#Rikishi Toru

[vermiformish]

Some boxers

[pinokius]

@postironyhusbando hey! I liked your idea about cellphones in Ashita no Joe , so I drew them holding their phones ..

[saturnshari]

Rikishi Toru

pass he's got fucky proportions

[gdwessel]

Wrestle Kingdom 15 Night 2 - January 5, 2020; Tokyo Possibly Entering Another "State Of Emergency” This Week

The second night of the biggest date(s) on the NJPW calendar, Wrestle Kingdom 15, was held earlier today, and you can see it now on NJPWWorld or FITE TV. As expected, a lot happened here.

- January 5, 2021, Tokyo Dome (NJPWWorld, FITE TV)

STARDOM Offer Match: Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani & AZM [Queen’s Quest] d. Maika, Natsupoi & Himeka [Donna del Mundo] (Kamitani > Natsupoi, Phoenix Splash, 9:48) (Untelevised Dark Match)

STARDOM Offer Match: Giulia & Syuri [Donna del Mundo] d. Mayu Iwatami [STARS] & Tam Nakano [Cosmic Angels] (Giulia > Nakano, Glorious Driver, 12:49)  (Untelevised Dark Match)

Provisional KOPW2021 4-Way Match: Toru Yano [CHAOS] d. BUSHI [Los Ingobernables], Bad Luck Fale [Bullet Club] & Chase Owens [Bullet Club] (Yano > BUSHI, Pinfall, 7:34) - Yano is the Provisional KOPW2021

IWGP Juniorheavyweight Tag Team Championship: El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru [SZKG] © d. Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato (Desperado > Taguchi, Pinche Loco, 13:20) - Despy/Kanemaru succeed their 2nd defense

NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi [Los Ingobernables] © d. Jeff Cobb [The Empire] (Last of the Dragon, 21:11) - Shingo succeeds his 1st defense

SANADA [Los Ingobernables] d. EVIL [Bullet Club] (Moonsault Press, 23:40)

IWGP Juniorheavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi [Los Ingobernables] d. Taiji Ishimori [Bullet Club] © (Timebomb II, 25:31) - Ishimori fails his 1st defense - Hiromu is the 88th champion 

IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Intercontinental Championships: Kota Ibushi ©© d. Jay White [Bullet Club] (Kamigoye, 48:05) - Ibushi succeeds his 1st IWGP Heavyweight defense - Ibushi succeeds his 1st IWGP Intercontinental defense

Making his first defense of the Double Gold a mere 24 hours after winning the belts from Tetsuya Naito, Kota Ibushi defends the titles against Switchblade in what has to be the third-longest IWGP Heavyweight title match since I started this blog (the other two being the Best 2 Out Of 3 Falls match at Dominion 2018, and the 60-minute time-limit draw at Dominion 2017, both featuring Kazuchika Okada v. Kenny Omega). Ibushi was victorious, and was immediately challenged by SANADA, who vanquished his former partner EVIL earlier in the show, for the belts, which was met with a handshake. Backstage, Ibushi swore he was going to unify the titles, which puts a nice little bit of confusion as to whether or not these are still separate titles, or a situation like AJPW’s original Triple Crown. Certainly in the Naito era, they were defended as if one unified title. But as Naito himself complained, NJPW have never been clear about this at all. There certainly are arguments both for, and against, the Double Gold being a unified title. We’ll have those arguments soon enough.

Jay White, in the meantime, cut one HELL of a promo, claiming he is “done,” and he was speaking not as Switchblade, but “Jamie,” and how much he sacrificed in the midst of a pandemic, and still his New Era has not come to pass. He claims he will be at New Year Dash!! tomorrow, but not after that. The going theories are:

He is quitting NJPW and going to either AEW or WWE

He is either quitting, or getting kicked out of, Bullet Club, which will lead to a babyface turn

This is just Jay being the fragile edgy edgelord that the Switchblade character always has been, and this is all a ruse.

