the match short, this means that Nakamura's injury from yesterday was a badly thought out work, or legit, and Nakamura wasn't that injured after all.
One of two matches on Day Six that I can't wait to watch. I was hoping for another time-limit draw between these two, but I'll settle for almost 20 minutes.
I can see them wanting to keep Chono strong, but if Kashin was going to go down in less than two minutes, did he have to beat Kawada? Couldn't Kashin have beaten someone else, allowing Kawada to lose to someone else? I'd rather Kawada only have lost one match, but if the intricate booking required two losses, I wouldn't have had one of those losses be to Kashin if he was going to get squashed like this.
The most interesting match of the night in terms of style and content, this is the second match of Day Six that I cannot wait to see.
No surprises here, with Tenzan keeping his campaign strong and looking set for the finals.
Reportedly a hard fought match in the main event, Fujita gets the win, but Nakanishi not being a pushover.
After Day Six, this is how things look:
Block A:
1. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [8]
2. Masahiro Chono [8]
3. Toshiaki Kawada [8]
4. Yuji Nagata [6]
5. Osamu Nishimura [5]
6. Minoru Suzuki [5]
7. Tatsumi Fujinami [4]
8. Kendo Kashin [4]
Block B:
1. Kazuyuki Fujita [12]
2. Shinsuke Nakamura [11]
3. Manabu Nakanishi [8]
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi [7]
5. Yutaka Yoshie [4]
6. Tatsutoshi Goto [4]
7. Toru Yano [2]
8. Togi Makabe [0]
Block A is a three-way tie between Tenzan, Chono and Kawada, with it being virtually certain that two of the three will be in the finals stage. Nagata has a theoretical chance of making it to the finals, but it would require him to beat Tenzan, Chono to lose to Fujinami, and Kawada to lose to Nishimura on Day Seven. Block B is headed by Fujita and Nakamura, who are both assured of entry into the finals stage, with the only question being which one will finish the group stage on top, and that question will get answered in two days as they face off in the main event of Day Seven.
Day Seven will see Yoshie v Goto (Yoshie to win), Suzuki v Kashin (Kashin to win), Tanahashi v Nakanishi (Nakanishi to win), Nishimura v Kawada (Kawada to win), Fujinami v Chono (Chono to win), Tenzan v Nagata (Tenzan to win), and Fujita v Nakamura (Fujita to win).
For predictions, I was 6-1 on Day Six, which is a return to form after a bad Day Five.
HTQ on Day Two of the G1 Climax Tournament
Day Two of the G1 Climax Tournament saw a few upsets, and an unfortuante injury that hopefully won't affect the overall tournament too much.
An expected result, if a going a little longer than I thought it would.
Reports are that Makabe tore his left achilles tendon, and it looks certain he will miss the rest of the tournament, which means he forfeits the remainder of his matches.
Another expected result, and if Goto is going to pull off a trademark upset, it looks like it will be a big one, based on who he still has to wrestle.
Not really an upset, though I was hoping Nishimura would win.
This was a bit of an upset, as Suzuki was a favorite of the former New Japan director, so one would expect him not to do so well, but with Suzuki being one half of the GHC tag team champions in NOAH, I presume New Japan are not wanting to upset NOAH a lot by having Suzuki doing too many jobs.
A match anticipated more for the atmosphere than the quality. I still expect this one to be a good match, though, and I can't wait to see it.
I felt this one could have gone either way, but with Tenzan getting the win, it might mean he is beginning his big comeback. Or it could be just another tease of a Tenzan success.
Another expected result, with Fujita brutalizing Tanahashi, and adding humiliation by refusing to pin him when he easily could have done, and instead taking advantage of Tanahashi's injuries with the use of a single-leg crab to get the tap-out victory.
After two days, this is how things look:
Block A:
1. Toshiaki Kawada [4]
2. Minoru Suzuki [3]
3. Tatsumi Fujinami [2]
4. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [2]
5. Masahiro Chono [2]
6. Kendo Kashin [2]
7. Osamu Nishimura [1]
8. Yuji Nagata [0]
Block B:
1. Yutaka Yoshie [4]
2. Shinsuke Nakamura [4]
3. Kazuyuki Fujita [4]
4. Manabu Nakanishi [2]
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi [1]
6. Toru Yano [1]
7. Tatsutoshi Goto [0]
8. Togi Makabe [0]
Kawada leads Block A, with Suzuki close behind, and four guys all in third, with Nishimura in seventh place, and Nagata surprisingly in last place for the Block. Could he be the one to make the big comeback, and not Tenzan?
Block B sees a tie between Yoshie, Nakamura and Fujita on top. Fujita looks likely to end up winning that one, with either Nakamura or maybe Tanahashi in second place. Makabe is in last place with zero points, and his injury may mean he never leaves that position this year.
Day Three is tomorrow, with Goto v Makabe (a likely forfeit win for Goto), Yoshie v Nakanish (Nakanishi to win), Tenzan v Nishimura (I think Tenzan will win, but I would not be surprised with a Nishimura victory), Fujinama v Nagata (Nagata could win to begin his comeback, but don't rule out a Fujinami victory), Fujita v Yano (Fujita to win), Kawada v Kashin (Kawada to win), Chono v Suzuki (I expect Chono to win, but think we might see a draw as well), and Nakamura v Tanahashi (Nakamura to win).
I was 7-1 for Day Two, with the only result I didn't call being Suzuki's victory over Nagata, so I'm doing well so far.
HTQ on Day Six of the Fantasy G1 Climax Tournament
Day Six of the G1 saw some hot matches, and cleared up things as far as the top of Block A is concerned, but left everything else wide open.
1. G1 Climax - Block B: Toru Yano [2] beat Tatsutoshi Goto [2] in (8:45) with a high angle cradle
Yano gained his first points of the G1, with a minor upset of the veteran Goto
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi [9] beat Togi Makabe [0] in (9:34) with a dragon sleeper
Tanahashi continued his march to the top of Block B with a win over Makabe, leaving Makabe with no points so far in the G1
3. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [11] beat Yutaka Yoshie [4] in (13:21) with a cross armbreaker
Nakamura had some trouble with the girth of Yoshie, but in the end he was able to take the mighty Yoshie down and get the win with a cross armbreaker
4. G1 Climax - Block A: Masahiro Chono [5] beat Kendo Kashin [2] in (14:56) after three Yakuza kicks
Mr August made his points total more respectable with this win over Kashin, who looks set to finish Block A last.
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroyoshi Tenzan [8] beat Tatsumi Fujinami [4] in (16:09) after a TTD
Fujinami gave Tenzan a tough match here, using his experience to keep Tenzan down, but Tenzan was able to bounce back and hit a big TTD to get a much needed win
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Yuji Nagata [7] beat Osamu Nishimura [4] in (20:04) with a Nagata Lock III
The best pure wrestling match of the night, as Nagata and Nishimura traded holds and submissions looking for the win, and it was Nagata who was able to pull out the victory, using his Nagata Lock III to get the win
7. G1 Climax - Block A: Toshiaki Kawada [12] beat Minoru Suzuki [6] in (17:41) after a shotgun lariat
Toshiaki Kawada was sternly tested by Minoru Suzuki, as Suzuki seemed to confound Kawada with his unique ring style. Suzuki almost pulled out the win a few times, but Kawada turned things up, and was able to put Suzuki down for the count after a very loud shotgun lariat
8. G1 Climax - Block B: Kazuyuki Fujita [12] beat Manabu Nakanishi [8] in (10:03) after a series of knee strikes
This match was short, but very brutal, as Fujita and Nakanishi just pounded away with some very hard chops and kicks. Nakanish tested Fujita, using amaresu to try and take Fujita down and tire him out, but Fujita powered up like a rising beast, and struck Nakanishi with a series of big knee strikes, before finally hitting one to the face of Nakanishi, putting down and firmly out for the win. Nakanishi was another victim of Fujita's brutal style, as he needed help to leave the ring, like all of Fujita's opponents have so far.
