# KENTA attacks Moxley on Dynamite



## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

If this doesn't include Minoru Suzuki then I don't give a fuck about the partnership. It'll please their fan base so good move on them if it's a thing. But of the NJPW shows I've seen they have the NXT issue of trying to be epic.


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## 3venflow (Feb 3, 2019)

The forbidden door has at least partly opened now. This confirms it after months of teases, Tanahashi's message to Jericho on Dynamite, Tama Tonga threatening to invade, Ibushi's call to Kenny, Kenny and the Good Brothers using the Bullet Club name freely.

Perhaps this is another baby step towards a full reconcilation (between the Elite and NJPW, with Harold now gone) and a future working agreement. Until the pandemic is over there'd be only so much they could do anyway. KENTA spends a lot of his time in the U.S. so it's easy for him.

AEW tagged NJPW on Twitter and NJPW interacted on Twitter which is a good sign.


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1357162388861177857

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1357162676858724357


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## Outlaw91 (Mar 31, 2011)

It certainly means that after more than 6 months Jon Moxley can't hide anymore.


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## Whoanma (Apr 5, 2016)




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## Tell it like it is (Jul 1, 2019)

Open Sesame


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## lagofala (Jun 22, 2016)

Had my heart broken before. Not going to have high hopes until an official partnership is announced.


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## PhenomenalOne11 (Oct 2, 2016)

Can't wait for people to pretend that Kenta is some sort of big deal


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## Outlaw91 (Mar 31, 2011)

RapShepard said:


> If this doesn't include Minoru Suzuki then I don't give a fuck about the partnership. It'll please their fan base so good move on them if it's a thing. But of the NJPW shows I've seen they have the NXT issue of trying to be epic.


Minoru Suzuki is loved anywhere in the world, if there will be a partnership The King is included. 
AEW is not prepared for Suzuki Gun, Archer could be coming back home though.


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## Tell it like it is (Jul 1, 2019)

lagofala said:


> Had my heart broken before. Not going to have high hopes until an official partnership is announced.


Apparently njpw is having a press conference tomorrow. So I guess we just have wait if it indicates a partnership or not.


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

PhenomenalOne11 said:


> Can't wait for people to pretend that Kenta is some sort of big deal


HE...isn’t.

What this could mean going forward IS a big deal. NJPW being highlighted on American soil is groundbreaking stuff.


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## JasmineAEW (Oct 19, 2020)

Tell it like it is said:


> Apparently njpw is having a press conference tomorrow. So I guess we just have wait if it indicates a partnership or not.


Just a hunch, but maybe they’re ready to announce their new U.S. TV deal. If so, having a big AEW-NJPW angle would be a hot way to start a TV show.


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## Prosper (Mar 25, 2015)

PhenomenalOne11 said:


> Can't wait for people to pretend that Kenta is some sort of big deal


It's not as much about Kenta as it is about the partnership and the possibilities now, we all know there are bigger and better stars from New Japan out there. The fact that Kenta is on Dynamite now means that we can possibly get the best of the best from New Japan in the near future.


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## MarkOfAllMarks (Apr 7, 2018)

Sick stuff. Kenta is the man. I missed this live


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## MarkOfAllMarks (Apr 7, 2018)

PhenomenalOne11 said:


> Can't wait for people to pretend that Kenta is some sort of big deal


In my opinion he is. He had a rough run in WWE due to unlucky injuries and getting messed up by some green wrestler who botched a move on him. I don't think that should take away from his career though.


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## 3venflow (Feb 3, 2019)

Would love to see a follow up of this.  


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1357169384037482496


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## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

Outlaw91 said:


> Minoru Suzuki is loved anywhere in the world, if there will be a partnership The King is included.
> AEW is not prepared for Suzuki Gun, Archer could be coming back home though.


As long as he shows up and beats the shit out of somebody I'm all for it. If not I riot online lol


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## PhenomenalOne11 (Oct 2, 2016)

Prosper said:


> It's not as much about Kenta as it is about the partnership and the possibilities now, we all know there are bigger and better stars from New Japan out there. The fact that Kenta is on Dynamite now means that we can possibly get the best of the best from New Japan in the near future.


That's fair enough man, I don't really know any NJPW guys so I guess it doesn't hold the same value to me, glad you're enjoying it though, that's the important thing.


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## RubberbandGoat (Aug 9, 2016)

Remember when Hulk Hogan was there when Kenta signed with WWE? Made him out to be a huge deal


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## Prosper (Mar 25, 2015)

3venflow said:


> Would love to see a follow up of this.
> 
> 
> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1357169384037482496


Imagine Tanahashi helping Hangman out of his depression and them teaming on Dynamite in one-offs.


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## TD Stinger (May 9, 2012)

To be brutally honest about Kenta, he’s really not even that good anymore. So if this Is the beginning of a partnership, I’m looking much more forward to other talents in AEW then Kenta.

Time will tell if this is the beginning of a full fledge partnership or a short term agreement with NJPW and AEW with Mox still being the US Champion and not going to Japan any time soon.


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## Outlaw91 (Mar 31, 2011)

RapShepard said:


> As long as he shows up and beats the shit out of somebody I'm all for it. If not I riot online lol


There is no other way, that's what Suzuki Gun does, they take over.
They went to Noah and took every title.


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## Thomazbr (Apr 26, 2009)

Outlaw91 said:


> There is no other way, that's what Suzuki Gun does, they take over.
> They went to Noah and took every title.
> 
> View attachment 96774


That run sucked tbh
I mean Suzuki did good in the few title matches he had and KES found their footing as tag teams but it went too long and didn't really build any star and kinda meandering into very low ratings for NOAH.


