Rambles about the wonderful world of wrestling.
Night two of the televised versions of Fantastica Mania and we have a tag tournament alongside another title match. At this point, as long as these shows deliver a dose of fun I will be happy. Give me flips and ridiculous characters all day, please. Let’s dish out some stars.
It’s that time of the year when CMLL grab a bunch of their guys, fly to Japan and have a party. Love it or hate it, Fantastica Mania is a unique tour in the New Japan calendar.
This year, NJPW have treated it a bit differently too. Rather than merging their guys with the luchadors they’ve given a few of their stars a rest and left the CMLL talent to carry these shows. There are still New Japan men sprinkled across them, but they’re not being presented as the attraction.
Will it work? Time to find out. Let’s dish out some stars.
“All of which leads us to January 4th and Okada vs Naito. The golden boy vs the rebel. There’s only one way this should go and it’s with the rebel getting the win.”
The words of, well, me. In the build-up to Wrestle Kingdom, I was so sure that Naito would beat Okada that I’d have bet your life on it. It seemed like a foregone conclusion. The pretty pink bow on Naito’s long story. Honestly, I still think it should have been, but the evils have popped out of Pandora’s box, and they ain’t going back in. So, we’re left with Okada and time to ponder whether this was the right story to tell.
It’s the night after Wrestle Kingdom and all through Korakeun Hall, new stories are stirring and I’ve got nothing more.
That will be my last Christmas themed intro I promise.
If you’re getting into New Japan for the first time, look at New Year Dash as being their Raw after WrestleMania. It’s when NJPW hit the reset button and set up the storylines that are going to take them into the New Year. Which makes it pretty damn exciting. Let’s dish out some stars.
It’s time. I’m not going to bother with a preamble. It’s January 4th and New Japan are in the Tokyo Dome. We all know what that means. Let’s dish out some stars.
Forget Christmas and New Year, it’s Wrestle Kingdom season, and that is the most wonderful time of the year. New Japan is all set for their biggest show of the year, and it looks likely to be their biggest version of their biggest show in quite a while.
Which means that a lot of people will be watching for the first time. A year ago, I did the same thing at Wrestle Kingdom 11. That decision kickstarted my love of New Japan. However, there’s no denying that a lack of context took a bit of sparkle off that show. Going back to it with what I know/have seen now, it is even better.
So, with that in mind, this is a beginner’s preview to Wrestle Kingdom. I’m not only going to focus on who I believe should win each match and why, but also how we got here. I hope it proves useful.
Continue reading “NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 Preview: A Beginner’s Guide”
It couldn’t really be anyone else, could it?
Twenty albums, ten films and three matches. Why? Nobody knows, and it is certainly not from a lack of options. This has been a hell of a year for wrestling. Sure, the big boy has been a bit shit, but the rest of the world is stepping up, and even WWE had a few crackers. Wrestling is on top form right now, and it’s a joy to watch.
Alongside all my usual disclaimers I would like to point out that I am one person and I can only watch so many promotions. This list is slanted in a certain direction because of that. I hope to get into even more promotions in the future, but there are only so many hours in the day. Anyway, let’s get on with it.
Continue reading “Ramblings About’s Top Three Wrestling Matches Of 2017”
It’s the final stop before Tokyo. If you aren’t on board now, well, to be honest, you can still watch. You just won’t be up on the storylines. Dammit, I’ve lost control of this intro. I’m going to get on with it. Let’s dish out some stars.
Continue reading “NJPW Road To Wrestle Kingdom 18th December Review”
We’re on the Road to Wrestle Kingdom, every night I’m hugging my IWGP Title. Yea that didn’t work. Anyway, we’re back in New Japan and it’s not for a World Tag League show. Bless the wrestling gods. Nope, it’s the final build-up to the Dome and gosh darn it I’m excited. Let’s dish out some stars.
Continue reading “NJPW Road To Wrestle Kingdom 17th December Review”
Ramblings About Wrestling 