Can we just appriciate the fact that henare and shingo had one of the best rivalries in 2023 so far having 3 classic matches with non stop hard hitting action that would make u sit at he edge of ur sit. Last night henare and shingo just had another match and it is the best match so far from the g1 climax. People are not crediting this matchup enough when I saw them go one and one back in the new japan cup I thought shingo would destroy henare but turns out henare beated the crap out of shingo proving why he’s not a pushover and the match itself was good aswell probably my favorite match from the new japan cup except for maybe shota vs zsj, fast forward to (on the road to) sakura genesis henare and shingo had another rematch for the kopw title and that match was goddamn classic the kopw stipulation is made for henare and shingo and they did not disappoint, back n forth strikes, ground submissions and adrenaline in everyone’s body. It was such a great match. And fast forward to today they applied the same amount of energy and intensity from their previous matches in UNDER 20 minutes, the only guy I think that can put up a classic in under 20 mins is zsj but other than that this 2 just went all in, I already expected greatness in their match but not in this level when theres just 20 mins on the clock. People might say ospreay and omega was the rivalry this year but for me its henare and shingo. Acknowledge them 👍
![[Strong spoilers] Challenge for Rumble on 44th Street](https://www.lonelyjapan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/HqVGlPkYHG-Ech7pXq56WnxhvAP3TXW7MPhbNAa1xTI.jpg)
10 comments
Yeah this pairing could be the njpw rivalry of the year so far, 3 bangers.
It’s also really helped Henare solidify himself as a threat and one of the top bruisers in the company coming out on top against a established top guy like Shingo in a trilogy.
Heck yeah Henare is awesome I don’t why people get behind him I enjoy all his matches
Finally got around to watching this match, absolutely insane. I don’t know where HENARE’s ceiling is here, but I think these matches with Shingo will help bump him up. He didn’t look out of place in these bigger matches, the guy is more than capable.
He’s only 30, and a solid workhorse. It’s not hard to imagine him in the same breath as Ishii and Shingo down the line.
My favourite match of this G1 so far
I don’t know what match people were watching…
But, no.
Just no.
I have been pulling for Henare for a long time, but his in-ring work has changed dramatically, and it’s not for the better.
I don’t know if he’s become so afraid of getting hurt … or what the issue is … but his work has become so phoney looking.
His head-butts are garbage. We can clearly see him stomping the mat when he does it; even when they do a close-up, so the hard-cam doesn’t pick it up, you can still tell he’s stomping the mat, because his entire body shakes.
His strikes didn’t land at all … and he’s become even more obvious than the Young Bucks for slapping his thigh and his chest when he does his kicks, punches, and elbows.
And for two matches in a row, he’s been doing the whole “dumb brute” selling, where he growls like Iron Mike Sharpe and flops around like a buffoon when he’s supposedly taking a bump, which just makes him look foolish.
Do you know what was a great match tonight?
Kingston vs EVIL.
Go back and watch Kingston sell and fight from underneath…. Kingston was vintage Terry Funk from bell to bell…. He sold the eye poke throughout the whole match, and the back bump onto the chairs, which called back to his history of back injuries. He was masterful.
Enjoyed their match. Glad Henare got the win.
I love shingo bit there is something about henare i cant get behind. He got the look for sure now, he has some good slams and his kicks are decent but the headbutts and his forearms make me not a fan, like I know headbutt hurt and he delivered a few bumps with them but 90% looks super soft until he thinks shingo in the collar bone it just removed me from the immersion. And the forearms are just weak. I’m glad he doesn’t want to hurt his rival but several exchanges they looked so soft. Like too soft. He needs more umph with them. Once he figures those 2 things out I’m a fan. Plus you gotta love the dedication to his culture with a damn face tat
This G1 has been my first time watching HENARE though I’ve known about him for years. I marked out seeing him debut the new look, I’m a huge sucker for any sort of indigenous representation in pro wrestling, especially when it’s significant to who they are as a wrestler.
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I’ve personally loved the two matches I’ve seen so far, though I understand it’s almost impossible to have a bad match against Shingo. I dig the style, a hard-nosed technical warrior. If he keeps up this quality, I’d love to see him get a strong push in the upper mid-card to capitalize on the new presentation.
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I find it pretty awesome that New Japan seems to be supporting not just Japanese wrestling but wrestling across the whole Pacific. A Maori warrior is such a sick identity for a pro wrestler in a promotion that values fighting spirit. The best part is it doesn’t come off as cliche or campy, it’s a man proud to represent his unique heritage.
I wouldnt say rivalry but a nice series of matches.
Visiting this sub today solely for the reason of looking for this post, wasn’t disappointed.
..coz that match rulez!
Henare really grew a lot since his young lion days. He impressed everyone around since last G1. Looking forward to more of his matches now and mannnnn G1 really nvr disappoints.