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## PhenomenalOne11 (Oct 2, 2016)

TD Stinger said:


> To be brutally honest about Kenta, he’s really not even that good anymore. So if this Is the beginning of a partnership, I’m looking much more forward to other talents in AEW then Kenta.
> 
> Time will tell if this is the beginning of a full fledge partnership or a short term agreement with NJPW and AEW with Mox still being the US Champion and not going to Japan any time soon.


I'm willing to give the dude a chance but the last memory I have of him was jobbing on 205 Live


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## Thomazbr (Apr 26, 2009)

205Live was good during that run tbh


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## Prosper (Mar 25, 2015)

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1357176188364607488
Kenta and Omega vs Archer and Moxley next week unsanctioned lights out match, this is getting hyped AF already


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## 3venflow (Feb 3, 2019)

Schiavone said big announcement is coming soon. Dunno if related or it could be the Revolution main event. New Japan has a press conference in the morning too.


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## Stellar (May 30, 2016)

I haven't been high on Kenta each time I have seen him. The more interesting part is this shows the possibility of AEW and NJPW having an agreement.

So they made sure to show that Kenta isn't pals with Omega. Hope to see more wrestlers from NJPW in AEW in the future.


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## Prosper (Mar 25, 2015)

Damn AEW trending #1 in the U.S. and Kenta trending #6


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## 3venflow (Feb 3, 2019)

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1357174235861549056


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## One Shed (Jan 7, 2014)

Prosper said:


> Damn AEW trending #1 in the U.S. and Kenta trending #6


"Who is" is tending #5. Kidding, kidding. I really hope they do not make the mistake of just assuming everyone knows who he is and actually get the rights to some footage and you know, properly introduce a new guy. I know that was just expected back in the day but it seems to sadly be a rarity now.


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## Wolf Mark (Jun 5, 2020)

Damn he is pretty short.


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## Prosper (Mar 25, 2015)

Two Sheds said:


> "Who is" is tending #5. Kidding, kidding. I really hope they do not make the mistake of just assuming everyone knows who he is and actually get the rights to some footage and you know, properly introduce a new guy. I know that was just expected back in the day but it seems to sadly be a rarity now.


Yeah I don't know how much footage they'll have access to but we'll see. If they book that unsanctioned tag match though I'm sure most of the AEW audience will do a search for themselves lol. Kinda feels like something like that should be on PPV.


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## One Shed (Jan 7, 2014)

Prosper said:


> Yeah I don't know how much footage they'll have access to but we'll see. If they book that unsanctioned tag match though I'm sure most of the AEW audience will do a search for themselves lol. Kinda feels like something like that should be on PPV.


One big problem they have is not actually airing stuff that explains things or furthers stories on their actual show. I am guessing this sets up KENTA vs Mox for Revolution. At least that will be infinitely better than Miro vs Trashidy.


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## Prosper (Mar 25, 2015)

Two Sheds said:


> One big problem they have is not actually airing stuff that explains things or furthers stories on their actual show. I am guessing this sets up KENTA vs Mox for Revolution. At least that will be infinitely better than Miro vs Trashidy.


They make great "Road To" videos that explain everything going on going into the shows but they should definitely air them more on Dynamite or at least snippets before every match. They did a good job with the video package for Britt/Rosa tonight and the one they showed for Kingston/PAC before their match, they just need to do that more. 

If they set up Kenta/Mox, who does Omega get? PAC? I would mark out hard for that even though PAC has to take another L. I'm thinking they still run with Omega/Mox/PAC and they do Kenta/Mox on Dynamite leading up to the PPV.


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## One Shed (Jan 7, 2014)

Prosper said:


> They make great "Road To" videos that explain everything going on going into the shows but they should definitely air them more on Dynamite or at least snippets before every match. They did a good job with the video package for Britt/Rosa tonight and the one they showed for Kingston/PAC before their match, they just need to do that more.
> 
> If they set up Kenta/Mox, who does Omega get? PAC? I would mark out hard for that even though PAC has to take another L. I'm thinking they still run with Omega/Mox/PAC and they do Kenta/Mox on Dynamite leading up to the PPV.


I hate almost all triple threat matches so I think Kenny vs PAC will be a great option. A hard fought battle but helps build up Kenny's dominance. Personally, I still see KENTA as a 205 Live jobber so I hope he can bring his A game. I think Britt finally gets a title at Revolution too.


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## Prosper (Mar 25, 2015)

Jay White did a backstage interview on Monday after his NJPW return where he took some shots at the AEW – Impact Bullet Club reunion.

“It’s still my era! It is the REAL era,” White proclaimed. “I’m still Bullet Club. I’m real Bullet Club. This is real Bullet Club right here! We’re not a cheap rip-off trying to recreate the past, to regain some relevance and doing corny reunions just so you can sell sh**ty t-shirts to you all, but of course, you all still buy them because you are you.

“This is real Bullet Club. Let me tell you what real Bullet Club is about. It’s about change. It’s about moving forward. It’s about progression. It’s not about living in the past. It’s not about going backwards.”



__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1356437181951209473

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1356462559142973440

Are we getting Jay White too?


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## The Raw Smackdown (Jan 8, 2017)

Ayyyyye. Cool to see Hideo...er KENTA again. Especially now that his AEW run will more than likely be 1000X better than his run at that other company.


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## Alright_Mate (Jul 21, 2014)

This will probably just end up being a Moxley/Kenta type deal; however a full crossover between AEW and NJPW would be fucking quality.

AEW desperately needs something like it, casuals may shit all over it, but they would soon realise how good and intense NJPW is, compared to some of the garbage that AEW and WWE dish out.

NJPW = Proper Wrestling.


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## La Parka (Oct 28, 2008)

I'm not sure if the crossover will work but it's a hell of a lot better than that shit with TNA.

NJPW is actually a legit brand and has athletes that would be worth watching in AEW. 

