Any Pro-Wrestling Fans Around?

[BrawnyCharger 511]

4 minutes ago, Denim&Venöm said:

Breaking news!

WWE network is ending in the US! The rights were bought out by Peacock, NBC universal's streaming service and owners of the USA network. On March 18th, the content for US users all go to Peacock. No news on what will happen to the rest of the world. The deal is for 5 years and is for around a billion USD. 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/wwe-network-to-fold-into-peacock-as-part-of-dollar5-monthly-premium-tier/ar-BB1d4xdy

That's it folks. The WWE is future proof. They can sell zero live tickets for like the next decade, have their ratings be on par with Lucha Underground and still be profitable. 

 

I have Peacock. What I'm hoping for is for the content of the WWE Network to be as well organized and the content categorized on Peacock the same way it was on the WWE Network. I also hope that the option of selecting individual matches as chapters is available instead of having to fast forward and rewind.

[Sparklefan1234 161,890]

3 hours ago, Denim&Venöm said:

Breaking news!

WWE network is ending in the US!

 

I know! That's wild! 

 

3 hours ago, Denim&Venöm said:

That's it folks. The WWE is future proof. They can sell zero live tickets for like the next decade, have their ratings be on par with Lucha Underground and still be profitable. 

 

Amazing how often I think WWE is on its "last legs" whenever I try to watch, only for them to go and make a BIG deal with someone for

mountains of money. 

Edited January 26, 2021 by Sparklefan1234

[TheRockARooster 47,329]

On 12/2/2020 at 12:31 PM, Denim&Venöm said:

Guess who's back?

 

I love that NWA World Heavyweight Championship, one of if not the most important championship in wrestling.

[Denim&Venöm 16,523]

Fun fact: Young Andre could go. 

 

[Sonic Shimmer 4,116]

10 hours ago, Denim&Venöm said:

Fun fact: Young Andre could go. 

 

Heck yeah, he was great. Sadly most today have only seen his work from the late 80s onwards. By that point his continued growth had taken a massive toll on his mobility and health.

[Denim&Venöm 16,523]

Spoilers for the first of New Japan's winter shows, The New Beginning in Nagoya and NJPW Strong.

Spoiler

• Okada/Yano def. Yujiro/Evil. Okada wants a rematch with Evil from last years New Japan Cup final. 
• SHO/Wato/Honma/Ibushi def. LIJ. Honma wants a match with Naito after Naito mocked him with a 25 count pin. Wato will be testing himself against Bushi. Sho challenges Hiromu for the IWGP jr. title. Sanada challenges Ibushi for the double gold in a rematch from the G1 final. 
• The Great O-Khan def. Hiroyoshi Tenzan in a match where the loser is forever banned from using the Mongolian chop. Tenzan has just been stripped of one of his most iconic moves. Be like Ric Flair not being allowed to use the chop. But this was one of Tenzan's better singles matches in a long time. 
• Will Osprey def. Satoshi Kojima in a hardcore match. Both guys were in unfamiliar territory here, but this further built Osprey's increasingly unhinged persona. Koji adapted well to the stip though and showed he still has something to offer. Watch if you want to see Kojima blast Osprey with a guitar shot hard enough to make Jeff Jarrett blush. 
• And in the main event of NEVER openweight champion Shingo Takagi defending against Hiroshi Tanahashi, the King of Dragon Gate vs. The Ace of New Japan in a brutal and gutsy performance worthy of NJPW's BMF division

Spoiler

The Ace has still got it. Welcome to the NEVER division, Tanahashi. 

Also Great O-Khan beat down the winner, cutting in line to get his shot at the belt on behalf of the United Empire.

 

On the other side of the Pacific:

It's finally happening. After a year away, the US champ is back in the cerulean blue to answer KENTA's challenge. And it all goes down at:

 

 

On a different note, the rumble is tonight and I'm even less invested that usual. Both go home shows were messy. With WWE future proof, it isn't really gonna matter who wins, especially since WM 37 probably won't have anyone in attendance. The end result will probably setting up a rematch, cause I predict Lesnar is gonna win and challenge McIntyre, Roman or Goldberg for the belt. I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. I'm hoping them building up Bryan, Shinsuke or Cesaro amounts to soemthing. I'm just not looking to be dissapinted again. Sure, last year's Rumble was amazing. So was the one before that and the one before that. But what did they all amount to? Shinsuke acquired a nut shot kink. Seth ruined his own credibility as a good guy. And Drew tried his best, but the pandemic derailed the momentum of his reign before it began. Long term investment in WWE and the stars of theirs that I do like just isn't rewarding anymore. 

So, I will be skipping and tuning out . Let me know if:

1. Did Goldberg win the belt?
2. Did Lesnar, Orton or the Fiend in the rumble?

If the answer to both of these is no, then I'll watch. 

