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King of Sports: New Japan Pro-Wrestling Discussion Thread


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“In a cruel irony of fate, it now appears likely that the match designed to bring Katsuyori Shibata into a top tier position with New Japan Pro Wrestling may be the last match he’ll ever wrestle.

Shibata, 37, who remains hospitalized after his 4/9 IWGP title match with Kazuchika Okada at Tokyo Sumo Hall, is said by friends of his to be unlikely to ever be cleared to wrestle again after surgery due to a subdural hematoma from a sick skull-on-skull head-butt spot as a counter to being hit with the rainmaker.

The combination of the length of the match, dehydration and the trauma from the head-butt led to doctors advising New Japan that they would likely never be able to clear him to wrestle in good conscience.

New Japan has not announced this publicly, nor has anything been said publicly about Shibata’s situation after some brief statements in the days after the match.

Shibata collapsed backstage and was rushed to the hospital in a situation where nobody knew what was and wasn’t real, because Japan does have a history in keeping the lid on its most protected angles and making them seem legitimate.

But while there was a lot of questions last week, almost everyone at this point is going with the idea the injury and situation is exactly as it was described last week.

Dr. Shunji Asamoto, who performed the surgery, noted that he would need a strict examination before being cleared to wrestle and that he’s not optimistic at all.

The only word we’ve received on Shibata is that he’s awake and alert, can carry on a conversation and has memories of the match with Okada. At first, he had some right side paralysis, but that has gotten better.”

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

 

:(

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If (and that's a big ass if at this point) Shibata ever wrestles again, he needs to cut out those headbutts. So stupid and unnecessary. He doesn't need them. You can be stiff/intimidating without paralyzing yourself

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Okada is a babyface but I love how he really works the way he thinks fits the match better. He had heelish moments against Tiger Mask W and Shibata which I really liked, cause it really got the fans behind his opponent and elevated them. In fact, every singles opponent he's had this year gained something from facing him, even in defeat.

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Can someone tell me what the story on Milano Collection AT is? I know pretty much nothing about the guy but I've heard he was really ahead of his time, Chris Hero even said recently that if he was wrestling today he'd still be considered innovative and ahead of the curve or something like that. What are his best matches/performances, etc?

 

27th Road to Show spoilers:

 

 

Goto vs Suzuki was a really great match, I could've done without the unprotected chairshot to the ehad, though. Dude, just put your hands up and you'll get the same result, these things are unnecessary in 2017 but who am I to tell the pros what to do.

 

So the next big show after Dontaku is Dominion, right? Is it just me or is it feeling like it'll be WK 11.5? Naito vs Tana seems to be what they're going for, Okada vs Omega is also likely and now RPG Vice called out the Young Bucks so that's another Dome rematch. Hell, if KUSHIDA wins BOSJ that'll probably be a Wrestle Kingdom rematch as well...

 

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New Japan Pro Wrestling recently published a new interview with Ricochet. Below are some highlights.

 

Ricochet on who he looked up to as a wrestler: “It’s no secret that the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is a huge dream of mine. There’s been so many guys I looked up to- Pegasus Kid, Owen Hart, Liger, Prince Devitt, Kota Ibushi…the best of the best have held that belt. I can’t put it into words. This belt has been a dream of mine since I started wrestling 14 years ago. So any chance I get to get close to the belt, I’m going to give it 100%. That’s what Hiromu will get from me. I’ll give him 100%, everything I have, to get that belt.”

 

Ricochet on his “King” nickname: “I started doing it in around 2014. At that time I felt that I was a multiple champion, was Best of the Super Junior, won Battle of Los Angeles for PWG. I felt I was growing up, that I wasn’t just Ricochet, but a king among high fliers. Now, I’m not saying I’m the best, but I’m setting a tone, making a statement that when you step to me, you step to one of the best.That I’m strong, I’m powerful. It sets a good feeling for people. And it sounds cool.”

 

Ricohet on NJPW: “It’s the wrestlers. They’re the top wrestlers in the world and that’s why they’re here. To even be part of NJPW is an honour in and of itself.There’s people all over the world who would love to be here. So just being here myself is an honour.”

 

http://411mania.com/wrestling/ricochet-reveals-the-origin-of-his-king-nickname-discusses-his-wrestling-inspirations/

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Hiromu vs. Ricochet didn't even feel like a 18 min match, time just flew by, awesome match.

 

For some reason i couldn't get into Evil vs. Tanahashi. Eventhough i really like to watch both of them wrestle and i liked their previous encounters.

 

Naito vs.Juice was really good, can't believe this is the same guy that was CJ Parker in NXT. He's grown so much as a wrestler the past 2 years in NJPW.

 

Who you guys think is going to be Hiromu's next challenger, i wouldn't mind it being Ospreay.

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Who you guys think is going to be Hiromu's next challenger, i wouldn't mind it being Ospreay.

 

The next challenger will be the winner of BOSJ, right? Unless Hiromu wins... Anyways, I don't see Ospreay winning two years in a row but you never know. I'd be down for Dragon Lee vs Hiromu again. As far as I'm concerned they could fight forever.

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