After six days of action, this is how things look in the blocks:
Block A:
1. Toshiaki Kawada [12]
2. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [8]
3. Yuji Nagata [7]
4. Minoru Suzuki [6]
5. Masahiro Chono [5]
6. Tatsumi Fujinami [4]
7. Osamu Nishimura [4]
8. Kendo Kashin [2]
Block B:
1. Kazuyuki Fujita [12]
2. Shinsuke Nakamura [11]
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi [9]
4. Manabu Nakanishi [8]
5. Yutaka Yoshie [4]
6. Toru Yano [2]
7. Tatsutoshi Goto [2]
8. Togi Makabe [0]
Toshiaki Kawada has won Block A, and now cannot be caught. He has booked his place in the finals, with his opponent yet to be determined. The fight for second place in Block A is wide open, with either Tenzan or Nagata in a position to get that coveted second spot in the finals. In Block B, Kazuyuki Fujita is guaranteed to be in the finals, with the only question being if it will be as Block B winner or runner-up. Shinsuke Nakamura can win the Block still, and Hiroshi Tanahashi can still force a play-off for second place, depending on how Day Seven matches turn out.
Day Seven takes place the day after tomorrow in Tokyo, and we will find out the matches that will make up the G1 finals:
NJPW, 8/13/05 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. G1 Climax - Block B: Togi Makabe vs. Toru Yano
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Yutaka Yoshie vs. Tatsutoshi Goto
3. G1 Climax - Block A: Minoru Suzuki vs. Kendo Kashin
4. G1 Climax - Block A: Osamu Nishimura vs. Toshiaki Kawada
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Masahiro Chono
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Yuji Nagata
7. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Manabu Nakanishi
8. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
The big main event is the first ever meeting of Shinsuke Nakamura and Kazuyuki Fujita. A win for Fujita would see him win the Block, and place him in the finals. A win for Nakamura would mean both Nakamura and Fujita make it to the finals. If Fujita wins and Hiroshi Tanahashi wins his match against Manabu Nakanishi, then Tanahashi and Nakamura would have to face each other again to decide who makes it through to the finals stage. However, should Tanahashi lose to Nakanishi, then Fujita and Nakamura will both go through to the finals, regardless of who wins their match. In Block A, Toshiaki Kawada takes on Osami Nishimura in a rematch of their Triple Crown title match from last year, and with Kawada already getting enough points to win Block A, and Nishimura only on four points, their match will have no bearing on who makes it through to the finals from Block A. Hiroyoshi Tenzan takes on Yuji Nagata. If Tenzan wins or draws, then he will make it to the finals as the runner-up of Block A. If Nagata wins, then he will be the runner-up of Block A, and make it to the finals. The other G1 matches will not have any bearing on who makes it to the finals, so only pride will be stake, though the matches will be no less intense. Togi Makabe must at least draw with Toru Yano if he is to get any points at all in this years G1, and Kendo Kashin must beat Minoru Suzuki if he is to finally move off of the bottom of Block A. If Nishimura upsets Kawada, and Fujinami can at least draw with Chono, then Kashin will end up bottom of Block A, regardless of whether he beats Suzuki or not. Rounding off the action, Yutaka Yoshie takes on Tatsutoshi Goto, who will be making one last attempt at pulling off one of his trademark upsets.
NOAH Destiny
Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, Mitsuo Momota and Katsuhiko Nakajima v Masashi Aoyagi, Takashi Sugiura and Suwa
This was an enjoyable opener, with good moves from both teams. Finish saw Suwa pin Kikuchi with a pedigree, that looked great.
Tamon Honda and Go Shiozaki v Takeshi Morishima and Mohammed Yone
Shiozaki looked good here, and he should do really well in the future. The match itself was decent enough, with Yone pinning Shiozaki after a kinniku buster.
Masao Inoue, Kishin Kawabata, Akitoshi Saito and Shiro Koshinaka v Akira Taue, Takuma Sano, Jun Izumida and Haruka Eigen
Not bad, but kind of just 'there', Inoue pinned Izumida after an ax bomber lariat.
Black Mask v Mushiking Terry
This match had some great high flying moves, but little in the way of transitions or psychology. These were two characters aimed at kids, and to that end it did it's job, as they kids were into it. Terry won with a german suplex.
KENTA v Yoshinobu Kanemaru for the GHC Jr title
This was good stuff, and it included a sick looking spot with Kanemaru coming off the second rope and catching KENTA with a leaping DDT and KENTA coming straight down on his head. The other highlight of the match was KENTA hitting Kanemaru with a flying knee and Kanemaru taking a 360 bump. KENTA picked up the win, and the GHC Jr Title, with another flying knee.
Jun Akiyama and Makoto Hashi v Minoru Suzuki and Naomichi Marafuji for the GHC tag titles
This was a really great match, that went over 20 minutes. Nothing too wild in terms of moves, but the story of the match was Akiyama and Hashi fighting to not only win the tag titles, but to stay a team, as they vowed never to team again if they lost. The crowd really got into this near the end, and there were some great near falls. In the end, Marafuji nailed Hashi with a shiranui off the top rope to get the win.
Hiroshi Tanahashi v Takeshi Rikio for the GHC title
This was above average, but that was all down to Tanahashi who worked his ass off to get something out of Rikio. Rikio just does not have it to be GHC champion, and he absolutely is not main event material. Sad to say that Rikio picked up the win with his muso, and while it's understandable why Rikio retained, they have to get the belt off of him fast, because he's doing less than nothing to make the title mean something.
Genichiro Tenryu v Yoshinari Ogawa
Fun stuff, all due to Tenryu being the greatest 53-year old badass on the planet. Tenryu picked up the win after shotgun lariat.
Kensuke Sasaki v Kenta Kobashi
OUCH!!! These two just beat the piss out of each other, with the highlight being a five-minute portion in the middle of the match where they just stood there, going back and forth with super stiff chops. After that was done, you could see bruises and welts on both their chests, and it even looked like Sasaki's chest was getting scarred. The big spot of the match was Sasaki hitting Kobashi with a Northern lights bomb off the apron. The finish saw Kobashi hit 4 spinning chops, get this weird smile on his face before hitting a fifth one, and then finally hitting a stiff lariat for the pin. Both men got a standing ovation after the match, which was more than deserved. This is one to go out of your way to see.
Toshiaki Kawada v Mitsuharu Misawa
Kawada and Misawa were in a bad position having to follow the previous match, and they couldn't rise to the occasion. The match was ok, with all of their usual spots, but it wasn't ever going to live up to the reputation of their previous matches, and coming right after a MOTY candidate didn't help things. The finish saw Kawada kick out of a some hard elbows, before Misawa hit a final super hard elbow to get the win. Another standing ovation followed, though it was borne more out of nostalgia and respect than the quality of the match.
Overall, I'd give Destiny a solid thumbs up, and it's easily the best major event of the year so far.
HTQ on Day One of the Fantasy G1 Climax Tournament
The G1 Climax Tournament opened up in the Fukuoka International Center before a hot crowd, and they saw some hot matches, and the debut in the G1 Climax Tournament of Toshiaki Kawada.
1. G1 Climax - Block B: Yutaka Yoshie [2] beat Togi Makabe [0] in (9:02) with a diving bodypress
Yoshie getting his tournament off to a winning start, putting his girth to good use to put away a spirited Makabe.
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi [2] beat Toru Yano [0] in (8:21) with a dragon sleeper
One of the new generation, Tanahashi begins with a strong win, beating the hot prospect Yano with a tight dragon sleeper.
3. G1 Climax - Block A: Minoru Suzuki [2] beat Osamu Nishimura [0] in (16:15) after a Gotch Piledriver
This match was an exhibition of MUGA~, with Suzuki and Nishimura trading holds and counters throughout the match. Suzuki wins after a unique counter to Nishimura's head stand.
4. G1 Climax - Block A: Tatsumi Fujinami [2] beat Kendo Kashin [0] in (10:04) after a cross armbreaker cutback cradle
Kashin was cocky in this one, and the experienced Fujinami made him pay, by countering a cross armbreaker into a modified cradle, and scoring somewhat of an upset win.
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Yuji Nagata [1] v Masahiro Chono [1] went to a draw (30:00) when the time limit expired
Two of the main names in New Japan battled to a time-limit draw, in a match that really had the fans fired up. Nagata had Chono trapped in the Nagata Lock III right at the end of the match, but Chono was able to hold on until the bell, and both men walked away with one point each.