AEW could learn a lot from a company like NJPW.


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## kyledriver (May 22, 2020)

Who?? That finisher is sick though, knee to the hands of his opponent. There's no denying it would sting like a mother fucker 

Sent from my POCOPHONE F1 using Tapatalk


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## Swindle (Jul 24, 2018)

Figure this is just a favor to deal with that US Title issue. But man, that move and sell definitely looked bad, bad bad. LOL


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## Prized Fighter (Aug 31, 2016)

Prosper said:


> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1357176188364607488
> Kenta and Omega vs Archer and Moxley next week unsanctioned lights out match, this is getting hyped AF already


It is important not to bury the lead here. Kenny said, "Brother *Switchblade* never told me to expect a guest."


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## Outlaw91 (Mar 31, 2011)

Alright_Mate said:


> casuals may shit all over it


Casuals watch wrestling to laugh about it or because there is some hardcore ridiculous shit like tables, chairs etc match. 
They definitely do not buy tickets for the shows.


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## kyledriver (May 22, 2020)

Outlaw91 said:


> Casuals watch wrestling to laugh about it or because there is some hardcore ridiculous shit like tables, chairs etc match.
> They definitely do not buy tickets for the shows.


What's a casual? I only watch dynamite and I have no idea what's going on. 

Sent from my POCOPHONE F1 using Tapatalk


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## PhenomenalOne11 (Oct 2, 2016)

kyledriver said:


> What's a casual? I only watch dynamite and I have no idea what's going on.
> 
> Sent from my POCOPHONE F1 using Tapatalk


A casual fan is someone who mainly watches wrestling for the characters and the storytelling like they would with a TV show, they love car crash TV and lots of drama (Attitude Era type drama). They're people who don't care about the inner workings of a company and just wanna see good TV.


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## kyledriver (May 22, 2020)

PhenomenalOne11 said:


> A casual fan is someone who mainly watches wrestling for the characters and the storytelling like they would with a TV show, they love car crash TV and lots of drama (Attitude Era type drama). They're people who don't care about the inner workings of a company and just wanna see good TV.


Fair enough, I just don't like it when a guy shows up and the commentators (excalibur) act like it's a big deal when it's just some guy. 

If they mentioned him before, or moxleys championship or anything it would have made more sense. I don't watch NJPW so wtf.

Again hopefully they explain it in the coming weeks but as somebody who only watches dynamite I didn't even know mox had another championship. Aew obviously doesn't acknowledge it so why should I?

Sent from my POCOPHONE F1 using Tapatalk


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## PhenomenalOne11 (Oct 2, 2016)

kyledriver said:


> Fair enough, I just don't like it when a guy shows up and the commentators (excalibur) act like it's a big deal when it's just some guy.
> 
> If they mentioned him before, or moxleys championship or anything it would have made more sense. I don't watch NJPW so wtf.
> 
> ...


This is why I hate when people just randomly show up, if AEW had any sense, they'd have used vignettes to build him up, show us what Kenta's character is, what is he about? You may know that he's coming, but at least with promos and vignettes you don't have to say when he's coming, after a month or two of vignettes building him up THEN you have him come out and take out Moxley.

I know AEW's main fanbase know who he is, but outside of that nobody knows who the fuck KENTA is, he doesn't even have a character really, he's just generic Japanese BC member.


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## The Raw Smackdown (Jan 8, 2017)

PhenomenalOne11 said:


> A casual fan is someone who mainly watches wrestling for the characters and the storytelling like they would with a TV show, they love car crash TV and lots of drama (Attitude Era type drama). They're people who don't care about the inner workings of a company and just wanna see good TV.


So if that's the definition of a Casual then...shit. There aren't any lol.


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

I’m surely not the only guy who grew up a comic book fan. In the early-mid 90s, comics were not cool. XMen was NOT cool. The Avengers, for damn sure, were NOT cool.

Iron Man movie came out, and no one actually fucking knew what Iron Man was really about. The diehards sent it into the mainstream. The DIEHARDS helped to explain who Thanos was when he was unveiled at the end of The Avengers. Everything that is mainstream and casual fans propping up the business starts with diehards.

No one gives a fuck about Kenta. Just like no one gave a fuck when Kenny ran off to Impact with the AEW title. Slowly but surely as more and more chips get knocked away from the wall, the mainstream may very well be forced to flood the gates just to see what the fuck is so amazing about different companies working together on a shared medium, much like we saw with the greater Marvel Universe.

There is no Captain America movie without the diehard Iron-Man fans. There is no Avengers without Cap. There is no Thanos and End Game without The Avengers.

Change the World.


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## BigCy (Nov 10, 2012)

Guys the Mox/KENTA match for the US Title is already happening in NJPW on Friday 02/26, it was announced last week. It will be on their weekly show called NJPW Strong. Go to NJPW World and sign up to watch.

I'm leaning against this being a true partnership and I wouldn't really want one to be honest UNLESS NJPW runs the helm and keeps all that goofy crap out. If I get to see Suzuki stretch and "retire" Marko Stunt then I'd say it couldn't happen fast enough.


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

BigCy said:


> Guys the Mox/KENTA match is already happening in NJPW on Friday 02/26. It will be on their weekyl show called NJPW Strong. Go to NJPW World and sign up to watch.
> 
> I'm leaning against this being a true partnership and I wouldn't really want one to be honest UNLESS NJPW runs the helm and keeps all that goofy crap out.


And what my good friend, @BigCy , forgot to mention is “Say your prayers and hug your Fuck Cody rHHHodes tightly tonight.”

I got your back, bud.


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## BigCy (Nov 10, 2012)

bdon said:


> And what my good friend, @BigCy , forgot to mention is “Say your prayers and hug your Fuck Cody rHHHodes tightly tonight.”
> 
> I got your back, bud.


