I haven’t seen every match he’s been in but why do you guys hate Wato? He seems pretty dang talented to me.

43 comments

1. Man trying to steal away my grandma.

2. Nobody hates him it’s really quite the opposite. It’s just him and his gimmick are a bit dorky and easy to make fun of.

3. have you ever seen one punch man? he’s mumen rider: ernest, well meaning, but a complete dork completely out of this depth

4. I don’t hate him.

   I hate his Haircut

5. He’s really improved in the ring and I like his finisher. I just wish his gimmick wasn’t so goofy.

6. It’s a dumb gimmick.

   Hirai Kawato as a young lion before leaving on excursions was absolutely incredible, he certainly doesn’t need a silly gimmick to stand out.

   His performances in the 2017 Young Lion Cup and other matches at the time were arguably more impressive than Khan, Umino, Narita and Kitamura, so it’s just been incredibly disappointing that he’s been stuck with this gimmick.

7. Dumb gimmick and they never book him like a real threat to anyone. some lions come back and they knock the door off the hinges , others they allow to struggle which is fine if they have a gimmick that can sustain them in the booking…wato doesnt.

8. I used to not care for him until I watch WK17. His performance was absolutely amazing. Also, his finisher looks like murder. I appreciate Master Wato.

9. I never seen him before WK17 and wondered with my friend “who is this dorky dude” but he stole the show
   , then watched several of his other matches and been a fan ever since. Got a real fun style in the ring

10. I’ve seen a couple of Wato matches and imo he would be more suitable as Tiger Mask than Master Wato

11. That fatal four way at wrestle Kingdom…He showed out. He’s dope

12. I think when he came back his look was alot worse and I think he was also worse in ring.

    But I agree that Wato is pretty good nowadays

13. His matches sometimes don’t flow well but when he finds it he’s a great talent

14. I mean, come on, Master/Grandmaster? That pose also didn’t help.

15. The gimmick is dumb. It’s like the all the years of watching Yoshi Hashi matches and his gimmick accept last year.

16. I think he’s great. But he was kinda cheesy when he debuted and pushed really hard to be seen as “the wrestler for kids”. He’s also gotten into better shape and had a more serious look since then.

17. I hate his haircut and his ring gear. They make me cringe.

18. It took a while for him to really find his footing after he came back from excursion with the new gimmick. He kind of had a dorky YOSHI-HASHI vibe to me. (pre-Bishamon YOSHI-HASHI, I should say.)

    Wrestle Kingdom feels like a major turning point in his career though. In a match with Despy, Hiromu and Ishimori, Wato stole the show and was the star of the match IMO.

19. Does he go to the same stylist Vickie Guerrero goes to?

20. His look is BRUTAL

21. He’s got a weird face

22. Gotta get him out of that gimmick. They gave him a raw deal compared to Shota and Ren.

23. I’ll be frank

    Talented dude

    I hate his gimmick

    And I hate that his name is Master Wato.

    Repackage, rebrand, rebuild

24. Other than the gimmick, He’s been around for a hot minute now and I’ve yet to see one of his matches that have stuck with me. I get he’s young, but step up.

25. Honestly i just dont like how he looks. Appearance or wardrobe

26. He’s fun to watch his gimmick is just stupid. This is sorta weird but he reminds me of the “blue hair liberal” stereotype that conservatives use, if that makes sense.

27. I like his gimmick. It’s one to grow into. Obviously he’s too young for it now, but it will be fun watching him developing it.

28. He just looks so corny. He’s got game for sure but I think he just comes across as a joke

29. he’s just like the average weird gimmick midcard guy that people that people take time to warm up to.

30. DING-DONG… HELLO???

31. I like Wato, think he’s IWGP Jr Heavweight champion worthy.

32. The issue is probably the gimmick. I enjoy Shota Umino’s gimmick – or even Ren Narita’s – a lot more than Wato’s and they both show that NJPW’s future is in good hands, alongside Narita. I agree with a comment I saw here saying that Wato could be groomed as the next Tiger Mask, it would be much less goofy than the “master on road to grandmaster” thing and would probably go over with the fans because of the legacy it represents; you could even have him cross-over with other Japanese promotions much like Tiger Mask does, especially with the recent dealings with AJPW or NOAH that they’ve been having.

33. His gimmick is that he wears blue. And not in the cool way like Akiyama or Nagata.

    And he knows kung-fu for…reasons I guess? It probably doesn’t help that he returned from excursion during the empty arena shows in the pandemic. He just doesn’t have any defining character trait. Other than that he’s an outstanding worker.

    I think Narita and Shibata are great examples that not every young boy needs to be pigeonholed into some outlandish gimmick or character in order to come into their own. Sometimes it works for guys like Hiromu who need to learn how to have fun but other times it’s really not necessary at all.

34. I don’t hate Wato, he’s just not my cup of tea. Compared to most in the division for NJPW I just don’t find myself enjoying his matches or the gimmick or anything. Everyone has their favorities, but for me Wato is someone who just doesn’t maintain my attention and I normally either skip his matches these days or do something else until the next match is on.

35. His gimmick sucks. He lacked confidence when he first came back. Poor Tenzan having to put in work to put him over.

36. It’s 100% his look for me lol. I also really dislike his gimmick

37. His gimmick.

38. His debut back from excursion was pretty poorly executed and he just came off as a dork. Has been an uphill battle since. Guy deserved more IMO.

39. I just can take him seriously he so boring

40. He looks constipated and refuses to take a stool softener

41. Not too familiar with him but he comes across as cringey due to his gimmick, whatever it’s supposed to be. Seems like trying too hard and not genuinely him, or something he’s able to pull off.

42. My friends who don’t watch, couldn’t help but make jokes about him during his entrance and the first half of his match at WK. By the end of it, they all loved him lol.

    Wato’s got a dorky look but he can definitely go imo.

43. He’s hella fun to watch, just had really cingey vignettes for his debut, that make him fun to make fun of him.