Mighty NorCal
SHALL WE BEGIN?
The Midwest tour was in a series of alarmingly rinky dink arenas. Like same size as their Florida tours. Odd.
The NXT Thread Is Like Ring of Honor's Bay-Bay!
- Thread starter Uncle Sam
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Ciampa apparently got a huge reaction on the tour. Good for him, quality talent. I'd love to see him and Gargano get an actual push as a team since everything seems very crowded.
I just want to say: fair fucks to Eva Marie for the velocity with which she went over that top rope. That did not look like a good time.
I love Ciampa but I might be biased by the amount of matches I've seen him wrestle live in London. To be fair, the matches have all been fantastic.
I love Ciampa but I might be biased by the amount of matches I've seen him wrestle live in London. To be fair, the matches have all been fantastic.
If the tag title match gets to main event a Takeover eventually, I might be willing to suffer through that. Maybe.
Obviously I'd prefer American Alpha vs The Mechanics get that spot. But with Bayley vs Asuka and Finn vs Zayn (?) on the horizon, fat chance.
Something I found on Twitter and shared with my good friend Mighty Northern California - an Asuka-themed championship belt:
Me reading your post and imagining all three matches on the same card:
Me reading your post and imagining all three matches on the same card:
Now imagine that card rounded out with Itami returning for revenge against the man who took him out, Samoa Joe.
And Baron Corbin sending Nakamura back to Ring of Honor.
A shame Apollo Crews will probably make this card somehow. Maybe as Elias Samson's first big match?
Have we reached the point where two hours isn't enough for Takeover specials? If they're saving a couple big call-ups for after Mania, it might at least be prudent to bill Dallas as a "special three-hour event."
And Baron Corbin sending Nakamura back to Ring of Honor.
A shame Apollo Crews will probably make this card somehow. Maybe as Elias Samson's first big match?
Have we reached the point where two hours isn't enough for Takeover specials? If they're saving a couple big call-ups for after Mania, it might at least be prudent to bill Dallas as a "special three-hour event."
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I'm convinced Crews needs to be a heel now. Too crowded of a roster to cheer for him just because he can do standing flips and his buff. Remember that one backstage segment where condescending bullied Breeze in a hallway with a smile on his face?
He should basically just become the new insincere face (aka more athletic Bo Dallas).
He should basically just become the new insincere face (aka more athletic Bo Dallas).
Just thinking now about who the top faces are if Finn and Sami call-ups are imminent. Nak, Itami, and Crews? That doesn't feel like a strong group you can do a tonne of touring with yet. But I struggle to imagine either Sami or Finn being in "developmental" much longer. Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn feels like an inevitability this year, not to mention the chance to step up he'll be given as a filler challenger when (not if) Kevin Owens relieves Roman of his belt for a brief period.
Strange times, these.
*Edit* Forgot to mention American Alpha and Asuka as potential top faces after the call-ups we're all dreading.
Strange times, these.
*Edit* Forgot to mention American Alpha and Asuka as potential top faces after the call-ups we're all dreading.
Papa Pillman
I've got more Ho's than Jim Duggan
Similar to Kevin Owens, I seriously doubt Nakamura spends any significant amount of time in NXT(if he even appears there). But as long as he is there, touring and selling out arenas the size of the ones that NXT performs will be no problem AT ALL. Nakamura is the most entertaining professional wrestler anywhere on the planet, and the audience that NXT is chiefly marketed toward is well aware of that. The NXT fanbase will trample each other to buy tickets to any few shows that Nakamura headlines, I'd go as far as to say that he is a vastly superior draw to anyone on the current NXT roster.
Nak's a star, sure. But the machine has put a lot into Sami, Bayley, and Balor. That counts for something, even in NXT.
I will say that getting people down with the idea of Swagsuke as the face of the brand should take a month. Tops. That smark crowd will accept him with open arms, and people seeing him for the first time on the Network will gravitate to him quickly. So he's got that over Crews and Itami (who was getting close before his injury).
