Is anyone else as amped for WK10 as I am?

[Evan H.]

Wrestle Kingdom 10 is shaping up to be one HELL of a wrestling card...

Confirmed
*Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi for IWGP HC title
*Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs AJ Styles for IWGP IC title
*Kenny Omega (c) vs KUSHIDA IWGP Jr. Hvt title
*reDRagon (c) vs Matt Sydal & Ricochet vs Roppongi Vice vs The Young Bucks - 4 way IWGP Jr. Hvt TT title

Rumoured
*Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs Michael Elgin for NEVER title
*Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson vs World Tag League winners for IWGP TT titles (I predict Great Bash Heel)
*Minoru Suzuki (c) vs Naomichi Marufuji for GHC title
*ROH title Match
*EVIL and Naito vs Meiyu Tag (Shibata and Goto)
*Jushin Thunder Liger vs Tiger Mask (c) for NWA jr. Hvt title

The idea of Makabe & Honma as tag champs makes me so happy, really hope that's the case because Anderson needs a straight up singles run, and Gallows needs to do way more standing at ringside (not a fan)... all the potential fun fresh tag team matches G.H.B could have as champs could be really really dope. With new entrance gear EVIL will be waaaaaaay kick ass (the velvet rope, woof) I want to see Los Ingobernables Japan to grow in number with more weirdos like he and Naito. Maybe a gaijin... Elgin, maybe?


REALLY excited at the prospect of Suzuki & co. returning to the company from their NOAH excursion. Suzuki-gun > Bullet Club as far as cool heel stables go. Bullet Club is goofy and smarmy... Suzuki-gun feels like they'd just cut your head-off with a katana and spit on your corpse. lol


The two main events of this show, I can't even. The post match brawl between Okada and Tanahashi and the "bullet catching" thing between AJ and Nakamura got me so amped to see the road to WK. This was my first full WrestleKingdom to WrestleKingdom run, I've watched every single thing they've posted from then to now thanks to NJWorld and I can finally say I'm a true blue New Japan fan after following via YouTube videos and DVD's and streams and shit for so many years. Being able to watch them create a years worth of stories really is just so satisfying.


Like... watching the last few years, the story they're telling with Tanahashi and Okada? The slow passing of the "Ace" mantle from Tanahashi to Okada, Tanahashi not ready to give it up quiiiiiite yet and Okada just burning up inside to take it from him. Proof epic pro wrestling storytelling can JUST be about stuff like being the best, mutual respect, fighting spirit, etc. and not who stole who's girlfriend or who blew up whomevers car or whatever.

 

[Seth]

Honma getting a belt would be really awesome and great capper on his long arc to have big-time successs. Seems like Honma/Makabe would be wide-open to take on the Bullet Club so I wouldn't be against them winning and taking the belts. The junior tag team title match will be good, but I HATE the set-up since it reeks of "let's get all these guys on the card" especially since Sydal/Richochet won the tournament, only for two other teams to come out and be all "well, WE should get to wrestle, too!"

Nakamura/Styles has all the potential in the world to be amazing and looking forward to what I can assume will be Okada's rise as the man of the company where he finally defeats Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom. I know there's a few people who are down on NJPW going back to Okada/Tananashi, but like Evan said, I've loved their whole rivalry since Okada made it to the big-time. Great storytelling can transcend any language barrier.

 

[Evan H.]

People who are bitching about Tanahashi and Okada getting the main event again don't get New Japan. Okada works his ass off to get to the top only to lose to the Ace, the champ Tanahashi. Another year ticks by, Okada works his ass off again putting on killer match after killer match and now he's walking in to WK champ... now he just needs to beat the Ace, the man who stole away his moment last year, Tanahashi. It's classic pro storytelling. When Okada overcomes and retains his strap, it's going to be this awesome cathartic moment. The Rainmaker's time will have finally come.

Goddamn love this shit.

 

[Evan H.]

I'm also not super thrilled about the Jr. tag team situation. A triple threat would have been better, leave off Romero and Beretta, that or let The Bucks take on Roppongi Vice for a shot at the belts later or something. Sydal/Ricochet vs. reDragon all on their lonesome would have been a fantastic match.

 

[QueenOfTheRing]

I know basically nothing about any of these people. I am, however, a big fan of killyouintheface style so I may need to figure out a way to watch this. And the one from last year.

 

[Evan H.]

New Japan's streaming network is only like eight bucks ​American, and if you launch it in Google Chrome it will automatically translate the website with just a click. Actually following New Japan this last year has been AMAZING. Literally, if you're as huge a wrestling fan as I know you all are, get NJWorld like yesterday... it's worth it 100x over.

 

[Evan H.]

http://njpwworld.com/

All the big shows, all the smaller shows, even the in-between "tour" shows with one static camera and no commentary... it's all golden. Not to mention the insane back catalog of decades worth of incredible wrestling. Mutoh, Inoki, Hashimoto, Chono, The Steiners, Liger, Devitt and on and on and on and on.

 

[Evan H.]

Guidebook to New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Wrestle Kingdom 10 Edition. 36-Page PDF, Great for Newcomers!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B83DG4_KdlURM2s2ZEZ4TEIyQ1U/view

 

[Evan H.]

So fired up. Hooked up an HDMI cable from my PC to my receiver so I can just drag the browser window over to the TV and bam, WK watched from the sofa.

 

[brusch]

Styles/Nakamura is worth repeated viewing. Holy moley.

 

[SenorJames]

Evan,

Did you get the feeling I did that, Shibata/Ishii was exactly what we had in mind for how Boxer/Dusty played out at AOD? Because that's what I kept thinking while watching that match, hah.

 

[Evan H.]

Shibata might be my favorite NJPW competitor riiiiiight behind Okada. That Openweight title match was brutal beautiful shit man.

 

[Evan H.]

Also, am I the only one that stopped halfway through the English commentary version and switched to Japanese due to Yoshi Tatsu being so godawful sitting between Striker and Kelly?

"After an epic match like that what does this win mean to the Japanese people in your opinion, Yoshi?"

"NO OKAY... YES, IS GOOD."