6. G1 Climax - Block B: Kazuyuki Fujita [2] beat Tatsutoshi Goto [0] in (3:16) with a knee strike
This was a short and brutal match, totally controlled by Fujita, who ended it with a hard knee to the chest that left Goto needing help to leave the ring.
7. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [2] beat Manabu Nakanishi [0] in (14:59) with a shining triangle
MMA v Amaresu here, with Nakamura and Nakanishi using contrasting styles in their encounter, and it was Nakamura who won out, hitting a heavy knee on Nakanishi which left him open to the shining triangle.
8. G1 Climax - Block A: Toshiaki Kawada [2] beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan [0] in (24:34) after a high kick
The most heated match of the night saw Dangerous K, Toshiaki Kawada, make his debut in the G1 Climax Tournament, against Hiroyoshi Tenzan, who was looking to win his third G1 in a row. Tenzan fought hard, but his quest for a third G1 win started on a loss, as Kawada stunned Tenzan with a pair of shotgun lariats, before finally ending the match with a high kick to the back of the head. After the match, Tenzan needed help to make it back to his feet, but was still able to shake hands with Kawada.
After Day One, the Block standings look like this:
Block A:
1. Toshiaki Kawada [2]
2. Minoru Suzuki [2]
3. Tatsumi Fujinami [2]
4. Yuji Nagata [1]
5. Masahiro Chono [1]
6. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [0]
7. Osamu Nishimura [0]
8. Kendo Kashin [0]
Block B:
1. Kazuyuki Fujita [2]
2. Shinsuke Nakamura [2]
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi [2]
4. Yutaka Yoshie [2]
5. Manabu Nakanishi [0]
6. Toru Yano [0]
7. Togi Makabe [0]
8. Tatsutoshi Goto [0]
There isn't a great deal to comment on so far with only one day gone, but I guess Kashin losing to Fujinami was a bit of an upset.
Day Two takes place the day after tomorrow, with the first of back-to-back cards in Osaka, and this is what we'll see:
NJPW, 8/6/05 (Samurai! TV)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
1. G1 Climax - Block B: Yutaka Yoshie vs. Toru Yano
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Tatsutoshi Goto vs. Manabu Nakanishi
3. G1 Climax - Block A: Osamu Nishimura vs. Kendo Kashin
4. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Togi Makabe
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Toshiaki Kawada
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Yuji Nagata vs. Minoru Suzuki
7. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Masahiro Chono
8. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
The main event sees Hiroshi Tanahashi take on Kazuyuki Fujita, which is a rematch from last June when Fujita beat Tanahashi to win the then-vacant IWGP title. Former IWGP tag team champions Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Masahiro Chono collide, and that is a rematch from the group stage of the 2003 G1. Yuji Nagata takes on Minoru Suzuki which is the Day Two match I'm most looking forward to seeing. The most heated match, though, is likely to be Tatsumi Fujinami taking on Toshiaki Kawada, which is also a match I can't wait to see.
It's been a very busy week in WWE. Not only have almost two-dozen wrestlers and 'divas' been released, but Brock Lesnar appears to be returning as well, if he hasn't already.
First off, let's talk about Brock Lesnar coming back. It's not surprising that some people are still bitter and angry over Brock leaving last year, and while people can, and probably should be, upset over how Brock left, it's absurd to be upset over that he left at all. Brock didn't want to be in wrestling any more, so why should he stick around if he doesn't want to be there? It goes without saying that Brock could have handled his leaving better, in that he should have put a younger guy over on the way out to give that person a boost, but if he wasn't happy to be there and wanted to leave, who is anyone to say that he should have stayed and been miserable? Sure, his NFL aspirations didn't pan out as he'd hoped, but you know what? He took a chance that not many people would have taken, and he should be applauded for at least trying, because he at least made the attempt. And as for people saying Brock shouldn't be brought back at all, well, they'd make shitty wrestling promoters.
The main talk about Brock being back in WWE has revolved around how his return should be handled. For some reason, people are saying that Brock should lose some matches at first. While on the surface it can appear to make some sort of sense, in that it can tell the story of Brock having to work his way back up or work off the ring rust, anyone with an ounce of common sense should realise that Brock should not lose for a really long time when he comes back. When Brock comes back, he needs to be pushed hard, kept strong, and whether it upsets people or not, he needs to have people fed to him, to set up a potential showdown with Batista at, if they can hold it off that long, at Wrestlemania. Brock v Batista is a money match, even though a lot of people won't want to admit that, and for that match to draw the absolute most money that it can, both parties need to be protected leading up to it.
I know some people are saying that Smackdown doesn't need Brock, but those people need to pay attention to the business side of wrestling. While Smackdown does have a decent amount of talent when it comes to ability and/or personality, when it comes to draws and matches that could draw, Smackdown is severely lacking. Right now, Batista v JBL could draw decently on a 'B' PPV, and relatively strongly on an 'A' PPV with some significant build-up. You've also got Batista v Undertaker and, maybe, Batista v Orton which could draw something, but apart from that, Smackdown is rolling snake eyes when it comes to matches that could really make money in the main event. By bringing in Brock, you've instantly added a ton of potential matches that you can put on tv and PPV that could, not only deliver in the ring, but deliver at the box office as well. With Brock coming back, you've got the natural storyline of the other wrestlers being upset with Brock walking out on the company last year. Not only is the storyline natural, but it's one that the fans can easily believe, not only because it's true, but also because a lot of them still feel that Brock 'turned his back on them', and combining those two factors gives you a real potential goldmine when it comes to making money, because people are going to pay to see the 'turncoat' get his ass handed to him, and if they can build it up properly and hold it off long enough, when it comes to time for Brock to finally get his ass kicked by Batista at Wrestlemania, then people aren't going to just want to see Brock get his ass kicked, they're going to really want to see him get his ass kicked.
Moving on to the roster cuts, there have been some surprising and not-so surprising cuts made, and I'll give my thoughts on each cut that has been made so far, with more cuts set to come:
Joy Giovanni: One of the numerous nameless and faceless women in WWE, Joy is no big loss.
Kenzo Suzuki and Hiroko: Kenzo is, was, and likely always will be terrible. He only got hired because he has size, but that was all he had, and even with a hot looking wife, he wasn't safe. Again, this one is no big loss.
Matt Morgan: Morgan wasn't very good in the ring, but he could talk his ass off. So, naturally, he got given a gimmick that made him wrestle and made no use of his mic skills. Morgan getting cut is a bit of a surprise in that he was big, tall, had the look WWE likes, and he did have a lot of potential. Sadly, Matt is a victim of WWE not having the patience to wait until Matt is ready for the main roster to call him up, and he's been labelled as not being ready. He wasn't ready, but he could have been, and would have been had WWE not blown their load over his size and look.
Charlie Haas and Jackie Gayda: What a wedding gift this is. Gayda was just another face in the crowd of nameless, faceless women in WWE, so her getting axed was no surprise, but Haas getting canned is. Haas had the ability, but he was never given the the right push and gimmick to get him over based on his strengths, and he really suffered when Shelton Benjamin was moved over to Raw.
Marty Jannetty: With Shawn not wanting to be a Rocker again, there was no reason to bring him back in the first place, and that he even lasted this long is the real surprise.
Dawn Marie: Congratulations on soon being a mother Dawn. Now get the hell out of here, because you're fired. Understandable given there was nothing they could do with her, but it's still cold doing it when he's pregnant.
Mark Jindrak: That Mark got cut even though he was tall and had a good body is a bit of a surprise, but Mark had nothing going for him. He has no personality or charisma, is really mechanical in the ring, and when that was exactly how he was when he got brought in the first time four years ago, it's not hard to see why he was let go.
Maven: I know Maven wasn't that hot in the ring, but he could really talk, and when someone is that good at something. you really should find something to do with him, and I don't mean a stupid midcard gimmick that doesn't make use of his strong suit. That seems to be a habit of WWE.
Shannon Moore: A small guy with nothing making him really stand out, this one is no surprise.
Akio: Like Shannon Moore, but with more ability. Again, not a surprise.
Gangrel: Was it even worth signing him back in the first place?
Kidman: A surprise, if only because he's married to Torrie Wilson, but even with that factor, it's not hard to see why he's been let go. Despite being really talented in the ring, WWE has totally sucked the charisma and personality out of Kidman, making him just another small guy, who was considered expendable.