Oh yeah, I got you too my man. Besides us agreeing on most things wrestling our mutual dislike of Cody rHHHodes gives us a strong bond haha.


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## CM Buck (Sep 2, 2012)

I am more excited for the possibility of much better talent potentially coming in than I am for kenta himself and I don't think we will see kenta post strong without the proverbial door being confirmed open


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## DammitChrist (Apr 3, 2016)

Man, I POPPED when KENTA showed his face on TV!! He's the man! :mark:

It's awesome that AEW and NJPW seem to be finally working together in some form!

I'd LOVE to see big NJPW stars like Tetsuya Naito, Jay White, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Kota Ibushi, and Minoru Suzuki eventually show up in the future whenever the angle/story is fitting for them to appear.

There's obviously plenty of more NJPW names that would have great cross-brand matches with the wrestlers on AEW too. The possibilities seem endless now that they ACTUALLY showed a NJPW wrestler in KENTA on American TV.

Anyway, this is a great/exciting time to be a wrestling fan; ESPECIALLY if you keep up with both AEW AND NJPW!


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## Hitman1987 (May 25, 2020)

Prosper said:


> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1357162388861177857
> 
> Damn Kenta really just showed up on Dynamite though. What a great main event and great ending. Loved the Bullet Club shirt and references from the announcers. Hopefully as the weeks go by they can explain who Kenta is to the U.S. Audience.
> 
> What does that mean for the AEW/NJPW partnership? I don't know much about New Japan yet outside of Okada but I've seen guys like Kenta, Tanahashi, Okada, and Naito wrestle and thought they were all great.


If you’ve got FITE TV then you should buy the NJPW best bout collections. Great value for money and a good place to introduce yourself to NJPW’s biggest stars.


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## TheDraw (Jun 27, 2019)

If this doesn't end up with Jay White eventually getting in the mix than I give no fucks. I know NJPW is good, but I've seen enough experements with American companies booking obscure Japanese wrestlers who are a big deal in Japan but can't translate that success to the US. I don't know what it is but something just always feels off watching these guys come over here and perform. They never do a good job of explaining who these guys are and their history. Unless you already watch NJPW, you're gonna have to watch a shit ton of youtube and matches to give a fuck about someone who looks as bland as Kenta. That's not a knock on him as a talent, it's just the truth because most people aren't gonna do the work to catch up on who he is and what he's about. I have no faith in either NJPW or AEW in making these guys interesting for the American audience. They already just kinda threw Kenta out there and expected everyone to already know who he is which is what every wrestling company does with these guys and it never works. But then again, I guess at this point it's safe to say that AEW isn't really interested at all in getting casuals.

I just hope this Bullet Club things doesn't get too confusing. I feel like things could turn to shit real fast if there are too many people introduced too soon.



Alright_Mate said:


> This will probably just end up being a Moxley/Kenta type deal; however a full crossover between AEW and NJPW would be fucking quality.
> 
> AEW desperately needs something like it, casuals may shit all over it, but they would soon realise how good and intense NJPW is, compared to some of the garbage that AEW and WWE dish out.
> 
> NJPW = Proper Wrestling.


You're delusional and don't understand the American audience. The casuals that may "shit all over it" won't be back to realize how "good and intense" NJPW is.


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## Hephaesteus (Aug 20, 2018)

ok yea i thought cornette was on his omega hate shit, but dude really does talk in a sing songy voice with every promo


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## LifeInCattleClass (Dec 21, 2010)

@TD Stinger 

..... i'm waiting for you to say something to me


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## reyfan (May 23, 2011)

bdon said:


> HE...isn’t.
> 
> What this could mean going forward IS a big deal. NJPW being highlighted on American soil is groundbreaking stuff.


But to the american audience "isn't that the fck boy from NXT that did nothing? why did he change his name to kenta?"


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## LifeInCattleClass (Dec 21, 2010)

bdon said:


> I’m surely not the only guy who grew up a comic book fan. In the early-mid 90s, comics were not cool. XMen was NOT cool. The Avengers, for damn sure, were NOT cool.
> 
> Iron Man movie came out, and no one actually fucking knew what Iron Man was really about. The diehards sent it into the mainstream. The DIEHARDS helped to explain who Thanos was when he was unveiled at the end of The Avengers. Everything that is mainstream and casual fans propping up the business starts with diehards.
> 
> ...


all of this - as a massive comic book fan myself, i live for cross-overs

just one correction - in the 90s..... the X-men were waaayyy cool

do you not remember the whole comic boom with the 50 variant covers? and X-Men #1 by Jim Lee which ultimately lead to the launch of Image comics, Spawn and all the rest?


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## LifeInCattleClass (Dec 21, 2010)

bdon said:


> And what my good friend, @BigCy , forgot to mention is “Say your prayers and hug your Fuck Cody rHHHodes tightly tonight.”
> 
> I got your back, bud.


cody not even on the show, and still with the mentions


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## TAC41 (Jun 8, 2016)

Prosper said:


> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1357162388861177857Hopefully as the weeks go by they can explain who Kenta is to the U.S. Audience.


Completely unnecessary considering his WWE run. I guarantee anyone watching AEW is already aware who KENTA is. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Outlaw91 (Mar 31, 2011)

PhenomenalOne11 said:


> A casual fan is someone who mainly watches wrestling for the characters and the storytelling like they would with a TV show, they love car crash TV and lots of drama (Attitude Era type drama). They're people who don't care about the inner workings of a company and just wanna see good TV.


It sounds like you are describing a "hadcore" fan of a specific wrestling show. 

Maybe the "casuals" were intrigued by that little tough Japanese guy they saw last night at the end of the show and want to see more of AEW Dynamite. Isn't this also a possibility?


