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pokoko on 05 February 2017
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badgenome said:
pokoko said:

NJPW also seems to be dangerously close to becoming "Okada Produce".  I suspect they're going to line up the roster for him to run through, much like Cena did at one point, though he'll keep getting pinned in 6-man tag matches so we think his next challenger has a chance.  I call it the "Bad Luck Fale" effect. 

Maybe I'm just bitter, as Okada is like my 5th or 6th favorite New Japan wrestler.  I like it a lot better when it seemed like everyone was closer to the same level.  

LOL @ Bad Luck Fale effect. You may be right, especially with Okada calling out Tiger Mask W. If that's not just a misdirect and they do have Ibushi as one of the next challengers it would only seem to be for the purposes of padding out his defenses. (Although it also potentially sets up some Okada/Omega/Ibushi stuff in the vein of Tanahashi/Okada/Styles.) I keep wondering if they'll decide to have Okada break Tanahashi's record for defenses. That would take a lot of discipline on their part, and who knows if the fans would turn on him by then because that's an awful hard push. The crowds even started to get kind of fed up with Tanahashi at one point, and I'm not really sure if Okada has "it" like Tanahashi did.

I'm torn on Okada. He's obviously very good and I respect the fact that he has kind of an underwhelming moveset that he does really well and keeps protected, sort of like a Japanese version of the Rock. It takes some balls to use a short arm clothesline as your finisher in CURRENT YEAR, and his dropkick is fucking beautiful. But there are times when he comes off as a little tryhard for my liking. Like, "I AM BEING THIS THING GEDO TOLD ME TO BE. AREN'T I IMPERIOUS?" He's definitely looking more comfortable in the role than even a year ago, and in 5 years he'll probably be incredible at it, but I think he could do with a little more Chono-esque non-chalance. It's probably something that only comes with time.

If Ibushi doesn't sign to NJPW and prove his loyalty then he's only going to be a bump in the road.  A bump that delivers great matches but that's about it.  If it's anything like joshi (and I don't know that it is) then freelancers rarely win the top title unless they hot potato it back.  I remember when everyone was kind of shocked that Kana beat Arisa Nakajima for the JWP title.  

Which gave us this legendary moment, which I will always love and share forever even when it has little to do with the current topic.

This is what Suzuki should have done to Okada.

Okada is a great wrestler but he does nothing for me as a personality.  I'd love to see him display even a fraction of the charisma that Tanahashi has.  I understand that he's over in Japan, and maybe he has a lot more chances to sell himself over there, but I just don't find myself caring if he wins or loses.  Even when I was kind of annoyed with Tanahashi as the "Ace", he still impressed the hell out of me with the way he involved the audience.  Okada doesn't have that--though he has improved greatly.  I remember when his version of selling was looking mildy constipated.  He is young, though, despite being the top dog, so maybe that's not completely fair.  

Wrestling being so predictable with an unbeatable, hand-picked main character is something I really don't like.  I much prefer when wrestling surprises me.

Oh, yeah, and Kawada tapped out?