Spike Dudley: This one was a surprise to me, purely because Spike can bump like a total madman, isn't afraid of taking the most insane of bumps, which all helps in getting the monsters that WWE love so much over. Still, Spike didn't seem to mind, given his statment on his site over his release.
Kevin Fertig: Not a surprise given his rep and standing with the locker room, both in WWE and OVW. I won't miss him.
The Dudley's: A surprise given their tenure, but not so much when you realise how stale they are; they've done everything that a team can do, and have nowhere else to go.
As the most viewed diary here, which is akin to being the most watched program on FSN, I'm wondering if there is anything specific you people want to see here?
I'm open to any reasonable, and most unreasonable, suggestions, if only to keep the content going, and to stir some sort, any sort, of talk.
People, the floor is yours.
I don’t know much about gourmet cooking or the finer nuances of baseball, so I don’t go to the folders that cover those subjects and act like I know what I’m talking about or like my opinion on the various machinations in those areas carries any kind of weight. So what is it about the wrestling folders that sees them almost infested with people who do just that? What is it about wrestling that causes people to ignore the fact that their knowledge and understanding of the subject at hand is highly limited and act like they know what they are talking about?
Lord Of The Curry recently made a post, though he may have been not entirely serious, that there are 15 people in the WWE Folder who “bring the content”. Whether he was joking or not, he has a point, though he probably overestimated the number of people who “bring the content”. There are exceedingly few people who post in the WWE Folder, and the wrestling folders as a whole, who come across like they really know what they are talking about. I know there will be people who will scoff at that one, and accuse me of being arrogant and ‘elitist’ or whatever, but I’m right, and so is everyone else who has denigrated the quality of poster in the wrestling folders as of late. The majority of posters in the wrestling folders, to be honest, do not know what they are talking about. People can bring up “everyone is entitled to their opinion”, and while people are entitled to an opinion, that doesn’t mean that the people who do know what they are talking about have to suffer the opinions of people who don’t.
I’m all for different opinions and divergent points of view, but people, put some intelligent and rational thought into those opinions. Actually think about what you have to say, or people will just ignore whatever it is you are saying, and any point you were trying to make will get lost in the shuffle.
Well, I didn't like how the real G1 Climax Tournament was booked this year, so I decided to give it a go myself. Let me preface this by saying that I laid this all out last week, so anything that anybody else has said about what should have happened since then, or even before, had no bearing on how I booked things. What I'll do is list the line-ups and running order of all right days of the G1, and then post the 'results' on a daily basis. Comments, questions or predictions are welcome.
G1 Climax Day One
New Japan’s annual G1 Climax Tournament, undoubtedly the biggest annual tournament in wrestling, began yesterday, and we had the usual mix of hot matches and upsets on the first night of competition.
Totally expected. Makabe will likely end up with 0 points, but he may get a single point, if later results indicate a pattern.
This was a surprise, but it might not be a big one. With Tanahashi losing to Takeshi Rikio at the NOAH Dome Show, it’s possible that New Japan didn’t want a guy they plan on giving a big push to, Yano, losing to a guy who himself just lost to an outsider. With that said, I think the best Yano seems destined to get out of the rest of his matches his a win over Makabe, if that, and clean jobs in the rest. Tanahashi will probably win most of the rest of his matches. This is the result that makes it possible that Makabe could theoretically get at least one point, with a possible draw against someone.
This is the Day One match I want to see the most. I’m a big fan of Nishimura and Suzuki, and watching them wrestle for thirty minutes can only be a good thing.
The result isn’t that much of a surprise. The length of the match is, but I would put that down to them not wanting to risk Fujinami going long in matches that don’t need to go any length of time.
The result and length of the match is no surprise, as Fujita should only go long against super workers, which Goto is not, and any losses Fujita suffers in the G1 should be against potential challengers for the IWGP belt, and Goto doesn’t warrant a title shot by any stretch of the imagination.
No surprises here, as Nakamura seems set for another big push, as he prepares to take another foray into MMA, which is a terrible idea.
Not much of a surprise here, as both men seem assured of finishing well, so either man could have won here. Not a definitive win for Chono, as he got the pinfall with a cradle rather than a big move, but a win nonetheless.
The only logical result here, Kawada making an impact with his first ever G1 match with a win over Tenzan. This is exactly how the 2003 tournament began, with Tenzan losing to the outsider. Tenzan went on to win the 2003 tournament, and with Tenzan predicting a third consecutive G1 Climax win and being in dire need of being rebuilt, we could see the same results this year too.
The big matches of the second day, which takes place tomorrow, see Kawada take on Fujinami, Tenzan take on Chono, and, in a rematch of their IWGP Title match last June, Fujita takes on Tanahashi. I’m thinking we’ll see Kawada, Tenzan and Fujita walk out the victors, though it is possible Chono might win against Tenzan. Other bouts see Yoshie take on Yano (Yoshie winning or a draw), Nakamura take on Makabe (Nakamura winning), Goto take on Nakanishi (Nakanishi winning), Nishimura taking on Kashin (I have a feeling Kashin will win this, but I hope I am wrong), and Nagata v Suzuki (Nagata winning).
This years G1 started off well, and I’m hoping that continues, as this years G1 really needs to be kickass, not only for New Japan, but wrestling in general.
Maybe it’s because of the summer season coming up, but the idiocy of certain portions of TSM is really starting to shine through. The most recent example of this would be over the number of buys that One Night Stand got. The first estimates of the number of buys are out, and ONS is pegged at around 265,000 to 275,000 buys, and there are people who are proclaiming, almost gleefully, that this means it was a flop. I’m wondering if these people even have a clue what they are talking about, or if they’re so determined to see ONS as a flop, for whatever reason, that they fail to apply even simple logic to the evaluation that the buy rate was a flop.
The entire PPV was sold on WWE TV over WWE ‘crusaders’ invading a PPV that was being held under the banner of a promotion that not a lot of people at home knew anything about. Sure, WWE fans might have heard the ECW initials chanted from time to time on TV, and there might have been some holdover fans from ECW that have stuck around, but how many WWE fans today do you think have any real clue about who or what ECW was? And how many of them that are aware of it even have the emotional attachment to ECW to want to tune into a PPV to see them fight off the ‘crusaders’ from WWE?
RRR pointed out, and it was something that either went over the heads of the naysayers or something they desperately tried to play down to make their shaky point look good, not one match was announced or promoted on television. It was never pushed that you would see Lance Storm take on Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio take on Psicosis, Chris Benoit take on Eddie Guerrero, and so on. Now, unless you’ve got a Wrestlemania or Royal Rumble PPV that has huge name value, what PPV is ever going to draw big numbers without one match announced?
As for promoting and pushing the ECW name and concept on television, WWE did a generally piss poor job. They didn’t show any interviews from people involved in ECW to talk about it. They didn’t show matches from ECW, either in full or in clip packages, to give people a true idea of what ECW about. They did nothing like that. All they did was promote a series of ‘ECW rules’ matches on Raw, which were really just glorified ‘Hardcore’ matches, that neither showcased the true spirit of ECW, nor featured ECW wrestlers. It was WWE wrestlers who either happened to be part of ECW or were going to be part of the ‘crusaders’ group that was going to invade ONS. Now, with angles that came across as WWE wrestlers attacking a single WWE wrestler, how does that make the PPV look any different, and more attractive, to any other standard WWE PPV? People are already picking and choosing what WWE PPV’s they want to buy, so why should they treat any differently a PPV that, on the surface, which is as far as most casual fans look, looks just like every other PPV WWE offers up?
Sure, the last Raw and Smackdown shows before ONS ended with a group of ECW guys fighting off the ‘crusaders’ that would be at the PPV, and as stand alone angles go they were enjoyable, but those two angle were not enough to counter what had been, up to that point in time, a terrible job of building a PPV that was depending on strong promotion to get the numbers of buys that it had the potential to achieve.
With the bulk of the promotion of ONS ignoring the fact that the majority of people at home didn’t have a real clue about who or what ECW was, something that really needed to be hammered into the brains of people in order to make them emotionally invested into wanting to see this PPV, is it any wonder that a PPV which, going into it, felt like every other WWE PPV got the same number of buys as every other WWE PPV?
