#I don’t get Shota’s direction of all of this he just keeps losing lmfao

[hoennislands]

I have so many thoughts about everything going on in NJPW and The Boyz My Bestiez but I am so behind with the shows and I just don’t feel like watching wrestling 🥲 and I don’t really want to give my opinions until I see the Ospreay match and the WTL matches because I think it’ll change them but my thought from watching results and reactions are:

For what I’ve seen at least, it seems that Ren was playing sidekick for Shota for a while now and out of the 3 of them it was Ren who didn’t really have much going on with him like Shota and Yota. Ren’s also the only one who didn’t get an IWGP US match w Ospreay. I was always thinking I felt kind of bad for him because he’s just there and he’s always catching strays from fans (can’t speak for Japanese ones though).

The turn makes Ren very interesting to me, I can’t wait to see what happens next for him. I think he’s very well suited to be a heel and I think he’ll do a great job with it. House of Torture is controversial and I usually skip their matches (I guess I can’t anymore rip….) but Ren doesn’t feel like someone who will play the heel the way HoT are. He can be the more serious/“straight” man out of them idk. I’m looking forward to it all

As for Shota… lol, my boy has been TAKING A LOT OF L’s lately. I did say in a previous post that Ren and Shota hate each other and they will continue to and the beef will be generational (in the end I was right!) I was surprised when the Best of 7 Series ended in a tie and everyone shook hands. And I was anticipating that these would be their respective teams at their tag leagues (right again!) and they would go on to win or at least be in the finals (lol). Then Shota challenged Ospreay which… confused me? As he’s already lost to him 2? 3? Times? I never expected him to win or to challenge Mox at WK because I don’t believe he’s ready for that. I don’t think it’s his time. There will be a time he wins that title and/or go Over Mox but it’s not now.

To my opinion, Shota has quite a ways to go. And I knew that Ren and him were going to be at WTL which he couldn’t have done if he won. As I said before I haven’t watched the match but after many saw it, it convinced them that Shota is the future (which is amazing for him! I’m happy about that). I think he has great potential! Some deep conditioner and getting rid of that ugly ring gear and less corniness on Twitter and he can be unstoppable However, he’s still carrying Mox’s jacket, he’s still playing the role of the goody two shoes, while showing a bit of edge in the ring. He needs to improve and figure himself out and they need to settle on who he wants to be rather than Mox’s protege, next Tanahashi, etc etc. He is being hyped up and heavily promoted which I can understand but, he needs more for himself. I did predict that Ren would take the win over him in Best of 7 which would give Ren some confidence and send Shota (who is a bit entitled ngl) into a spiral but alas….

From Royal Quest to WTL, Ren has been playing secondary to Shota. It’s been Shota Umino… and his partner. It’s a disservice to Ren! I can understand Ren being frustrated about that! And then seems that Shota was pinned and it “cost” them the chance to advance. Shota was upset and felt he failed Ren who reassured him. And then Shota thanks ELP/Hikuleo for taking him out to eat? No Ren was right to be upset!

I’m just scratching my head at the outcome of all of this. They tie at the best of 7 and shake hands so this means they’ll be tag league partners. Shota challenges Ospreay again with an excellent performance but loses? So now he will move onto the Tag League with Ren. They get a fireside chat video with a splash of queerbait and fanservice. That means they gotta make it right? Apprently not…. They lose. Shota is upset but surprise! Ren betrays him. One of my guesses would be that one would betray the other. Not by joining HoT though…. So what’s next? How do we move from here?

And personally lol, I’m a bit sad if this means Ren will be the Heel of the 3. Yota being a dark ace? I have no idea what will happen with Yuya. But that leaves Shota as the babyface? I really want Shota to lean more into a meaner side of things. I want him to show more edge and attitude and entitlement he does it well. But with the Ren turn… I don’t know if this is still a possibility 🥲

I’m still holding hope that Yuya will upstage him and he’ll be mad about it but we shall see. We’ve got like…. 30 years of them <3 (cue internal panic as I’m the same age as Ren and Shota)

And also in regards to movesets, I know that Shota has been diversifying and adding new things since the Ospreay match which is great! Love that for him! But god I saw the word “Blaze Blade” and I rolled my eyes. *shaking Shota by the shoulders* Please do something other than ripping off other wrestlers PLEASE IM DESPERATE. Or else I’m deflecting!!!!!! I wonder what this means for WK. Ren v Shota singles? I think it’s unlikely we’ll see.

And also Ren being evil will be hot. We love a bad boy. Look at Sho. I’m aware of how people view HoT. I don’t really have much interest in them tbh. But I like Ren and I’m going to support his wrongs! This will benefit them both. I hope this makes Shota strive for more and gives Ren a good change <3