How we feel about this

30 comments

1. He doesn’t look like a Tanahashi cosplayer anymore but I feel like it’s a downgrade in look anyway

2. Being compared to Tanahashi physically was his greatest advantage. He pulled himself from Tana’s shadow only to be exposed as nothing in the light.

3. Weird
   Like he looks in shape in both, good gear in both, just has different hair, a tan, and better lighting in the one on the right

4. Yeah, he should’ve kept the long hair.

5. He went from being a Wish version of Tanahashi to a Wish version of Okada.

6. Looks like the guy waiting to get beat up by Ryohei Oiwa.

7. Went from Tanahashi to Okada hairstyle

8. Pre-Glow era.

9. The hair change was fine but I can’t get past his terrible ring gear

10. What I’ve found in NJPW is that they have the habit of comparing their younger talent to the Greats of past generation so it’s hard for the younger guy to find his own lane, like with Umino do they not want him to be a version of Tana or not so he can find his own identity.

11. Dudes out there wrestling with a fractured hip and you’re talking about his look? Give me a break.

12. Yeah his current look doesn’t scream aura to me. It isn’t the hair for me, it’s those ugly ass pants.

13. He should’ve kept his hair long and dyed it black

14. I hate the baggy pants and do miss the hair, I wouldn’t mine him going back to black but still long. Maybe even a more edgy look to match his dad.

15. The hair was the only thing keeping y’all in on dude. Damn

16. I last watched NJPW consistently when he had the long hair so I’ll always associate Shota with it, but the short hair?? It’s growing on me. It’s not bad, maybe if it was just a 🤏🏾 longer I’m coolin.

17. Man Shota don’t really know what to do with his character. They really want him to be the ace without him really being up to the role as of yet.

18. Dont like the new look at all really

19. People have been talking about the hair I have no problem with it really actually think it might suit him more.

    I do hate the pants though, like the Evil Knievel look I think he should change up the design soon.

20. He looked so much better on the right. Watching him vs Newman and I kept thinking his look was just bad.

21. I feel like it looks like he doesn’t know what to do with his hand.

22. I don’t mind the hair change but his current attire is just awful, it doesn’t make him look cool or hell even like a star (he looked way better with his previous attires)

23. People are like ‘Hah he used to look like Tanahashi’ but like,towards the end of last year he was actually starting to make the darker palette tana thing work for him and then he just. Changed his look? Out of nowhere? And I kinda hate it? At the very least he didn’t have to cut his hair so short. Like unofrtunately dude you are just kinda the spitting image of Tana, there’s no way to get around it, you have very similar faces.

24. Shota hasn’t discovered his actual identity yet.

25. I’m sorry Shooter is coming back from a fractured hip and lower back problems, and we’re complaining that his look has no “aura”?. Guy is an animal and should be respected for it.

26. don’t you know if you have short blonde hair you instantly turn into Okada?

27. I will say another reason why the ‘Tanahashi 2.0’ comparisons never sat well with me is beyond the superficial visual simularities their characters aren’t *exactly* the same and they don’t wrestle the same *at all*. Yes they have the same White Meat Babyface foundation, but Tanahashi was always Honorable and about Honest Competition. Both the Ospreay and Jack Perry matches showcased Shooter does in fact have a bit of a mean streak where you push his buttons enough he *will* just start beating the piss out of you and making fun of you while doing it. He has a bit of a temper to him that Tana never really did and that seems minor but I feel that’s actually a very important distinction to make. A darker palette, harder edged Tanahashi who is perfectly willing to get mean if you push him enough is, you ask me, a perfectly fine character to have.

28. I didn’t mind him looking like Tanahashi and really liked his look, especially in the WTL. And even now I still think he looked better before the change

29. Stopped looking like Tanahashi

    Started looking like Okada

30. Isn’t too different, photo on the right is mainly tan and very aggressive, high contrast lighting. If you look at the proportions and definition of muscle, it’s pretty similar. He’a also posing on the right, while relaxing the muscle on the left.

    When it comes to hair, I don’t care, it grows back