[Sparklefan1234 161,890]

I successfully predicted the 2021 male and female Royal Rumble match winner's. 

The male winner was a coincidence but I was still right! 

 

@Denim&Venöm

1. Spoiler

   No.

2. Spoiler

   No. 

    

Edited February 1, 2021 by Sparklefan1234

[Clawdeen 12,110]

Personally I was pretty disappointed overall with the Royal Rumble pay per view. It was pretty predictable. Actually the past few pay per views WWE has put on I’ve not been that invested in. I kind of wonder why I still watch them at this point.

22 hours ago, Denim&Venöm said:

Spoilers for the first of New Japan's winter shows, The New Beginning in Nagoya and NJPW Strong.

  Reveal hidden contents

• Okada/Yano def. Yujiro/Evil. Okada wants a rematch with Evil from last years New Japan Cup final. 
• SHO/Wato/Honma/Ibushi def. LIJ. Honma wants a match with Naito after Naito mocked him with a 25 count pin. Wato will be testing himself against Bushi. Sho challenges Hiromu for the IWGP jr. title. Sanada challenges Ibushi for the double gold in a rematch from the G1 final. 
• The Great O-Khan def. Hiroyoshi Tenzan in a match where the loser is forever banned from using the Mongolian chop. Tenzan has just been stripped of one of his most iconic moves. Be like Ric Flair not being allowed to use the chop. But this was one of Tenzan's better singles matches in a long time. 
• Will Osprey def. Satoshi Kojima in a hardcore match. Both guys were in unfamiliar territory here, but this further built Osprey's increasingly unhinged persona. Koji adapted well to the stip though and showed he still has something to offer. Watch if you want to see Kojima blast Osprey with a guitar shot hard enough to make Jeff Jarrett blush. 
• And in the main event of NEVER openweight champion Shingo Takagi defending against Hiroshi Tanahashi, the King of Dragon Gate vs. The Ace of New Japan in a brutal and gutsy performance worthy of NJPW's BMF division

  Reveal hidden contents

The Ace has still got it. Welcome to the NEVER division, Tanahashi. 

Also Great O-Khan beat down the winner, cutting in line to get his shot at the belt on behalf of the United Empire.

 

On the other side of the Pacific:

It's finally happening. After a year away, the US champ is back in the cerulean blue to answer KENTA's challenge. And it all goes down at:

 

 

On a different note, the rumble is tonight and I'm even less invested that usual. Both go home shows were messy. With WWE future proof, it isn't really gonna matter who wins, especially since WM 37 probably won't have anyone in attendance. The end result will probably setting up a rematch, cause I predict Lesnar is gonna win and challenge McIntyre, Roman or Goldberg for the belt. I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. I'm hoping them building up Bryan, Shinsuke or Cesaro amounts to soemthing. I'm just not looking to be dissapinted again. Sure, last year's Rumble was amazing. So was the one before that and the one before that. But what did they all amount to? Shinsuke acquired a nut shot kink. Seth ruined his own credibility as a good guy. And Drew tried his best, but the pandemic derailed the momentum of his reign before it began. Long term investment in WWE and the stars of theirs that I do like just isn't rewarding anymore. 

So, I will be skipping and tuning out . Let me know if:

1. Did Goldberg win the belt?
2. Did Lesnar, Orton or the Fiend in the rumble?

If the answer to both of these is no, then I'll watch. 

I feel that bolded part so much. Especially every time one of my favorites from NXT gets moved to the main roster. 

[Sparklefan1234 161,890]

7 hours ago, Blitzo said:

Personally I was pretty disappointed overall with the Royal Rumble pay per view. It was pretty predictable.

 

Hey, if I can predict the Royal Rumble winners*  after not watching the actual shows for a year then I think WWE's product is flawed. 

 

*One by coincidence because I just happened to make a signature featuring them a couple of days before.  

[Clawdeen 12,110]

1 hour ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

 

Hey, if I can predict the Royal Rumble winners*  after not watching the actual shows for a year then I think WWE's product is flawed. 

 

*One by coincidence because I just happened to make a signature featuring them a couple of days before.  

Yeah Its been a while since I’ve actually been surprised with something they’ve done.
 

Did you watch it? I’ll put this in a spoiler in case others haven’t watched it yet but.

Spoiler

I also found the whole Bad Bunny thing last night to be very weird lol. I mean.... that was extremely awkward just having Booker T stand there with his arms folded for like three minutes not moving and bad bunny rapping around him in a circle lol.

 

[Sparklefan1234 161,890]

19 minutes ago, Blitzo said:

Yeah Its been a while since I’ve actually been surprised with something they’ve done.

 

The last time I was surprised was when Edge made his return at the Royal Rumble last year, but even then I was spoiled a day or two

beforehand by a prediction video. 

