NWF Heavyweight Title

[Guest PlatypusFool]

From Ichiban Puroresu:

 

Today at a press conference it was announced that Antonio Inoki's old NWF Heavyweight Title would return.

 

The NWF Heavyweight Title was originally founded in the in old NWF territory between Buffalo and Cleveland. It was recognized as a world title until NWA stopped recognizing it in 1976, by the time Inoki had started his five year reign as the title's champion. Inoki held the title on four different occasions in the 70s and 80s, his last in defeating Stan Hansen after the title was held up, where he quickly abandoned the title to concentrate on the IWGP tournament.

 

It was announced that there will be a four-man single-elimination tournament that will span between the 8/29 Budokan show, the 10/14 Tokyo Dome show and ending at the 1/4 Tokyo Dome show.

 

Kazuyuki Fujita will fight Yoshihiro Takayama in one of the semi-final matches on 8/29 (which will probably be the main event of that show also, instead of playing off the New Japan vs. Inoki/Foreign Army angle). Then former RINGS star, Tsuyoshi Kosaka will fight Tadao Yasuda in the other semi-final on 10/14. And the winners of those two matches will meet in the title match at New Japan's Wrestling World 2003 Tokyo Dome on 1/4/03. Pray that's not the main event of what's supposed to be New Japan's (not UFO's) biggest show of the year.

 

What does everyone think of this?

 

Personally, I am hoping that with Chono's recently acquired power, all the MMA themed things that still infest NJPW will be moved into this devision. That way, all the MMA guys will just be facing each other, and not ruin any potentially good wrestling matches like they have in the past.

 

I'm hoping all this, at any rate, as Inoki could of course go mental again and mix everyone together, taking the focus away from the IWGP title and buggering everything up again.

[Guest Dangerous A]

You summed it up for me already Platypus.

 

 

Have the NWF belt go to the worked shoot folks and let the IWGP go the the straight pro wrestlers. That way when I see the NWF belt being defended I can fast forward. (although I probrably won't)

[Guest RickyChosyu]

I would be fine with it, if I didn't think Inoki has a NWF Vs. IWGP Heavyweight Title Unification match in mind for a future date.

[Guest PlatypusFool]

Argh, good point... well, horrible idea, but good point.

[Guest BionicRedneck]

If it keeps the "shooters" away from actual wrestlers then its a good thing, but thats a pretty big if.

[Guest Jubuki]

As long as I see Kohsaka vs. Takayama or Fujita, I don't give a fuck who wins what afterwards.

[Guest Black Tiger]

This is a good idea, The shooters still get to fight on the NJ cards so Inoki is happy but they don't get to damage the cred of any of the titles which keeps fans happy. On a side note, what's the story with Takayama, is he NJ full time or does he still wrestle for NOAH?

[Guest Jubuki]

Fujita's match with Nagata last year was good enough to leave me wanting a rematch. Kohsaka is fuckin' aces in worked matches, and Takayama's useful when he wants to perform well. Yasuda's the only load of crap out of those 4, and it's pretty clear Inoki has learned his lesson with him. Having any of the other 3 challenging Nagata will be a good thing far more often than it will be bad, particularly when it looks like Nagata will finally be solidified as the franchise.

[Guest PlatypusFool]

Takayama claims he is a freelance wrestler, and does not represent NOAH. This is a bit silly though, as he clearly wrestles mainly in NOAH rings, and has been doing do for two years. At the moment I suppose he's part of the NOAH / NJPW crossover stuff.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Takayama maintains the freelance thing, but discounting Pride as an actual wrestling promotion, NOAH is the only place he shows up consistantly, though he's been working NJ for a little while now.

 

Takayama has already faced Nagata, with a Nagata/Fujita rematch on the way, so hopefully a fight with Kohsaka can be put together as well.

[Guest Black Tiger]

Takayama vs Fujita is set to headline the Budokan on 8/29 in the semi finals, since Fujita is booking he'll probably go over, that and the fact that Takayama has a GHC Match on 9/7 and unless Misawa is even more stupid than we all thought, Takayama will probably win it.