Aug 16, 2017 3 more nights and I'm done. I wish I hadnt seen who was in the finals for the last night but I can't wait to see how it ends. Without seeing the last couple nights I'd like to say without having any prior experience with anyone from NJ other than Okada, Ishii and Omega that Ive been most impressed with Evil, Juice, Naito, Sanada, Elgin and ZSJ. Honorable mention goes to Kojima, along side maybe Juice, I'd say these gentlemen made losing look spectacular. I could almost completely do without Tama Tonga, Makabe, Goto and although entertaining, Yano. Id also include Suzuki bc I feel like he has the same match every night. imo Tama tonga was consistently mediocre in each of his match ups save for maybe his match with kenny. The rest of the guys I was impressed with but to a smaller degree were Fale, tanahashi, Nagata, yoshi-hashi, and Ibushi. I was the most least impressed with tanahashi on this list. I don't find him all that entertaining currently and I don't find that Ibushi had as strong a match up as he did with Naito. EDIT* after thinking some more I'd move Nagata up there with Kojima and friends
Aug 16, 2017 EVIL had an incredible tournament. His stock rised a ton after this. Prepare for the best matches of the tourney the last three nights.
Aug 16, 2017 I added some additional thoughts if you'd like to comment on them as well On a side note I would have loved to see Shibata in this tournament. One other thing, if the ref drops the hand of a wrestler receiving a submission 3 times, do they call the match or does the wrestler giving the move have to stop? I noticed this in one of Sanada's matches I think
Aug 16, 2017 I don't eat a---, but I swear to Lucifer I'd make an exception for her New Avy coming soon :D
Aug 16, 2017 I'm really intrigued at the idea of a heel tanahashi and okada. I've really enjoyed seeing glimpses of those characteristics throughout the tournament, especially when okada was fighting juice. It sounded like he was berating him or speaking harshly to a small child. It was very entertaining
Aug 16, 2017 Yeah, Okada tends to play the heel when he goes against what the company considers to be big baby faces. He did it a few times during the tournament actually, and it was really entertaining too. If memory serves Okada was heel during the first handful of years of his run. You should check it out. Tanahashi on the other hand is basically John Cena so...
Aug 16, 2017 There's also the Cena effect with Okada where people realize how unbeatable he is, and want to see him fail because of it.
Aug 16, 2017 Guys, this tanahashi/Naito match is f---ing fantastic. I accidentally saw who the winners of the a and b blocks were but I'm still sitting on edge for thus match. I'm so glad that @Changeling and others are here to introduce guys like me to this side of wrestling
Aug 16, 2017 But I feel like it's a lot less malicious than with Cena. With Okada, like during the Elgin match, I wanted to see him finally lose and so I was pulling for the man to land the 3. It put me on the edge of my seat. When Okada comes out on top, I accept and and am still happy with the outcome. Cena, on the other hand, just has 'please lose and go away' heat.
Aug 16, 2017 Glad you're digging it man. Two Japanese grown talents that show if you dig them you're really getting dragged into the world of New Japan. That's actually the third (and best) match of a trilogy they had this year. Have you seen the others? @the Dome show and @Dominion, two really good matches.
Aug 16, 2017 I feel like Naito/Tanahashi at G1 was d--- near 5*...I got it at 4.75, too bad it was overshadowed by the matches following. Your thoughts @Pinhead ?
Aug 16, 2017 @Changeling are there any pre tournament matches i need to see prior to the finals? I plan on watching all of the final night but I've been skipping everything before tournament matches since night 5 or so
Aug 16, 2017 Nothing you need to see that I know of. I remember early on there was a good tag match with Suzuki-gun against Ibushi and one of the young boys. Other than that, the last night has two tag title matches on the card as well.
Aug 16, 2017 @Raziel actually, I believe there is a really good multi man tag match between bullet club and Ricochet, Taguchi, and Warmachine the night before the finals. Really good if you wanna see the Bucks working with Cody and hangman page
Aug 16, 2017 Juice has been amazing all throughout this tournament. He has consistently put on great matches and great story telling abilities. I love his selling of his injuries and his genuine shock of pinning top guys. I wonder if he knew the decisions of some of those wins @Changeling
