Just getting into Puroresu

[Guest gfanikf]

Hi,

 

My name is Ian and I just started getting into Puroresu and I have a ton of questions about it that I was hoping that I could get them answered here. I was able to dl a lot of Puroresu from a torrent site. I dl'ed what I think are the most recent AJPW, NOAH, BJW, DDT, GAEA, and NJPW. The cool thing is that I have a tv out option on my lab top so I can just pip the picture out from my computer to any TV and watch it as if I was getting Japanese TV Smiley.

 

One think that was really neat was that I watched DDT with my fiancee and she really enjoyed it. She doesn't like wrestling but loved the all out wackyness (especially the guy who comes out to Bruce Springstien and kisses guys and does the underwear piledriver) of the event, which shocked the living hell out of me. She actually didn't mind watching it. Which once again shocked the livng hell out of me. I generally watch TNA and sometimes WWE, but I haven't watched wrestling like I used to as a kid since 88-93ish, I'm 23 now), but I figured with the ease it is to see Puroresu these days I would take a gamble on it and I'm happy I did (I really enjoyed the BJW and DDT episode I watched and the AJPW Banquet was pretty decent)

 

TIA

 

Now here are my tons of questions which I thank you once again in advance for answering Smiley

 

1. For each of the promotions listed above how often do they have a tv show (do they have more than one?) and a PPV? I'm sort of trying to put it in a WWE/TNA context to understand it better.

 

1a. Is there a schedule site in English so as to have an idea when to scour torrent sites for a new program. This is so I can know how many programs are in a certain date range (I plan on archiving them on dvd-r)

 

2. Is DDT booked by wrestlers/comedians? Its a really fun program but the wrestling action is a tad weak say in comparision to the ep of BJW I saw (though it was by no means bad and one epiosde isnt enough to make a judgement), but any issue is out weighted by the sheer hillarity and enjoyment factor of it?

 

3. Is steriod use and drug still looked majorily down upon in Japan? Its a nice change of pace from the Batista and John Cena's whose arms look like in all logic immobile and have the grace of movement of a blind trex. Thats not to crap on big guys or toned guys who do it naturally. Its just a nice change of pace from so of the its obvious there on roids look of some guys in the US.

 

4. Which Puroresu DVD store is usually the most up to date?

 

5. What are the best english language sites for news and such (ala wrestleview.com)

 

 

Thanks again

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

puroresupower.com and strongstylespirit.com are good for you. I'm not into much puro, a KENTA match here and there on YouTube, but whenever I've asked I've been pointed in those directions.

[Corkscrew_Senton 0]

puroresufan.com is great for NJPW. Updated almost daily, great content, and it has sister sister linked to All-Japan, Dragon Gate and NOAH.

[Just John 0]

For your tv show question, the major Japanese companies don't work like American promotions. For example, NOAH runs tours that are about 3 weeks long. They'll run about 12 or 13 shows in that time frame, with only two or three televised. The rest you can consider "house shows." The last show on a tour is at the Budokan in Tokyo (that's like MSG to WWE) where they run bigger matches. It's ppv quality, but isn't on ppv. Then they take a month off and start over.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

1. For each of the promotions listed above how often do they have a tv show (do they have more than one?) and a PPV? I'm sort of trying to put it in a WWE/TNA context to understand it better.

 

New Japan and NOAH have weekly TV shows featuring matches from the most recent tour. New Japan occasionally do have PPV's while NOAH will sometimes show their bigger cards live, but neither happens very often. I think All Japan has a monthly TV show rather than a weekly one.

 

2. Is DDT booked by wrestlers/comedians? Its a really fun program but the wrestling action is a tad weak say in comparision to the ep of BJW I saw (though it was by no means bad and one epiosde isnt enough to make a judgement), but any issue is out weighted by the sheer hillarity and enjoyment factor of it?

 

DDT is very much a sports entertainment style promotion; they once had a ladder as Hardcore champion (seriously). You won't get a lot of great wrestling with DDT, but you will get tons of goofy entertainment.

 

3. Is steriod use and drug still looked majorily down upon in Japan? Its a nice change of pace from the Batista and John Cena's whose arms look like in all logic immobile and have the grace of movement of a blind trex. Thats not to crap on big guys or toned guys who do it naturally. Its just a nice change of pace from so of the its obvious there on roids look of some guys in the US.

 

Steroid usage in Japan isn't is prevalent as it is in the US, but it does happen. I think it's mainly down to Japanese fans being into an athletic look rather than being into physiques; as long as the wrestler looks like an athlete, they don't mind if he doesn't look like a bodybuilder. The main drugs of choice in Japan are painkillers and alcohol; a number of the bigger Japanese names are notorious drinkers. It's all down to the physical style and blocking out the pain.