His transition will be Asuka-levels of seamless.
I will say that getting people down with the idea of Swagsuke as the face of the brand should take a month. Tops. That smark crowd will accept him with open arms, and people seeing him for the first time on the Network will gravitate to him quickly. So he's got that over Crews and Itami (who was getting close before his injury).
His transition will be Asuka-levels of seamless.
Papa Pillman
I've got more Ho's than Jim Duggan
I pretty much agree with all of that. Assuming that if Nakamura starts in NXT, I'd think he would get at least a little bit of time to overlap with the Sami's, Joe's, Itami's, and possibly even Finn's of the brand. So he wouldn't have to headline the first Takeover he performs at and, as you pointed out, by the second Takeover he was booked on he should have been around more than long enough to clearly be mega-over even with fans who are currently unfamiliar with him, and would be positioned to carry that card no matter what other call-ups had occurred since his arrival.
Spot-on. Nakamura should definitely follow the Asuka format. His charisma is universal and transcends cultural barriers. He will be over and ready to be elevated right away, unlike Itami who took some time to get comfortable in the NXT/WWE/American environment.
Mighty NorCal
SHALL WE BEGIN?
I agree with P-Double. I know a lot of people (myself included) who buy tickets to shows of promotions they never heard of before just to see Nakamura (Okada, too)
He will get the Kevin Owens instant crowd explosion upon debuting. The NXT crowd will eat him up like free mexican food.
He will get the Kevin Owens instant crowd explosion upon debuting. The NXT crowd will eat him up like free mexican food.
A11oftheLights
Getting Noticed By Management
The only fear I have for myself with Nakamura is that I see all this hype and I'm expecting Jesus Christ to walk down the ramp only to be let down when it is just another man, an amazing man but not Jesus. The same shit happens when someone tells me a TV show is amazing. It took me a whole season and a bit to get into Game of Thrones & Breaking Bad was like 'well whats so amazing? oh his development, yeah its good'. Can you guys just promise me its not going to be like that and he will in fact make me touch myself
Mighty NorCal
SHALL WE BEGIN?
Well if THATS your only concern, then everything should be fine
[YOUTUBE]?v=gr1mr3cOoss[/YOUTUBE]
justinsayne
Cody Rhodes is an excellant
Here's Nakamura's match with AJ from WK10, judge for youself
[youtube]ZdvNauAOXy0[/youtube]
[youtube]ZdvNauAOXy0[/youtube]
A11oftheLights
Getting Noticed By Management
As good as the match is, that crowd is fucking shit
Mighty NorCal
SHALL WE BEGIN?
Japanese crowd my man. Just how they are, different culture
A11oftheLights
Getting Noticed By Management
Its just the random shouting of "AJ!" by a few that just wore me down
Good Golly It's Ollie
Magical Girl
Jericho once talked about a Japanese crowd who stayed virtually silent, except for the awesome spots which they politely applauded like they were at Wimbledon or something. Except for when he botched a springboard, and they all laughed at him.
A11oftheLights
Getting Noticed By Management
Jericho once talked about a Japanese crowd who stayed virtually silent, except for the awesome spots which they politely applauded like they were at Wimbledon or something. Except for when he botched a springboard, and they all laughed at him.
Yeah I knew before I started watching the match what japenese crowds were like but the dead silence is still weird as fuck
At least you dont have to worry about them hijacking the show though
Mighty NorCal
SHALL WE BEGIN?
A great man is undergoing medical exams for wwe...
Some might say, the greatest man who ever lived. ...
Some might say, the greatest man who ever lived. ...
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Think they'd let him use the brain buster?
Mighty NorCal
SHALL WE BEGIN?
OH MY GOODNESS DID YOU SEE THAT BACKDROP! !
RING OF NXT HONOR PW
RING OF NXT HONOR PW
