Two important New Japan 1/4 notes

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

--Due to a poor advance (less than 10,000 tickets sold so far), New Japan has gotten desperate once again for the 1/4 Dome show. They made a deal with K-1 to get Akebono to make his New Japan debut, teaming with Yutaka Yoshie as a pair of blimps against Black Strong Machine & Hiro Saito

 

--WWE has withdrawn its attempt to keep Brock Lesnar from appearing on that show, pulling out of Tuesday's scheduled hearing to determine whether the WWE would be able to get a temporary restraining order to prevent Lesnar from wrestling. It appeared to be an attempt with no chance of success going in.

 

From Meltzer.

 

The ticket number might be lower thaneven the most pessimistic guesses. The WWE pulling out of the TRO attempt is no surprise legally, but it is somewhat of a surprise for WWE to 'blink', even though they did have almost no chance of winning to begin with.

[RedJed 0]

This may be a dumb question, but how can NJPW even think that having Akebono (or fucking ANYONE) announced something like only 2-3 days before the show is going to change shit? Maybe even a better question is how does any company in Japan think sales can go quick on tickets when they hotshot in such a manner? Maybe I just dont understand the system over there in how word gets spread about things like this, but it's akin to a guy being signed to a Sunday ppv on a Friday here in the states, with no TV time even given to promote such. Just seems like REAL bad business to even think of doing such a thing.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Common sense goes out of the window when you panic and are deathly afraid, and rightly so, of drawing the lowest paid attendance of all time at your showcase major event.

[BUTT 0]

This is their last Tokyo Dome show, right?

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

For the time being, yes. If business picks up, they'll want to go back, but not until they can run Dome Show's at a profit.

[Detox 0]

nice post

[BUTT 0]

Man, the Japanese wrestling business is in awful shape, isn't it? What would it take to generate more interest in it?

[World's Worst Man 0]

New Japan just killed the venue. Last year's 1/4 dome show was awful. The 5/4 show looked alright, but the main event was a Sumo Hall draw at best. The 10/8 show was also terrible. They're sticking Akebono in there with the hope that he'll draw somewhat of a walk-up crowd (he might), but it won't be significant.

 

Not all Japanese promotions are in bad shape. NOAH draws, because their booking is sane, so the draws they have don't get devalued. Dragon Gate draws because they have their niche and put out a great product. New Japan doesn't draw because they've killed their draws with bad booking/MMA crap, and their big shows are usually crummy.

[Guest The Showcase]

The Japanese wrestling business isn't in bad shape, it's just New Japan that's in bad shape because they try to present a "shootfight-esqe" product and people would just watch real shootfighting.

 

Inoki finally went over the edge insane and business couldn't recover from it, resulting in the sale of NJPW.

[Bruce Blank 0]

So Akebono might draw... but against those two? in NJPW terms are his opponents mid-level? Upper? lower? Just trying to figure the booking logic out here

[World's Worst Man 0]

His partner is an upper midcard guy, the opponents are a lower midcard guy and a lowcard guy. Like I said, it might get a few people to go, but nothing that will really make a difference.

[Bruce Blank 0]

Sjesh like that'd sell tickets? who'd want to see a "name" take on A-Train and Test?

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

(WWE vs. New Japan) A source has given us a PDF document containing WWE's response to Lesnar's attempt to block WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt from piercing through the attorney/client privilege between Brock Lesnar and his attorney David Olsen. Please read the document. McDevitt is claiming that Olsen should in fact be a witness in the case because Olsen and Lesnar's legal team do not want to reveal documents about their dealings with New Japan in regards to contracts and statements agreed upon. Download the PDF document. PDF Document

 

Update: We read a PDF document (we will not link to the file) in which evidence of e-mails were exchanged between lawyers. The document mentions that WWE is willing to drop their TRO (temporary restraining order) motion if Lesnar stops working for New Japan. Does this mean that Lesnar is going to not work the 1/4 Tokyo Dome show?

 

That's from Zach Arnold.

[BUTT 0]

So if he stops working for them WWE will stop telling him to stop working for them?

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

So if he stops working for them WWE will stop telling him to stop working for them?

If Arnold is correct, then yes. If true, it shows that WWE don't have a lot of faith in their case, otherwise they never would have made the offer.

[Bruce Blank 0]

So if he stops working for them WWE will stop telling him to stop working for them?

It's called "WWE logic" and that's totally hilarious

[RedJed 0]

The absurd just got more absurd! From Observer....

 

--There are tons of freebies all over the Tokyo area for the New Japan Tokyo Dome show late today headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the IWGP title. Here's a funny one. At the Tokyo Dome ticket booth yesterday, there is a sign by the booth saying the show is sold out. Then when you go to the booth and ask if there are tickets, they said it wasn't and gave people asking as many free tickets as they wanted, saying bring all your friends. And this is for people going there willing to pay for tickets. Not only that, but Pia Ticket also has the show listed as being all sold out. New Japan people were kicked out of Narita Airport (which is a long ways from Tokyo actually) for giving away tickets for 90 minutes to people coming off planes. (thanks to Jose Gonzalez and Mori Ono)

[Smartly Pretty 0]

It's sad the Dome can't draw anymore. (Or maybe it's all of NJPW and I just suck at paying attention.) First MSG, now the Dome . . . *sigh*