If WWE struck a deal with "Japan"...

[Guest Downhome]

Ok, first off by "Japan" I mean just any Japanese wrestling promotion. Have it be AJPW, NJPW, NOAH, or whatever, you get the idea. Also, by "get over" I mean well, get over, lol. Now, let's get to this shall we...

 

...if this happened, first off, would YOU personally enjoy it? If so, what matches would you like to see take place? Also, let's assume that WWE would go crazy for just a moment, and allow that Puroresu style to be used in these matches. Yes, all the stiffness, dangerous moves, etc... is allowed.

 

How would the casual fan take to a Misawa coming into the ring and dishing out a Tiger Drivahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh '91 to Edge? Or heck, just any one of those moves you can think of that we never see in WWE and that the casual WWE fans have NEVER seen before. Would the fans simply be turned off because of all of the "Japanese dudes", or would they see this intense, stiff, and crazy ass moves and just take to it like the next big thing? Is it possible that the US casual fan could end up LIKING such matches and what not?

 

I dunno, I'm just thinking out loud I suppose. I've just always wondered this, and thought I'd make it a post to see what YOU guys think about it as well. Remember, think of this as if the Puroresu style IS ALLOWED in WWE, that is important to think of when discussing this, lol.

 

Sincerely,

...Downhome...

[Guest RobJohnstone]

I think it would be fun to see, but it would not go over well. I am thinking that the casual fan likes to see japanese people/wrestlers in stereotypical gimmicks. Just having plain jane great wrestlers like kawada or Tiger Mask IV would be murder for them. We as smarks have a backdrop on history and knowledge about tthese guys, and also we spurred an interest most likely from the internet or sheets, the casual fan would not get that knowledge. In Closing, although it would be fun, I doubt vince would go for it because it probably wouldn't go over well.

 

--Rob

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Kawada. I mean, if they can get Benoit on the fact that he has ONE missing tooth think of how over Kawada's billion dollar smile will get~!

 

I think Vince has pretty much well conditioned all WWF fans not to take any Japanese wrestler seriously, so I don't think any could get over.

[Guest TheHulkster]

It worked for WCW, but they brought Muta, Chono, Fujinami, Liger, and Sasake over on a regular basis and sent their guys to Japan frequently and made the NJPW guys look strong. If the WWE were willing to do these things, it might get over.

[Guest RobJohnstone]

It worked for WCW, but they brought Muta, Chono, Fujinami, Liger, and Sasake over on a regular basis and sent their guys to Japan frequently and made the NJPW guys look strong. If the WWE were willing to do these things, it might get over.

great matches sure, but it wasn;t putting people in the seats. The only one out of those you mentioned with usa drawing power was muta. And later in his career it just wasn't there anymore, like rickrudo said, fans have been conditioned to not like it.

 

--Rob

[Guest Ram]

They can barely fit a quarter of their active roster onto television.

 

Unless they fire alot of people and clear up some room, I DON'T see it happening.

 

It'd be cool, but the change would almost be too big for the casuals to stay.

[Guest TheHulkster]

Sasake and Liger were very over during different periods in WCW.

[Guest Downhome]

I mean, just imagine if they just came over and began to showcase all of the moves that the casual fans don't normally see. I think if PRESENTED in the right way, then it could ultimatly get over. I don't know about you, but I was at one time a "casual fan", and I know that if I all of a sudden began to see all of these different moves, psychology, etc... then I would be taken away and instantly hooked, but then again...

 

...that might just be my natural smarky Pro. Wrestling fan speaking.

[Guest razazteca]

They can barely fit a quarter of their active roster onto television

well WWE seems intent on bringing in talent from OVW, why not Japan?

 

I would like to see T2P bring in Dragon Kid or heavyweight stars from the big promotions.