Edited February 2, 2021 by Sparklefan1234

[Clawdeen 12,110]

1 hour ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

 

The last time I was surprised was when Edge made his return at the Royal Rumble last year, but even then I was spoiled a day or two beforehand. 

Same here. Like I was surprised to see him return but at the same time I had already saw so much stuff online speculating it that it wasn’t that big of a surprise. 

[Sparklefan1234 161,890]

1 minute ago, Blitzo said:

Same here. Like I was surprised to see him return but at the same time I had already saw so much stuff online speculating it that it wasn’t that big of a surprise. 

 

I mainly keep up with wrestling on Youtube anyway so I would've seen WWE's video on Monday either way. 

[Denim&Venöm 16,523]

Here's a match up I never expected to have had happen.

Cactus Jack vs. Kenta Kobashi. Though not too crazy in hindsight considering how nuts Mick was, he would've fit in like a treat over in All Japan. 

 

[TheRockARooster 47,329]

We have lost one of the toughest men ever in wrestling.

 

RIP Butch Reed

[Denim&Venöm 16,523]

It's been 48 hours. I'm lifting the spoiler ban. Major shiznit has gone down in AEW.

KENTA was on AEW. Bullet Club, actual Bullet Club, was in an AEW ring. 

The forbidden door may not have been breached off it's hinges, but it has been unlocked. We finally have the beginnings of a New Japan/ All Elite alliance. 

And already the first fruits of the labor are ready to be harvested, because next week:

 

This match is big enough to headline it's own PPV over in Japan, and we're getting it on free TV. 

[TheRockARooster 47,329]

I'm looking forward for seeing Sting's in-ring return at AEW Revolution.

And I have a really good feeling that I'll love every moment of it.

[Unicorncob 5,628]

8 hours ago, TheRockARooster said:

I'm looking forward for seeing Sting's in-ring return at AEW Revolution.

And I have a really good feeling that I'll love every moment of it.

At least Sammy Guevara isn't involved so we know he won't die

 

11 hours ago, Denim&Venöm said:

It's been 48 hours. I'm lifting the spoiler ban. Major shiznit has gone down in AEW.

KENTA was on AEW. Bullet Club, actual Bullet Club, was in an AEW ring. 

The forbidden door may not have been breached off it's hinges, but it has been unlocked. We finally have the beginnings of a New Japan/ All Elite alliance. 

And already the first fruits of the labor are ready to be harvested, because next week:

 

This match is big enough to headline it's own PPV over in Japan, and we're getting it on free TV. 

I still think it's funny how Omega and the Bucks and the like were either kicked out or quit Bullet Club, and ever since the TNA crossover they've been throwing the hand sign around like it's going out of fashion

[TheRockARooster 47,329]

53 minutes ago, Unicorncob said:

At least Sammy Guevara isn't involved so we know he won't die

 

I still think it's funny how Omega and the Bucks and the like were either kicked out or quit Bullet Club, and ever since the TNA crossover they've been throwing the hand sign around like it's going out of fashion

So true.

[Denim&Venöm 16,523]

1 hour ago, Unicorncob said:

At least Sammy Guevara isn't involved so we know he won't die

 

I still think it's funny how Omega and the Bucks and the like were either kicked out or quit Bullet Club, and ever since the TNA crossover they've been throwing the hand sign around like it's going out of fashion

They're sowing the seeds for either a BC reunion or 2nd BC civil war. I wish Cody was still Elite cause I wanna see him vs. Jay White. 

[TheRockARooster 47,329]

15 hours ago, Denim&Venöm said:

They're sowing the seeds for either a BC reunion or 2nd BC civil war. I wish Cody was still Elite cause I wanna see him vs. Jay White. 

Things are really looking up.

[Unicorncob 5,628]

22 hours ago, Denim&Venöm said:

They're sowing the seeds for either a BC reunion or 2nd BC civil war. I wish Cody was still Elite cause I wanna see him vs. Jay White. 

I'll be honest, I forgot Cody was in Bullet Club until now

[Denim&Venöm 16,523]

I don't know what this is building to, but I want it to be it's own light novel. Don't forget to turn on captions. 

 

[Sparklefan1234 161,890]

I was watching the SummerSlam 1992 main event between Bret Hart and the British Bulldog and I discovered a new wrestling-related pet peeve.

WHEN WRESTLERS DON'T STRUGGLE TO SELL A SURPRISE PIN! 

[Denim&Venöm 16,523]

So I know that NJPWs New Begging two nighter just happened as did AEW dynamite. but I'll get to those later. 

Because tomorrow is another PPV you should all tune into, and that's Pro-wrestling NOAH's Destination 2021: Back to Budokan. 