 

4. Which Puroresu DVD store is usually the most up to date?

 

PuroresuDVDSource are usually good to go with. PuroresuDVDSource

[Corkscrew_Senton 0]

Just to tack onto the already-great advice people have given you:

 

Two important words to remember, love and cherish:

 

TOGI. MAKABE.

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

My advice, would be to skip DDT and move to Hustle. Hustle is pretty much the evolved form of DDT's style of wrestling with far, far better workers, and some great storylines. Including the Esperenza, the cybernetic reincarnation of Nobuhiko Takada, who can shoot air bullets, and has already killed off one character with it.

 

Hustle shows can be found on Puro torrents, or just wrestling torrents, and I'd highly advise you to look into them if you like Japanese sports entertainment. Generally, you CANNOT find Hustle on DVD sites, but I don't know if that's changed. Right now, Generalismo Takada, aka the legendary Nobuhiko Takada who has sworn to destroy pro-wrestling, has bought HUSTLE and is forcing all the Hustle Army members to turn evil...Naoya Ogawa and TAJIRI have both gone evil, with only Razor Ramon Hard Gay, Real Gay, Shinjiro Otani, and Wataru Sakata fighting against Takada, however with their own allies turning on them and the unbeatable Esperenza looming in the background, their fight looks hopeless.

 

Another option I'd suggest, is to look into some DRAGON GATE. While their currently restructuring everything, Dragon Gate is easily the greatest of all the "lucharesu" promotions in Japan. The level their top line guys wrestle at is unmatched throughout the world. A typical DRAGON GATE six man tag won Dave Meltzer's match of the year on an ROH show...and they do matches at that level nearly every show, if not higher. On top of that, their very SE-ish, and with a little reading, you can understand everything going on. DRAGON GATE USA is a great site to get info on the promotion, and it's history, you can find it linked from Puroresufan which was already posted. In DRAGON GATE, the evil super group, the Muscle Outlawz have been terrorizing the fed, but a new faction of the top DG wrestlers have formed a new faction called "Typhoon" to destroy the Outlawz. Every member of the group has had their career terrorized by the group, and the feud has turned personal.

 

Their TV is currently a little whacky, with a bi-monthy digest of shows that cover two weeks at a time. They condense everything to about 110 minutes with some clipping, but you get all the major angles and matches. Their also getting back on PPV after a long lay off with a show coming up. You should be able to find them on torrents.

 

Hope this helps.

[Corkscrew_Senton 0]

Hey Hawk, are the Florida Brothers still using that gimmick? Every clip I've ever seen of them was hilarious.

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

No. They lost a handicap match against Stalker Ichikawa where the loser had to drop their gimmicks, then in their final match as a team they voluntarily lost to their team-mates Johnston and Jackson so they could keep doing the gimmick every so often. Funnily enough, Stalker lost his gimmick not too long ago...He's now known as "Stalker Ichikawa Z"...

 

Michael Iwasa was immediately recruited by Akira Tozawa, who is a very inexperienced young wrestler, whose gimmick is kind of hard to explain...He's like a cross-breed of a male cheerleader, and a gang leader. The faction's gimmick is that it's a "school" where wrestlers gain support through cheering, and polish as wrestlers. Despite being ranked the lowest in his stable, the group is named "Tozawa-Juku" and all the members treat him as their leader. Iwasa is now Taku Iwasa, and has seen a dramatic rise up the cards. Since the faction is half comedy/half serious, Iwasa's pretty much the leader of the serious side and acts as Tozawa's second in command. While Tozawa handles the comedy aspects. He's added a variety of power moves, including making his Axe Bomber-style clothesline a finisher, and adding a funky ass Fisherman Buster where he hooks the opponent's leg with his HEAD.

 

You can see all of Tozawa-Juku, here: http://dgusa.puroresufan.com/tozawajuku.html

Their easily the best thing in DRAGON GATE. Every wrestler in Tozawa-Juku has added signatures, called "Tozawa-Juku Hidden Techniques"...Iwasa said in an interview that his "Ultimate" hidden technique is to strike the opponent with a lightning bolt...