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## zkorejo (Jul 2, 2010)

Wow. Seriously.. this is pretty damn awesome. Imagine the entire Bullet Club led by Omega invading AEW. 

Right now the story seems to be that BC/Kenta want nothing to do with Omega and are just there to get the US title. 

This seems more realistic considering the issues between NJPW and Elite.

Edit: Fuck Jay White.. have them betray him. Let Omega run the BC. Njpw won't do that so let's see what they do about it. Maybe Omega can lead BC when it's in America and Jay White leads in Japan.


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## Big Booty Bex (Jan 24, 2020)

Outlaw91 said:


> Minoru Suzuki is loved anywhere in the world, if there will be a partnership The King is included.
> AEW is not prepared for Suzuki Gun, Archer could be coming back home though.


Truth.










Omega vs. Suzuki vs. Moxley 

Book it Khan!


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## TD Stinger (May 9, 2012)

LifeInCattleClass said:


> @TD Stinger
> 
> ..... i'm waiting for you to say something to me


I was wr.......

I was wra-ung

I was wro......

Ahem.......

I was wrong.

Now, I don't know what this means long term or short term, but something is in the works apparently. Now, unfortunately with a pandemic going on we're not gonna be seeing talent based in Japan for awhile, if that's even the plan at all. But, last night was an interesting start


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## rbl85 (Nov 21, 2017)

Meltzer said "the deal is done and the 2 side have a working relationship"


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## Asuka842 (Jul 19, 2016)

I so want to see Suzuki and Ishii come to AEW.


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## 3venflow (Feb 3, 2019)

Yeah, as @rbl85 said, Meltzer confirmed the working agreement is now in place. Not a lot can be done during the pandemic, but he added that AEW guys are excited to be potentially working Japan in future.

I'd expect Jay White to appear in AEW as well after Kenny's 'Brother Switchblade' remark.


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## 3venflow (Feb 3, 2019)

More from Meltz on the background that led to the working agreement:

_“There was really a lot of childish stuff, and even when I tell people they, you know, don’t wanna believe it. There really was a lot of childish stuff. Essentially, they wanted Tony Khan to come and see them and he didn’t, and even though they sent Chris Harrington and even though the Young Bucks were the office and they were ready to make the deal, New Japan thought that they were fly-by-nighters and it’s not going to mean anything, and they just kinda big leagued them.

“They were wrong and they went their separate ways. Then they needed Jon Moxley because he had the U.S. Title. I mean they could have stripped him. They could if they wanted to, but they didn’t want to. The only way to to get him, because he couldn’t go to Japan, was to do it here; but the only way to do it here was to get approval from Tony Khan, so it opened the door.”_


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## Christopher Near (Jan 16, 2019)

Until jay white and hiromu Takahashi shows up ill fully believe it

Also doesn't japan take the pandemic suoer seriously and most of new Japan's talent live in Japan?


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## rbl85 (Nov 21, 2017)

Battle of ego, both side wanted to work together but nobody wanted to make the first step


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## rbl85 (Nov 21, 2017)

Christopher Near said:


> Until jay white and hiromu Takahashi shows up ill fully believe it
> 
> Also doesn't japan take the pandemic suoer seriously and most of new Japan's talent live in Japan?


You have to quarantine for 2 weeks


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## Outlaw91 (Mar 31, 2011)

Christopher Near said:


> Until jay white and hiromu Takahashi shows up ill fully believe it
> 
> Also doesn't japan take the pandemic suoer seriously and most of new Japan's talent live in Japan?


From the gajins I think only ZSJ is residing in Japan right now and maybe Fale.
GoD,White, Phantasmo,Juice,Finlay,Kenta are residing in US.


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## NathanMayberry (Oct 11, 2019)

rbl85 said:


> Meltzer said "the deal is done and the 2 side have a working relationship"


I'm sure Meltzer had no prior knowledge of this and only revealed this now..


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## thorwold (Dec 19, 2015)

Happy days are here again. I think this helps New Japan way more than AEW in terms of TV product, but if once all this bullshit is over AEW can have their plethora of green talent working New Japan tours it is going to be rosy for them for yeeeeeeeeeeears.


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## Erik. (Mar 17, 2014)

Great way to end a show. 

Should always look at talking points to end every show and this is definitely one.


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## Outlaw91 (Mar 31, 2011)

thorwold said:


> Happy days are here again. I think this helps New Japan way more than AEW in terms of TV product, but if once all this bullshit is over AEW can have their plethora of green talent working New Japan tours it is going to be rosy for them for yeeeeeeeeeeears.


I think this may be more for NJPW getting exposure in US and maybe some top talents from AEW working some NJPW tours.
I'm curious to see how RoH will take this since they also help NJPW with their Strong US show.


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## LifeInCattleClass (Dec 21, 2010)

TD Stinger said:


> I was wr.......
> 
> I was wra-ung
> 
> ...


good lad 

in the end we all win 

..... but i won first


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## Christopher Near (Jan 16, 2019)

rbl85 said:


> You have to quarantine for 2 weeks


True but for guys to travel back and forth i don't think its worth it. I dont even think new japan lets their fans cheer due to the pandemic


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## Charzhino (Nov 20, 2007)

No idea who Kenta is.


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## ProjectGargano (Apr 7, 2018)

I expect that they don´t rush this parnership and do all at the same time (like ROH), one storyline here and there would be perfect because would leave the people wanting more. Imagine if they do all at the same time and then they dont do anymore? The secret of a good partnership is to do things and introduce wrestlers periodically.


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## 3venflow (Feb 3, 2019)

Jay confirms pretty much that Kenny was referring to him. The hype is real!


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1357334259401256960


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## Outlaw91 (Mar 31, 2011)

3venflow said:


> Jay confirms pretty much that Kenny was referring to him. The hype is real!
> 
> 
> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1357334259401256960


So Kenny didn't get the memo in time? 😄


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## 3venflow (Feb 3, 2019)

New Japan's U.S. exposure about to increase again.