 

Dragon Kid vs Rey Misterio Jr vs AJ Styles - the great high spots that could be

[Guest Downhome]

Dragon Kid vs Rey Misterio Jr vs AJ Styles - the great high spots that could be

I have faith in the casual fans, so I feel that this match would FORCE fans to take notice and to respond. After all, wasn't it RVD's "new and unusal" style that got him over once and for all for these casual fans?

[Guest wolverine]

Heavyweights--Absolutely not. Maybe it could've worked in the 90's, when guys like Misawa, Kobashi and Kawada were at their peak, but forget about it now.

 

Juniors--Definite possibilities. The guys from Toryumon/T2P would definitely add a new demension to their crusierweight division. It would be awesome if Vince would take the WCW approach and get a bunch of talent from Japan and Mexico, but it's wishful thinking.

[Guest razazteca]

wasn't it RVD's "new and unusal" style that got him over once and for all for these casual fans

 

So true, but I think the self righteous thumb pointing, simple catch phrase also helped. RVD could have some matches against the Japanese "invaders" I would'nt mind watching RVD vs Tiger Mask 4 or Jinsei or Sakuraba from Pride FC.

[Guest Downhome]

So true, but I think the self righteous thumb pointing, simple catch phrase also helped.

Yes, but I feel the moment that the fans REALLY jumped on the RVD bandwagon was in that ladder match against Jeff Hardy at Invasion. In that very match, you can almost pin point the moment that RVD truly became "over".

[Guest razazteca]

maybe TAKA can return with some Japanese wrestlers to challenge RVD in some insane gimmick matches.

[Guest Downhome]

maybe TAKA can return with some Japanese wrestlers to challenge RVD in some insane gimmick matches.

That's not a bad idea actually. The WWE fans are already familier with TAKA, so it wouldn't be TOTALLY new to them if he showed up with a few guys. As long as he brings The Dragon Kid and CIMA & Co. with him, then I'm all for it. Oh hell, i'm all for it period, no matter who he brings. Let's send WWE this idea, we're on to something here.

[Guest Kid Kablam]

I don't think that they could get over because, first of all, they're foreigners and you know just much Vince LOVES to put over foreigners. Secondly Vince wouldn't want them whipping out moves like Tiger Driver 91, cause then the fans would look at the pedigre and go: "Hey, instead of doing the Pedigre, he could do a BETTER move from the same position!" And if there is one thing Vince hates, its to have home grown talent shown up. The only way to get these two promotions together is to play Fire Pro Wrestling.

[Guest Kid Kablam]

Although, for the record, I once saw HHH pull out what was basically a Tiger Driver one time.

[Guest wolverine]

I found it funny when someone said Misawa stole the Tiger Driver from Ahmed Johnson. Uh, right...Misawa had only been using it years before Johnson even went to WWF.

[Guest Trivia247]

The Basic Problem with the WWE striking a Deal with any Japanese promotion is the strict Moveset Limitations the WWE has. Japanese promotions would have to adhere to it when their wrestlers come to America to tour in WWE. Imagine the hellish stiff Moves the Poor illequip WWE Ground up and Insitutionized wrestlers would have to be inflicted on.

 

The only way for it too work is for the WWE to go lax on the Movesets and actually allow some variety. But in this day and age of WWF/E wrestling where Management Has to be in the Spotlight 1 segment to 2 matches it would be difficult to write in oh by the way a Whole mess of Japanese wrestlers are coming over to the WWE for a few weeks and months.

 

WWF historically had deals with AJPW, SWS, WAR, and Michinoku Pro, those deals were usually short live per stint. its a Old school cooperative relationship.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

One problem with bringing in Japanese wrestlers isn't the fans but what wrestlers in the WWE would be willing to work with them.

 

RVD and Jericho where criticized for being to stiff, imagine what the reaction will be for the Japanese wrestlers that are actually stiff.

[Guest Trivia247]

imagine Crazy Maxx from Toryumon making a run in like KDX years ago and Beating down Jamie Noble, then CIMA challenging him for the title and beating him heh.