I would say the latter two are the most likely, as I don’t think Jay White is quitting NJPW. Kenny Omega said this same line after failing against Okada at WK11 too. He was back soon enough. I don’t know about Jay as babyface at this stage; certainly, when he was a Young Lion and on excursion at ROH, he was a good baby. (My partner certainly wants him to be that again!) Switchblade became the top heel in NJPW, with such an unorthodox promo style, some very sneaky cheating offense, and got the crowd to absolutely hate him the way he should be. That’s a very rare talent nowadays in modern professional wrestling. Either way, tomorrow’s show maybe will shed some light.

Hiromu Takahashi, by virtue of winning BOSJ27, beating the Super J-Cup 2020 winner, AND regaining the IWGP Juniorheavyweight title, is now the unquestioned Ace of the junior division, taking that particular vacancy left by KUSHIDA. And really, we always could see that coming. This match being the semi-main of a Wrestle Kingdom shows what kind of power Hiromu has as a performer, and how much of an absence there is when he is not there.

Shingo v. Cobb absolutely banged, and you need to see that match for sure. Master Wato does not have a title as yet. He will get one soon I am certain. Toru Yano begins 2021 the way he left 2020, by being the Provisional KOPW2021, even tho it was at the cost of BUSHI. The two STARDOM matches went off very well from what I am told, but we won’t ever know for certain, as STARDOM even confirmed these matches won’t be on STARDOM World either. Alas.

The announced attendance today was 7,801, which is a lot closer to what the government had in mind. Even so, that is a 5,000+ drop from yesterday. Last year’s shows, which were not in a pandemic, saw a 10,000 or so drop between Night 1 and Night 2 as well. Certainly the pandemic and the limited amount of seating allowed played a part, but also, I have to think that the crowd is still more in tune with the traditional January 4 date for this show that’s been in effect since 1992. This year’s attendance really shouldn’t be any sort of measuring stick, due to the pandemic, and everything surrounding it. The two-night WK may not be necessary next year. But it may be. 

On that note, there is talk of Tokyo going into a state of emergency (read: lockdown) as soon as the end of this week:

The Japanese government said on Monday it was considering declaring a state of emergency in and around Tokyo as coronavirus cases climb, casting fresh doubt over whether it can push ahead with the summer Olympics and keep economic damage to a minimum.

Citing government sources, Kyodo News reported that preparations were being made for a state of emergency that would take effect by Friday and last about a month.

Tokyo and the three surrounding prefectures, which have requested an emergency declaration, asked residents to refrain from non-essential, non-urgent outings after 8 p.m. from Friday until at least the end of the month, and said eateries must close by that time.

Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, in charge of coronavirus countermeasures, said the government would make a decision on an emergency “as soon as possible” after listening to experts.

Quite a bit of this has been foisted into the spotlight internationally as sumo yokozuna Hakuho has tested positive for COVID-19, as well as other rikishi not in Hakuho’s stable, and there is talk that the upcoming year-opening basho, due to start Sunday at Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan, may not happen at all. Nothing has been decided yet as far as I can see. This won’t affect New Year Dash!! happening tomorrow. This may definitely affect the New Beginning cycle of shows, the vast majority of which take place at Tokyo Korakuen Hall, with another at Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium. Things can change very quickly.

Wrestle Kingdom 15 is now over. Tomorrow’s New Year Dash!! card will give us some idea at how the NJPW year will start to take shape. Jay’s promo definitely put the cat among the pigeons. The show will be on NJPWWorld, and maybe on FITE TV although I can’t find that for certain. As is tradition, this is a mystery card, not revealed until the show starts.

Hope you enjoyed both nights of Wrestle Kingdom 15, and here’s to a thrilling 2021 for New Japan Pro Wrestling.

