HomeNew Japan Pro WrestlingMad embarrassing for NJPW that this is the end result of them rocket strapping this guy from 2018-2021 and literally having him end the lineage of their world title.
Mad embarrassing for NJPW that this is the end result of them rocket strapping this guy from 2018-2021 and literally having him end the lineage of their world title.
Mad embarrassing for NJPW that this is the end result of them rocket strapping this guy from 2018-2021 and literally having him end the lineage of their world title.
Jay was sad but expected, Aussie Open was sobering, this one feels kind of humiliating for them lol.
Shibata is worse imo. Wrestling in front of “who gives a fuck about ROH” crowds taped after AEW
Is it? I heard ibushi talking like everything’s good now. So he could come back every once in a while. Plus he’s like 40 something. He did his best and was on the highest of mountains
I think Ibushi’s blow up with NJPW was way too different to the other ‘poached’ guys that it’s hard to compare them. I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted things going the way they did there lol
Do you mean the situation where NJPW got all those matches through his peak and now AEW has him during a clear physical decline while NJPW has a bunch of young guys coming up? This clearly didn’t work out as expected, but not sure NJPW really lost out here.
Yep.
Him and Jay White, both there after a few years ago headlining WK and putting on the best match of the year, and possibly both of their careers.
I will say though, his matches thus far in AEW, he’s seemed very sluggish and not the Ibushi he used to be.
NJPW has lost all their big stars. Only Naito and Okada remain.
Dude hasn’t been in NJPW for like 2 years ago. It sucks that he’s gone, he’s very talented but I’d rather someone who doesn’t want to be in the company get to leave rather than having them stay and be miserable. To me it’s best for all parties and if dude is having fun in AEW then god bless.
That and the whole belt thing, that’s on the company not him. Wrestling is a work and it’s their property. They can switch back to the old title whenever they want but they choose not to.
It’s most humiliating for Ibushi. He’s tagging with Big Show in matches that make DDT look serious.
New Japan screwed the pooch
The whole situation during Ibushi’s injury was an absolute shambles.
Post-Injury Ibushi wrestling elsewhere is just standard wrestling business, and in this instance I’d say not a loss. It’s a shame that he isn’t what he was, but such is life.
Always felt they should have saved the “combining both belts” thing for a younger star. That could have been a defining moment for a future ace, to effectively shut the door on the last generation and focus on his generation. It would be the modern equivalent of Shane Douglas throwing the NWA WHC Belt.
That being said, we got the last bits of peak-level Kota Ibushi. I’ve seen most of his matches post-shoulder injury, and he’s a far cry from the Ibushi that we remember. The guy was a beast, now he’s slowed down a lot and I’m not even sure if his shoulder is at 100% anymore. This isn’t the sort of Kota Ibushi that I’d like to see in a cerulean blue ring again anyway.
Either way, I recall him saying that things have been ironed out with NJPW and they’ve made an offer to him, so I guess things are okay now. Never say never, right?
He’s not in good shape. NJPW got his best years. AEW did Omega a favor by taking care of him even though he doesn’t need the money.
We forgetting the whole fiasco of him leaving? Personally i dont see ibushi staying with aew for too long after his first title run, he will shape up again but i just dont see his ego sitting under omega again.
What kind of reactionary post is this lmao? The guy hasn’t wrestled in NJPW for more than 2 years.
Is this only relevant as an embarrassment because he officially signed with a promotion you don’t like lol? A promotion that he’s wrestled in three times already this year by the way so it’s not like he just debuted or anything.
Why? If after all they were on good terms… I also remember in those days tweets from japanese wrestlers questioning Ibushi’s professionalism…
It’s unlikely that Ibushi would be able to wrestle for NJPW right now as his athleticism still hasn’t fully returned after rehabbing his injuries, it’s clear those injuries messed him up pretty bad and he hasn’t been having singles matches because he doesn’t have the gas yet. AEW has been using him as a gimmick match stuntman and there isn’t much work for that role in NJPW.
Plus NJPW got Ibushi’s peak, his name getting traction in America will make those fans want to see his work from Japan, especially if the Golden Lovers storyline eventually picks up again
Nah, I’ve said the same for Ospreay if he’s leaving – NJPW got the most out of him while he was around and it was the right choice at the time. Who could have seen the last 5 years coming?
Especially since there wasn’t anyone viable as a top guy who was looked over for Ibushi’s achievements – you could argue an extended Naito reign could have worked but I like that they saved that for when crowds were back in full force, and he already got a year long reign. There was already Okada fatigue, White was out of the country, Ospreay got injured and was also out of the country, and Shingo got a quality reign in. Who really lost?
I actually think Ibushi got the short end of the stick here. He’s clearly not the same he was two to three years. Not even remotely the same. He’s aging, he has slowed it down, and I think he’s wrestling for comfort now instead of quality. Moreover, he has joined AEW at their lowest. They have no momentum, and this signing is not very earth shattering.