For the first time in over 15 years, the Ark has sailed to the Budokan hall. Pro wrestling NOAH has been rebuilding themselves, sailing the rough seas over the past decade. They were much in the same position New Japan was in 2009. And now look at how the world is talking about NJPW. This could very well be the turning point in NOAH's fortunes. 

Now for those unaware, NOAH formed from the exodus of pretty much All Japan Pro Wrestling's entire contracted roster back in 2000. They were the wrestling fed everyone talked about through the decade in the same way we talk about New Japan and AEW today. Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Akira Taue, Jun Akiyama, Kensuke Sasaki, Yoshihiro Takiyama, Big Van Vader. A whole host of legends helped build that company up. Stars like Naomichi Marufuji, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taiji Ishimori and KENTA changed the wrestling game. Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe, ZSJ, the Briscoes, Doug Williams, Chris Hero and Eddie Edwards were some notable foreigners to have been shaped by their time in NOAH. 

It's been a rough decade though. The death of Misawa. Early retirement of Kobashi. How that was mishandled leading to a departure of some big names. Yakuza involvement costing them their TV deal. Getting a raw deal from a partnership with NJPW. And now a pandemic. So things haven't been easy, but adversity builds character and NOAH have used the past few years worth of pressure to turn coal to diamond. 

Go Shiozaki has been the Global Honored Crown heavyweight champ since January of last year. He's in the same role Tanahashi was in. The face of the company returning to right the ship. And he's had one hell of a title run. A match with MMA legend Kazayuki Fujita that had the most intense stare down in wrestling history. Battles with the legendary Marufuji and Saito. A true test against tournament winner Nakaijima. And a brutal war with Tsuguira, a match so good that it even got Dave Meltzer and his 5 stars talking. But this time, this main event has got people talking. For his opponent is a legend from the past. You may have heard of him: 

Keiji Mutoh. 

 

The inventor of the shining wizard and the moonsalt. He is giving it one last go to make history as the third man to have held the world championships from Japan's big three. Will Go's perfect run end at the pro wrestling master? Or will Go make his reign even more legendary? That's just the main event but the rest of the roster and the matches they're all in are very solid. From Leather clad karate master Kennoh fighting MMA legend  Masakatsu Funaki (not the SD announcer) over the newly minted GHC National championship to a generational clash of Marufuji and a returning Akiyama vs. fast rising stars Kiyomiya and Inamura. There's much more on the card, but expect some stacked action and everyone giving their all now that the world is watching. Card is as follows:

Spoiler

Broadcast Details

• The full show will be available on Abema PPV (Japanese commentary) and Fite TV (English commentary)

• Wrestle Universe will show only the last five matches with English commentary

• The last five matches will also be available for free on Abema with Japanese commentary

• The Abema PPV and Fite matches are scheduled to start at 16:30 Japan time

• The Wrestle Universe and free Abema matches are scheduled to start at 17:45 Japan time

Match	Stipulation
Go Shiozaki (c) vs Keiji Muto	GHC Heavyweight
Kenoh (c) vs Masakatsu Funaki	GHC National
Naomichi Marufuji & Jun Akiyama vs Kaito Kiyomiya & Yoshiki Inamura
Daisuke Harada (c) vs Seiki Yoshioka	GHC Junior
Yoshinari Ogawa & HAYATA (c) vs Kotaro Suzuki & Ikuto Hidaka	GHC Junior Tag
Takashi Sugiura, Kazushi Sakuraba, NOSAWA Rongai, Kazuyuki Fujita, Kazunari Murakami & Kendo Kashin vs Katsuhiko Nakajima, Masa Kitamiya, Manabu Soya, Haoh, Nioh & Tadasuke
Muhammad Yone & Shuhei Taniguchi vs Masaaki Mochizuki & Masato Tanaka
Atsushi Kotoge, Daiki Inaba & Yasutaka Yano vs Hajime Ohara, YO-HEY & Kai Fujimura
Akitoshi Saito vs Kinya Okada

• NOAH will also be unveiling their new logo on show day to symbolize their return to the Nippon Budokan and the future beyond

if you want a deeper dive into the context and history, visit these articles from Chops, Kicks and nearfalls. 

https://chopskicksandnearfalls.com/noahs-history-with-nippon-budokan

https://chopskicksandnearfalls.com/champions-corner-kenoh-ghc-national-title

https://chopskicksandnearfalls.com/champions-corner-go-shiozaki

https://chopskicksandnearfalls.com/the-potential-of-go-shiozakis-ghc-heavyweight-title-run

https://chopskicksandnearfalls.com/pro-wrestling-noah-back-to-budokan-preview

 

And you can watch the whole show with english commentary here:

https://www.fite.tv/watch/destination-2021-back-to-budokan/2p8nk/ 

 

I'll see you all on the boat!