[Guest wolverine]

WWF historically had deals with AJPW, SWS, WAR, and Michinoku Pro, those deals were usually short live per stint. its a Old school cooperative relationship.

 

They also had a quickie deal with AJW in 1995, but that ended after Aja Kong stomped the Hell out of Chapparita Asari on Raw, then Madusa bailed to WCW and that was that.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

I can't really imagine any heavyweights that would get over. Mutoh, as much as he wants to get over in America, would get laughed out of the building with his act. Hmm...maybe Kojima. I mean, he already has that HUGE win over Tatanka to as a starting point, after all.

 

Juniors are a bit different. I don't know what he's classified as these days, but I could definitely see Ohtani making a big splash because he's such a great heel and doesn't need speech to get over. He's just such a dick it's hard not to like him. Liger and TMIV, too, maybe.

[Guest Dace59]

Maybe if someone got the idea that Vince could use it to push some of the talent that has experinence in Japan, like Benoit, Jericho, Eddie... oh wait, that probably wont happen. But we could hope.

 

And if it did happen, maybe have Malenko come out for a few of the last matches he wants.

 

They could run the angle with those guys saying they've worked in Japan, they know how the Japanese workers where trained, how they liked to wrestle, how to counter their best moves and how to kick their asses etc. etc.

 

Or have some of the workers that are fans of Puro a bit, like Helms come into the angle

[Guest RickyChosyu]

But then what does the rest of the promotion do? I can't see them passing off Benoit/Eddy/Jericho/Malenko as major threats just because they've been in Japan before. I mean, if you're talking about those four, you're talking about Juniors like Liger and co. invading (because that's what all those guys were in Japan) and that makes those four look rather weak, wouldn't you say? Considering Cruiserweight wrestling's reputation, it would only devaluate Benoit/Eddy ect. to work with them, I think.

[Guest Dace59]

Yep, which is the huge probably with my idea.

I did say it'd never happen.

I should have said it'd never work.

 

But they do say a fantasy that stands up to close inspection isn't worth having.

[Guest GenerationNever]

To be honest, Japanese wrestlers would upstage the American ones. Vince won't let anyone from a differant promotion upstage his "boys."

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Vince wants to run a Tokyo Dome show. He did it partially in 1990 and tried to get his foot in the door with Tenryu and Sasuke, so it isn't out of the realm of possiblity that he will try again in the near future (especially with the Success of the last tour they did there and the fact that Vince likes to take shows overseas when business gets bad in the US.)

 

I could easily see a Summerslam or Survivor Series over there...you know, if I was drunk enough.

 

I think Ohtani could get over, he is very visually charismatic and almost commands your attention. And once your attention is there he will woo you with his springboard dropkicks and cheerful dickage. ('course talkin bout Ohtani of old, not current, fatter, blonder version who I have no use for at the moment)

 

As for the masked juniors...they are exactly that, masked juniors. Right there, 2 things going against them. "HEY! Look at dat small lil critter wit dat funnay lookin mayask on! He tryin tuh do sumthin". The Juniors wouldn't be able to function in the bigger, craptacular Wwf ring. No flashy springboards, no real dare devil, high flyin, super-funtastic moves that we all have come to know and love.

 

As for the heavyweights, striking in the Wwf isn't exactly the science it is in Japan. Elbows in Japan are Misawa, while in the US it's Trish Stratus. Plus, try pulling off a rolling elbow finish here... And a quick submission victory with an armbar? fuhgettaboutit.

[Guest Ravenbomb]

Hey, Downhome, how'd you get the WWFe logos on that picture in your sig?

[Guest razazteca]

Plus, try pulling off a rolling elbow finish here... And a quick submission victory with an armbar? fuhgettaboutit.

those finishes could work in a Suvivor Series elimation match or 2/3 falls match.

 

Considering that there is several WWE wrestlers that have worked in Japan or can work a stiff match: Benoit/Eddy/Jericho/Malenko/Storm/Regal/Flair, the Japan invasion can worked if booked right.