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1357343387368648710


Spoiler



February 4, 2021 –New Japan Pro-Wrestling Co., Ltd. (NJPW) today announced a partnership with Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU) to bring NJPW content to The Roku Channel in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The eponymous New Japan Pro-Wrestling, a one-hour weekly series featuring the athletic action of the world’s preeminent pro-wrestling organization, will air episodes featuring top matches and events that have yet to air on television outside of Japan.

Premiering February 11, episodes of New Japan Pro-Wrestling will air every Thursday beginning at 5 pm on The Roku Channel, and will be available on-demand thereafter. Additionally, The Roku Channel will host a block of library content, featuring key highlights from the 2020 NJPW catalogue, with potential for the introduction of more historical content in the future.

Availability on The Roku Channel makes NJPW the first pro-wrestling company to call an AVOD service home. As pro-wrestling fans increasingly seek out new platforms to watch content, the partnership brings the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s “Promotion of the Year” for the last eight consecutive years to North American and U.K. audiences at a major level for free.

“Expanding the breadth and quality of our programming has fueled The Roku Channel to one of the largest and fastest growing channels on our platform,” said Ashley Hovey, Director of AVOD Growth, Roku. “Sports programming continues to be an important category for our users, and we are very excited to partner with NJPW to put the world of professional wrestling at the fingertips of millions of engaged users on The Roku Channel.”

“Our fans in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom are among our most loyal, and they have been very clear that they want NJPW’s content made available to them,” said Takami Ohbari, President of NJPW. “NJPW is unlike any other pro-wrestling in the world. It is the most athletic, sports-oriented pro-wrestling on the planet, and we are excited to bring our athletes and matches to these markets in such a major way. Thank you to The Roku Channel, and we look forward to a successful partnership that brings NJPW to millions of new fans around the world.”

The partnership comes on the heels of NJPW’s rapid growth in North America and the United Kingdom. The past two years have seen large-scale NJPW events in Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco and London, as well as a record-setting 15-minute sellout of Madison Square Garden in April 2019. This partnership will see NJPW increase its international foothold, bringing its content to new audiences for the first time.

Roku continues to be the number one TV streaming platform in the United States in terms of hours streamed, according to Kantar. The Roku Channel delivers thousands of titles, including free movies and TV episodes. In the fourth quarter of 2020, The Roku Channel reached United States households with an estimated 61.8 million people.
Roku is a registered trademark of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries.


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## ProjectGargano (Apr 7, 2018)

3venflow said:


> New Japan's U.S. exposure about to increase again.
> 
> 
> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1357343387368648710
> ...


so, will this replace NJPW strong?


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## 3venflow (Feb 3, 2019)

ProjectGargano said:


> so, will this replace NJPW strong?


No, New Japan Strong is their small U.S. branch, the Roku show will feature the Japanese side (but seems like it'll be older highlights from 2020 to start).


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

LifeInCattleClass said:


> all of this - as a massive comic book fan myself, i live for cross-overs
> 
> just one correction - in the 90s..... the X-men were waaayyy cool
> 
> do you not remember the whole comic boom with the 50 variant covers? and X-Men #1 by Jim Lee which ultimately lead to the launch of Image comics, Spawn and all the rest?


Nah. X-Men and comics were still largely niche in the US in the 90s.


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## LifeInCattleClass (Dec 21, 2010)

bdon said:


> Nah. X-Men and comics were still largely niche in the US in the 90s.


...... you're spectacularly wrong

while there wasn't a million movies about them, the 90s was the highest grossing time for comics and they were pretty much mainstream + a big collectors / investment market


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## Shock Street (Oct 27, 2020)

bdon said:


> Nah. X-Men and comics were still largely niche in the US in the 90s.


Isn't the X-Men animated series literally the 2nd most popular kids series from that era after Batman the Animated Series?

EDIT: Forgot Pokemon oops. Still though, this is the first I'm hearing that nobody liked the X-Men. Pretty sure every kid at my school had an X-Men cartoon shirt.


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## Prosper (Mar 25, 2015)

Well now that we have confirmation that New Japan and AEW are working together, that REALLY opens up possibilities once travel restrictions are lifted and once crowds return. I can't wait.

Tony Khan does it again. He wasn't lying when he said he was about to change the landscape of wrestling. He also wasn't lying when he said he had multiple surprises. First Sting, then the wending to Winter is Coming, now this. And I feel like we are just at the beginning.


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## Hotdiggity11 (Aug 24, 2006)

Too bad everyone’s introduction to KENTA was a rather “meh” looking GTS.


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

LifeInCattleClass said:


> ...... you're spectacularly wrong
> 
> while there wasn't a million movies about them, the 90s was the highest grossing time for comics and they were pretty much mainstream + a big collectors / investment market


Here in the US, most kids did not know about the XMen. Certainly not the kids in my home state.


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## JoePanther (May 14, 2018)

bdon said:


> Here in the US, most kids did not know about the XMen. Certainly not the kids in my home state.


Are you from like Iowa or Nebraska? Everyone in my school watched the X-Men cartoon as well as Batman. We all had the Ts as well. 

As for this partnership, I can't wait to see what comes out of this. I think wrestling as a whole is starting to turn a corner and head in the right direction.


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## Asuka842 (Jul 19, 2016)

Jay White lives in Florida now I believe. So it’s be even easier for him to appear most likely I’d think.


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## Majmo_Mendez (Jul 18, 2014)

ProjectGargano said:


> I expect that they don´t rush this parnership and do all at the same time (like ROH), one storyline here and there would be perfect because would leave the people wanting more. Imagine if they do all at the same time and then they dont do anymore? The secret of a good partnership is to do things and introduce wrestlers periodically.