The announcement of Samoa Joe versus Jushin Liger for TNA certainly provoked a reaction over at Strong Style Spirit.
It's almost enough to make you long for more posts from the likes of Fishyswa and Iggy.
Raw
Kurt Angle – Ric Flair promo:
Well, that was interesting to say the least. And I hope Angle v Flair doesn’t happen, because it would be beyond idiotic to give it away for free on Raw with less than 2hrs notice.
Edge and Gene Snitsky v Kane and ?
Why is Kane v Edge continuing when they had a blowoff finish last night?
And the Smackdown draftee is…Big Show.
Rhetorical question: Why are they stripping Smackdown of every viable piece of talent they have?
Big Show v Gene Snitsky
Skimmed this, and it still felt like it went on forever. It should have been a 30-second squash.
John Cena promo
This was a somewhat amusing way to bring in HBK.
Edge-Lita-Kane vignette
Kane wants to make Lita’s life a living hell? This whole angle has made everyone’s lives a living hell. End this crap now.
Chris Masters-Tajiri angle
No entrance for Masters, which could be telling. Tajiri calling Masters a jackass was predictable and boring. If the writers must mock the Japanese, can’t they do it in an original manner?
Carlito’s Cabana with ROB VAN DAM
Rhetorical question: Why are they stripping Smackdown of every viable piece of talent they have?
And it’s interesting that RVD is the only Smackdown draftee to get beaten up upon arrival.
Angle v Flair
Well, they didn’t give it away for free with less than 2hrs notice. They gave it away for free with less than 1hrs notice. Way to go, brain surgeons(!). The match wasn’t bad, but it was too much of a Flair match, and Flair got in way too much offense; Angle should have beaten him with ease. At least Angle won clean, though.
Diva Search
The fast forward button was made for shit like this.
Batista promo
Blah.
Christian, Jericho and Tomko v Cena, Shawn and Hogan
Hogan makes perfect sense as the partner, because when I need someone to watch my back in a fight I know I call for a barely mobile 52-year old .
I skipped to the finish. I was surprised Hogan was able to hit the legdrop. I was not surprised that, not only did they not hype Hogan’s return for weeks and weeks, but that Cena was reduced to window dressing. Way to push Cena(!).
Raw Is Statutory Rape
Hulk Hogan on Carlito’s Cabana
So, now we’re making matches from statutory rape angles?
Edge and Snitsky v Kane and Show
I avoided most of this. Edge should be getting primed for a program with Cena, not bogged down with a feud that nobody gives a shit about.
Main event announcement:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
The Heartthrobs v Viscera
A can’t miss gimmick that isn’t over a lick versus a can’t hit gimmick that that the people actually cheer for thanks to creative getting behind the gimmick that won’t draw a dime. Naturally, the woman feels sorry for the man who humiliated her on PPV in front of the world. End this shitty angle, now.
Chavo Guerrero becomes Gunther from Friends
Kerwyn/Kerwin White? WTF? And the bastard made Maria cry.
Hurri-shits segment
Bleh
John Cena peps-up Maria
Maria is happy again, and all is right with the world.
John Cena on the Highlight Reel
Why does Raw have two talk-show segments? They can both talk, I’ll give them that much. Would be nice, though, if the WWE Champion got put over in the main event slot for a change, instead of in a midcard segment with a midcard wrestler,
Diva Boot Camp
You expected me to watch this shit?
Fu Macho Man Chu Renee Dupree v Val Venis
Crisp while it lasted, but why are they protecting Val Venis? Is he so big a star that he couldn’t do a clean job?
Carlito and Angle v Shawn and Hogan
I skipped the match, and turned back literally as Shawn’s foot hit Hogan’s chin. I loved the turn, and what I liked most was Shawn not saying a word, and just staring down at Hogan. The way Shawn walked off and just had no emotion on his face was a great touch too. The only down side to this is that it means Hogan v Shawn, most likely at Summerslam, which will totally overshadow whatever match John Cena is going to have, and Batista too for that matter, and they’re meant to be the guys that are WWE’s future.
I’m not going to name names, but someone actually said that, in his head, John Cena logically has to lose the WWE Title this Sunday at Vengeance.
Yes, the same John Cena who WWE has firmly and most definitely put their infamous promotional machine behind. Now, obviously John Cena is going to lose the WWE eventually, and it will in all likelihood be Triple H he loses it to, because that’s just how things are in WWE. But can someone tell me the logic, because that’s the buzzword of the moment, in John Cena losing the WWE Title to either Christian or Chris Jericho, two guys who have zero credibility? Do remember that such a move would make Cena look like a chump, and while Cena is going to get made to look like a chump eventually, at the hands of you-know-who, it isn’t going to happen at the hands of two perennial midcarders like Christian or Jericho.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the definition of logic, as one person clearly is, here is some help from our friends at the Oxford English Dictionary:
Logic
1. Reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity. • the quality of being justifiable by reason. • (the logic of) the course of action following as a necessary consequence of.
Can someone tell me the validity in the idea that WWE would sacrifice the merchandising potential of one of their hottest acts to someone who isn’t Triple H?
HTQ on Day Five of the Fantasy G1 Climax Tournament
Day Five of the G1 Climax Tournament took place in Shuzuoka today, and it saw a few upsets, and another heated main event, as Toshiaki Kawada and Masahiro Chono faced off for the first time ever.
1. G1 Climax - Block B: Manabu Nakanishi [8] beat Togi Makabe [0] in (9:15) after a Hercules Cutter
Nakanishi giving his G1 hopes a big boost with a win over Makabe putting him further up the table
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [9] beat Toru Yano [0] in (8:56) with a shining triangle
Nakamura disposed of Yano with relative ease, ending Yano's brief comeback with a shining triangle, which got the submission win
3. G1 Climax - Block A: Kendo Kashin [2] beat Yuji Nagata [5] in (13:00) with a flying armbar
The first upset of the night as Kendo Kashin caught Nagata off-guard with a flying armbar to get his first win of the G1, and Nagata's G1 hopes taking a real hit
4. G1 Climax - Block B: Kazuyuki Fujita [10] beat Yutaka Yoshie [4] in (4:42) after a knee strike
Yoshie's girth did him no favors against the brutal Fujita, who assaulted him from the start, and knocked Yoshie down for the easy three count with a brutal knee to the jaw. Yoshie needed help leaving the ring, as Fujita's brutal style claimed another victim
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Tatsumi Fujinami [4] beat Osamu Nishimura [4] in (12:56) with a ground cobra twist
Another upset here as the Teacher Fujinami proved that he could still teach the student a few things, as he was able to take Nishimura down with his patented ground cobra twist and gain a popular, if unexpected, victory
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Minoru Suzuki [6] beats Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6] in (17:52) after three Gotch piledrivers
The second upset in a row and the third of the whole night, as Minoru Suzuki proved he wasn't someone to ever rule out with a stunning win over Hiroyoshi Tenzan, though it took three Gotch piledrivers to finally put Tenzan down for the count
7. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi [7] beat Tatsutoshi Goto [2] in (9:37) with a dragon sleeper
Tananshi put his G1 back in good stead with a win over the veteran Goto, who has been unable to pull off one of his trademark upsets this year
8. G1 Climax - Block A: Toshiaki Kawada [10] beat Masahiro Chono [3] in (18:59) after a high kick
Another dream match in the G1, and this one was just as heated as Kawada v Nagata. Kawada and Chono went all out as Chono looked to be the one to hand Kawada his first loss in the G1, but it was not to be as Kawada fired off with a brutal shotgun lariat that saw Chono fall to one knee, and Kawada followed up with a precision high kick to the back of Chono's head and Kawada won his second dream match in a row.
After five days of action, the Block standings look like this:
Block A:
1. Toshiaki Kawada [10]
2. Minoru Suzuki [6]
3, Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6]
4. Yuji Nagata [5]
5. Osamu Nishimura [4]
6. Tatsumi Fujinami [4]
7. Masahiro Chono [3]
8. Kendo Kashin [2]
Block B:
1. Kazuyuki Fujita [10]
2. Shinsuke Nakamura [9]
3. Manabu Nakanishi [8]
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi [7]
5. Yutaka Yoshie [4]
6. Tatsutoshi Goto [2]
7. Togi Makabe [0]
8. Toru Yano [0]
Toshiaki Kawada stands firmly atop Block A, and with only two days of group action left, seems a lock to get a spot in the finals. The battle for second place is close, with Minoru Suzuki and Hiroyoshi Tenzan both on six points, and Nagata on five points. Any one of those three could gain the second place spot, so it's a really close race. In Block B, Kazuyuki Fujita leads, but he is by no means certain to win the block or even gain a spot in the finals, as Shinsuke Nakamura, Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahshi are all within three points of him, and any two of them could steal the first and second place spots in Block B, and put the IWGP champion out of the G1 finals stage.