I will say that I still feel awful for Ibushi’s family with the whole NJPW situation. But if he’s happier in AEW, then good for him!
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Jay was sad but expected, Aussie Open was sobering, this one feels kind of humiliating for them lol.
Shibata is worse imo. Wrestling in front of “who gives a fuck about ROH” crowds taped after AEW
Is it? I heard ibushi talking like everything’s good now. So he could come back every once in a while. Plus he’s like 40 something. He did his best and was on the highest of mountains
I think Ibushi’s blow up with NJPW was way too different to the other ‘poached’ guys that it’s hard to compare them. I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted things going the way they did there lol
Do you mean the situation where NJPW got all those matches through his peak and now AEW has him during a clear physical decline while NJPW has a bunch of young guys coming up? This clearly didn’t work out as expected, but not sure NJPW really lost out here.
Yep.
Him and Jay White, both there after a few years ago headlining WK and putting on the best match of the year, and possibly both of their careers.
I will say though, his matches thus far in AEW, he’s seemed very sluggish and not the Ibushi he used to be.
NJPW has lost all their big stars. Only Naito and Okada remain.
Dude hasn’t been in NJPW for like 2 years ago. It sucks that he’s gone, he’s very talented but I’d rather someone who doesn’t want to be in the company get to leave rather than having them stay and be miserable. To me it’s best for all parties and if dude is having fun in AEW then god bless.
That and the whole belt thing, that’s on the company not him. Wrestling is a work and it’s their property. They can switch back to the old title whenever they want but they choose not to.
It’s most humiliating for Ibushi. He’s tagging with Big Show in matches that make DDT look serious.
New Japan screwed the pooch
The whole situation during Ibushi’s injury was an absolute shambles.
Post-Injury Ibushi wrestling elsewhere is just standard wrestling business, and in this instance I’d say not a loss. It’s a shame that he isn’t what he was, but such is life.
Always felt they should have saved the “combining both belts” thing for a younger star. That could have been a defining moment for a future ace, to effectively shut the door on the last generation and focus on his generation. It would be the modern equivalent of Shane Douglas throwing the NWA WHC Belt.
That being said, we got the last bits of peak-level Kota Ibushi. I’ve seen most of his matches post-shoulder injury, and he’s a far cry from the Ibushi that we remember. The guy was a beast, now he’s slowed down a lot and I’m not even sure if his shoulder is at 100% anymore. This isn’t the sort of Kota Ibushi that I’d like to see in a cerulean blue ring again anyway.
Either way, I recall him saying that things have been ironed out with NJPW and they’ve made an offer to him, so I guess things are okay now. Never say never, right?
He’s not in good shape. NJPW got his best years. AEW did Omega a favor by taking care of him even though he doesn’t need the money.
We forgetting the whole fiasco of him leaving?
Personally i dont see ibushi staying with aew for too long after his first title run, he will shape up again but i just dont see his ego sitting under omega again.
What kind of reactionary post is this lmao? The guy hasn’t wrestled in NJPW for more than 2 years.
Is this only relevant as an embarrassment because he officially signed with a promotion you don’t like lol? A promotion that he’s wrestled in three times already this year by the way so it’s not like he just debuted or anything.
Why? If after all they were on good terms…
I also remember in those days tweets from japanese wrestlers questioning Ibushi’s professionalism…
It’s unlikely that Ibushi would be able to wrestle for NJPW right now as his athleticism still hasn’t fully returned after rehabbing his injuries, it’s clear those injuries messed him up pretty bad and he hasn’t been having singles matches because he doesn’t have the gas yet. AEW has been using him as a gimmick match stuntman and there isn’t much work for that role in NJPW.
Plus NJPW got Ibushi’s peak, his name getting traction in America will make those fans want to see his work from Japan, especially if the Golden Lovers storyline eventually picks up again
Nah, I’ve said the same for Ospreay if he’s leaving – NJPW got the most out of him while he was around and it was the right choice at the time. Who could have seen the last 5 years coming?
Especially since there wasn’t anyone viable as a top guy who was looked over for Ibushi’s achievements – you could argue an extended Naito reign could have worked but I like that they saved that for when crowds were back in full force, and he already got a year long reign. There was already Okada fatigue, White was out of the country, Ospreay got injured and was also out of the country, and Shingo got a quality reign in. Who really lost?
I actually think Ibushi got the short end of the stick here. He’s clearly not the same he was two to three years. Not even remotely the same. He’s aging, he has slowed it down, and I think he’s wrestling for comfort now instead of quality. Moreover, he has joined AEW at their lowest. They have no momentum, and this signing is not very earth shattering.
I will say that I still feel awful for Ibushi’s family with the whole NJPW situation. But if he’s happier in AEW, then good for him!