That's pretty much my hope and expectation. Let's be honest here, ROH was courtain jerking to NJPW most of the time, AEW is in a different league, if they want to do this right and make everyone look good, it has to be step by step.


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## Outlaw91 (Mar 31, 2011)

Did WWE pay Kenta any royalties for Bryan and Punk using his moves? Punk didn't even bother to change the name, same with the Anaconda vise from Tenzan.


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## Aedubya (Jul 12, 2019)

Where is the dynamite show thread?
Any link to a page please?


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## LifeInCattleClass (Dec 21, 2010)

bdon said:


> Here in the US, most kids did not know about the XMen. Certainly not the kids in my home state.


..... xmen issue 1 by jim lee alone in the 90s sold 8.2 mil copies

the add spider-man, batman, spawn, superman

just because kids in your home state are dumb, doesn‘t mean something wasn‘t mainstream

oh yes... then there’s this


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## AthleticGirth (Jul 25, 2020)

A main event with Bullet Club wrestlers from three companies. It's exciting times and opens the door to many possibilities.

Massive pop from me for Kenta's run in, he's been killing it on NJ Strong.


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## HugoCortez (Mar 7, 2019)

LifeInCattleClass said:


> ...... you're spectacularly wrong
> 
> while there wasn't a million movies about them, the 90s was the highest grossing time for comics and they were pretty much mainstream + a big collectors / investment market



Yeah, 84-95 is basically the last big comic boom. Marvel comics sales were HUGE as fuck during most of the 80s and the first half of the 90s and Spiderman and X-Men were like the top 2 best sellnig superhero comics almost uninterruptedly from 79 to 91 (hell, X-Men was the record breaker throughout that era, spawning a legion of spin-off series), when Superman experienced a resurgence in sales and started to top them in sales from time to time due to the Death of Superman story arc.

Around 96 the ubble burst and comic sales dropped dramatically overnight, in part because a couple of the record breaking issues of the 90s had tampered sales due to speculation (people who would buy 10 copies of an issue to then resell them for a higher price) which in turn spelt the ruin of the medium, something from which they still haven't recovered.


James Cameron planned to do an X-Men movie adaptation as early as 86. Never came to fruition, but it's a good example to illustrate how big X-Men was back then.


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## bigwrestlingfan22 (May 19, 2015)

Wait Kenta is the same guy as Hideo Itami? The guy who failed in NXT/WWE? He may be great (I've never really seen him work) but I thought it was some main event level guy. I thought the guy on twitter was just trolling when he said omg AEW got Hideo Itami.


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## AthleticGirth (Jul 25, 2020)

bigwrestlingfan22 said:


> Wait Kenta is the same guy as Hideo Itami? The guy who failed in NXT/WWE? He may be great (I've never really seen him work) but I thought it was some main event level guy. I thought the guy on twitter was just trolling when he said omg AEW got Hideo Itami.


He had terrible injuries during his WWE stint and lets be honest, there aren't many male Japanese wrestlers WWE have done right by when it comes to booking.

NJPW have done a good job of building Kenta back up.


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## ECFuckinW (Jun 29, 2020)

__





Redirect Notice






www.google.com





Door is open I guess??


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## Brodus Clay (Jan 6, 2012)

bigwrestlingfan22 said:


> Wait Kenta is the same guy as Hideo Itami? The guy who failed in NXT/WWE? He may be great (I've never really seen him work) but I thought it was some main event level guy. I thought the guy on twitter was just trolling when he said omg AEW got Hideo Itami.


Yes it's him he got his swag back on New Japan.


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

AthleticGirth said:


> He had terrible injuries during his WWE stint and lets be honest, there aren't many male Japanese wrestlers WWE have done right by when it comes to booking.
> 
> NJPW have done a good job of building Kenta back up.


Same could be said of Okada in Impact.


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## rbl85 (Nov 21, 2017)

I think most people are hype not because of Kenta himself but because of what it means for the relationship between AEW and NJPW.


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

rbl85 said:


> I think most people are hype not because of Kenta himself but because of what it means for the relationship between AEW and NJPW.


Exactly: Okada and Omega on American Soil. One day soon.


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## Outlaw91 (Mar 31, 2011)

bdon said:


> Same could be said of Okada in Impact.


Okada wasn't there to be a star, it was just an excursion so he can learn the western side of the wrestling business, and he did just that. He was a young lion. If it wasn't for his excursion in TNA, we wouldn't have the Rainmaker character today. 

KENTA was already a big name in wrestling and he was supposed to be a big deal in WWE, they even used Hulk Hogan at his contract signing. Unfortunately he got injured pretty bad and there were other smaller injuries and other factors unknown to me that didn't allow him to fulfill his potential. 
I think they could have used him better since returning from injury and challenging Bobby Roode for the NXT title, including in 205 live, where he clearly was the best they got. But I'm glad things worked out for him since leaving WWE and joining NJPW. It could have been very easy for him to go to Noah and be their ace again but he clearly thinks he got more to offer to the business and NJPW is the best choice he can get, better than AEW I would say because of his strong style wrestling. 
Funny fact is that he managed to stay injury free in NJPW despite working a much tougher style, I think he was a little banged up after his match with Ishii.


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## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

So once the partnership officially kicks in what should be the expected demo and viewership numbers?


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## Pentagon Senior (Nov 16, 2019)

RapShepard said:


> So once the partnership officially kicks in what should be the expected demo and viewership numbers?


Probably too early to call but I imagine the initial bump wouldn't be huge. The hope would be that it builds or even steam rolls into something bigger over time. It's unlikely that the top stars will be heading over to the US anytime soon. But potentially matches between Omega and either Okada or Ibushi could sell out very large arenas if/when it happens? That kind of buzz could bring more interest then who knows what happens to over time...