[wonderpland]

Autocorrect tries to help me spell Class 1-A’s names

“Izuku Midoriya”

Izumi Mid origami

“Katsuki Bakugo”

Matsumoto Back in go

“Shoto Todoroki”

Shot of to doe okok

“Tenya Iida”

Then ya Aida’s

“Minors Mineta”

Minors Miners

“Tsuyu Asui”

Tsuyu assignment

“Ochako Uraraka”

o halo Uranus rock

“Shota Aizawa”

Shots Aiyaaa

“Eijiro Kirishima”

Sokoto Kids himself

“Denki Kaminari”

Dennis laminating

“Kyoka Jirou”

My okay Jirou

“Mina Ashido”

Minarets ash idol

“Mashirao Ojiro”

Mashies one jar

“Koji Koda”

Loki locals

“Yuga Aoyama”

Yuh a aiya also

“Rikido Sato”

Rikishi satisfies

“Fumikage Tokoyami”

Fun images Tokyo am

“Hanata Sero”

Hamada zero

“Mezo Shoji”

Meal shook

“Toru Hagakure”

Your Hag lure

“Momo Yayorozu”

Mono yay proximity

Tag yourself I’m Shots aiyaaa

[vermiformish]

Rivals

[saturnshari]

Rikishi Toru (not emaciated)

why does he look 40 yrs old. pass

[gdwessel]

Summer Struggle 2020 Night 1 - 7/26/2020

The Summer Struggle tour began today, and you can see the opening show now on NJPWWorld. 

Summer Struggle 2020 - 7/26/2020, Tokyo Korakuen Hall (NJPWWorld)

Togi Makabe, Satoshi Kojima & Ryusuke Taguchi d. Tomohiro Ishii [CHAOS], Toru Yano [CHAOS] & Gabriel Kidd (Kojima > Kidd, lariat, 9:14)

SANADA & Shingo Takagi [Los Ingobernables] d. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI [CHAOS] (Takagi > YOSHI-HASHI, Made In Japan, 9:00)

Minoru Suzuki & DOUKI [SZKG] d. Yuji Nagata & Yuya Uemura (Suzuki > Uemura, Gotch Style Piledriver, 11:16)

Taichi, Zach Sabre Jr., El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru [SZKG] d. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato (Sabre > Tenzan, Modified Armbar, 13:35)

Kazuchika Okada & SHO [CHAOS] d. Yujiro Takahashi & Gedo [Bullet Club] (Okada > Gedo, Cobra Clutch, 10:27)

EVIL, Taiji Ishimori & Dick Togo [Bullet Club] d. Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables] (Ishimori > BUSHI, Bloody Cross, 13:01)

Ishimori once more laid out Hiromu, and challenged him for the IWGP Juniorheavyweight title. Dangerous Tekkers kept provoking Golden Ace with the tag belts. Nagata and Suzuki kept brawling once more, which, oh yes, please. The symbolism of Shingo beating YOSHI-HASHI with the move that YOSHI-HASHI took from Shingo is *chef’s kiss*. 

We have lineups for tomorrow’s show, but none for any past that yet. Which is A-OK by me, I guess, since it means it saves me a lot of typing up front. I shouldn’t wonder they are keeping the lineups a little more fluid right now, given the COVID-19 scares they’ve recently had with Minoru Suzuki, Yota Tsuji and Tomoaki Honma. The card is always subject to change, but even then, this is a little bit of a special circumstance. 

Meanwhile, elsewhere, the sumo rikishi named Abi (who is one of my favorites) pulled a dum-dum and went out partying in the middle of this current basho, and now has a fever, and has been pulled from the rest of the basho. (This is the second scandal he’s been involved with in the last year, meaning he really has some poor judgement issues.) All things considered, NJPW seems to be approaching this the right way, and has done, considering the number of companies in Japan that ran shows whilst NJPW decided to stay home. 

Anyway, here’s tomorrow’s lineup:

- 7/27/2020, Tokyo Korakuen Hall (NJPWWorld)

Togi Makabe, Satoshi Kojima & Ryusuke Taguchi v. Hirooki Goto [CHAOS], Tomohiro Ishii [CHAOS] & Gabriel Kidd

Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI [CHAOS] v. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables]

Yuji Nagata & Yuya Uemura v. Minoru Suzuki & El Desperado [SZKG]

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato v. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI [SZKG]

Kazuchika Okada & SHO [CHAOS] v. Yujiro Takahashi & Gedo [Bullet Club]

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi [Los Ingobernables] v. EVIL, DIck Togo & Taiji Ishimori [Bullet Club]

[gwiezdny-rondel]

Ashita no Joe references and similarities in Megalo Box | 2