Day Six of the G1 takes place tomorrow in Aichi, and it will make the G1 picture look more clearer.
NJPW, 8/11/05 (Samurai! TV)
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
1. G1 Climax - Block B: Tatsutoshi Goto vs. Toru Yano
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe
3. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Yutaka Yoshie
4. G1 Climax - Block A: Masahiro Chono vs. Kendo Kashin
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Yuji Nagata vs. Osamu Nishimura
7. G1 Climax - Block A: Toshiaki Kawada vs. Minoru Suzuki
8. G1 Climax - Block B: Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Manabu Nakanishi
The main event of Kazuyuki Fujita v Manabu Nakanishi will play a big part in how Block B could end up. A win for Fujita would assure him of a place in the finals, while a win for Nakanishi will put him in first or second place along with Fujita, depending on how Shinsuke Nakamura fares against Yutaka Yoshie. Toshiaki Kawada faces Minoru Suzuki. A win for Kawada would guarantee his place in the finals, while a win for Suzuki would almost ensure his place in the finals, if other results go his way. Yuji Nagata takes on Osamu Nishiura, and a win for Nagata would give him a great chance of scoring the second place in Block A and a spot in the finals, while a win for Nishimura would theoretically make it possible for him to get the second place spot, but that would still be unlikely. The legend Tatsumi Fujinami takes on Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and if Fujinami can upset Tenzan, he too would have a theoretical if unlikely chance at the second place spot. A win for Tenzan would almost assure him of the second place spot, depending on the result of Kawada v Suzuki. Masahiro Chono faces Kendo Kashin, and with neither man able to make it to the finals, this match is more about making sure they don't finish at the bottom of the table. Hiroshi Tanahashi faces Togi Makabe, and if Tanahashi can avoid the upset then he will keep his hopes alive of a berth in the finals. The action is rounded off with Tatsutoshi Goto v Toru Yano, with at least one man guaranteed of gaining their first points of the tournament.
So I put in a tape of the 2000 Royal Rumble because I wanted to see Tazz’s debut, and I get to Kurt Angle calling out his ‘mystery opponent’ for the night, and one thing stands out like a sore thumb; Kurt sounds like he’s barely made it through puberty. Go back and listen to this again, and Kurt’s voice sounds almost like a pre-teen when compared to how it sounds now. And it’s not just Kurt’s voice that has changed in the last five years. His facial structure has changed considerably, his physique has morphed from rounded and smooth to hard to angled, and his back has more craters than the surface of the moon.
If you’ve got this Rumble on tape, check it out for yourself, and the difference is remarkable.
HTQ on Day Three of the Fantasy G1 Climax Tournament
Osaka hosted its second consecutive card of action in the G1 Climax Tournament, as Day Three saw a great main event, and some very heated undercard matches.
1. G1 Climax - Block B: Tatsutoshi Goto [2] beat Togi Makabe [0] in (10:11) after a backdrop hold
The veteran Goto gained his first points of the tournament, with a victory over Makabe, who has yet to gain any points.
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Manabu Nakanishi [4] beat Yutaka Yoshie [4] in (13:55) after a Hercules Cutter
Nakanishi handed Yoshie his first loss of the G1 with a Hercules Cutter, and both men now have four points each.
3. G1 Climax - Block A: Toshiaki Kawada [6] beat Kendo Kashin [0] in (12:50) after a high kick
The self styled shooter putting forth another strong effort, but Kashin came up short again, as Dangerous K powered out of a cross armbreaker, and struck Kashin hard in the back of the head with a high kick to gain the pinfall victory.
4. G1 Climax - Block B: Kazuyuki Fujita [6] beat Toru Yano [0] in (2:11) after a knee strike
Fujita wasted no time in disposing of young Toru Yano, destroying him with heavy strikes and knees before nailing him sqaure in the jaw with a big knee strike, which knocked Yano out, and getting the win. Yano, like others before him who have faced Fujita in the G1, needed help leaving the ring.
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4] beat Osamu Nishimura [2] in (18:35) after a TTD
Tenzan again in a rematch from the 2003 G1, as he and Osamu Nishimura battled each other in a keenly fought contest. Mr MUGA~ gave Tenzan a hard match, but Tenzan came out on top, using his TTD to put Nishimura down.
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Masahiro Chono [3] beat Minoru Suzuki [2] in (14:56) after a shining Yakuza kick
The match I'm most looking forward to seeing just for the atmosphere, as two of the best heels in wrestling went at it in this one. Heel tactics were in full effect here, with both men giving the referee cause to warn them repeatedly during the match. In the end Chono picked up the win, after a back heel kick to the groin left Suzuki vulnerable to the shining Yakuza kick.
7. G1 Climax - Block A: Yuji Nagata [5] beat Tatsumi Fujinami [2] in (12:44) after a spinning heel kick
The legend Fujinami gave another great performance here, showing that he could still match skills with the younger talent, but Nagata was still too strong for Fujinami, and a stiff looking spinning heel kick levelled Fujinami and was enough to get the win for Nagata.
8. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [5] v Hiroshi Tanahashi [3] went to a draw (30:00) when the time limit expired
The big main event was a rematch from January's big Dome event, as Shinsuke Nakamura took on tag team championship partner Hiroshi Tanahashi. The Osaka crowd started quietly for this one, but they soon got into it as Nakamura and Tanahashi pulled out all the stops, and wrestled a match that some were saying exceeded their match in January. The match was very even, as Nakamura and Tanahashi proved to be equal to the challenge of the other and neither man could seem to gain any real advantage. Nakamura and Tanahashi were fighting over a superplex, and when the bell rang to signify the time limit expiring, they finally fell succumbed to exhaustion, and fell to the mat, showing how hard they had fought. The Osaka crowd gave them a standing ovation, and the tag team champions shook hands after the match, and left the ring together.
After three days of action, the Blocks in the G1 Climax Tournament look like this:
Block A:
1. Toshiaki Kawada [6]
2. Yuji Nagata [5]
3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4]
4. Masahiro Chono [3]
5. Osamu Nishimura [2]
6. Minoru Suzuki [2]
7. Tatsumi Fujinami [2]
8. Kendo Kashin [0]
Block B:
1. Kazuyuki Fujita [6]
2. Shinsuke Nakamura [5]
3. Manabu Nakanishi [4]
4. Yutaka Yoshie [4]
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi [3]
6. Tatsutoshi Goto [2]
7. Togi Makabe [0]
8. Toru Yano [0]
Toshiaki Kawada has the lead in Block A, but Yuji Nagata and Hiroyoshi Tenzan are both close behind him, and Masahiro Chono could still be a potential contender as well. Over in Block B, Kazuyuki Fujita is on top, with Shinsuke Nakamura and Manabu Nakanishi and Yutaka Yoshie all within striking distance of the top spot. After Day Four, things may become a lot clearer.
NJPW, 8/8/05 (SXW)
Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium
1. G1 Climax - Block B: Manabu Nakanishi vs. Toru Yano
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tatsutoshi Goto
3. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Kendo Kashin
4. G1 Climax - Block B: Togi Makabe vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
5. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yutaka Yoshie
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Minoru Suzuki
7. G1 Climax - Block A: Osamu Nishimura vs. Masahiro Chono
8. G1 Climax - Block A: Yuji Nagata vs. Toshiaki Kawada
Day Four is headlined by a dream match, as Yuji Nagata faces Toshiaki Kawada for the very first time. A win by Nagata would put him atop Block A, but a win by Kawada would firmly place him as Block A leader. Osamu Nishimura takes on Masahiro Chono, with a win by Nishimura almost essential to keep his G1 hopes alive, while a win for Chono would keep him very much in the hunt. Tatsumi Fujinami battles Minoru Suzuki, in what could prove to be the most interesting match of the night. In Block B, Kazuyuki Fujita would seem to have an easy match against Togi Makabe, but this is the G1, and never count anything out. Shinsuke Nakamura takes on Tatsutoshi Goto, and if Goto pulls off one of the upsets he is infamous for, then Nakamura could see his G1 quest hit a big hurdle. Manabu Nakanishi takes on Toru Yano and Yutaka Yoshie takes on Hiroshi Tanahashi, and wins by either man would keep their G1 hopes alive, though a win by Tanahashi would give his G1 the boost it really needs to get going. Elsewhere, Hiroyoshi Tenzan takes on Kendo Kashin, which should be very heated, given that Kashin left New Japan three years ago with Tenzan's best known tag team partner, Satoshi Kojima, and Tenzan isn't one to forget something like that.