Right now we don't even know what format the partnership will take and whether we'd see it unfold on Dynamite, second show or maybe just ppv's etc.

I'm just happy to go along for the ride.


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## Wolf Mark (Jun 5, 2020)

bdon said:


> Nah. X-Men and comics were still largely niche in the US in the 90s.


X-Men #1 sold 8 million copies in 1991!!! the biggest selling comic of all time. And then there was the Death of Superman in 93 which made news and had people lining up just to get a copy. Then Spawn #1 sold like 2 million copies. Comic-books were at its biggest heights in the early 90s and it will never be repeated. The problem was with the speculation, it became bigger than it should and it dropped as fast as it got big cause people thought they would money from it and the bubble burst. And the whole industry imploded in the mid 90s and nearly died. So in the same decade it became the biggest it had ever been and then lowest it had ever been.



bdon said:


> I’m surely not the only guy who grew up a comic book fan. In the early-mid 90s, comics were not cool. XMen was NOT cool. The Avengers, for damn sure, were NOT cool.
> 
> Iron Man movie came out, and no one actually fucking knew what Iron Man was really about. The diehards sent it into the mainstream. The DIEHARDS helped to explain who Thanos was when he was unveiled at the end of The Avengers. Everything that is mainstream and casual fans propping up the business starts with diehards.
> 
> ...


The diehards had nothing to do with the success of Iron Man. The movie was a success on its own merit. It was a mainstream hit, the comic geeks had nothing to do with Iron Man becoming successful. It was the casual movie audience that made Iron Man. Because it was that damn good and well made and well told. And because Kevin Feige is a genius at marketing. Something which AEW doesn't have.


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## tower_ (Nov 19, 2020)

I hope they do this right. I want to see Tanahashi on American soil. I want to see Minoru abuse Orange Cassidy. I want them to use Ospreay correctly. I'm interested in guys like Hiromu and am curious what they'll do with Jay White etc.

Starting off with KENTA does not give me the greatest hopes, but there is at least some hope. To follow the above comparison, he aint Iron Man 1


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## jack121 (Sep 13, 2016)

An AEW/NJPW has the potential to destroy NXT in the ratings. Imagine Osprey, Okada, White, etc all showing up to face the like of Omega, Moxley, MJF, etc.


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## MarkOfAllMarks (Apr 7, 2018)

RapShepard said:


> If this doesn't include Minoru Suzuki then I don't give a fuck about the partnership. It'll please their fan base so good move on them if it's a thing. But of the NJPW shows I've seen they have the NXT issue of trying to be epic.


I just want Tanahashi on TNT in an AEW ring.


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## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

MarkOfAllMarks said:


> I just want Tanahashi on TNT in an AEW ring.


So similar boat to me lol. Give you one specific person and it's all good.


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## rbl85 (Nov 21, 2017)

Imagine Kenny doing a promo in the middle of the ring and all of a sudden no light then you hear the coin flip of Okada theme.


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

rbl85 said:


> Imagine Kenny doing a promo in the middle of the ring and all of a sudden no light then you hear the coin flip of Okada theme.


Okada and Kenny in Madison Square Garden is a sellout event, but I think if they can wait long enough for crowds to be allowed at shows, those two headlining an AEW pay-per-view in TIAA Bank Field, home of the Jaguars, is the right play. That is the money match and event that brings in the mainstream just due to the sheer spectacle that Okada-Omega V on American soil can provide.


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## Piers (Sep 1, 2015)

I wonder how smart and how easy it is to bring somebody from Japan in the middle of a world pandemic.


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## Hitman1987 (May 25, 2020)

bdon said:


> Okada and Kenny in Madison Square Garden is a sellout event, but I think if they can wait long enough for crowds to be allowed at shows, those two headlining an AEW pay-per-view in TIAA Bank Field, home of the Jaguars, is the right play. That is the money match and event that brings in the mainstream just due to the sheer spectacle that Okada-Omega V on American soil can provide.


Omega vs Ibushi is the match I want to see most due to their history and the fact they are both champs.

You are right though that Omega vs Okada on US soil is the biggest match they can do. I just hope Excalibur isn’t commentating the day it happens.


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

Hitman1987 said:


> Omega vs Ibushi is the match I want to see most due to their history and the fact they are both champs.
> 
> You are right though that Omega vs Okada on US soil is the biggest match they can do. I just hope Excalibur isn’t commentating the day it happens.


Agreed on the match I want to see for selfish reasons, but the match that can really reach new audiences is Kenny vs Okada in a stadium with 40k plus screaming fans, ESPN coverage for being the first non-WWE show to “sell out” a stadium, etc etc. Make it a full on fucking spectacle around that week, ala WrestleMania.

And you treat the audience to a style of wrestling they haven’t seen. You don’t even have to book a finish. Let them go Broadway again and do a time limit draw.


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## Hitman1987 (May 25, 2020)

bdon said:


> Agreed on the match I want to see for selfish reasons, but the match that can really reach new audiences is Kenny vs Okada in a stadium with 40k plus screaming fans, ESPN coverage for being the first non-WWE show to “sell out” a stadium, etc etc. Make it a full on fucking spectacle around that week, ala WrestleMania.
> 
> And you treat the audience to a style of wrestling they haven’t seen. You don’t even have to book a finish. Let them go Broadway again and do a time limit draw.


I thought the match you would most want to see for selfish reasons would be the battle of the Aces 👀 😂

I would definitely make the trip for a Wrestlemania style AEW vs NJPW supercard. That’s bucket list material for me.


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## DammitChrist (Apr 3, 2016)

Man, I would LOVE to see a potential Darby Allin vs Hiromu Takahashi match some day. 

Both of those men would go insane in this possible match-up!


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