 

Daniel Mishima (Real name Raimu Mishima) was courted by Tozawa as well...but was basically told he wasn't wanted on the same day Iwasa was accepted. Mishima decided to leave DRAGON GATE since he had never really had any status there, and seemingly left wrestling, before reappearing on the first KENSUKE OFFICE show against Satoshi Kojima. Mishima gave a good fight before losing, and Akira Hokuto asked the fans if he should be allowed into the KO. Like out of a sports move, the entire crowd one by one stood up and applauded Mishima causing him to break down in tears. He's now aligned with Kensuke Sasaki, and his adopted son Katsuhiko Nakajima, and the same rules seem to apply for him...If Nakajima or Sasaki are booked, Mishima goes with them. He's currently working in AJPW with them where Nakajima is Junior Champion, and Sasaki is in the Champion's Carnival. Essentionally, he's an AJPW worker, but he's affiliated through KO and will go where-ever Sasaki goes.

[theintensifier 0]

You cannot go wrong with AJPW pre 2000 split. Arugably the greatest time in wrestling, ever.

 

Check this out: http://theditch.biz/

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

You really shouldn't link to that. The site's been having bandwidth issues. Plus, he specifically asks NOT to be linked on boards.

 

and AJPW 1990's is NOT the first place someone should look for Puroresu. If you get the wrong match, that'll kill puroresu for you before it even begins.

 

1990's NJPW has almost the same quality of work, and takes far less time to understand. If you don't want to do modern stuff, either that or FMW would be where I'd start.

[Hasbeen1 0]

Why is KENTA always typed out in all caps?

[Coffin Surfer 0]

and AJPW 1990's is NOT the first place someone should look for Puroresu. If you get the wrong match, that'll kill puroresu for you before it even begins.

 

1990's NJPW has almost the same quality of work, and takes far less time to understand.

 

 

Complete nonsense! Early and Mid 90s All Japan is the perfect place to start. Some of the most colorful characters to ever grace the ring like Jumbo, Kobashi, Taue, and Fuchi as well as some of the coolest in Kawada and Misawa. The style is the possible peak of heayvweight work rate and athleticism. Than you have some of the most energetic and exciting performances and crowds ever. Nothing wrong with that.

 

I blame years of bad information as the source of this misunderstanding. Why people don't get the style is a mystery to me. Here's some musings:

 

-While there are faces and heels, the roles do switch from match to match depending on the situation though there's nothing subtle about it.

-A lack of mat work and submission wrestling that States fans normally associate with greatness.

-Difficutly accepting strikes as major offensive weapons or finishers even if their stiff as fuck.

-Reading to much into back story when the real story is unfolding right in front of their faces. ALL the classics are stand alone and self explantory. Lead in matches help but are by no means essential. Yes, even 6/3/94 is easy to grasp without seeing a single previous match between the two.

-Heavy early exposure to sluggish late 90s All Japan when head drops and bizzare selling became the norm as the match ups became stale and injuries/age slowed everybody down.

-The odd American internet fan's over emphasis on limb work. Just because a guy was in arm bar doesn't mean he has to sell it like death for the rest of the fucking match!

-A lack of bulging muscles and wavy hair????

-A lack of WWF Attitude era over the top trash talking and in your face characters? As even asshole heels like Kawada and Taue are much more humble in comparision to top US faces like Austin, early Hogan, and the like.

 

 

If a US fan can't get into something like Misawa/Kobashi/Kawada vs. Jumbo/Fuchi/Taue 4/91 there is no hope. Some of the most fun you can have watching a wrestling match, end of story. If Kawada flipping off Fuchi doesn't bring a smile to your face, or you can't enjoy team Jumbo dicking over Kobashil while school girls in the crowd cry, than I don't know what to say.

[World's Worst Man 0]

I'll just echo the sentiments that the great AJPW matches are perfectly fine without knowing any of the history behind them. And while it's true that the slow-build style might turn off someone who's not expecting it, NJPW is much, much slower build, especially their heavyweight matches. Just don't go in expecting the hyped matches to be 100% full of fast paced super action and you're fine.

[Guest ditch]

You really shouldn't link to that. The site's been having bandwidth issues. Plus, he specifically asks NOT to be linked on boards.

Actually I've linked it here before, so there's no problem with re-posting it. While I'm at it:

http://theditch.com - NOAH

http://theditch.us - Everything else

 

Various juniors matches (New Japan, Michinoku Pro, Toryumon) on the 'everything else' site might be more easily enjoyable than, say, the epic All Japan battles, as Hawk said. Each style of wrestling has its own internal logic, and watching juniors can be a good starting point to expose you to the basic elements of puro.

 

I'm a big believer in not jumping right to the 'best' All Japan matches, because they do have a ton of depth and it can make it hard to get into the older, 'smaller' matches that set them up. Watching Jumbo grow up in the old-school technical era, watching the style change in the mid-80s, watching the Jumbo vs Misawa feud that makes stars and produces all sorts of greatness... all leading up to the super-classics in the mid '90s. It takes patience to work your way through but I think it's well worth it.