HTQ on Brock Lesnar and Spike/UFC vs. USA/WWE
Brock Lesnar
The biggest international wrestling story this week concerns Brock Lesnar and his on again/off again status in regards to his working the October 18th Dome event for New Japan Pro Wrestling. His participation has changed from being rumored to assured to turning into a definite maybe. The biggest hold up is, of course, his ongoing lawsuit battle with WWE over the non-compete clause that he signed as part of the agreement to allow Lesnar to leave WWE last year. The actual non-compete clause is worded as follows:
That doesn’t seem so bad, until you find out that this clause lasts until June 30, 2010
Yes, Brock Lesnar is legally barred from participating in professional wrestling or MMA anywhere in the world for the next ten years. Such a clause seems excessive on the surface, and really it is, but the key point to remember is that Lesnar willingly signed such a clause, and you’d think he’d be bound by it no matter what, right? Well, not necessarily. While the non-compete clause seems airtight on the surface, a little checking into the legal facts and background show that Lesnar has a reasonable chance of winning this lawsuit.
The lawsuit is being held in Connecticut, and Connecticut law doesn’t hold up non-compete clauses if they are shown to be unreasonable in terms of length and geographical consideration, and preventing someone from working in their chosen profession anywhere in the world for ten years would seem to fit that bill.
Brock’s lawyers also have ammunition in WWE allowing Ultimo Dragon to work in Japan while still under contract, and when WWE released a number of talents recently their non-competes did allow them to work in Japan. If they can argue that WWE is being unfair in allowing others to work in Japan while still under contract, and point out that WWE has no trouble letting others work in Japan as part of their non-compete clause, then they may have a much stronger case than a lot of people are giving them credit for.
Spike/UFC vs. USA/WWE
The biggest story in the US wrestling scene is the impending war that sees Spike TV and UFC taking on the USA Network and WWE. With Raw moving back to USA on 10/3, it was a given they’d go the extra mile to make it special and they going to do that by bringing back Triple H. However, things got interesting when Spike TV decided to put a live UFC special on 10/3 to go head-to-head with Raw. This move was inspired when Spike got word that, for the first time ever, the 8/29 edition of Ultimate Fighter beat Raw in the Males 25-34 demographic, which is Spike’s key demographic age group. Not only that, but Spike are also adding a reply of the new TNA show to their Monday night line-up as well. USA and WWE very quickly fired back, and it was announced that Raw would start early at 7:55pm, and would be a three-hour ‘Night of Champions’ Special, with the returns of Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Triple H, Vince McMahon and Mick Foley (though Foley might not be there as he’s meant to be in Australia the next day, and unless he tapes something for WWE he won’t be able to take part). Not only that, but immediately after Raw, USA would be airing a one-hour special to highlight the best of Raw on USA.
When you add in the UFC Unleashed show and the UFC reality show Ultimate Fighter, which will now be kept on Monday’s, the line-up for 10/3 looks like this:
Spike
8-9pm: UFC Unleashed
9-11:05pm: UFC Live
11:05-12:05am: The Ultimate Fighter 2
12:05am-2:10am: UFC Live replay
3:10am-4:10am TNA Impact!
USA
7:55-11:05pm: RAW 'Night of Champions'
11:05-12:05am: RAW Exposed
For wrestling and MMA fans, 10/3 is going be a very historic night, as a potential new ‘Monday Night War’ could be starting out. How this all unfolds won’t really be known until the ratings come out. For this to be a true Monday Night War, then UFC has to do numbers that Spike are at least satisfied with. Anything less than a good rating will see Spike pull back from being behind UFC and going ahead with the new Monday night line-up. However, a really good rating, and a thrilled Spike, will undoubtedly see Spike get firmly behind UFC, and TNA in their quest to remain the kings of Monday Night cable. How Spike sees the UFC ratings will be in part determined by how they eat into Raw’s ratings, which themselves will be of importance. Anything less than 4 is going to be seen is a big disappointment, and you’ve got to believe that WWE are going to expect something in the high 4’s for this one.
Personally, I’m thinking the live UFC does a 1.8 but does strong in the Male 25-34 demographic, and that Raw will get a 4.2, with their peak being a 4.5 at best. That’ll lead to more UFC on Spike, TNA getting a good replay slot on Mondays, and a brand new Monday Night War for us all to watch and enjoy.
HTQ on Day Two of the Fantasy G1 Climax Tournament
Osaka was the venue of Day Two of the G1 Climax Tournament as the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium played host to the first card of back-to-back events at the facility. There were no upsets today, but we got a really heated main event.
1. G1 Climax - Block B: Yutaka Yoshie [4] beat Toru Yano [0] in (7:14) after a diving bodypress
Yutaka once again relies on his girth, and it scored him a win against Yano, who at least tried hard.
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Manabu Nakanishi [2] beat Tatsutoshi Goto [0] in (10:31) after a Hercules Cutter
Goto lasting longer than you might think, but Nakanishi was too strong and determined, and he ended the match just past the ten minute mark with a Hercules Cutter,
3. G1 Climax - Block A: Osamu Nishimura [2] beat Kendo Kashin [0] in (14:46) with a ground cobra twist
MUGA~ won out in this match, as Nishimura reversed an attempted guillotine choke, and scored the pin with his patented ground cobra twist.
4. G1 Climax - Block A: Toshiaki Kawada [4] beat Tatsumi Fujinami [2] in (12:17) after a shotgun lariat
The most intriguing match of the night saw the legendary Fujinami able to hold his own against Dangerous K, but Toshiaki Kawada turned things up after the ten minute mark, and levelled Fujinami with a hard shotgun lariat to get the victory.
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Yuji Nagata [3] beat Minoru Suzuki [2] in (18:40) after a wrist clutch exploder suplex
This was the best wrestling match of the night, as Nagata and Suzuki battled back and forth on the mat, with both men apprently looking to get a submission win. Nagata changed strategy though, and it got him his first win of the G1, as a wrist clutch exploder put Suzuki down for the three count.
6. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [4] beat Togi Makabe [0] in (8:56) with a cross armbreaker
Makabe putting up a fight against Nakamura, but the former IWGP Champion was too much for him, and Nakamura took Makabe down into a cross armbreak to get the submission win.
7. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroyoshi Tenzan [2] beat Masahiro Chono [1] in (19:03) with the Anaconda Vice
Former tag team partners went at it in this match, as Tenzan and Chono battled it out in a fiercely competitive match. They met in the 2003 G1, and Tenzan won the match there, and Tenzan was victorious here as well, being able to put Chono down with his Anaconda Vice.
8. G1 Climax - Block B: Kazuyuki Fujita [4] beat Hiroshi Tanahashi [2] in (12:12) after a knee strike
The most heated match of the night, with Tanahashi putting up the fight of his life against the man who beat him for the vacant IWGP title last year. The crowd really got behind Tanahashi, but the might of Fujita was too much for Tanahashi today, and Fujita knocked Tanahashi silly with a brutal knee to the jaw to get the win. After the match Tanahashi needed to be helped to the back, as the knee appeared to have knocked him for a loop.
