I feel bad for Shota Umino, despite him not being my favorite whatsoever. The guy has a lot of talent, but some bad timing, mixed with some bad luck and questionable booking left him kind of cold these last few months. A big problem for Shota is that his current presentation doesn't fit the structure that the company set seemingly up for the future:
Tsuji will always be a tweener: too wholesome to be a heel, too mischievous to be a good guy.
Narita will be a absolute scumbag, psychopath heel, that'll get even worse once he takes HOT over.
Uemura and Shota are both doing the "wholesome goodie two shoes" schtick, but Uemura is just much better at it, point blank. Better look, better fire (pun intended), better psychology, and most importantly, Uemura feels more authentic. Shota kind of tryhards, and giving him a long entrance designed to get the crowd on him is well, not authentic. To make an old-school reference, Uemura is Ricky Steamboat, while Shota is Kerry Von Erich – same premise, both great, different level of talent.
I think the company needs another top heel. If Narita is going to be a violent psychopath, then Shota ought to be a opportunistic sociopath. I can see Shota doing something similar to Nishitani III from the Like A Dragon series; a very flamboyant, privileged pretty boy who has no empathy for others and is a piece of trash in his own right. This way, you could even do a reunion with Narita down the road, where they both have their own groups and have a mutual alliance against Tsuji's LIJ and Uemura's J5G.
Play into Shota's nepotism, make him a cocky rich kid that embraces the fact he was handed the keys to the kingdom. He failed at doing it as a hero, but now as a villain he'll just do what he must, and wants. Have him acknowledge the fact he cosplayed multiple people, and now he's his true self. I know what you're thinking – "this would be too similar to Okada." Okada was a businessman-esque top level athlete that really was as good as he claimed. Shota should be a guy way over his head, that gradually becomes as good as he preaches, which makes his eventual demise even sweeter.
Maybe he'll turn it around and be the Ace he claimed he could, but "Fate's Choice" heel Shota Umino… I need it.
by [deleted]
