What if we did the multipromotional Joshi in 2003?

[Guest Rob Edwards]

I noticed the odd person bemoaning the lack of interesting topics in this folder so lets try this again

 

What if the big Joshi promotions started working together again? Could it touch the 92-95 golden age or would it end up a poor copy

 

I personally don't feel that it could touch the golden age but I don't think it would be stupidly far off, if you used the veterans still going from the original (Manami, Aja, Kandori, Mayumi, Yamada etc) gave expanded roles to the old bit part players (watanabe, hotta, ito, shimodu, mita) and brought the momoe's, hamada's, yu yu's and yoshida's of the world into it I think we'd get a superb product that could revitalise wrestling as a whole

 

Thoughts?

[Guest DragonflyKid]

It wouldn't come close to '92-'94, a few good cards yes but I don't think they will be able to capture the magic that was evident back then.

 

The talent level is no where near that of 10 years ago, back then you had 10+ great wrestlers either in their prime or approaching it having consistently great matches. There was also good wrestlers doing well in supporting roles. Today there are great wrestlers either at their peak or nearing it but the number is fewer and the level of greatness is lower.

 

I don't see how a Hokuto-like role can be duplicated, Hokuto's verbal attacks on LLPW were classic and was backed up with great matches. I don't see where the main source of interest will be since none of the companies are setting the world on fire. Challenges can be made but none that I can see that will turn Joshi on it's head. JD has talent but they draw 100-200 people to shows, Arsion has talent but but doesn't draw. AJW draws good but beyond Momo and Takahashi there is noone that would make an interesting opponent to other promotions' top stars. Ito?, Hotta?, Kandori from LLPW? None will have a great impact.

 

GAEA will not participate, there is a Dreamslam card set up for May and that might be the start of interpromotional work but GAEA will not be involved. There is a Nagayo interview @ the Observer where she states all female promotions are jealous of GAEA. GAEA's lack of participation would hurt alot since they are the top promotion with the biggest names and the dreammatches would include Momo taking on Satomura and Nagashima but would that even create enough excitement to draw big?, I doubt it. Toyota is a freelancer, I have read conflicting reports as to why she left AJW and if there was bad will or not. Who would Toyota challenge anyway? Momo? Champ versus champ? Politics would kill that idea.

 

There are good matches out there, but there isn't anything that will significantly improve the state of female prowres in Japan. Most of the golden age wrestlers are well past their prime and beyond nostalgia I don't see any interest lasting in them. Most of them are in GAEA anyway so the point in null. I don't know of any young stars that would draw or how anything major can be jumpstarted.

 

The best thing that could happen would be the death of 2-3 of the promotions. Options are good but there hasn't been a wave of great young talent emerging to keep up with the distribution of talent. Increased companies equal talent dillution, product downgrade and fanbase dillution.

[Guest DragonflyKid]

BTW, here's the interview conducted by Scott Leighton I believe sometime last year. Chigusa Nagayo interview

[Guest Jubuki]

Uh...aside from GAEA, there pretty much IS interpromotional stuff ALL THE TIME. That's the problem. No one gives a fuck anymore. Maybe you people should read the results and pay attention to who comes from where before posting things like this. And AJW doesn't draw for shit.

[Guest DragonflyKid]

There have been interpromotin matches here and there and working relationships but not any prolonged interaction between companies providing consistent shows that will draw interest. Without GAEA involved the interpromotional stuff means little, with GAEA there would at least be some chance of sustained interest.

 

 

AJW at least reports to draw 1000+ for shows which isn't bad for a joshi promotion today. They supposedly have a good tv deal and their history and name recognition will draw loyalists.

[Guest Rob Edwards]

Uh...aside from GAEA, there pretty much IS interpromotional stuff ALL THE TIME. That's the problem. No one gives a fuck anymore. Maybe you people should read the results and pay attention to who comes from where before posting things like this. And AJW doesn't draw for shit.

and maybe you should read the thread properly and see the GAEA workers in it and suggest to yourself "hey he might be doing a what if? with GAEA involved"

 

Look Chris I respect your knowledge and your views and I enjoy your site but that doesn't give you a divine right to go around bashing everything anyone posts

[Guest Jubuki]

GAEA doesn't have to do it, and will never do it, because they're the one company staying afloat right now. What-if all you want, but they're riding this out until everyone else either dies off or consolidates. And, as I said, the thrill is gone out of it anyway - it was gone in '98 when GAEA *was* working with AJW. It doesn't draw anymore because a third of the workers are freelancers, and it was/is booked to death. I find it amusing that you want to get uppity about this when you know dick about the Joshi scene. The reality of the situation will never see GAEA working with any of them, not unless Chig suffers a career-ending injury and attendance goes in the toilet with her.

 

And AJW drawing 1000 sounds nice - until you realize they were drawing better than that before Toyota left, and they didn't have a whole lot of room in their finances to lose attendance the way they did. There's a reason there's been talk of the 5/11 show being their final one.

[Guest Rob Edwards]

Maybe you people should read the results and pay attention to who comes from where before posting things like this

 

Who's getting uppity about things? I'll admit I know far more about the interpromotional period than I do about todays Joshi but that doesn't automatically mean I know nothing, there hasn't been anything on the scale of 92/95 blending wise, I'm simply asking the question how good would it be if things went that far again, not how viable it is