After two days, the standings in the G1 Climax Tournament look like this:
Block A:
1. Toshiaki Kawada [4]
2. Yuji Nagata [3]
3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [2]
4. Osamu Nishimura [2]
5. Minoru Suzuki [2]
6. Tatsumi Fujinami [2]
7. Masahiro Chono [1]
8. Kendo Kashin [0]
Block B:
1. Kazuyuki Fujita [4]
2. Shinsuke Nakamura [4]
3. Yutaka Yoshie [4]
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi [2]
5. Manabu Nakanishi [2]
6. Togi Makabe [0]
7. Tatsutoshi Goto [0]
8. Toru Yano [0]
Toshiaki Kawada leads Block A with two wins, while Yuji Nagata is in second place with one draw and one win. Tenzan, Nishimura, Suzuki and Fujinami are all tied behind them on two points, with Chono in seventh place with one point, and Kendo Kashin in last place. In Block B, there is a three-way tie for first place, with Kazuyuki Fujita, Shinsuke Nakamura and Yutak Yoshie all with four points. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Manabu Nakanishi are behind them with two points each, and Togi Makabe, Tatsutoshi Goto and Toru Yano anchoring the table with all three yet to score.
Tomorrow sees Day Three action, and it once again takes place in Osaka:
NJPW, 8/7/05 (WPW/NJ+IWTV Internet)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
1. G1 Climax - Block B: Tatsutoshi Goto vs. Togi Makabe
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Yutaka Yoshie vs. Manabu Nakanishi
3. G1 Climax - Block A: Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kendo Kashin
4. G1 Climax - Block B: Toru Yano vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Osamu Nishimura
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Masahiro Chono vs. Minoru Suzuki
7. G1 Climax - Block A: Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Yuji Nagata
8. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Day Three is headlined with a rematch from January's big Dome event, as the IWGP tag team champions face off with Shinsuke Nakamura taking on Hiroshi Tanahashi. A win for Nakamura would cement his status as contender to win the Block, while a win for Tanahashi would put him in contention at last. The biggest match in Block A as far as standings go is Hiroyoshi Tenzan v Osamu Nishimura, with a win for either man placing them right near the top of the table. Tatsumi Fujinami takes on Yuji Nagata, and a win for Nagata will see him in at least second place, and if Toshiaki Kawada falls to Kendo Kashin, Nagata would top Block B. The most interesting match from an atmosphere and personality standpoint will be Masahiro Chono v Minoru Suzuki, as both men are great heels, and this one could split the crowd.
The Hassan-Undertaker angle has finally been defended with the classic, "It's just wrestling" line, and I really thought that some people spouting that one off had a little intelligence and/or common sense in ther brains, but I guess they don't.
Such a defense shows a startling lack of intelligence and foresight, and can only be espoused by people living in a wrestling bubble. In case it's escaped your attention, and I think it has, there is something called the REAL WORLD out there. It's that place you reside in once you turn off the wrestling, assuming you ever turn it off at all. And out there in the real world, shit like the Hassan-Undertaker angle doesn't exactly do wonders for the business you apparently like so much, but clearly don't really care for. Do you people even have a concept or clue about how angles like this go over in the real world, where the decisions are made that can very easily take away the very thing you say you care for, but actually don't?
Wrestling has a bad enough time gaining any kind of respect, understanding or acceptance in the real world. Even when WWF/E was getting huge numbers for Raw or Smackdown, they were still getting just a fraction of the kind of ad dollar that much lower rated programs got. Why? Because people look at wrestling like it's something only retards and the emotionally stunted watch. They look at like a joke. It's on the lowest rung of the entertainment ladder. And crap like the Hassan angle, like the Katie Vick nonsense, like the Billy and Chuck wedding bullshit doesn't help. The Billy and Chuck deal did get WWE some publicity, I'll give them that, but do you remember, or want to remember what happened when everyone found out that Billy and Chuck weren't actually going to get married? The press went away. They stopped giving WWE the kind of publicity they crave. The Billy and Chuck deal got so much press because it was presented as wrestling finally showing some sort of class, by having a pair of openly gay characters get married and it was seen as something progressive in a world that everyone had previously looked down upon. So, when it was revealed that it was 'just another silly wrestling angle', the press felt burned, and they turned their backs on WWE. The Katie Vick angle the next month was another desperate attempt at getting some kind, any kind of publicity, but it didn't get anything at all. It didn't even get the kind of scorn and ridicule that most OTT crappy angles get. Do you know why? Because nobody was biting so soon after getting burned, and having it reaffirmed in their minds that wrestling is a total joke.
Now, imagine that the Billy and Chuck deal happened last month, and it ended with them getting married. The press wouldn't have felt so burned, WWE would have gotten some good press for being progressive, wrestling would have been seen in a somewhat more positive light by people, and the press might have paid WWE some real attention.
And then the Hassan-Undertaker angle happens.
Do those of you with a grasp of the real world and how it sees wrestling know what would have happened if the press were actually paying WWE some kind of attention when the Hassan-Undertaker angle happened? Do those of you living in the wrestling bubble want to try and be brave and think about how the REAL WORLD would see wrestling, would see wrestling fans, with that kind of angle under any kind of press microscope? With what is still going in the real world, the world outside of wrestling for those of you still in the bubble, do you know what kind of damage that would do, not only to the publics view of wrestling, but of anyone even associated with wrestling, when it's presenting that kind of angle on national television, especially with what happened in London just hours before the show went to air? (And it was possible to edit the angle out, so don't even go there)
I know most of those people defending the angle probably don't give a shit about how people view wrestling, but in a subject closer to their hearts, how do you think people would view YOU for watching the kind of product that put out something so distasteful and reprehensible?
And even if it was 'just wrestling', is an angle like this really the sort of thing you want out there for people to use to knock wrestling? Is it really the kind of thing you want out there for people to see if they're only tuning into wrestling for the first time? Or do you only care about your view of wrestling, and don't care about the views of people who could help bolster the business by supporting it in some fashion?
I don’t ask for much out of my wrestling shows. All I want is good wrestling, good storylines and good angles. No one specific aspect need be focused on more than any other, but they should all be good, or at least enjoyable to watch in some positive manner. In the event that one or two of those things I want out of a wrestling show are sub-par, then the third aspect should be good enough that it carries things. It should be so great that it makes up for everything else not being up to par. A couple of examples would be a Raw that had some terrible skits and angles but was capped off with a MOTY level bout between Edge and Kurt Angle, or a Raw with shoddy matches and skits, but with a returning Matt Hardy cutting a blistering worked shoot promo on Edge and Lita. That’s all I want out of a wrestling show. Is that too much to ask? Is it really too much to ask that the people doing their jobs do them to an acceptable standard?
Vengeance
Shelton v Carlito:
Decent match, but decent doesn’t cut it on PPV. Also, putting the IC belt in the opener just further entrenches the idea that the IC belt means very little. True as that is, it’s a perception that needs changing, and putting it in the first match doesn’t help. The loud crowd made the match, with chants for and against both wrestlers, with no rhyme or reason.
Christy v Victoria:
I skipped this.
Edge v Kane:
Far better than their match last year, and shockingly good considering, but why is a heel with real potential, and who is gaining a lot of momentum, jobbing clean to a guy who, in all fairness, ceased meaning anything many years ago? Would it not make more sense to build up the guy who, it seems, will be challenging for the World Title soon?
Shawn v Kurt:
Good stuff, but nowhere near great, and Shawn’s usual no-selling took things down, as it did in the first match at WM. The usual main event WWE style stuff, but with a finish so damn hokey, it just killed the match dead.
Viscera and Garcia segment:
Skipped this, but I did see Viscera blow off Garcia, so I guess the writing team get to have their revenge on all the women who blew them off in high school.
Cena v Jericho v Christian:
Decent enough, with Jericho and Christian making Cena look good, though that fact seems to have gone over the head of most people. As expected by anyone with a brain, which means a lot of people on here didn’t think it would happen, Cena won clean, pinning Christian. I would have expected Jericho to lose, given that Christian is the one with momentum and potential, but killing off momentum and potential seems to be a theme of the undercard.
Batista v Hunter:
I skimmed this one. Batista seemed to sell a lot less than I expected, but given that the damage from his selling too much in their two previous matches had already been done, it does make sense. From what I saw, it seemed like a good brawl, and it had all the usual shortcuts you get from a match that really needs them. Batista got put over strong here, and his winning clean was no surprise to those with a brain in their heads.
Overall:
It was a decent PPV, and it was enjoyable enough, but people shouldn’t pay $34.95 and get decent and enjoyable. I’m glad I’m not one of those people.
